A20762:1585
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. 3 That we must fit our burden according to our strength.
§. Sect. 3 That we must fit our burthen according to our strength.
The second rule is, in the exercise of Christian duties, that we fit our burden to our strength, so as we may be able to perform them in sincerity and truth, yea with cheerfulness and delight, and not oppress our selves with an unsupportable weight, by taking upon us more then we are able to bear. In which respect many offend, especially young professors, who being children in Christ, and endued but with a small measure of the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit, do seek to match and exceed those who are come to a ripe age, and to a great measure of perfection, in all outward duties of Religion and a godly life. As for example; because these being endued with a great measure of knowledge and grace, besides excellent gifts of nature, and both much helped and perfected with long practice and experience, are able, according to all occasions, to conceive prayers, and to continue in them with perseverance, pouring forth their souls with great freedom and liberty of speech and spirit, words coming at will, and not being any stop, in inventing of them unto their devotion and fervency of affection, but like streams from the fountain, flow freely and kindly from them: therefore they also, wanting knowledge and the spirit of supplication in any good measure, do notwithstanding tie themselves to the same task, and not only contemning all forms, impose a necessity upon themselves of conceiving all their prayers upon the sudden; but also of continuing and holding out as long a time in this exercise, as those that have been longest practised in it. Upon which it must necessarily follow, that their devotion and affection must be much cooled and distracted, when as the powers of their soul are taken up wholly with invention of words and matter; and that through ignorance and want of gifts, many things will be impertinent, the same things often repeated, because new matter cometh not to mind, many imperfect, and scarce sensible speeches, without any order or coherence uttered, to make up the breach, where knowledge, invention and memory have failed them.