A20762:857
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 Of our gesture and voice in prayer.
§. Sect. 1 Of our gesture and voyce in prayer.
And these are the essential duties belonging unto prayer, besides which, there are others which are circumstantial and 1accidental, of which, there cannot for the most part be given any general and certain rules, but that they be done in order, after a decent & comely manner, and so as shall be most fit and convenient for the stirring up of our devotion, and the furthering of those internal duties before spoken of, which are essential and always necessary. The first, is the gesture of the body, which ought to be such as may further our inward humility, reverence, and fervency of devotion; wherein we are to imitate the example of Gods Saints in former times, & the custom of the Church and Country where we live, using those gestures which are used in them, to express external worship, humility, and reverence. As among us, standing, kneeling, uncovering of the head, lifting up of the eyes and hands; and in extraordinary and greater humiliation, prostrating our selves upon the ground, casting down our eyes, as being ashamed to look towards heaven, and knocking of the breast, as bewailing the sinful corruption therein contained. In all which, our chiefest endeavour must be, that the inward affection and disposition of the heart, do answer unto the outward gestures of the body, without which they are but hypocritical shows. The second, is the voice which is to be used in prayer, so often as conveniently 2we may, seeing it is one special end, for which God hath given it unto us, that we might by it glorify him, both in our prayers, and our praises and thanksgivings. Not that he himself needeth it, for he searcheth the secrets of the heart and reins, but for the example and edification of others, as in public prayer, and for the intention of our own affections, the attention of our minds, and stirring up of our devotions in our private prayers; which notwithstanding must be done with this caution, that seeing private prayer must be made in secret, we must not speak aloud in our Closet or Chamber, so as others may hear and understand us, or at least, we must not