A20762:834
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. 3 That before we pray, we must use preparation, and what is required unto it.
§. Sect. 3 That before we pray, we must vse preparation, and what is required vnto it.
Now being by these reasons persuaded to the daily practice of this duty; let us in the next place consider how we may so perform it, as that 1it may be acceptable unto God, and profitable for our own salvation. And unto this many things are required, before, in, and after our prayers. Before, is required preparation: for as David speaketh of praising God, so may we of prayer in all kinds, our hearts must be prepared, and so must our tongues, before we can pray. And as they that mean to make any good music, do first set their instruments in tune; so must we, before we can make any sweet melody in Gods hearing, tune our hearts, that they may be fit for this action. And if we will not speak unto our Prince rashly and unadvisedly, but prepare our selves by due meditation, both in respect of the matter, and manner of our speech; how much more should ⟨p. 224⟩2we avoid rashness of mouth, and hastiness of speech, when as we speak to the sovereign King of heaven and earth? Now in this preparation we must examine our sins, that we may afterwards humbly confess them and crave pardon; especially we are to search out those, whereby we have most displeased God, and wounded our own consciences, and whereunto our corrupt nature is most inclined; and also labour to find out our special wants, and those gifts and graces in which we are most defective, or of which, in respect of our present occasion, we most stand in need; that accordingly we may frame out suits, and press them unto God with more efficacy and fervency of desire. Secondly, we must look to our feet, that is, to our affections, as the Wise-man exhorteth, and examine