A20762:3000
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 Of the causes of carnal security in the faithful. First, prosperity, worldly or spiritual.
§. 6 Of the causes of carnall securitie in the faithfull. First, prosperitie, worldly or spirituall.
Now the causes of this carnal security in the Faithful, are principally these. First, their abuse of worldly prosperity and temporal benefits, with which God hath blessed them; when as being in themselves common gifts, which he bestoweth as often, and in as great plenty, upon the wicked as the godly, they notwithstanding esteem them as special Testimonies and Pledges of his love, and so out of this false ground conclude, that he will watch over them with his Providence, and keep them still in this flourishing estate, safe and sure from all afflictions and troubles: which moveth the Lord, that he may waken them out of this security, in which they were more apt to rest upon his gifts then upon the Giver, or at least upon the Giver for the gifts sake, to deprive them of this prosperity, in which they trust, and to hide his Face from them in respect of those earthly pledges of his love. As we see in the example of David. I said (saith he) in my 1prosperity I shall never be moved, thou Lord, of thy favour hast made my Mountain to stand so strong, that is, Thou hast so established my Kingdom, even as Mount Zion, the seat thereof which cannot be removed: But thou diddest hide thy Face, and I was troubled. In which security 2David was, when he numbered the people, trusting over-much in the arm of Flesh, and multitude of his Subjects; but was awakened out of this sleep by the message of the Prophet, and that grievous plague whereby so many of them were destroyed. Yea, sometime this carnal security in them, is caused through their spiritual prosperity, and the joyful feelings of Gods favour in the pledges of saving graces; which maketh them to think these comforts will always last, and that in the strength of them, they shall hold out in the profession and practise of true godliness unto the end; and so rest more upon the Springs or Streams of these sanctifying Graces, then upon God himself, who is the Fountain of them. Which moveth the Lord to stop the course, by spiritual desertions, as it were, at the head of the River, and to give them over to their own strength without any flow of fresh supply, whereupon these streams in their sense and feeling are soon wasted, with the scorching heat of tentations, so as they return to their natural dryness.