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

§. Sect. 4 The third reason, which is taken from the necessity of piety.

The third reason is taken from the necessity of piety, seeing without it we can have no assurance of any spiritual benefit, neither in this life, nor in the life to come. For it is the end which God hath proposed unto ¹them all, unto which he most certainly attaineth, if we ever attain unto them; seeing he who is infinite in wisdom and power, can never fail of his end which he propoundeth to his actions. Now the Lord hath chosen us, that we should be holy; he hath redeemed us out of the hands of all our ²spiritual enemies, that we should worship him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives. We are reconciled by Christ in the body of his flesh, through death, that he may present us holy and unblameable in Gods sight. He hath adopted us for his children, that we may be holy, as he is holy. He hath justified and pardoned all our sins, that being freed from ³sin, we may become the servants of righteousness. And therefore without this holiness we can have no assurance that we are elected, redeemed, reconciled, adopted or justified, and consequently that we shall be saved: for though it be not the cause of our happiness, yet it is the way that leadeth unto it; in which if we walk not, we shall never come into that place of blessedness: for without holiness none shall see the Lord, as the Apostle teacheth us.⁴

The third reason is taken from the necessity of piety, seeing without it wee can haue no assurance of any spirituall benefit, neither in this life, nor in the life to come. For it is the end which God hath proposed vnto