A20762:83
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 That the regenerate only can lead a godly life.
§. Sect. 3 That the regenerate onely can lead a godly life.
Neither do all that bear the name of Christians lead this godly life, but they who are so, not in name and profession only, but in deed and truth; that is, such only who are in that state, and qualified with those properties which are set down in the former description. As first, that he be regenerate; for they that are unregenerate, cannot perform any duty of a godly life which is pleasing and acceptable to God, because being out of the Covenant, their persons, and consequently their actions are not accepted of him, but are the slaves of Satan, held captive to do his will; the 1children of wrath, and enemies unto God and his grace, dead in trespasses and sins, and therefore no more able to do the duties of holiness and righteousness, then a dead man is able to do the actions of the living. In which respect, the Apostle saith, that we are not of our selves able to think a good 2thought, nor so much as to will that which is good, because it is God only which worketh in us both the will and the deed. Neither can we better our estate by our own strength; for as the Prophet teacheth us, as well may the Ethiopian 3change his blackness, and the Leopard his spots, as we do well, that are accustomed to do evil: So that the regenerate man alone can lead a godly life, or perform any duty acceptable unto God; for first Abel was accepted, and then his sacrifice: and our persons must first be sanctified, before they 4