B02626:915
The plain mans path-way to heaven
The plain mans path-way to heaven wherein every man may clearly see whether he shall be saved or damned. / Set forth dialogue-wise for the better understanding of the simple, by Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex.
London: printed by Ja. Young for G. Lathum, 1643
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.
If we will have Christ, we must have faith: If we will have faith, we must have the Word preached. Then it followeth thus: If we will have heaven, we must have the word preached. Then I conclude, that preaching generally, and for the most part, is of absolute necessity unto eternal life, as meet is of absolute necessity for the preservation of our bodies, as grass and fodder are of absolute necessity for the up•••••• of the life of beasts, and wat•• of ••solute necessity for the life of fishes. Then this being so, men are with great care and conscience to hear the Gospel preached, to frequent Sermons, to resort much to Gods house and habitation,1 where his honour dwelleth: with David to say, One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I require, even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to visit his holy Temple. ⟨p. 363⟩With godly Mary to say,2 One thing is necessary, and so choose the better part. With the poor Cripple at Bethesda, 3to wait for the moving of the waters by the Angel, that his impotency may be cured: I mean, that we should tie our sieves to the first moving of the spiritual waters of life by the Preachers of the Gospel, that our spiritual impotency may be holpen and relieved. For the ministry of the Gospel is that golden pipe whereby and where-through all the goodness of GOD, all the sweetness of Christ, and all heavenly graces whatsoever, are derived unto us. Which thing was shadowed in the Law by the Pomegranates in the skirts of Aaron's garments,4 and the golden Bells between them round •bout, that is, a golden Bell and a […] granate, a golden Bell and […] granate. The golden Bells […] g• nifle the preaching of the Gospel, and the Pomegranates, the sweet savour of Christs death: Noting thereby, that the sweet savour of Christs death, and all the benefit of his passion, should be spread abroad by the preaching of the Gospel. Thus you see, that if ever men purpose to be saved, they must make more account of the preaching of the Gospel then they have done, and not think (as most