A20762:2726
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.
CAP. XVIII.
Their objection answered, who pretend that their multitude of worldly employments will allow them no leisure for religious duties.
Their obiection answered, who pretend that their multitude of worldly imployments will allow them no leisure for religious duties.
§. Sect. 1 That earthly blessings are no hindrances unto godliness, but the immoderate love of them.
§. Sect. 1 That earthly blessings are no hindrances vnto godlines, but the immoderate loue of them.
When the mind and heart are indisposed to Gods service, and averse to religious exercises, the flesh will never want excuses to put them off, and withdraw us from them; neither is there any estate and condition, which will not minister distractions and discouragements. For if we be poor, it will suggest, that all our time is little enough, though it be wholly spent in our labours, that thereby we may earn and furnish our selves with things necessary for our maintenance: if we have sufficiency and plenty of all temporal blessings, they will steal our hearts from God, and so wholly fix them upon earthly things, that they will find little or no leisure for spiritual exercises. And now they have so many things to look unto, the care of so many businesses lying upon them, so many and weighty employments, for the well managing of their worldly estates, if they will not suffer all to go to loss, and the blessings of God to perish through their negligence, that they cannot, like others who have little to do, spend much of their time in religious exercises; as prayer, reading and hearing the Word, meditation and such like. Neither do they think it necessary that they should so do, seeing God will excuse, if not approve and commend them, if they follow diligently the duties of their callings. And this carnal disposition in worldly men, our Saviour taxeth in the Parable of those unworthy guests, who being invited unto the Marriage