A20762:546
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.
§. Sect. 8 That natural and carnal self love is not the rule of loving our neighbours, but that which is holy and spiritual.
§. Sect. 8 That naturall and carnall selfe loue is not the rule of louing our neighbours, but that which is holy and spirituall.
But seeing our natural love of our selves is carnal and earthly, plunging us head-long into sin and death, and is no better then true hatred, in respect of those miserable effects and fruits which it produceth both to our souls and bodies; therefore this carnal love ought not to be our rule in loving our neighbours, (although in truth we can love them with no other, whilst this love ruleth and swayeth in us) but first this love must be mortified in us; and in stead thereof our hearts must be replenished with a just and holy love, whereby we love our selves in and for God, for the advancing of our temporal and spiritual good, and the eternal salvation of our souls and bodies, in the fruition of him whom we chiefly love, and with him, of everlasting joy and happiness. And when we thus truly love our selves, according to this rule we must love our brethren. So that when we are commanded to love our neighbours as our selves, 1it is not required that we should so love them, as we love our selves in the state of corruption, with a carnal and earthly love, which would draw them together with us into eternal death and destruction, and is therefore to be esteemed no better then hatred; but as we ought to love our selves in the state of regeneration, with a right, lawful, and holy love, which is always subordinate to the love of God, and loving him first and chiefly, doth cause us to love them, in and for him, and not in such respects as are carnal and sinful. In which regard, as we are bound to love all men, even our enemies; yea the most wicked in the world, in respect ⟨p. 139⟩