A20762:1376
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 That we must perform all our service to God in integrity and sincerity of heart.
§. Sect. 5 That we must performe all our seruice to God in integrity and sincerity of heart.
And these are the duties which ought to be done on the Lords Day; which if we would perform after a right manner, so as they may be acceptable unto God; then our care must be, that howsoever we have many wants and imperfections in our best and most religious service, yet that we do perform it with integrity and sincerity of heart, labouring and striving to the uttermost of our power, to do all that which God hath commanded, and as near as we can in that manner, and according to all other circumstances as he requireth, being heartily grieved in our souls when we fail, that we can do them no better. For example, though we find in us natural averseness to the strict keeping of Gods Day holy, and much dullness and spiritual deadness in the duties of Gods service; yet if our hearts be upright with God, we will labour to make his Day our delight, and to consecrate it wholly as an holy Rest unto his worship, with all alacrity and cheerfulness as he requireth; and we will strive to find such 1spiritual sweetness in holy and religious duties, as may make us to delight much more in them, then in our ordinary food, when we come unto it with hungry appetites. And finding our corruptions so hanging upon us, that we fail much in satisfying our holy desires, we will heartily bewail our averseness and untowardness, our drowsiness and weariness in holy duties, and seeing our frailties and infirmities, will resolve to labour after more perfection. Again, howsoever through forgetfulness, negligence, or other distractions, we may omit some of those duties before prescribed, for the spending of the Lords Day, yet if our hearts be upright before God, we will not bless and please our selves in this negligence; but endeavour in some sort to perform them all as we are able, without omitting any of them; As both the private and public means of Gods worship, Prayer, Meditation, hearing, reading, singing Psalms, holy conferences and the rest, so far forth as God granteth unto us time and opportunity. And if we have through forgetfulness or negligence omitted any, we will be unfeignedly sorry for it, and purpose amendment for the time to come.