A20762:3105
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 That carnal security is the cause of all sin.
§. 7 That carnall securitie is the cause of all sinne.
But as this security is in it self evil and sinful, so is it the cause of all evil, and that both the evil of sin, and also the evil of punishment. 1For as the fear of God restraineth those who are endued with it from all wickedness, and as the wise Man speaketh, is like the Wellsprings of life to make us flee from, and escape the snares of death; so this carnal security keepeth open house for all impiety and sin, whilst the secure person presumeth not only of impunity, notwithstanding that he fatteth himself with the pleasures of sin, but also promiseth unto his soul the long fruition of his present prosperity, and afterwards the perpetual possession of everlasting happiness. So the Psalmist saith, that the workers of iniquity boasted themselves in their wickedness, 2broke in pieces the Lords people, and afflicted his heritage, murdered the Widow, Stranger and Fatherless, saying, the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. And the Prophet telleth us, that Babylon lived in all voluptuousness, securely presuming that she should be a Queen for ever and see no evil. Thus Abraham 3concludeth, that the Egyptians were fit for Rapes, Murder, and all outrageous wickedness, because there was no fear of God in the Land. 4And the Apostle having set down a Catalogue of many grievous sins; setteth down this as the mother sin and cause of all the rest, that there was no fear of God before their eyes.