A20762:878
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 What duties are to be performed after we have prayed.
§. Sect. 5 What duties are to be performed after wee haue prayed.
And these are the duties which are to be daily performed in this holy ⟨p. 238⟩exercise of prayer. Now after we have thus prayed, there are certain other things required of us. First, a lively faith, whereby we do not only give our unfeigned assent unto our prayer made, but also rest persuaded, that the Lord hath heard us in the things for which we have prayed, and will assuredly accept of our humiliation and thanksgiving, and grant all our suites and requests, as it will best stand with his own glory, our spiritual good, and eternal happiness. And this our Saviour requireth, What 1things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them, and ye shall have them. Secondly, hope, patience, and humility, whereby we make no haste, nor prescribe unto God any time of doing the things which we have desired, but meekly acknowledging his infinite wisdom in himself, and goodness towards us, do resign wholly our selves and suites unto his good pleasure, expecting with all patience his leisure, when as he shall think it fittest to bestow upon us those gifts and graces which we have begged at his hands. Thirdly, there is required of us after prayer, an earnest endeavour in the use of all good means, whereby we may obtain those things which we have prayed for: whereby we shall serve Gods providence, and be his instruments to further the accomplishment of his promises, and also make it manifest, that in our hearts we sincerely desired those things which we begged with our mouths. For example, after we have prayed for the pardon of our sins, we must use carefully all good means whereby we may be further assured that God hath forgiven them; after we have craved sanctification, we must labour and endeavour that we may be sanctified, and exercise our selves in the duties of holiness; after we have desired spiritual and saving graces, we must use all the helps and means whereby we may attain unto them. For otherwise we shall discover our selves to be but mere hypocrites, who with our lips have prayed for those things which we have neither esteemed in our judgements, nor affected in our hearts; and therefore receive nothing at Gods hands, who giveth his gifts not to idle loiterers, but unto such as pursue them with thirsting desires, and earnestly labour and endeavour in the use of all good means whereby they may obtain them.