A20762:2792
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
Book 6 › Chapter 20 › Section 8: §. Sect. 8 The Conclusion of the whole Treatise.
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. 8 The Conclusion of the whole Treatise.
And thus have I, through the gracious assistance of Gods holy Spirit, finished this long work, for which his blessed Name be praised and magnified; ⟨p. 882⟩And have not only described the godly life, in all the parts and branches thereof, and the special duties required unto it, but also the means both public and private, whereby we may be enabled, and the arguments and reasons whereby we may be moved and persuaded to perform them, and likewise have showed the greatest and most usual lets and impediments, whereby men are commonly hindered from entering into, and proceeding in the ways of godliness, and how also we may remove and overcome them. And now nothing remaineth, but that I entreat thee (Christian Reader) by the mercies of God, and as thou tenderest his glory, and the eternal salvation of thine own soul, that thou wilt resolve and endeavour to walk in this alone way that leadeth to heavenly happiness, now that he hath so plainly discovered it unto thee. For much better were it for thee never to have known the way of truth and godliness, then after thou knowest it, not to walk in it; seeing the servant 1that knoweth his Masters will, and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. Heretofore thy ignorance might somewhat extenuate thy sin, and neglect of Gods service in the duties of a godly life, and mitigate also thy punishment, because thou mightest pretend thy willingness to walk in this way, but that thou diddest want a guide to go before thee: But now this pretence is taken away, and thou quite left without all excuse. For what can the Lord by his Ministers do more for the salvation of thy precious soul, then to show thee the way that leadeth to eternal blessedness, and to teach thee how thou mayest walk in it; to make known unto thee what thou must do that thou mayest be saved, and the means also whereby