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The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan…
The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan showing him how to carry himself Christian-like in the whole course of his life / by Tho. Gouge ...The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan shewing him how to carry himself Christian-like in the whole course of his life / by Tho. Gouge ...
London: printed by S. and B.G. for Nevil Simmons, 1676
THE Young Man's Guide. › Chapter 7: Containing two main Arguments to Conversion.
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.
This argument of Necessity hath great place in the present Case: it is of necessity that thou be converted: For
1. It's necessary that thou live, that thou secure thine own being, and the blessedness thereof, that thy soul be so looked to, that it be not left to die and perish for ever. This is of the highest necessity for every man to look to it, that he go not down into the infernal pit. It is not necessary to be rich in this world, to have great houses, and fine clothes, and costly fare, and many Friends, to be in health, to live in credit and prosperity in the world. Thou mayest be, and be happy without all this; there's many an honest poor man, who hath lived comfortably and contentedly, that hath scarce been worth a groat, besides his labours, and it may be hath scarcely had one friend in the world to relieve him. But it's necessary to keep thee out of Hell, to keep thy soul out of the hands of the devil; this is more necessary than to have a Being: better thou hadst never been born than at last to be damned.
1. It's necessary that thou live, that thou secure thine own being, and the blessedness thereof, that thy soul be so looked to, that it be not left to die and perish for ever. This is of the highest necessity for every man to look to it, that he go not down into the infernal pit. It is not necessary to be rich in this world, to have great houses, and fine cloathes, and costly fare, and many Friends, to be in health, to live in credit and prosperity in the world. Thou maist be, and be happy without all this; there's many an honest poor man, who hath lived comfortably and contentedly, that hath scarce been worth a groat, besides his labours, and it may be hath scarcely had one friend in the world to relieve him. But it's necessary to keep thee out of Hell, to keep thy soul out of the hands of the devil; this is more necessary than to have a Being: better thou hadst never been born than at last to be damned.