Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianitie. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life euery day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.

CHAP. 1. [ D] What the meanes are, and the kindes of them, and of the summe and order of this treatise.

I Haue set downe a description of the life of the belee∣uer: by the which all, who desire to bee acquainted with it, after they haue obtained the gift of faith, may walke godly and safely through their pilgrimage, e∣uen so many as haue at any time in truth began, and gone about the same. Now seeing this Christian life is vpholden and continued by meanes,* 1.1 and euery one [ E] which shall set vpon it, will be desirous to know them, as he hath good cause, and how to vse them aright, because the hinderances and discouragements from the same are many and great; I will therefore (as it is meete I should) shew what I vnderstand by the helps, and meanes: and which they are; also the kindes of them, their nature, and how they ought to be vsed, seeing that God hath promised, by the right and reuerent vse of them, and the same constantly continued, to giue such grace, euen to weake

ones whereby they shall be able in truth as hard as it seemeth, to leade this [ F] godly life, and sensiblie to discerne, that they doe so. For as it was not begun without meanes, so neither can it grow without them.

Now as this doth wonderfully declare the goodnes and kindnes of our God, in ordaining of them for our exceeding great benefit and comfort: so we must know, that it is required of vs, and earnestly looked for at our hands, that we vse them with such care and constancie, as that they may be most profitable vnto vs, that so we may finde that fruite of them which God promiseth.

These meanes whereby God hath appointed that his people shall con∣tinue,* 1.2 and growe in a godly life, are such religious exercises, whereby Chri∣stians [ G] may be made fit to practise a godly life: and they are partly ordinarie, that is, such as are commonly and vsually to be practised, of which sorte there are many: and partly extraordinarie, at some especiall time, as fasting, and some rare solemnities in feasting and thanksgiuing. And both of these are either publike or priuate.

* 1.3The publike, such as are vsed in our open assemblies: ordinarlie, these are [ 1] three. First, the ministerie of the word read, preached, and heard, as the Lord [ 2] prescribeth. Secondly, the administration of the holy sacraments, and worthy [ 3] receiuing of the same. Thirdly, the exercise of prayer with thanksgiuing and singing of Psalmes. But because the publike cannot be daily had and inioyed, [ H] (and yet we neede daily reliefe and helpe) neither although they could, were they sufficient to inable vs,* 1.4 to honour God, as it becommeth vs: therefore, God hath commaunded vs to vse priuate exercises; whereof these eight be chiefe. First, watchfulnes, meditation, and the armor of a Christian; vnto the which, is to be added our owne experience: and these properly belong to euery one alone by himselfe. The next are the vse of company by confe∣rence and family exercise; and these are properly to be vsed of a mans selfe with others: the last two, which are prayer and reading, are common to both. The necessitie whereof is so great,* 1.5 that if they be not knowne and vsed right∣ly and in good sort, the publike will proue but vnprofitable, and the whole [ I] life out of square, as shall be seene when we come to handle and speake more particularly of the right vse of them.

And of the helps or meanes to continue a godly life, which they are, and the kinds of them, thus much be said. Now I will (as I promised in the en∣trance into this treatise) more fully shew, what euery one of these, is; and what force they haue (God working thereby) to vphold the weight of a godly life: That all who list to consider it wisely, may see it, and so many as will vse these meanes, may proue, and finde it themselues. And first I will begin with the publike: and afterwards, speake of the priuate. And I will so handle and speake of euery one (according to the skill which God hath [ K] giuen me) as may make most for this present purpose, that is, most largely of those meanes which with their vse, are lesse knowne; and more briefly of those, with which men are most acquainted.

Neither let this trouble the reader, that I haue made mention of some of thē by other occasions in some other places: for whereas it may be obiected, that these meanes called helps, are spoken of in other treatises of this booke,

[ A] as parts of a Christians dutie. I answere, it is true: for I haue spoken of vp∣rightnes, one piece of the armour, and of watchfulnes and prayer, in the for∣mer treatise; and so of the rest. And there I speake of them as of common duties and parts of godlinesse, as the loue and feare of God be: but here I speake of them as speciall helpes to godlinesse: for though I denie not, but that all the duties of a Christian man, are also helps to liue happily; yet who doth not see, that these here mentioned, as the Word and the Sacraments, watching and prayer with the other, are more properly so called? as more specially fitting vs for the right performing of all duties. Besides, in other places, I speake of them by occasion, and therefore more briefly: but here, of [ B] purpose; and therefore more largely. But let it suffice, that I vnderstand these which I mention in this treatise, to be helpes and meanes especially.

And more particularly of the armour and of the parts thereof, this I say: because otherwise, I must haue giuen a watch-word about it afterwards, when I come to speake of it in due place: that though I speake of all the parts of it by occasion in one treatise or other; yet there I speake of them for the most part, as particular duties to be done in our seueral actions: but here I speake of them, as of such duties as must alwaies abide, and be lodged in our hearts: and that we may haue thē, as a Larderhouse, alwaies full of good and holesome victuall, and not as one dish to serue for some occasion; where [ C] we may obserue, that though the one is not without the other, yet there is a manifest difference betwixt them, so that the one is not the other. And so I take it, the Apostle meant in the Epistle to the Ephesians: where when hee had named diuers duties, as mercie, loue, kindnes, Ephes. chap. 4. & 5. which are parts of the armour; yet he saith after, Ephes. chap. 6.14. Stand fast in your armour, when ye haue put it on: as if he should say, it is not enough to shew kindnes, mercie, to some persons at some time, and to haue the vse of the o∣ther parts of the armour when occasion shall be offered; but to put and keepe them on, that so we may euer haue thē in a readines to be vsed: Euen as wo∣men doe not onely trimme and dresse their houses with flowers, but they [ D] haue also their gardens be set and filled with them, from whence they may haue them alwaies for such vses. This I thought good to say about the mat∣ter in hand, to free the reader from some doubts. Now I will proceed to the next chapter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Christian life is vpheld by meanes.
• * 1.2

  VVhat these meanes be, and their kinds.
• * 1.3

  The publike helpes and which they be.
• * 1.4

  The priuate helps, and the kinds of them.
• * 1.5

  The necessitie of the priuate.