A20762:1272
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. 5 Meditations at our first lying down.
§. Sect. 5 Meditations at our first lying downe.
Besides this examination, there are also other Meditations very profitable; as to call to our remembrance Gods manifold blessings and benefits bestowed upon us the day past, respecting our souls, bodies, and states; in that he hath preserved us from innumerable evils, with which many others have been overtaken; for continuing unto us still the acceptable time and day of salvation, and suffering us with so much patience to continue in this life, that we may make our calling and election sure, notwithstanding our manifold and grievous sins; for giving unto us some poor desires and endeavours to do him service, and to accept of it in Christ, though in it self full of wants and imperfections. Especially, if we have in any measure performed the former duties of the daily exercise, we must not forget ⟨p. 369⟩to render unto God the praise and glory due unto him for it, by the gracious assistance of whose holy Spirit, we, who of our selves, are not able so much as to think a good thought, have been enabled unto them. So likewise it is requisite, that at our lying down we call our sins to our remembrance, the duties which we have omitted, or corruptly performed, and the vices which we have committed, and though through Gods mercy we have been preserved from grosser sins, yet we must not think our selves so excused, but call to mind our frailties and infirmities, for which, God in his righteous judgement might condemn us. Our sloth and backwardness to good duties, our coldness, weariness, and many distractions in Gods service, our excess in mirth or sorrow, the neglect of our Christian watch over our thoughts, senses, words and works; our idleness or unprofitableness, pride, self-love, unjust anger, sinister conceits, and unjust censures of our neighbours, and such like. In the sight and sense whereof, we must truly humble our souls before God by unfeigned repentance, and earnestly beg in Christs Name mercy and forgiveness. Finally, it is profitable then to remember our mortality and mutability, death and Judgement; that we who now go well to bed, may shortly be cast upon the bed of sickness, and we that now live, may within a while be imprisoned under the arrest of death;