A20762:841
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. 1 That we must pray in truth, with attention, and not with wandering thoughts.
§. Sect. 1 That we must pray in truth, with attention, and not with wandring thoughts.
IN respect of the action, many things are required, both in regard of the substance, and circumstances. Of the former 1sort are the essentials of prayer: as 1. in general, that it be according to Gods revealed will; for if we frame not our prayers according to this rule, we shall go awry, and asking amiss, obtain nothing. More especially, there is required, that we worship God internally with our hearts, as well as externally with our bodies, and that we pour forth our souls unto him in our prayers as Hannah 2did, so as we may say with David, Unto thee, (O Lord) I lift up my soul; and with the afflicted Church, Let us lift up our heart, with our hands unto God in the heavens. For God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in spirit and truth; 3and above all other service, he requireth the service of the heart; seeing all other without it, is but mere hypocrisy. Neither can we hope to obtain any thing at Gods hands, unless our prayers proceed from sincere and upright hearts, seeing he hath limited his promise of hearing only to such, according to that of the Psalmist; The Lord is near unto all that call upon 4him, to all that call upon him in truth. Let us therefore take heed, when we call upon God, that our prayer be in truth, and not only the words of the mouth, but the prayer of the soul. And to this end, that we do with like care avoid praying with a lying tongue, and deceitful lips, when as we 5ask those things with our mouths, which we desire not in our hearts; like those hypocritical Israelites of whom the Lord complaineth, that they had spoken lies against him, not crying unto him with their heart, when