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

Now these private means are manifold: All which may be reduced unto two kinds, both which contain under them divers particulars: the first are such private helps and means as are to be used by our selves alone; the second sort are such as may be used both by our selves, and also with others joining with us. Of the former sort; the first is Christian vigilance or watchfulness, which well deserveth the first place, because being rightly known and practised, it will serve as a guide to direct and lead us in all the rest. Whereof my discourse need not to be so large, as the argument is excellent and necessary, seeing it is so religiously and learnedly ¹handled in a Treatise lately published, that were not this Work imperfect without it, I should have needed to have said nothing of it, seeing little can be added, which hath not been better said already. But that we may proceed in handling of this point, I will consider the nature of this watchfulness, and the means which enable us unto it. In the former, we will examine what it is, and wherein it consisteth, and the ends whereto it tendeth, or the objects about which it is exercised. For the better explaining of the first point, we are to know, that waking, watching and watchfulness, and contrariwise, sleeping, and neglect of watching, are not here used in their native and proper signification, but are metaphorical ⟨p. 507⟩