A41668:518
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 20: Of the well-ordering our Actions.
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.
1. Let Faith be the root of them, 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart, and a good Conscience, and [Faith unfeigned.] Heb. 11. 6. without Faith it is impossible to please God. Our persons must be accepted first, before our actions, and neither the one nor the other will be accepted without Faith in Christ, Heb. 11. 4.
A godly life, and a life of Faith, are the same. A life of Faith hath its Original from above, is fetched down from Christ, and is maintained and carried on by a continual supply of fresh influences from him, without whom we can do nothing. If thou wilt live godly, thou must look to Christ, and lean on Christ, and go to Christ for all thy strength and motion. A Christian is beholding to Christ for every good motion he moves, for every Grace he hath, and for every good duty he doth.
A godly life, and a life of Faith, are the same. A life of Faith hath its Original from above, is fetch'd down from Christ, and is maintained and carried on by a continual supply of fresh influences from him, without whom we can do nothing. If thou wilt live godly, thou must look to Christ, and lean on Christ, and go to Christ for all thy strength and motion. A Christian is beholding to Christ for every good motion he moves, for every Grace he hath, and for every good duty he doth.
Carnal Professors are beholding only to their Books, or their Teachers, or their Acquaintance, or their Parts, their Understanding, their Memories, &c. Nay, it may be to their Flesh, and their Lusts, for all their Religion: they would not pray as they do, nor take such pains to hear as they do, nor profess as they do, did not their pride, or their covetousness, or their company prompt and press them to it. But the Religion of a sincere Christian, whatever advantage it may have from Books, or Teachers, or good Society, yet it springs and rises all from Christ. That Faith, which is their Root, uniting them to Christ, doth also, as their root, suck such spirits, and sap, and strength from Christ, and convey it to their Souls, that they are thereby furnished for, and quickened to every good […]. Let it be thus with thee, O Soul; let thy Faith i Christ be the root from whence all thy actions, and […] strength for action comes.