A20762:1277
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. 6 Duties to be done in the night. And first, Prayer and Thanksgiving.
§. Sect. 6 Duties to bee done in the night. And first, Prayer and Thanksgiuing.
In the night also there are other duties to be performed; for even then we must seek the Lord, according to the example of the Church, which 1professeth, that with her soul she desired the Lord in the night, and that with her Spirit within her she would seek him early. So the Spouse in the Canticles; By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth. And the Prophet David was careful even in the night to approve himself unto God, by performing these religious exercises; I have (saith he) remembered thy Name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy Law. And this the Lord requireth of us, as being Lord both of night and day, according to that of the Psalmist; The day is thine, and the night also is thine. And will be served as 2with our whole hearts, so with our whole time, seeing he is the God of our salvation, who day and night preserveth us, and multiplieth his blessings upon us, whereby he encourageth us to do him service. Yea, even in the night the Lord goeth in his visitation to see how we carry our selves, and ⟨p. 370⟩will call us to account, either to reward us if we do well, or to punish us if we neglect our duty; as David showeth by his own experience; Thou hast proved my heart (saith he) thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast 3tried me, and shalt find nothing. And therefore we must in the night approve our hearts and actions unto him; and not think that the darkness giveth us any privilege to do the works of darkness; seeing, as the Psalmist speaketh; The darkness hideth not from him, but the night shineth as the day, the darkness and the light are both alike to him. Now the