A20762:1727
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. 1 Of watching over our senses.
§. Sect. 1 Of watching ouer our senses.
More especially, we must keep this careful watch over our eyes, which are the windows of our souls, through which they behold all earthly objects, not suffering them to rove about at pleasure, and to glut themselves with delightful sights, but restraining them as much as we can, that they do not behold that in this kind, which it is not lawful to covet: For of seeing 1comes loving; and of loving, lusting and desiring. We must keep them from beholding any thing that may be unto us a ground of tentation, whereby we may be drawn into any sin, or which may be a distraction unto us in Gods service, and hinder our well-performing of any Christian exercise, but let us, as near as we can, make choice of such sights as will more profit the soul, then please the sense. Thus Job watched over his eyes, and because he would be sure to keep them within compass, he leaveth them not to their own liberty, but keepeth them under covenant, that they should not in any wanton manner, so much as look upon 2a woman. And this is that which Solomon meaneth, where he saith, that the wise mans eyes are in his head, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the 3earth. Not that they do not all alike stand in their heads, but that a wise man leaveth not his eyes loose to their own liberty, but ruleth and governeth them with wisdom and discretion, not suffering them to behold unlawful objects, or those which are lawful, unlawfully, either in respect of manner, or measure; whereas a fool useth no restraint, but suffereth them to rove into all the corners of the world. Into which folly David fell, when he suffered his eyes to gaze their fill upon the beauty of another mans wife, this folly drawing him on to commit a greater folly in Israel; and therefore having lamentable experience of his own frailty, he keepeth afterwards over them a surer watch; which yet not being sure enough, he desireth the Lord to watch over him, and to turn away his