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. 5 Satans tenta∣tions, whereby he seeketh to hinder vs from entring into the wayes of godlinesse, or from procee∣ding in them.

In respect of the godly life it selfe, Satan raiseth against vs many lets and impediments, either to hinder vs from entring into the course of Christianity, or to make vs performe the duties required in it superficial∣ly and vnprofitably. In respect of the former, he vseth many deuices, to stop our entrance into the wayes of godlinesse. And first, he laboureth to keepe our eyes blinded with ignorance, that wee may not see the wayes of godlinesse wherein we should walke; or if they be discouered by the light of the Gospel shining vnto vs, hee will indeuour to keepe vs from seeing the profit and necessity of walking in them. The former whereof we may auoyd, by remembring and considering, that sauing knowledge is one of the chiefe grounds of a godly life, without which, it is no more possible that we should performe the duties of Christianity, then to walke in difficult wayes, hauing no eyes to guide vs, nor light to direct vs in them. And therefore we must not content our selues with our good mea∣ning and ignorant deuotion, which can bring foorth no better fruits, then blind superstition and will-worship, which are odious vnto God, but vse all good meanes, whereby our minds may be inlightened with the sauing knowledge of Gods truth, and carefully inquire after the good and old wayes (as the Prophet speaketh) that wee may walke therein, and finde rest to our soules. And for the auoyding of the other, wee must know and re∣member, that nothing in the world is so profitable and necessary, as to walk in the wayes of godlinesse, after that by the light of truth they are discouered vnto vs, seeing this alone, though all worldly things bee wan∣ting, will make vs happy and blessed in this life and the life to come; whereas if we haue all other things, and want this, wee shall be wretched and miserable. Secondly, Satan laboureth to hinder vs from entring into the wayes of Christianity, by alluring vs to continue in our sinful courses, with the baites of worldly vanities; and by causing vs to content our selues with the present possession of these earthly trifles, hee maketh vs to neglect our heauenly hopes, which are infinitely more excellent and per∣manent. For the escaping of which snare, wee must labour to contemne these inticing baites, by considering that these worldly things are, in re∣spect of spirituall grace and heauenly glory, vaine and vnprofitable, vncer∣taine, mutable and momentany, as elsewhere I haue plainely shewed. Thirdly, he hindreth vs frō all duties of godlinesse, by the deceitfulnesse of sin, which he secretly windeth into our hearts by degrees, till by many acts of wickednesse, he hath brought vs vnto a custome, which is like another nature, and hath in it the commanding force of an vnresistable Law. Which hindrance if we would auoyd, we must watch ouer our selues, that our hearts be not hardned, through the deceitfulnesse of sinne; to which pur∣pose,

we must shunne the first occasions, withstand the first motions of it, and plucke vp these cursed plants, before they be thorowly rooted, or if wee haue already loaded our consciences with these dead workes, our se∣cond care must bee to breake off our sinnes by vnfained repentance, offer∣ing heerein to our corrupt nature, an holy violence, and as the Apostle speaketh, We must lay aside euery waight, and the sinne that doth so easily beset vs, clinging (as it were) about our neckes, to hold vs backe, that wee may so runne with patience vnto the Race which is set before vs, making voyd, by degrees, the strong custome of sinne, by the acts of piety and righteous∣nesse, vntill wee haue confirmed in vs the contrary custome of godlinesse and new obedience. Finally, Satan laboureth to hinder vs from entring into the course of Christianity, by perswading vs to make delayes; and when he cannot any longer make vs beleeue that it is needlesse, or of small waight, but that seeing the profit and necessity of it, wee doe resolue to leaue our former sinfull liues, and to betake our selues vnto Gods seruice, he will perswade vs to deferre it for a time, as a thing vnpleasing to our corrupt nature, and vnprofitable to our worldly ends, vntill we may finde some fitter opportunity, and haue better settled our earthly businesse. The which impediment I shal haue fitter occasion to remoue in the following Discourse; Onely let vs here remember, that if we will be aduised by our Sauiours wise counsell, We must first seeke the Kingdome of God and his righ∣teousnesse, which being a matter of greatest waight, and (in comparison) onely necessary, we must not put it off till after-times, which are vncer∣taine, but secure our selues of it, whilest the day of saluation lasteth. And these are the common impediments which Satan casteth into our way, that he may stop vs from entring into the wayes of godlinesse; with which, if he cannot so farre preuaile, as to make vs neglect all holy duties altoge∣ther, hee will in the next place indeuour to make them vnprofitable for our saluation. To which purpose, amongst many other lets, he chiefly and most vsually vseth these two. The first is, to keepe vs from feeling in them any power of godlinesse, for the bettering of our spirituall estate, by cau∣sing vs to performe these duties in a cold and formall manner, more for custome then conscience sake. The other is, to make vs fickle and vncon∣stant in them, performing them by fits and flashes, when we haue least to doe, and haue some spare time from our worldly imployments. The for∣mer whereof wee may auoyd, by setting our selues about the duties of Christianity, as our mayne businesse, with all resolute diligence, and zea∣lous deuotion, knowing that it is impossible to trauaile in this way, so full of difficulties and dangers, without serious indeuour, or to performe du∣ties of so high a nature, and so contrary to naturall corruption, without diligent and painefull labour. The latter, by tying our selues vnto a settled course, in the performance of all Christian duties, knowing that hee who goeth sometime forward, and sometimes backeward, can neuer make any riddance of his iourney, nor come seasonably to the end of it. Both which waighty points I heere thus briefly passe ouer, because I haue already spo∣ken of them at large. And let this suffice to haue briefly mentioned those impediments, which Satan immediately by himselfe ordinarily vseth to hinder vs from entring into, or proceeding in the way of godlinesse; vnto

which, many more might be added, if I had not already handled the most of them in the first part of my Christian Warfare.

Notes

• Ier. 6. 16.
• Luk. 10. 42.
• Christ. Warf. 2. part.
• Heb. 3. 13.
• Heb. 12. 1.
• Math. 6. 33.