A20762:1059
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. 1 That when we are alone, we must not be idle and unfruitful.
§. Sect. 1 That when we are alone, we must not be idle and vnfruitfull.
Besides those Christian duties which are ordinarily and constantly to be done in some part of every day; there are others which are more accidental, unto which we are not tied every day or any certain time of the week, but to be done when as we shall have fittest occasions and best opportunity offered unto us. And which belong not to all persons, or to the same persons at all times, but wait upon uncertain occurrents, variety of estates, and such like circumstances. As for example, we are sometimes by our selves alone, and sometimes in company with others, sometimes in prosperity and joy, and sometime in adversity and trouble, and uncertain it is in what day or what part of the day any of these shall happen; notwithstanding there are divers duties which belong to these several conditions, which with no less conscience & constancy are to be performed then the other, of which we are now come to entreat. And first, we will show what are those Christian duties which belong unto us when we are alone, and then what those are which we ought to perform in the company of others. Concerning the former, we must, when we are solitary and alone, keep a narrow watch over our selves, that we be neither idle and unfruitful, nor ill employed and taken up with bad exercises. We must not suffer our minds to be slothful and sluggish, and so to languish for want of spiritual exercise; nor our hearts to remain in us dull and dead, barren and empty of all good desires and holy resolutions; neither yet must we in respect of action and bodily employment, give our selves over unto ease and sloth; for if we thus (as it were) lye fallow without any seed of grace sown in us, the devil knowing us to be fit grounds for his husbandry, will sow in us the cockle and tares of all sin and wickedness; if he find us thus swept and empty of all good, we shall be fitly garnished for his dwelling, as our Saviour hath taught us. If we be not employed in some good duty of