A41637:675
Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…
Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Sepulchres parish / by Tho. Gouge ...Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Sepulchres parish / by Tho. Gouge ...
London: printed by R. Ibbitson and M. Wright, 1661
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
1 For the Minister, that God would give him a door of utterance, that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the Mysteries of the Gospel; yea that he may speak the Word truly, sincerely, powerfully, and profitably, delivering that which is suitable and seasonable to your condition.
1 For the Minister, that God would give him a door of utterance, that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the Mysteries of the Gospel; yea that he may speak the VVord truly, sincerely, powerfully, and profitably, delivering that which is suitable and seasonable to your condition.
2 For your selves, that God would banish out of your heads all worldly wandering thoughts, which may distract your minds in the hearing of the Word, and so choking that heavenly seed, make it fruitless. And that he would give unto you, as attention to hearken, so understanding to conceive, wisdom to apply, judgement to discern, faith to believe, memory to retain, and grace to practise what you shall hear; that so the Word may prove unto you a savour of life unto life, and not a savour of death unto death.
2 For your selves, that God would banish out of your heads all worldly wandring thoughts, which may distract your minds in the hearing of the Word, and so choaking that heavenly seed, make it fruitless. And that he would give unto you, as attention to hearken, so understanding to conceive, wisdome to apply, judgement to discern, faith to beleeve, memory to retain, and grace to practise what you shall hear; that so the Word may prove unto you a savour of life unto life, and not a savour of death unto death.
These two last duties of reading the Word, and Prayer, are not to be performed only alone in secret, but likewise in and with your Families, if so be you be Parents, and Masters of Families; and therefore before you go to the public Ordinances, call your Family together, and pray with them, as for other things, so in special for the influences of the grace of God, and the incomes of his Spirit upon your hearts and spirits in the good duties you shall take in hand, that so you may perform them after such a manner, as glory may redound to Gods name, and some spiritual good and advantage to your own souls.