A guide to the godly, or, The dayly meditations of Returne Hebdon Gentleman who for his conscience (through the tyrany of the Bishops) suffered many years imprisonment in the Kings-Bench and their remained till death : being very useful for instruction of all those that desire to walke in the paths of Jesus Christ.

The fourth day of the week: (Book 4)

I Cannot but admire the wisdom of the only true God, who having put enmyty into the world, so as of necessity offences are taken against

his holy people, to condemn them according to their worldly wisdom, and carnall authority, hath also given a Law in Christ, according to which he will just••fie his Children against the condemnati∣on of me••, as Rom. 8.33. As if our heavenly Fa∣ther should say, I have given you my Law, and I have given you my Christ to become flesh, that he might be a perfect guide and redeemer of you, from the bondage of mortality in this evill world, so as the subject may know his duty to his Magistrate: the sonne to the Father, the servant to his Master: it every one do thus walk accor∣ding to my word, in their severall estates and de∣grees, and yet your superiours do take offence as you, for not obeying them rather then me, I will justifie you in what you do in Conscience of my law; fear not their condemnation, but learn o∣bedience in the flesh, as Christ Jesus my only Sonne hath shewed you, and looke unto the throan of my judgement sent which I have ap∣pointed, and know my righteousnesse in the love of Christ, and come unto me from mortality and bondage; for by constancy to death, you and eve∣ry one of you, shall evercome and be more then Conquerours, and you shall condemn then for sin, that have condemned you for sinners, in ha∣tred of my word, and of my Christ, which I have given to be a light unto the world, whom with you they have killed.

2. In the estate of enmity between God and

man, that repentance which men teach is apostasie from God; for when a man yeeldeth obedience to the word as the Servant of God: If the au∣thority of man do compell him to repent of this his obedience, in any matter wherein the word of God requireth obedience, and this man doth re∣pent under the fear of man, and blaspheame the service of God as wicked, and magnifie the service of man, as holy and righteous: it is manifest from antiquity, that this repentance is the worldly wickeknesse against God; for whosoever in oath with them saith, destroy the wicked, saith in effect to destroy all Christians that live godly in Christ, and all the servants of God both great and small, because these only are the wicked in the evill worlds account, and these that are righteous, are their spirituall enemies: so as whosoever seeth not this enmity to avoid it, as not to have Com∣munion of enmity with the world against Christ, is yet guilty of the curse with the seede of the Serpent.