A20762:1777
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. 4 The last means is, to meditate often on the day of Judgement.
§. Sect. 4 The last means is, to meditate often on the day of Iudgement.
The last means, which I will here touch, is, that we often meditate upon that great and terrible Day of the Lord, when he shall come with 1thousands of his holy Saints and Angels to judge both the quick and the dead; when as we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ, that every man may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Of which Day, because we are uncertain when it will be, we should always keep our spiritual watch, that we may, whensoever Christ cometh, be found ready. And this use our Saviour himself maketh of his assured and yet uncertain coming: Of that day and 2hour (saith he) knoweth no man, no not the Angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only: Take ye heed therefore, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is; lest coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. So likewise the Apostle Peter; The end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore 3sober, and watch unto prayer. And surely, if we would but seriously consider with what ravishing joy at that Day the hearts of all those shall be possessed, who, like wise and faithful servants, shall be found watching and waiting for the coming of their Lord, when as he who hath pronounced 4them blessed already, shall then enter them into the full fruition of blessedness, and make them joint-owners of all that he hath, the unspeakable joys, inestimable riches, and triumphant glory of his Kingdom; and on the other side, with what shame and confusion of face, vexation of spirit, and horror of conscience, they shall be plagued and tormented, who with the evil servant have securely gone on in their sins, and have utterly neglected the spiritual watch, hoping that the Masters coming was far off; we would be moved hereby to shake off all carnal security, and think no care and diligence too great in keeping this watch, that we may not be taken unprovided and unprepared at the coming of our Lord. And these are the means, which if we carefully use, will much help us in keeping this watch. But let us take heed that we do not rest wholly or chiefly upon our own watchfulness; seeing when we have done all we can, we shall with the wise Virgins be overtaken sometimes with drowsiness, and intermit our watch;