A20762:2598
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. 7 That sloth and laziness is a great impediment to a godly life.
§. Sect. 7 That sloth and lazinesse is a great impediment to a godly life.
The third corrupt affection, is sloth and laziness, which maketh men loth to take pains in performing the duties of Gods service, as watchfulness, Prayer, hearing the Word, Meditation, and the rest. For many having proceeded thus far, as to approve these things in their judgements, and have some desires and faint resolutions to put them in practice, yet when they find that they cannot be done without some pains, being of an idle and sluggish disposition, they are presently discouraged, and having found the treasure which is sufficient to make them rich, choose rather to remain in their spiritual beggary, then they will spend any sweat in digging for it. Needs then must this be a great impediment to the duties of a godly life, when as men are so luskish and lazy, that they fly that labour which is required unto them. Needs must such sluggards live in poverty, seeing it is only the hand of the diligent that maketh rich. And 1far off are they from achieving any excellent work, who sit idly still, pretending excuses of danger and difficulty, and that there is a Lyon without, ready to slay them, if they go out into the street; which impediment if we would remove, let us consider, that howsoever such men please themselves with idle desires, yet they will nothing profit them, unless they shake off their sluggishness, and use all diligence in their spiritual business. So Solomon saith, that the soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; 2but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. Yea, such desires, if we rest in them, do hurt, rather then help us, according to that of Solomon; The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour. Secondly, let 3us consider, that by this sloth we do not only not get any spiritual riches, but also that we consume that we already seem to have. For as our Saviour speaketh in another case, He that gathereth not, scattereth abroad;