A20762:1262
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. 2 Of the Evening exercises, as Meditation, reading, and Christian conferences.
§. Sect. 2 Of the Euening exercises, as Meditation, reading, and Christian conferences.
And first, it were fit that some little part of this time, after the surceasing ⟨p. 365⟩of our labours were spent in some short meditation, wherein we are to recount and recall to our remembrance the special favours and mercies of God, which in the day past he hath vouchsafed unto us, either in delivering us from dangers corporal or spiritual, of sin or of punishment, or in bestowing upon us real and positive benefits, as his blessing upon our labours, whereby they have prospered under our hands, the comfort of his creatures, the love and assistance of our friends, and such like: lifting up our hearts unto God in the acknowledgement of these benefits, and rendering unto him such thanks and praise as is due unto him. Secondly, as we have best opportunity, both in respect of our leisure and our company, it were good to spend some part of this time in reading of the Scriptures, or other holy and religious writings, the Histories of the Church, or some such Civill and Moral Books and Stories, as may make us grow in grace and spiritual wisdom, or at least, in honest prudence, whereby we may be directed for the better carriage of our selves in the affairs of this life, by adding unto our own knowledge the wisdom of others, and the experience of former times. Thirdly, as occasion serveth, it is good to spend some part of this time in Christian conferences, either with our friends and familiars that accompany us, or with those of our own family, husbands, wives, children, servants, labouring in our speeches to build up one another in all saving grace, and to be mutually bettered in the more clear understanding of the truth, more hearty embracing it in our hearts and affections, and the more zealous and fruitful practice of it in our lives. But though I chiefly commend these Christian and religious conferences, yet would I not be so taken, as though I meant hereby to exclude all others, for it is lawful also to spend some of our time in civill discourses, and about the affairs of this life, the duties of our callings, our worldly estates, the disposing and ordering of our business, or any other subject not idle, unprofitable, or sinful, which present occasion shall offer unto us as most seasonable.