A20762:1533
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. 2 The first rule is, that we make God the supreme end of all Christian duties, and wholly deny our selves in them.
§. Sect. 2 The first rule is, that wee make God the supreme end of all Christian duties, and wholly deny our selues in them.
Of the former sort, are such as concern either their causes or their circumstances. The causes are chief and principal, or else subordinate and 1instrumental. The chief and principal cause of working all holy duties, in, and by us, is God himself, the Father, Son, and holy Spirit. Concerning whom, this first rule is to be observed, that seeing God is the chief Author of all good duties which can be performed by us, that therefore we also make him the supreme end of them, propounding unto our selves his glory in the undertaking of any action, as the main motive that induceth us unto it. And seeing he is first and last in all holy duties which are performed of us, and both beginneth, continueth, and finisheth his works of grace in and by us; yea, seeing we our selves are wholly his, 2both by right of creation, preservation, and redemption; therefore being his and not our own, we must devote and consecrate our selves wholly, and all our actions and intentions to his service, performing all Christian duties, not as acts of our own wills, to please or profit our selves, but as works which he willeth and commandeth, and are therefore pleasing and acceptable in sight. So that this must be our first step & entrance to the Christian duties of a godly life, utterly to deny our selves and our own wills, and acknowledging God to be all in all, we are to resign both our persons & actions to be directed and guided as he pleaseth, and to make his will in all things the rule of ours; not performing the duties of a godly life, because they are pleasing unto us, or plausible unto others, but because God requireth them, and it is his will, that being sanctified, we should glorify