A20762:1095
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 our speeches must be gracious and prudent.
§. Sect. 1 That our speeches must bee gracious and prudent.
AND these are the duties which generally concern our whole conversation in company. The special duties respect either our words and conferences, or our works and actions; In all our conferences with our brethren we are to observe two things. First, that our speech be gracious. Secondly, that it be wise and prudent. Both which are required by the Apostle; Let your speech (saith he) be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that 1is, wisely fitted to the time, persons, occasions, and other circumstances, and uttered prudently in due season. Our speech is gracious, when it savoureth of grace and goodness, and appeareth to proceed from the Spirit of God dwelling in us, as though he used our tongues to deliver by them that which he suggesteth and inspireth into us; whereby it becometh gracious and acceptable in the ears of God and all good men. And unto ⟨p. 310⟩this there is required, that it be not only gracious in it self, but also to all that hear us. In it self it is gracious, when as it is either holy and about spiritual and heavenly things, points of divinity, and religious matters, our salvation it self, or the means whereby we may attain unto it; Gods mercies and blessings multiplied upon us, or his judgements and chastisements inflicted for sin, and such like; or else when as it is honest and civill, & about the things of this life, appertaining to our temporal profit, or our comfort and delight. Our speech is gracious to the hearers, when as it tendeth to their profit, either in respect of their souls, or bodies and states. It is profitable for their souls, when as it is referred to edification, and to the enriching of them with spiritual grace, and the strengthening and enabling them unto all Christian and holy duties. Unto which kind of speech the Apostle exhorteth; Let (saith he) no corrupt communication