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 1. day of the week. (Book 1)

1. BEing grieved and carefull, least by speaking of mysteries to sinfull and ignorant people, the truth of our Lord God should be prophaned, & the way of truth evill spoken of. Therefore I have desired wisdom, to give to every one according to their estate, and this is proposed unto me according to the word, namely, to keepe those 3. degrees.

1. If any seeke the living Lord, this the word saith, go sin no more, Iohn 8.11. for every trans∣gression of a negative Law, is a sin against God, and

dishonor to our Creator. Lev. 4.2. Therefore all that seek peace with God, must remove the evil of their thoughts, and workes from before his Majesty, and they must cease to do evill, Esa. 1.16. and thus they are to repent, confesse, and forsake all former sins either against the word of God, or their neighbours, Mat. 19.17, 18, 19. For turne over to 1.2. Then if they have peace with God, and are made righteous from doing evill in the world; they are to seeke the Ministery of reconciliation, that they may be re∣conciled unto God, in the Body and Communion of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in this they are to talke upon them the decree, Act. 15. to keepe in the love of the body of Christ, wherein they shall learne to know, what is the good and ac∣ceptable, and perfect will of God: that they may do it as they see the servants that are joyned to his body, to do, and in this estate they are to walke in the light of those which are perfect members in the body of the sufferings for Christ Jesus. Iohn 3.19, 21. with Heb. 13.7, 8.

3. Now if any are able to hold the word of the new Testament, in the enmity against the world, then they present their Members as weapons of righteousnesse unto holinesse. Rom. 6.19. wherein they are to do the will of God in their own persons and to walk worthy of the mysteries of holinesse which they take unto themselves, in the Law of se∣peration. 2 Cor. 6.16.17.

2. In the Law of the love of the Creator. Isa. 56. 6. Heb. 4.3, 4.

3. In the Coeincorporation by Baptisme into the body and death of Christ. Rom. 6.3. &c. Col. 2. 6—11, 13. These degrees are of necessity to be of speed, that none may presume to come into the service of the only true God without an evident calling, and preparation for so holy a work.

2. I conceive the wedding garment, to be the true and perfect love of God in Christ. thus, There are 3 undevidable gifts, whereof if one faile all the other cease from Christ. viz. 1 Faith. 2. Hope and 3 Love. 1 Cor. 13.13.

1. Faith is the substance of all the invisible pro∣mises which we hope for, whereby we beleeve that we shall enjoy them as certainly as if we did now enjoy them in sight, sence, and feeling, Heb. 11. 1.2. hope is the meanes whereby we are saved, and preserved; notwithstanding all morral temptations, to wayte in patience; for what our faith apprehends but cannot see it, with mortall eye, Rom. 8.24.25. 35.1 Pet. 1.5.1 Cor. 2.9.10.

3. Love extends it selfe beyond all; for as the ex∣ercise and manifestation of it, is in the keeping of the Commandements which concerne both our Lord God, and our neighbours, Marke 12.29.30. 31. so this love is stronger then all, yea then death, and it only is worthy of the wedding feast; for here∣by all pleasures, friends, wife, yea, and life is hated in respect of this calling, to the wedding supper

and Communion of Christ in immortality; where∣as all that love other things more then this Com∣munion do justly perish in their false and mortall love, and those which presume to come with a heart, and a heart, that is without this perfect love in the marriage of the sonne of the blessed, are all justly cast out for profaining the pure and immortall love with an unclean and mortall lust Mat, 22, 2, &c. with Luke 16. &c. to 26. Eph. 5.23, ••o 32.2. Cor. 3.5.4.

1. All that live in common or open sins doe live without God in the world and these are unwor∣thy of the love of the righteous; for they will be a reproach unto such men: wherefore it is of ne∣cessity, that first all sinners do so know God, as not to sin against his presence, and word, and to have a good report for their conversation in the world before, they can be reconciled to God: so as to be joyned in common love with the righte∣ous in Christ.

3. I understand from Iohn 3.8. That there is a twofold wind or spirit.

1. The one is called the common wind, spirit, or ayre; whereby all flesh do breath, and live the naturall and mortall life, as Wisd. 7.1. with Gen. 7.21.22, 23. The unclean or common spirit hath the authority of this ayre, and he worketh in all that have their conversation in the lusts of the flesh, &c. Eph. 2.2.3.

2. The other is called the holy wind of spirit

whereby such as are begotten from above by the spirit do breath and live the spirituall and immor∣tall life, Iohn 3.3.5.8 1 Pet. 1.3.23.1 Cor. 2.15.12.16.

This holy wind is the spirit of truth which the Lord Jesus giveth to all that he calleth and chuseth out of the world, which worketh in all Children that walke after that holy wind, minding the things that are above in Heaven, after the life of immortality, Iohn 14.17.26. Rom. 8.1.14. Col. 3.1, 2.

4. All the world is darke, and is laid in wick∣ednesse, and for this their sins are condemned and dead in the Law before Christ Jesus came, when he came in the flesh, he was the light of the world, and all that by the discovery of that light, hated their evil workes, did come unto the light, and love to walke in it, doing the truth, that their workes may be manifested to be done in God; but on the other side, there were and are another seed that have enmity against the light, and the Children of light, and these will not come unto the light, but hate the light, because they love their own evill workes of darknesse: this light then is the confir∣mation of their former condemnation without a∣ny remedy, Iohn 1.5.9, with 3.11, to 21. with 8.12, 24.

5. The work of God for salvation is proposed by the house of God, 1 Tim. 3 15.

All that sin against the Law of the house are e∣nemies

to God, Ezeck. 43.7 to 11.12. All that are reconciled in their mindes, and will no more sin a∣gainst God by transgressing the Law of his house, do first desire and make peace with any of the servants of God that keepe the house: After this admittance, they have freedom to converse with the houshold servants, and to learne the orders of the house, and may see the service and God, and behold their faith and godly conversation in love, but yet as strangers they are, not imployed in any service of God to do as his servants, neither may they dare to presume or be admitted thereun∣to.

If any do desire to draw near unto the Majesty of the Lord of the house as servant, he must be admitted according to the Law of the house in that kind, and from that time he must do all the will of God, as the other servants do.

6. The men of this worldly authority, when they have Christ, or any of his Christians under their hands in torments, do boast against them to save themselves, thinking that none can save our of their hands; but this is the gate of God, where∣by the righteous do go unto God in Heavenly peace, Mar. 50.30, 31. Psal. 118.17.20.