A20762:2771
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helps enabling & the reasons persuading unto it the impediments hindering the practise of it, and the best means to remove them whereunto are added divers prayers and a treatise of carnal security by John Douname Bachelor in Divinity and minister of Gods Word.A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.
London: printed by Felix Kingstone and William Stansby for Ed, 1622
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. Sect. 3 Their objection answered, who pretend that they have outgone many others.
§. Sect. 3 Their obiection answered, who pretend that they haue outgone many others.
Furthermore, being deluded with the flesh, we are ready to object, that though we have not attained to that perfection which were to be desired, yet we are forward enough in the course of Christianity, seeing we have outrun many others, although there are many also who are far before us. For answer whereof we are to know, that he who thinketh that he hath proceeded far enough, hath not as yet set one foot forward in the Christian Race; and though we had made some good progress, yet if we now stand still, and do not continue running till we come to the goal, we shall never obtain the Garland. And therefore, imitating runners who strive for a prize, we must not look so much to those whom we have outrun, as to those that are still before us, that we may overtake, and get before them to the mark; seeing if we stand still, and rest in that which we have already done, he that is furthest behind, & yet continueth running, will soon overtake us, & get the Garland from us. We must not please our selves in our good proceedings, and run no more; for in the ways of Christianity, he that goeth not forward, goeth backward; and when we cease to be better, we begin to be worse; neither must we look how far we have proceeded, but how much of the Race remaineth still unrunne, and how far we are yet from the Goal of perfection: ⟨p. 873⟩And with the Apostle, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching 1forth to those things which are before, we must press towards the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He that is ambitious, is not pleased with his present honours, because he is preferred before many others: but if there be yet any above him, he is not quiet in his mind, till he have matched or exceeded him. O then, why should we be so sluggish about spiritual and heavenly preferments, which are incomparably of greater worth and excellency? why should we not be as religiously ambitious in aspiring, even unto the highest degrees of heavenly glory and happiness, which is permanent and everlasting; as in striving after worldly honours, which are contemptible in their worth, and momentany and mutable in their continuance; seeing man that is in honour,