A20762:673
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. 5 Of our fear and care that we be not circumvented with sin.
§. Sect. 5 Of our feare and care that we be not circumuented with sinne.
Fifthly, in consideration of our own frailty and infirmity, and the malice and subtlety of our spiritual enemies, we must daily and continually fear that we be not overtaken with the deceitfulness of sin, nor 1caught in these snares of the devil, which ought justly to be so odious and loathsome unto us; and have our hearts taken up with fervent and zealous desires, to preserve our souls and bodies in purity and honour, free from the pollution of any sin. To which end, we must daily with all conscionable care, keep a diligent and straight watch over all our works and ways, but especially over our hearts, that they be not overtaken with 2any love or liking of sin, but constantly repel the first motions and allurements of it, when they present themselves unto us; especially we must have an eye to our natural infirmities, and those sins, unto which being 3most prone, we are most easily overtaken of them. Yea, we must in this watch carefully avoid, not only the sins themselves, but also all the occasions and means which may draw us to the committing of them; especially the familiar society of wicked men, who are most apt to corrupt and infect us with their persuasions and evil examples. Finally, we must daily resolve and endeavour, not only to leave and forsake all sin, but also to serve the Lord, in performing all the contrary duties of holiness, righteousness, and sobriety, according to all good occasions and opportunities, which in the whole day, or any part thereof shall be offered unto us, and in all our thoughts, words, and deeds, to please the Lord, by yielding cheerful obedience unto his holy will. Especially, our care and endeavour must be to perfect those graces, in which we find our selves most defective, and with extraordinary diligence to practise those duties towards God, our neighbours, and our selves, which our consciences tell us we have formerly most neglected, and unto which we feel our corrupt natures to be most backward and averse; that so we may daily aspire to a greater growth in godliness, and bring forth, the longer we live, the more and better fruits of new obedience.