A20762:1746
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 keep this watch in all places, and at all times.
§. Sect. 3 That we must keepe this watch in all places, and at all times.
In all which respects, we are to keep a careful watch over our selves in all places, when we are at home, and when we are abroad; when we are alone, and when we are in company; in the Church and open streets, and in our own houses and private Closets; seeing there is no place free from danger, by reason of those inward corruptions and secret traitors, which we carry every where about us, and those outward enemies, the devil and the world, which are ready in all places to set upon us. So likewise there is no time exempted from this watch, neither youth nor old age, day nor night, but it must be kept continually, according to that; Take 1heed to thy self, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life. For the causes of it are continual, and therefore the watch must not be intermitted. At all times we must labour to please God, and not by fits, and obedience at all times must be yielded to him. At all times sin must be shunned, unto which we are prone by nature, and all virtues and Christian duties to be embraced and practised, when any good occasion is offered, unto which naturally we are backward and averse. No time is exempted from the Christian warfare, nor secure and safe from the assaults of our spiritual enemies. And therefore we must continually stand upon our guard and keep our watch, that we be at no time unfit for any of these purposes, lest being surprised upon a sudden, we be easily vanquished by our spiritual enemies. Besides, through the intermission of our watch, we do not only lose the present time, which should be spent in the service of God, but also endanger our selves to lose much more, before we can again set our watch in good order. For our hearts having broke the bounds of Gods fear, will not without much labour be restrained of their licentious liberty; our devotions being once cooled, will not without much fire and fuel recover their lost heat. And sooner might we with well ordered hearts, have performed the duties of Gods service which we intend, then bring them in frame and rightly prepare them, when through neglect of this watch they are out of tune.