A20762:123
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. 4 The special duties in which a godly life chiefly consisteth.
§. Sect. 4 The speciall duties in which a godly life chiefly consisteth.
And thus we see what is the main and general matter of a godly life, namely, such a carriage and conversation whereby we please God in all things, by doing his will revealed in the Scriptures; more specially a godly life consisteth in our walking before him in the duties of piety, righteousness and sobriety, with faith, a pure heart, and good conscience all the days of our lives. In which words, three things are contained. First, the duties which in this godly life are to be performed. Secondly, the foundation upon which they are grounded, and the fountains from which they ought to flow. Thirdly, their time of continuance, and how long by us they are to be performed. The duties of a godly life are all referred unto three heads. First, piety towards God which compriseth in it all Religion, the whole worship and service of God both public and private, with the matter, manner, time, means, and all circumstances, and in a word, all the duties required in the first table. Secondly, righteousness towards our neighbours, whereby we deal with them, as we would have them to deal with us, and give unto every one their own, behaving our selves justly with all, and mercifully with all those who need our help. Thirdly, sobriety and temperance towards our selves, whereby we possess our vessels in purity and honour, as it becometh the Temples of the holy 1Ghost. Secondly, there is here expressed certain fundamental virtues, upon which, our virtuous and godly actions ought to be grounded, and from which they must spring and flow, if we would have them acceptable unto God; namely, a lively faith, without which we cannot please him; a pure heart, from which as a fountain floweth all true obedience; and a good conscience, purged from dead works by the precious blood of Christ, which warranteth all our actions done in faith, as approved of God, and so inciteth and encourageth us to bring forth the fruits of new obedience, when as we know that our persons and all our actions are accepted of God in Jesus Christ.