A20762:132
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. 3 That our desires, resolutions, and endeavours must not be faint and weak, but fervent and earnest.
§. Sect. 3 That our desires, resolutions, and indeuours must not be faint and weake, but seruent and earnest.
But yet, that we may not in our carnal sloth and security deceive our selves with shadows in stead of substances, we are to know, that not all kind of desires, resolutions, and endeavours are acceptable unto God, nor make us to be accepted of him, but those only which are sound and solid, sincere and upright; unto which, divers properties are required. First, that they be not faint and weak, fickle and slight; but strong and vehement, earnest and fervent, like the desires of women with child, which are even heart-sick, unless they be satisfied in the things which they long after, as David implieth where he saith; Behold, I have longed after thy precepts, 1quicken me in thy righteousness. And again, My soul fainteth for thy salvation, 2but I hope in thy Word, that is, thy promise, whereby thou hast assured me that thou wilt satisfy my desire. They must not be inferior to the desires of worldlings, seeing the things desired are so much superior, exceeding them in excellency, profit, and permanency, as far as heaven exceedeth earth. Now we know that the desires of worldlings after their riches, pleasures, and preferments, are so fervent and earnest, that they wholly take up their thoughts in thinking of them, and their care in compassing them. Neither is there any pains so great, or danger so desperate, which they will not venture upon, but night and day, by sea and land, labour after that which their soul loveth. They must be like the desires of the Spouse in the Canticles, which made her sick through their fervent