A20762:1458
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. 1 That we must perform all duties of a godly life with cheerfulness.
§. Sect. 1 That we must performe all duties of a godly life with cheerefulnesse.
And these are the properties which respect the causes of all Christian duties. Those which concern our disposition in doing them, do either more principally respect the heart and affection, or the carriage generally of the whole man. In respect of the heart, this is the property of all the duties of a godly life, that they be done heartily; according to that of the Apostle, ⟨p. 427⟩Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men. But of this in the general I have before spoken; and therefore will here insist upon two special branches of it; the first is alacrity and cheerfulness, the second is fervent zeal in all good duties. Concerning the former, we ought to perform all the duties of a godly life with alacrity and cheerfulness, as being an inseparable property of them, if they be sincere and upright. And this the Lord requireth generally in all Christian duties, that we be ready unto every good work; and more specially in the duties 1of his service and all the parts thereof. For we must not only seek and serve the Lord, but also make him our chief delight. We must serve 2the Lord with gladness, and come before him with thanksgiving. We must come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with Psalms, as the Psalmist exhorteth. And we must serve God with a 3perfect and a willing mind, as he persuadeth Solomon his son. Neither must we go to the place of Gods service lumpishly and heavily, but be glad and rejoice, when we mutually exhort one another to go up to the