A20762:731
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. 2 That we must seek God in Jesus Christ, sincerely, zealously, and with all diligence.
§. Sect. 2 That we must seeke God in Iesus Christ, sincerely, zealously, and with all diligence.
And after this manner we ought to seek God, in respect of the time; in respect of the person in whom we must seek him, it must be in the face of his Anointed, and the alone mediation of Jesus Christ, the Son of his love, in whom only he will be found of us. For if we seek him in our own merits, works, and worthiness, we shall, in regard of their imperfections and corruptions, be more estranged from him. In respect of our selves who are the seekers, we must seek him, if we mean to find him, after a right manner; first, sincerely and uprightly, with all our hearts and souls, wills and affections. So David exhorteth the Princes of Israel, to set their hearts and souls to seek the Lord their God. And herein propoundeth 1himself, as an example for our imitation, professing that with his whole heart he had sought the Lord. Thus Asa and the people of Judah entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers, with all their heart, 2and with all their soul. Which sincere seeking only hath the promise of finding him; according to that in Deuteronomy, If from thence thou shalt 3seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him; if thou seek him with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. And so the Lord promiseth the people of Judah, that if in the land of their captivity they would seek the Lord, they 4should find him, if they should search for him with all their heart. Secondly, we must seek the Lord, not coldly and formally, as though we were careless whether we found him or not, but zealously, and with all earnestness, as being the chief thing which we desire. And as the covetous man neglecteth his meat, that he may get money; and the famished man money, that he may get meat to satisfy his hunger: so must we covet and hunger after Gods presence, and labour to enjoy his face and favour, more then to enjoy all our earthly desires. And this fervency of affection in seeking God, is in most lively manner expressed in the example of the Spouse in the Canticles, seeking her Bridegroom, who like a woman ravished with