A20762:1567
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 That we must not stay for occasions of Christian duties, but seek for them before they offer themselves.
§. Sect. 2 That we must not stay for occasions of Christian duties, but seeke for them before they offer themselues.
The second rule is, that we do not stay for occasions and opportunities of performing the Christian duties of a godly life, but that we seek for them earnestly before they offer themselves, and carefully take hold of them when we have found them. Concerning the former, we are with our longing desires, to prevent the occasions of well-doing before they are offered, and use all our best endeavours to find them out when they seem to lye hid, and to pursue them with all our speed, when they seem to flee from us. Herein imitate we the practice of worldlings, who having set ⟨p. 462⟩their hearts upon earthly things, do not sluggishly stand still till they be put into their mouths, but with all vigilancie and diligence spy out all opportunities, whereby they may achieve their ends, and become rich 1and honourable in the world. And seeing spiritual and heavenly wisdom, which chiefly consisteth in true godliness, is much better then riches and worldly honours, according to that of the Wise man; How much better is it to get wisdom then gold? and of greater price, and more to be desired then precious stones, or any worldly thing besides; therefore we must seek it as silver, and search for it as for hid treasures; and being (as 2he teacheth us) the principal thing and chief end of all, we must labour to get it with all our gettings; that is, make it our chief business to attain unto it; according to the example of the wise Merchant, who having by