A20762:1771
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 The 1. means is temperance and sobriety, and the second, the fear of God.
§. Sect. 1 The 1. meanes is temperance and sobriety, and the second, the feare of God.
The last thing to be considered in this spiritual watch, is the means whereby we may be enabled to keep it; the which I will but briefly touch, because they are so fully handled in the fore-named Treatise. The first means are sobriety and temperance, the which as they much further us in the natural watch, so are they singular helps to enable us unto the spiritual. Whereof it is that in the Scriptures they are joined and enjoined together, as mutual causes one of another. Be sober 1and watch. We are not of the night, nor of darkness; therefore let us not sleep 2as do others, but let us watch and be sober. And our Saviour Christ persuading us to this spiritual watch, and arming us against the deep security of the latter days, giveth us in charge, as a notable means to cause the one, and prevent the other, that we take heed unto our selves, lest at any time 3our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that Day come upon us at unawares. Which means of watchfulness when Noah and Lot neglected, they soon fell into a dangerous sleep of sin. Neither must this temperance and sobriety extend only to meats and drinks, seeing we may be drunk with the intoxicating cups of pleasures and carnal delights, and surfeit upon worldly prosperity and earthly things, when we do too hungerly affect them in our desires, and set our hearts immoderately upon them; but they must reach also (as I showed before, when I spake of sobriety) to the right ordering of our minds in the use of all temporary blessings, in a due manner and measure, so as they may be helps and not hinderances unto us in all the duties of a godly life; which if we neglect, we may surfeit and be spiritually drunk,