A20762:2210
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. 6 That with our fasting we must join unfeigned repentance.
§. Sect. 6 That with our fasting wee must ioyne vnfained repentance.
The last thing thing required in our fast is, that we join with it unfeigned repentance; for this is the principal end of the outward exercise, that we may thereby both testify and also increase our repentance. And unto this, two things are required; the first is, that we forsake our sins which we have bewailed; and secondly, that we embrace the contrary virtues, and express them in the duties of a godly life. Concerning the former, it little availeth us to abstain outwardly from our food, and other ⟨p. 676⟩comforts of this life, which are the gifts of God, and in their own nature lawful, if we live still in our sins, and will not turn from them unto God by unfeigned repentance; to rest from the honest labours of our callings, and not to rest from the works of darkness, wherein we perform service unto sin and Satan; to pine the body with outward abstinence, and to pamper the flesh by satisfying of our carnal lusts, to have empty 1bellies and clean teeth, and to have our souls replenished with wickedness, and defiled with sinful corruptions. In which regard the Lord condemneth and rejecteth the fast of the Jews, because they rested in the bodily exercise, and did not forsake their carnal lusts, exactions and oppressions. What doth it profit (saith one) to make thy body thin and 2lean with fasting, if thy mind do swell with pride? What praise wilt thou deserve, by the paleness of fasting, if thou be pale also with envy? What virtue is in this, not to drink wine, and in the mean while to be drunk with anger and hatred? But our abstinence is praise-worthy, and the chastening of the body, of some excellency, when as the mind fasteth from vices, &c. Let us (saith another) bridle our fleshly lusts, and we shall keep a true fast. For that I call a fast, when we abstain from vices. And therefore abstinence from meats is required, that we may subdue the unruly power of the flesh, and by curbing in this pampered horse, teach it to obey. And again; The honour of a fast is not abstinence from meats, but the forsaking of our sins, &c. For it is most absurd to refrain by fasting from lawful meats, and to taste the unlawful lusts of the eyes? Doest thou not eat flesh? neither let thine eyes draw in wanton lusts. Let thine ear also fast, by not receiving slanders and detractions. And let thy mouth fast from filthy and reproachful words.