A20762:748
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. 3 Of the manifold benefits which arise from being thus daily armed.
Secondly, it is most profitable to be thus daily armed, as may appear by the manifold fruits and benefits which will accrue unto us by it. For hereby we shall be strengthened against all the assaults of all our spiritual enemies, so as they shall never be able to prevail against us, but at last be vanquished and overcome. And therefore hath God made for us, and given unto us this spiritual Armour, and to this end he exhorteth us to put it daily on, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, 1to stand against the wiles of the devil, and all encounters and attempts of the enemies of our salvation. Therefore hath he put into our hands, not carnal weapons, which are far unfitting this spiritual warfare, but such as are mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, and casting down 2imaginations, and every high thing, that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And therefore we may be assured that God will not be disgraced with the weakness of his workmanship, nor fail of his end for which he hath made it, and so spend his labour in vain: but seeing he hath made it, and put it into our hands for Armour of high proof, let us assure our selves ⟨p. 199⟩that it will never fail, but will at all times be sufficient to beat back the bullets of Satan's tentations, and to defend us against the assaults of all our spiritual enemies. Again, if we daily put on this Armour, it will make us valiant and courageous, seeing before the fight it assureth us of victory. Whereas, though we have never so much valour and fortitude, yet if we be but naked men, and so lye open to be wounded continually with the fiery darts of the devil, our courage will be soon cooled, and like cowards, we shall betake our selves to a shameful flight. It will make us cheerful in our pilgrimage, and to go on in the ways of godliness and righteousness with much joy and comfort; when as being armed, we shall not need to fear any spiritual thieves that lie lurking in the way to rob us of Gods graces, nor to go out of the right way, either to the right hand or to the left, for any worldly terror or discouragement which shall affront us in our course of Christianity.