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. 3 Of the inward and spirituall exercises in our fast.
The second part of the Christian fast, is the inward and spirituall ex∣ercise, which is the end of the outward, and without which it is of no value: for as the Apostle telleth vs, Bodily exercise profiteth little, but godlinesse is profitable vnto all things; and The Kingdome of God consisteth not in meates and drinkes, but righteousnesse, and peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost. In which regard the Lord hath alwaies reiected the outward fast as hypocriticall and superstitious, if the inward fast were not ioy∣ned with it. Thus hee chargeth the Iewes, that they fasted to them∣selues and not to him, when they rested in the externall abstinence and bodily humiliation; and telleth them, that if they would keepe a fast which should bee acceptable vnto him, they must execute iudgement, and shew mercy and compassion euery man to his brother, and not oppresse the father∣lesse,
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stranger and poore, nor so much as imagine euill against their brother in their heart. So elsewhere he reiecteth the fast of the Iewes, because therein they onely afflicted their soules with bodily abstinence, and did hang downe their heads like a bulrush for a day, and did spread sackclothand ashes vnder them, but did not ioyne with it the Spirituall fast, in abstaining from carnall pleasures and couetous exactions, losing the bonds of wickednesse, and vndoing the heauy burthens, ceasing from oppression, and do∣ing the workes of mercy. To which purpose one demandeth; What doth it profit thee that thou afflictest thy body, when as thine heart is ne∣uer the better? To fast and watch, and not to amend thy manners, is all one, as if a man should take paines to weede and husband the ground about the vineyard, but let the vineyard it selfe grow like a de∣sart, full of thornes and thistles.