A20762:13
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.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
IT is the duty (Christian Reader) of all who desire to approve themselves faithful subjects and servants to our great Lord and Sovereign, that they consecrate themselves wholly unto his service, not only in the spiritual Warfare, by fighting his battles, even unto the death, against the many and mighty enemies of his glory and our salvation; but also in the time of peace, by doing his will, and performing all holy duties of his service, which in his Word he requireth of them. And therefore as I have endeavoured heretofore (according to the measure of grace received) to prepare and fit all those who vouchsafe to peruse my poor labours, that they may perform the duties of valiant Soldiers, in my Books of the Christian Warfare: so perceiving that those my pains have much above their worth found good acceptance with all those that fear God; I have now also been encouraged to undertake the other, and not only to describe the duties of a godly life, in which we ought to serve our Lord and Master, but also to show the means whereby we may be enabled hereunto, and how we may remove the impediments which otherwise might hinder us from entering into, or proceeding in the ways of godliness. The which my labours, if they prove as profitable to those that read them, as they have been painful unto me in framing and composing them, I shall think my self abundantly recompensed, and much more rejoice when I see the harvest of my hopes, then ever I had cause to sigh and groan, through weariness in my laborious seed-time. Of which, though I should fail (as I hope I shall not) yet, as it is said of Virtue, that it always bringeth a reward with it, so may I truly say of these my labours; out of which, so much profit, comfort, and contentment have accrued unto my self, that I should have no just cause to repent for the scantness of my reward, although no other fruit should spring from them. But if I be not deceived (as we are apt to be no less blinded in judging of our spiritual and mental, then of our natural and corporal births) these my present labours will prove no less profitable unto all that peruse them, then any of the former.