The Practice Of Piety

The Practice of Piety presents the substance of several sermons Lewis Bayly preached while minister at Eversham. It was made into a devotional manual and soon became one of the most popular books in England. It was translated into Welsh, French, Hungarian, Polish, and several other languages. The Practice of Piety is filled with scriptural and practical guidelines on the pursuit of holy living. Bayly begins his work with "a plain description of God in His essence, person, and attributes," understanding this to be the basis for piety; every grace that sinners need springs from the gracious character of God. He emphasizes the necessity of true faith and holy living, and explains how to attain and maintain readiness for Christ's second advent. Bayly then shows how to overcome obstacles to the pious life, stresses how piety is to be cultivated, and offers wise advice on the spiritual disciplines. He shows how to guide our thoughts, words, and actions in times of health as well as in times of sickness and affliction. He even provides directives to protect us from despair and the fear of death. In short, this is a book about how to live godly and die well.

The Practice of Piety is filled with scriptural and practical guidelines on the pursuit of holy living. Bayly begins his work with "a plain description of God in His essence, person, and attributes," understanding this to be the basis for piety; every grace that sinners need springs from the gracious character of God. He emphasizes the necessity of true faith and holy living, and explains how to attain and maintain readiness for Christ's second advent. Bayly then shows how to overcome obstacles to the pious life, stresses how piety is to be cultivated, and offers wise advice on the spiritual disciplines. He shows how to guide our thoughts, words, and actions in times of health as well as in times of sickness and affliction. He even provides directives to protect us from despair and the fear of death. In short, this is a book about how to live godly and die well.

A moving and vivid account of what it meant to be a Puritan, this account draws on diaries, spiritual biographies, and devotional manuals to explore the daily and weekly ritual and discipline. The devotional movement was at the heart of Puritanism, and the spiritual pilgrimage was the soul's progress from birth to death to rebirth and eternal glory. Puritan worship brought together college student and illiterate farmer, giving coherence to the community.

“A book to enjoy and savour. . . . As a gentle and reverent depiction of whole practice of Anglican moral theology and practice, it is splendid.”—The Anglican Theological Review Written in a style accessible to non-specialists, this book provides teachers, pastors, counselors, and general readers with an ideal introduction to Christian ethics. It renews the topic of Christian ethics by showing readers that faithful moral living is achieved through the daily practices of grace and godliness. The author first explores the foundations of Christian ethics as seen by both Catholics and Protestants, and then develops a constructive view of morality as a way of life. Taking into account the central themes of Christian ethics, he shows that effective piety is built on spiritual disciplines that deepen our experience of God: prayer, worship, self-examination, simplicity, and acts of hospitality.