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.

§. Sect. 1 That Satan bendeth all his forces against vs, to hinder vs in the duties of a godly life.

HAuing spoken of the duties of a godly life, and of the meanes whereby we may be inabled to performe them; it now followeth, according to the order which we haue propounded in the beginning of this Treatise, that we in the last place set downe the impediments, which vsual∣ly hinder vs from entring into this Christian course, and from proceeding, when we haue re∣solued to begin and go forward in it. For as there is nothing excellent & of great moment, wherein we meete not with some mighty opposi∣tion and notable hinderances, which, if we be not well armed and pre∣pared, will discourage vs from attempting it, or disable vs in atchie∣uing it: so nothing in the world findeth more lets and discourage∣ments, then our entrance into the course of Christianity, and our pro∣gresse in the wayes of godlinesse. For whereas all the promises of this life, and the life to come, doe infallibly belong vnto all those who serue the Lord in the duties of holinesse and righteousnesse (from whence there ariseth an impossibility that they should miscarry, who conscionably performe them, or not attaine vnto euerlasting happinesse, who walke constantly in the way that leadeth vnto it) hereof it is, that the enemies of our saluation bend all their might and malice, to keepe vs from entring into this way, or to diuert vs out of it, if wee haue already begun to runne this race. These enemies are the deuill (who is the chiefe and principall) the world and the flesh, which are his two chiefe captaines that vnder their conduct lead all his forces. How mighty and dangerous these enemies are, I haue

shewed at large in another place; onely let it here suffice to know, that the great red Dragon, as he is ready to spit out his venome against vs at all times and vpon all occasions, that he may shew his malice and spite against God by seeking our destruction, who were created accor∣ding to his Image; so he disgorgeth against vs whole flouds of hellish poison, when we set our selues to serue God in the duties of a godly life, that hee may, by making our wayes slippery, cause vs to fall. And though he suffer vs quietly to goe on in our owne wayes which leade to perdition, without stoppe or checke, yea laboureth all he can to make them easie and pleasant to our corrupt flesh; yet when wee set our face towards the heauenly Canaan, hee pursueth vs with all malice and fury, encountreth vs with an huge host of hellish tentati∣ons, and stoppeth our course with innumerable impediments and dis∣couragements, which he casteth in our way, that wee may returne a∣gaine into the Egyptian slauery, and glut our selues with sensuall and sinfull pleasures. Yea, no sooner doe wee conceiue a good thought or godly motion, but hee watcheth vs that he may take al opportunities of killing it in the wombe, and to make it an abor∣tiue birth, or of strangling it as soone as it is borne and seeth the light, that so he may disharten vs by many discouragements, from procee∣ding in well doing. Let vs know, that as hee is a malicious Dra∣gon, so a strong and mighty Lyon, who still standeth in our way, armed with sufficient power to destroy and deuoure vs, if wee were left to his furie. That hee is a crafty old Serpent, excelling in naturall subtilty, and through long and great experience, able by a thousand cunning deuices to supplant and stop vs in the wayes of godlinesse, being well able through his deepe policy, to vse and imploy all his forces for his best aduantage. Finally, that hee is most vigilant and neuer sleepeth, most diligent and neuer resteth, but night and day goeth about seeking to deuoure vs, by en∣ticing vs to come within the reach of his cruell pawes, whilst wee wander and goe astray out of the wayes of Godlinesse, and so are out of the protection of our great and gracious Shep∣heard.

Notes

• Christian War∣fare.
• Apoc. 12. 4.
• 1. Pet. 5. 8.