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

§. 9 The eight sign, is the contempt of the means of salvation.

§. 9 The eight signe, is the contempt of the meanes of saluation.

The eight sign, is the contempt and utter neglect of the means of Grace and Salvation, as the Hearing, Reading, and meditating in the Word, Prayer, the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, communion with the Faithful and the rest, or the cold and careless, formal and negligent using of them, without any desire or endeavour to profit by them. For they whose hearts are seasoned with any true fear of God at all, do fear and seek his Face, and favour in his holy Ordinances; they tremble at his Word, as the Prophet speaketh, they work out their ⟨p. 37⟩¹salvation, in the use of all good means, sanctified for this purpose, with fear and trembling, as the Apostle teacheth us; their hearts long after the Waters of Life, like the thirsty Lands; and as the chased Hart ²bray after the Rivers of Water: and if they be restrained from coming into Gods holy Assemblies, passionately cry out with David, O how amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts! my Soul longeth, ³yea, even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord! my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God! And when they hear the Law, their hearts melt, as did the heart of good Josiah, they are astonied in the sight of sense of their sins, and hear the Word with trembling, like Ezra ⁴and his Companions. They receive Gods faithful Ministers with all respect and reverence, though never so mean in their own persons, yet because they are Gods Ambassadors and do his message; according ⁵