A20762:2203
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 Of humiliation and penitency in the time of our fast.
§. Sect. 4 Of humiliation and penitencie in the time of our fast.
Now this spiritual and inward exercise is nothing else, but a serious humiliation of our souls before God, joined with fervent prayer and unfeigned repentance, that we may find grace with God, and have our special suites heard and granted. The first thing is humiliation or penitency, unto which is required; First, a thorough sense and feeling of our sins, whereby we have provoked Gods anger against us. Secondly, unfeigned sorrow and bitter grief, chiefly in this respect, because by our sins we have displeased and dishonoured our glorious God and gracious Father, unto which we must attain, by considering and aggravating our sins, in respect of the quantity and quality, their number and heinousness, by meditating on Gods Judgements and Mercies, the curse and threatenings of the Law, and the gracious promises of the Gospel; on Gods gloriousness in himself, and graciousness towards us; that by our sins we have pearced ad crucified our Saviour Christ, and caused the Lord of life to be put to a shameful death, vexed and grieved Gods good Spirit dwelling in us, slandered our profession, given offence to our neighbours, and drawn upon our selves Gods heavy punishments in this life and the life to come, and especially the present Judgement which we fear as imminent, or feel as being already inflicted upon us. Thirdly, A vile and base conceit of our selves in respect of our sins, whereby we adjudge our selves as utterly unworthy of Gods least mercies, and contrariwise, that we have deserved the greatest of his plagues, and not only that which we presently fear or feel, but all other punishments temporal and eternal. Lastly, in this humiliation we are to express our sorrow and grief of heart, by our lamentations and woeful complaints, bewailing our wretched condition both in respect of sin and punishment, and bemoaning our misery before the Lord, as a fit subject, whereon he may exercise his abundant and rich mercies, in pardoning our sins, and removing our punishments.