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

And thus we are to prepare our selves before we go into company, if we desire to profit by it. Now after we are come into it, divers duties are to be performed of us; some whereof generally concern our whole conversation, and some more specially respect our works and words. Generally there is required, that our carriage and conversation be holy and religious in respect of spiritual things; and civill and honest in respect of the things of this life. And first, that chiefly aiming at Gods glory and our own salvation, we labour by all means to advance them, and shun all occasions in our whole conversation, whereby they may be any ways impeached and hindered. Secondly, that we be innocent and unblameable in all our words and actions, and give no ill example, scandal or offence unto any that keep company with us, but shine before them in our faith and holy profession, and in the light of a godly life, that so they seeing our good works, may glorify our heavenly Father, and by our holy example may be gained unto Christ. So the Apostle exhorteth ¹us to abstain, not only from all evil, but also from all appearance of ²it, propounding himself an example of it unto the Thessalonians for their imitation. Ye are witnesses, saith he, and God also, how holily, and justly, and ³