A20762:3001
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.
§. 7 The second cause is spiritual pride.
§. 7 The second cause is spirituall pride.
Another cause of carnal security in the faithful, much like unto the former, is spiritual Pride, whereby they over-ween their own abilities, and the measure and strength of their gifts and graces received. And so leaving their only sure dependency upon Gods power and all-sufficiency, goodness, promises and providence, they begin to depend upon their own strength, and to put confidence in their own graces and gifts, as though they were sufficient to preserve them in all good, and defend them from all evil. And hereupon they grow secure, presuming that they have a staff of strength in their own hands, which is able to support them from falling into sin, to beat back the violence of any tentation, to protect them against all enemies, and so to assist them in all their good endeavours, that they shall be able to hold out without fainting in the ways of Righteousness, which moveth the Lord oftentimes to withdraw his grace and assistance from them, to lead them into tentation, and give them over to their own strength, the which failing them, when they most rely upon it (so as they fearfully fall into grievous sins) they learn by lamentable experience to give all glory unto God, by whose strength alone they stand, and in all humility to acknowledge their own frailty; to cast away all-self-confidence and presumption of their own strength, and to build their security on a surer foundation, even Gods power, promises, and providence, which will never fail. ⟨p. 25⟩Augustine speaketh well to this purpose. God (saith he) sometime taketh 1from thee that whereof thou art proud, that so knowing that it is not thine but his, thou mayest learn not to be lifted up with pride. An example whereof we have in the Apostle Peter, who through spiritual pride over-weening his own abilities, and resting securely upon the strength of his own courage and resolution, and on the great measure of his love towards his Master, vowed that he would never forsake him, but would adhere unto him in all dangers. Yea, so confident and presumptuous was he, that when our Saviour (who better