A20762:139
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 our desires, resolutions, and endeavours, must aim at the means as well as the end.
§. Sect. 5 That our desires, resolutions, and indeuours, must aime at the meanes as well as the end.
Thirdly, that our desires, resolutions, and endeavours may be sincere and acceptable unto God, it is required, that we as well aim in them at the means whereby they may be accomplished, as at the end, and take all occasions, and use all helps, which may enable us to Gods service, and with like diligence avoid all lets and impediments, whereby we might be hindered in it, as we desire and endeavour to perform the service it self which God requireth. For where he enjoyeth any duty, there he no less requireth the means and opportunities which enable us thereunto; and to think that we can perform the duty, and neglect these helps, is to imagine that we can live long, and eat no food, or come speedily to our journeys end, and never travail in the way that leadeth unto it. As therefore it was a vain wish of Balaam to die the death of the righteous, when as he never took care to lead a righteous life: so is it no less vain to desire, that we may lead the life of the righteous, when we do not desire, resolve, and endeavour to use the means that enable us to do it. And such are the desires and resolutions of those, who out of blind devotion endeavour to lead a godly life, continuing in their ignorance, and neglecting all good means, whereby they might come to the knowledge of Gods will, and so conform their lives in obedience unto it; who thinking it enough to have a good meaning, do tyre themselves in their own superstition, and spend all their labour in vain, offering unto God, in stead of his pure service, which he hath commanded, their own will-worship, and humane inventions and traditions, which he hath so often in his Word forbidden and condemned. But quite contrary was the course and carriage of holy David, in his desire and resolution to lead a godly life: for as he longed, and had his heart even broken with the vehemency of his desires, to keep Gods Statutes and Laws; so with like earnestness he hungered and thirsted after the means which might enable him unto it; which was, to come into Gods Courts, the visible place of his presence, to hear his holy Word read and preached unto him. As the