A20762:1563
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.
CAP. II.
Of the rules of a godly life, which respect the circumstances of it.
§. Sect. 1 That we must make precious account of our time which God hath allotted us for his service.
§. Sect. 1 That we must make precious account of our time which God hath allotted vs for his seruice.
And these are the rules which concern the causes both principal and fundamental of a godly life, and those also which are inferior and subordinate. Those which respect the circumstances of it, are these; First, that we make precious account of our time which God hath allotted unto us for his service, suffering (as much as in us lieth) no part thereof to be spent vainly and unfruitfully, about those things which profit not, either for the enriching of our souls with spiritual grace, or the furthering and assuring ⟨p. 461⟩of our salvation. But either we must continually be taken up with spiritual exercises, as Prayer, Meditation, hearing the Word, Reading, holy conferences, and such like; or in the works of our honest callings, and of justice and mercy for the good of our brethren, or in honest and moderate recreations, that we may be refreshed, and better enabled to perform these duties with more fruit. To which purpose, let us often consider, that these are the main ends for which we came into the world, and are suffered by God to live and continue in it, and therefore that time which is not employed to advance these ends, is spent in vain. That time is the most precious Jewell in the world, which cannot be bought at any price, nor the least minute of it redeemed when once it is past, with the treasures of the richest Monarchy. That we have only assurance of the time present for our use, and cannot promise unto our selves one month or moment of that which is to come. That our whole time were far too little, though it were all spent in the duties of Gods service, from whom we have received so great and manifold blessings, as pledges and pawns of far greater, which we assuredly expect in the life to come. That our employments in our course of Christianity are so many and important, so full of difficulties, and yet so necessary, as attaining to the knowledge of God and his will, and the practice of that we know, the furnishing of our souls with sanctifying and saving graces, and bringing forth the fruits of them in the whole course of our lives, the making of our calling and election sure, and getting into our own custody the assured evidences of our salvation, that if we be wise, we will think all too little for these uses, and find none to spare for idle and vain exercises.