A20762:1762
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 this watch is most profitable, because it helpeth us much to the leading of a godly life.
§. Sect. 3 That this watch is most profitable, because it helpeth vs much to the leading of a godly life.
The reasons which may induce us to keep this watch respecting our profit, are also divers. First, because it helpeth us much to the leading of a godly life, in which we thrive and profit, or decline and go backward, as we either keep and observe, or intermit and neglect this Christian watch. For when we watch over our selves, God likewise watcheth over us, and by the assistance of his holy Spirit, enableth us to stand against all tentations, and to go forward in our Christian course: but when through our slackness and negligence, we run wilfully into tentations, he leaveth us to be foiled of them, that we may learn the next time to take better heed. More especially, the Lord will enlighten the eyes of our minds, that we may discern the right way in which we should walk; according ⟨p. 527⟩to that of the Apostle, Awake, thou that sleepest, and stand up from the dead, 1and Christ shall give thee light. And seeing the way, we shall have our faith so strengthened, and our courage and resolution so confirmed and increased, that we shall manfully proceed in it, notwithstanding all opposition; whereof it is that the Apostle conjoineth and linketh all these together as inseparable companions; Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quite your selves 2like men, be strong. For as those who for want of heed and circumspection fall into secret ambushments at unawares, are soon discomfited, and by running away, leave to their enemies an easy victory; whereas those who by their watchfulness discover them, are no whit daunted in their courage, because they can easily avoid them; or defeating the stratagem of their enemies, can circumvent and catch them in their own snare: so is it also in the Christian warfare; wherein the discovery of our enemies policies, by our careful watch, is a principal means of preventing them, the finding out of their secret ambushments, more then half the way unto assured victory, and the very sight of their nets lying near their stales, and of their deadly hooks of sin lying hid under the baits of worldly profits and pleasures, are sufficient warnings to make us shun and escape them, if we have any care of the salvation of our souls. So that there is no readier and surer way to avoid all manner of sin, the bane and poison of our souls, then by our watch to espy the danger when it is offered unto us in these golden cups;