A20762:456
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. 4 Of thankfulness unto God, what is required unto it; and the means of it.
§. Sect. 4 Of thankfulnes vnto God, what is required vnto it; and the meanes of it.
The third virtue arising from the love of God, is unfeigned thankfulness: for when in consideration of Gods goodness, mercy, and bounty towards 1us, our hearts are inflamed with his love, and replenished with joy unspeakable and glorious, then do we think, with David, what we may return unto him for all his benefits; and finding no possible means of making the least requital, in regard of our impotency, and Gods all-sufficiency, we do at last resolve to remain for ever thankful debtors, and to express our thankfulness, both by our words in praising and magnifying, and in all our actions by glorifying him our Benefactor, who hath been so infinitely gracious unto us, seeing we have nothing else to return unto him. So that our love of God, proceeding from his love towards us, is the root of our thankfulness, and our rejoicing in his love and goodness, an inseparable companion of it. For this thankfulness is a virtue, whereby knowing, acknowledging, and rejoicing in the sense and feeling of Gods love, goodness, and bounty towards us, we are inwardly thankful unto him for all his benefits, and outwardly express it, by praising and glorifying his holy Name, both by our lips and lives, whereby it appeareth what is required to this virtue of thankfulness. First, that we apprehend Gods love, and inwardly rejoice in it, having our hearts thoroughly affected with the sense of his goodness and bounty towards us. Secondly, that we do not ascribe the blessings and benefits which we enjoy, unto any 2thing else, but only unto God, as our supreme and chief Benefactor, who is the principal Author of all our good. Thirdly, that we do not smother our thankfulness in our hearts, but cause it to break forth, first, in our words, by praising & magnifying Gods holy name; for as the Psalmist speaketh, It becometh the righteous to be thankful; and secondly, in