A41668:216
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
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.
It was this that made all Gods servants so famous in their generation. It was not their wealth, their parts or the like, but their graces, their faith, their patience their zeal for God, and the like. These kept their names fresh, when the names of wicked, graceless wretches do rots and are perished. Grace is aromatical, it embalms the living names of dead Saints: whereupon ⟨p. 52⟩a gracious person, when he dies, is said to carry a good conscience with him, and to leave a good name behind him.
It was this that made all Gods servants so famous in their generation. It was not their wealth, their parts or the like, but their graces, their faith, their patience their zeal for God, and the like. These kept their names fresh, when the names of wicked, graceless wretches do rots and are perished. Grace is aromatical, it embalmes the living names of dead Saints: whereupon ⟨p. 52⟩a gracious person, when he dies, is said to carry a good conscience with him, and to leave a good name behind him.
I grant that carnal men, through their ignorance of the true worth of Saints, being blind in spiritual matters, have a low and mean esteem of them. But could they look into their inward parts, and discern their true worth, they would acknowledge them all-glorious within, more precious than fine gold.
I shall close this Direction with a word to those who have some comfortable evidence of the truth of grace in their hearts, exhorting them that they content not themselves with any measure or degree of grace, but labour and strive after perfection, adding Grace to Grace, and growing from one degree of Grace unto another, till they be perfect men and women in Christ Jesus. Though you ought to be contented with a competency of worldly wealth, yet never talk of a competency of grace, nor take up with any degree of it already obtained, as if you had enough; and needed no more. St. Paul, though he was content with a little of the world, yet not with a little of grace: he reached forward, and pressed towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,