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 sixth day of the week. (Book 6)

THere are communicants of the body of Christ in shewing his death, by suffering death till he come. And there are communicants of Devils, or serpents, in shewing their pride, by killing the righteous blood, as 1 Cor. 10.16. to 21. & ••••. 26.—with Math. 23.33.—35.

All that continue perfect and single hearted in the word of Christ, have his word and presence to keepe them from the evill of the world, un∣till they have finished their testimony, and have shewed his death, Ioh. 17.14, 15, &c. with Re∣vel. 11.7.

But if any communicate outwardly in profes∣sion of Christ crucified, and discerne not his bo∣dy killed in the enmity of the world, so as to shew themselves a member thereof, by manife∣sting Christs death in their death, and their death to be for Christs cause, 2 Cor. 4.9.10.11. These comming short of communicating in the spirit of Christ, in not discerning the presence of his bo∣dy, both to suffer in the flesh, and to sustaine in the spirit, may fall into sicknesse, weakenesses, yea, and into death among those which dye of the plague, after the condemnation of the world: but

if in this plague of the world wee discerne our own weakenesses, our ignorance of his invisible presence, to save, or to kill, and our readinesse to goe backe from shewing his death by divers worldly or carnall temptations, moving us to save our sonles, from following Christ that dyed by suffering for us, for which causes we may bee left to the evill of the world, and doe now con∣fesse our sinne against Christ, and our readinesse to deny the faith of Jesus, and doe take our sick∣nesse, weaknesse, or danger of infection with the sinne of the world, as a chastisement for our pro∣fit, as 1 Cor. 11.29 30.31.32. and learning o∣bedience under the present hand of our Lord, re∣solving to renew our Covenants in his commu∣nion, and doe thus with simple hearts pray to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the spi∣rit of holynesse in his resurrection, all things will worke that we may live to glorifie God our Cre∣ator, in the love of his Word, and may be pre∣served to obtaine that crowne of life, which is in the Martyrdome of Jesus.