A20762:2962
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.
§. 6 The sixth cause of Security, is the present impunity of sinners.
§. 6 The sixt cause of Securitie, is the present impunitie of sinners.
The sixth cause of this carnal Security, is impunity of sinners, after much wickedness committed by them. For although God out of his goodness, patience and long suffering, differreth the execution of his righteous Judgements, and after sinners have often deserved Death and condemnation, doth give unto them many Reprievals, that in the mean time they may sue out their Pardon and escape punishment, by turning unto him by unfeigned repentance; yet the vessels of wrath ordained to destruction, through the hardness of their hearts which cannot repent, take occasion upon this Mercy and Patience of God, of living securely in their wicked courses, and so by multiplying their sins, treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous Judgement of God, as the Apostle 1speaketh. Like herein to desperate Malefactors, who because they have often escaped, securely go on in their wickedness, as ⟨p. 13⟩though they were free from all danger; or rather to such as being apprehended, arraigned and adjudged to die, are through the favour of the Judge reprieved for a while, that they may use means to procure their pardon. But they, because day of Execution is a little deferred, conclude with themselves, that all the storm of peril is overblown, and (with Agag) that the bitterness of death is past, and therefore spend their whole time in Pleasures and Delights, in Dancing and Revelling, Drinking and Whoring; yea, securely return to their former wicked courses, Stealing and Robbing, Quarrelling and Killing, till the Judge seeing his Mercy and Patience thus abused, do give out his Warrant for their speedy Execution. So the wise Man telleth us, that because sentence against an evil work, is not executed speedily, therefore