A20762:3109
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.
§. 8 That security emptieth the heart of all grace, and prepareth and maketh it fit to receive Satan, with all his tentations.
§. 8 That securitie emptieth the heart of all grace, and prepareth and maketh it fit to receiue Satan, with all his tentations.
For security which emptieth the heart of all fear of God, not only encourageth the flesh to go on in all sinful courses, which will yield unto it delight, profit or preferment, because there is no fear of danger, and entertaineth all the tentations of the World, which bring with them any carnal contentment, but also setteth the door of our hearts wide open to let in Satan, and maketh way for all his tentations. For when this evil spirit and enemy of our salvation, would lay more firm and sure hold of such as he already possesseth, he departeth for a time, as though by the power of Gods Word and Spirit, he 1were cast out and vanquished. But when hereby he hath made them secure and reckless, he returneth again, and finding his house (that is their hearts) empty and clean swept, with this besom of carnal security, of all spiritual graces, and garnished with all vices, which are the ornaments in which he most delighteth, He taketh with him seven other spirits, more wicked then himself, and they enter in and dwell there, and so the last state of that man is worse then the first. So that if security hath first taken up the room, Satan may at his pleasure make an entrance and get an easy victory. For as in civill affairs, nothing doth more expose a state to desperate danger, then when through prosperity and ease it becometh secure, fearing no enemy, nor suspecting the approach of any evil, as the stories of Troy, Babylon, Carthage, Rome, and many others, do make it manifest; so nothing doth more endanger our souls, to be sacked and spoiled of all grace, by our spiritual enemies, then when being taken up with sloth and security, we fear no danger. So that the Devil, World and Flesh, intending to assault us (as the Danites, the men of Laish) may encourage ⟨p. 55⟩