A20762:1045
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
Book 3 › Chapter 25 › Section 3: §. Sect. 3 Of our conferences and discourses at our tables.
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. 3 Of our conferences and discourses at our tables.
The fourth Christian duty to be done at our meals, respecteth our speeches and conferences, unto which is required that they be profitable, tending to make us more holy and religious, or more wise and morally virtuous; or more lively and cheerful unto the performance of all good duties. The first kind of Colloquies and discourses are chiefly to be preferred, seeing we must first seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, 1and worldly things in an inferior place, which are incomparably of less worth. Of which conferences we may reap more fruit and benefit then of our bodily nourishment, seeing that preserveth the outward man only, but these are the spiritual food and repast of the soul, which is by much the more excellent part; that is but perishing food which corrupteth, and we with it, but this food of our souls will endure to life eternal. Now because, our hearts being barren in good meditations, we cannot easily find out upon a sudden, fit matter for these discourses, and when we do, are easily put out, and drawn upon every occasion to fall again to worldly and idle talk; therefore it were good for us to think before-hand on some profitable subject whereon we may discourse and confer; or at least, that we do lay hold on the best opportunities that for the present are offered unto us, and slightly passing over things which are impertinent and unprofitable, as we do those meats which do not please us, pitch upon that which best maketh for our purpose, and make our spiritual meal of it, as being that wholesome and well-relishing dish, for which, putting all the other back, we have all the while reserved our stomachs. But though these religious conferences at meals be most profitable, yet may we also lawfully talk of civill and moral points; yea, even of our own affairs and ordinary business, or things some way pertinent to the bettering of our selves, or some in our company, either for the increasing of our wisdom and prudence, or the fitting of us for action and employment, especially when we observe that our company cannot be easily drawn to entertain such speech as wholly tendeth to piety and Religion.