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.

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Title
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.
Author
Downame, John, d. 1652.
Publication
Printed at London :: By Felix Kingstone [and William Stansby] for Ed: Weuer & W: Bladen at the north dore of Pauls,
[1622]
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Subject terms
Christian life -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A20762.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 21, 2024.

Pages

§. Sect. 1 That we must seeke God first and principal∣ly, seasonably and constantly,

AND these are the things which are required to this duty of seeking God daily. The second point propounded, was the manner how he is to be thus sought of vs. In which respect, wee are to seeke him rightly, according to the direction of his Word. Wherein is required, first, that we seeke God first and principally, that is, aboue all things in the world, more highly esteeming him in our iudgements, more often thinking on him in our meditations, more feruently cleauing vnto him, in our hearts, wils, and affections, more diligently seeking his grace and fauour in all our actions, then the greatest excellencies that heauen or earth can affoord vnto vs. Secondly, wee must seeke him first in time, and before all other things, as men vse to seeke first things chiefly necessary, profitable, and of greatest value and excellency, and when they haue any spare time, things of lesse vse, vtility, or worth; as treasures, before lumber; meanes of life, foode, ap∣parell,

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liberty and peace, before superfluities and such things, as serue onely for ornament and delight. Thirdly, wee must seeke him in the op∣portune, seasonable, and acceptable time when he may bee found, that is, whilst the day of saluation lasteth, and whilst yet God offreth vnto vs his grace and fauour, and still vouchsafeth vnto vs his holy Ordinances, that seeking, we may find him in them. Yea, whilst God biddeth vs seeke his face, and euen assoone as the word is come out of his mouth, our hearts must answere, Thy face, O Lord, will I seeke. So the Lord by his Prophet exhorteth vs: Seeke ye the Lord while he may be found, and call vpon him while he is neere: And the Church and people of God perswade one another; Let vs goe speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seeke the Lord of hosts, and I will goe also. We must seeke the Bridegroome when hee is come into his Garden, and inuiteth vs to feast with him in his spirituall delicacies. And whilst he knocketh at the dore of our hearts with the finger of his Spirit, and calleth vnto vs by the ministery of his Word, saying, Open vnto mee, my sister, my loue, my doue, my vndefiled: Wee must not giue him a come∣againe, nor put him off with slight excuses; lest he punish our sloth, by withdrawing himselfe and the comforts of his Spirit from vs; and because we would not open when he knocked, nor answere when hee called, he make vs to knocke, and call and cry, before he will heare vs, and to seeke him with sorrow, before he will be found of vs, that so he may make vs af∣terwards to esteeme more of his gracious offers, and to make more pre∣cious account of his comfortable presence, when hee doth againe vouch∣safe it vnto vs; which we did not greatly value, when as we might haue in∣ioyed it with ease and pleasure. Now the most seasonable time of seeking God, are the dayes of our youth, and when with good Iosias we seeke him in our tender age, for he seeketh him best and most acceptably, that seeketh him soonest and with best speede. Which if we haue neglected, then the best time of seeking him is the time present, and while yet the sound of his voyce in the ministery of his Word ringeth in our eares, calling vs to turne from our sinnes, and returne vnto him. For whilest God seeketh vs in his holy ordinances, it is fit time of seeking him, neither is the accepta∣ble time and day of saluation past, whilest yet the light of the Gospell shi∣neth vnto vs, and therefore to day if ye will heare his voyce, harden not your heart. But if wee neglect this time, and let Christ goe away, through our prophanenesse or slothfull negligence, hee will say vnto vs as he did vnto the Iewes; Ye shall seeke me, and shall not finde me; and where I am, thither ye cannot come. And finally, as in respect of the time, we must seeke him sea∣sonably, so also constantly, that is, continually, and to the end of our liues, when as hauing full fruition of him, we shall be secure in his presence, and without feare of losing him. Wee must seeke him, not onely in the day of aduersity and affliction, when wee most sensibly apprehend our neede of him: for this may be performed by the greatest hypocrites, and the most despisers of his grace at other times; but also in the time of our prosperi∣ty, when carnall reason would perswade vs, that hauing all things at our hearts desire, we haue lesse neede to sue and seeke vnto him. Not onely when he sheweth his glory and greatnesse vpon extraordinary occasions, as by terrible thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and such like; which caused

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the rebellious Israelites to seeke him, when they had formerly reiect∣ed him; but wee must continue this duty at all times, according to that wish of the Lord, in the behalfe of the Israelites; O that there were such an heart in them, that they would feare me, and keepe my Commandements alwayes, &c.

Notes

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