A20762:2689
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 An admonition to the faithful, to lay h•ld on this joyful privilege, and to shake off sorrow and sadness.
§. Sect. 7 An admonition to the faithfull, to lay h•ld on this ioyfull priuiledge, and to shake off sorrow and sadnesse.
By all which it appeareth, that godliness doth not deprive any of joy and gladness; yea rather, the more godly we are, the better right and title we have unto it, and may justly exceed all others as much in mirth and cheerfulness, as we have in us more then they, the causes of all sound and solid rejoicing. The which as it should persuade all who are yet unresolved, to enter without delay, into this Christian course, that they may attain unto this high and excellent privilege, and not suffer themselves to be any longer discouraged with this vain and false conceit, that they must leave all their chiefest joys, when they leave and forsake the pleasures of sin: so should it move those who have a desire and purpose to serve and please God, to lay hold of this joyful privilege, seeing God freely offereth it unto them, and not any longer to please themselves with their melancholic dumps, and affected sadness, as though they were greatest proficients in mortification, when they most exceed in lumpish heaviness, which needs to be mortified as well as any other carnal affection, that in stead thereof our hearts may be replenished with spiritual joy. For hereby they do not only exceedingly discredit and disgrace a godly life, and by casting upon it this false aspersion of sorrow and sadness, discourage others from entering into it; but also make it to become so tedious and troublesome, harsh and unpleasant, that they cannot proceed in it without much uncomfortableness; nor perform the duties of Gods service with any cheerfulness and delight, when as their spirits are dulled and deadened with this mournful and dejected heaviness. For as the Wise man hath observed; Heaviness in the heart of man maketh