A20762:3123
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.
§. 5 That Carnal security exposeth us to positive evils, and first to all dangers.
§. 5 That Carnall securitie exposeth vs to positiue euils, and first to all dangers.
And thus we see that Carnal security depriveth us of all good in this life and the life to come. But besides this privation of good, it doth also expose us positively to all evil. As first, it maketh us subject to all dangers, and that in divers respects. First, meritoriously and deservedly it being just with God, that they should not be shaded under the wings of his providence, who have no awful respect of his presence, but are careless and unconscionable in all their ways. Secondly, because they are improvident and negligent in the using of any means, whereby they may be prevented, either prayer unto God for his protection, or repentance for sin, which hath endangered them to Gods Judgements, or Christian prudence, in fore-casting what evils may befall them, or if they happen, how they may prevent them. In ⟨p. 59⟩which regard, it is no more strange for secure men to fall into mischief, then to see a man, who having blind-folded himself, and runneth he careth not whither with head-long haste, or that walketh in his sleep, to stumble at blocks in his way, or to fall into Pits and Ditches. Thirdly, because they always lye open unto their spiritual enemies, and encourage them with their secure carelessness to set upon them, because before the assault they are sure of victory. Fourthly, because giving themselves to sloth and ease, they neglect to buckle the Christian Armour upon them, whereby they might be enabled to resist their enemies in the day of conflict. And lastly, because they who through security are destitute of the fear of God, endanger themselves to all things else which are to be feared; and howsoever they are void of all fear in the time of prosperity; yet when the things they never feared fall upon them, they are so amazed and astonished with approaching dangers, and so deprived of all courage to resist, or counsel to avoid them; that they do through excessive fear inevitably