A20762:228
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 Of five special means whereby we may obtain a lively faith.
§. Sect. 1 Of fiue speciall meanes wherby we may obtaine a liuely faith.
Seeing then faith is so necessary to a godly life, and higher degrees of it, for attaining of higher perfection, and making of a further progress in the ways of holiness and righteousness; it behooveth every one, who desireth to lead a life acceptable unto God, to use all good means whereby he may attain unto faith, and having the first degrees of it, not to rest in them, but to use all endeavour, whereby he may grow from faith to faith, until he attain unto fullness of persuasion. Now the means of attaining faith are many. The first and principal is prayer, which is not only in it self a powerful means to obtain it of God, but also of making all other means effectual to those ends for which we use them. For faith is not of 1our selves (as the Apostle teacheth us) but it is a free grace and gift of God; and as our Saviour saith, It is his work that we believe on him whom he hath 2sent. And none have it, but they unto whom it is given, according to that of the Apostle; Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe 3on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Now the way to get Gods gifts, is, to beg them at his hands by effectual prayer, according to that, If any 4man want wisdom, let him ask it of God, that giveth all men liberally; seeing he hath tied himself by his gracious promise, that if we ask, we shall receive; 5and that whatsoever we desire in his Sons name, he will give it us. And 6