A20762:1039
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helps enabling & the reasons persuading unto it the impediments hindering the practise of it, and the best means to remove them whereunto are added divers prayers and a treatise of carnal security by John Douname Bachelor in Divinity and minister of Gods Word.A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.
London: printed by Felix Kingstone and William Stansby for Ed, 1622
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.
§. Sect. 2 That we may be merry at our meals.
§. Sect. 2 That we may be merry at our meales.
Thirdly, so far as will stand with Christian gravity and the occasions that shall be offered, we must be merry at our meals; for seeing then the Lord conferreth his blessings upon us, and giveth unto us these testimonies of his love, showing that he watcheth over us with his providence to preserve and nourish us, it is a time of rejoicing in the fruition of his favours. And this is one special end for which the Lord giveth us his benefits of meat and drink, that in eating and drinking we should delight 1our souls in enjoying the fruit of our labours; and therefore he hath bestowed upon man, not only bread and meat to nourish and strengthen him, but also wine to make his heart glad, and oil to make him look with a cheerful countenance. Which liberty and comfort of rejoicing 2at their meals, the holy Saints of the Primitive Church took unto themselves, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with 3gladness and singleness of heart, praising God in the fruition of his benefits. Again, the chief end of our eating and drinking is, that being thereby refreshed, we may be made more fit for the duties of Gods service; now the body is no more cheered with wholesome meats, then the heart and mind with honest mirth, and consequently the one is no less profitable then the other. Neither is it only necessary for the soul, whose refreshing and recreation consisteth in delight, but also for the body and preserving of health; and therefore mirth is worthily esteemed one of the chief doctors amongst Physicians, because if it be seasonable and moderate, it cheereth the spirits, and so causeth better concoction; whereas contrariwise, melancholy and lumpish heaviness, damping and dulling them, doth turn much of our nourishment into the same humour. But yet our care must be, that as we season our meat with mirth, so our mirth with the salt of grace, that we may glorify God in it, who is the chief cause of our rejoicing; and mutually profit one another. In which regard, we must take heed that our liberty burst not out into licentiousness, and that we do not make our selves merry with profane jests, by abusing the Scriptures, and taking Gods holy name in vain; nor with ribaldry and scurrilous conceits, which tend to the corrupting of manners, and the poisoning of our own hearts and theirs that hear us;