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. 3 Of the meanes to remoue the former impe∣diment.

Now if we would auoyd these impediments, let vs know and consider first, that this is a shamefull and horrible abuse of Gods mercy and good∣nesse, which hee will neuer let goe vnpunished, to take occasion thereby, the more to offend and diplease him by wilfull continuing in sinne, and neglecting the duties of his seruice. To prouoke God to wrath, because he is patient and long-suffering, and to sinne against him, because hee is good and gracious, and ready to forgiue. And finally, to neglect all du∣ties of his seruice, because he is such a bountifull Master, that he giueth of his free grace and mercy, rich wages and rewards, without all merit and desert. For these should rather be arguments to inflame our loue towards him, and to make vs so much the more zealous of his glory, and fearefull to offend so gracious a God; according to that of the Psalmist; There is mercy or forgiuenesse with thee, that thou mayest bee feared. Or if through frailty and infirmity, we haue, contrary to our purpose and resolution, been ouertaken of any sinne; this patience and loue of God should be a strong motiue, to make vs to rise out of it by vnfained repentance; according to that of the Apostle, Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repen∣tance? Secondly, let vs consider, that as the Lord is infinite in mercy and compassion, so hee is no lesse infinite in iustice and truth; that as he is mer∣cifull and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodnesse and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiuing iniquity, to ansgression, and sinne: so also hee is iust in all his wayes, and holy in all his workes, and will by no meanes cleare the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children, vnto the third and fourth generation: that as he is a mercifull Sauiour, so also a iust God, and a righteous Lord, who loueth righteousnesse, and will not let sinne goe vnpuni∣shed, but will iudge euery man according to his works; and that he is a terrible Iudge, especially to those who abuse his mercy and long-suffering. And therefore let vs not disioyne these things which cannot be seuered, nor imagine such a mercy in God, as will not stand with his Iustice, which were to mayme the Diuine nature, and to pull (as it were) one of his hands from him; which outragious violence offered vnto his ho∣ly Maiesty, hee will neuer suffer to goe vnpunished. Let vs, with Da∣uid, so acknowledge that hee is good, as that wee doe not deny that hee is also vpright, and in our songs so sing of his mercy, as that wee doe not disioyne his Iudgement from it. Let vs remember, that in God and in all his workes, mercy and truth doe meete together, righteous∣nesse and peace doe kisse each other. Let vs not say, His mercy is great, he will

be pacified for the multitude of my sinnes: for mercy and wrath come from him, and his indignation resteth vpon sinners. Neither let vs, presuming on Gods mercy and patience, make any tarrying to turne vnto the Lord, nor put it off from day to day; for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come foorth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed, and perish in the day of vengeance. Thus the Apostle telleth vs, that if we despise the riches of Gods goodnesse and forbea∣rance, which should leade vs to repentance, we shall after our hardnesse and im∣penitent heart, treasure vp vnto our selues wrath, against the day of wrath, and reuelation of the righteous iudgement of God, who will render vnto euery man according to his deeds. And the Lord threatneth, that if any man hearing the words of his curse against sinners, doe blesse himselfe in his heart, saying, I shall haue peace, though I walke in the imagination of my heart, to adde drunkennesse to thirst; that he will not spare him, but that his anger and iealousie shall smoake against that man, and all the curses that are written in the booke of the Law, shall lie vpon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heauen. Let vs remember what the Apostle teacheth vs, namely, that no outragious sin∣ners, continuing in their wickednesse without repentance, shall inherit the Kingdome of Christ and of God, and therefore exhorteth, that wee suffer no man to deceiue vs with vaine words; seeing, because of these things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience. Finally, let vs consider, that though Gods mercies be in themselues infinite, and aboue all his workes, and all his gracious promises which are in Christ, yea, and Amen; yet they are limited by his infallible truth, and appropriated vnto repentant sin∣ners, and therefore cannot extend to the presumptuous, who take occa∣sion from his mercies to continue impenitently in their sinnes, but he will glorifie his iustice in punishing them, as hee glorifieth his mercy, in par∣doning the sinnes of all those who turne vnto him by vnfained repentance. And therefore let vs acknowledge with the Psalmist, that the Lord is good and gracious, yet not to all, but onely to Israel, euen to such as are of a cleane heart; and that as the eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous, and his eares open to heare their cry: so the face of the Lord is against them that do euill, to cut off the remembrance of them from of the earth. Let vs not presume vpon Gods mercy whilst we continue impenitently in our sins, but let vs stand in awe of Gods Iustice and Iudgements, and sin not, and offer first the sacrifice of righteous∣nesse, and then put our trust in the Lord. Those likewise, who presuming vp∣on the all-sufficiencie of Christs death, merits, and satisfaction, doe take occasion thereby to continue in their sinnes without repentance, and to neglect the duties of a godly life, may easily remooue this dangerous im∣pediment out of their way, if they will but seriously consider, that this is a most fearefull abuse of his inestimable loue, who hath done so much for vs, when as we vse his helpe to vphold vs in our sinnes, and his death and merits, as a pillow whereon we may sleepe more securely in our wicked∣nesse. Whereas he came not to ratifie and confirme, but to dissolue and a∣bolish the workes of the deuill: And gaue himselfe for vs, not onely to free vs from all sinne, in respect of the guilt and punishment, but also to purge vs from all iniquity, and that being his peculiar people, we should bee zealous of good workes. He hath redeemed vs out of the hands of all our spirituall ene∣mies, that wee may serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the

dayes of our liues. He hath bought vs with a price, that we should glorifie God in our bodies and in our spirits, because they are his. He hath giuen himselfe for vs, not onely that hee might iustifie vs in the remission of our sinnes, but also sanctifie and clense vs with the washing of the water by the Word; that he might present vs vnto himselfe, as a glorious Spouse and Church, not hauing spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that we should be holy and without blame. Finally, he hath redeemed vs, not onely from the guilt of sinne, but also from our vaine conuersation, by shedding his most precious Blood, as the Apostle Peter speaketh. And therefore if wee doe not finde and feele the vertue of Christs death and merits, as effectuall for our sanctification as for our iustification, and to free vs from the corruption of sinne, as well as from the guilt and punishment, wee haue little cause to presume of their efficacy for our saluation, seeing these are alwayes inseparably linked and conioyned. Lastly, let vs consider, that as our Sauiour Christ came to saue sinners, so withall to call them to repentance. And that the Redeemer came only to Sion, and to them who turne from transgression in Iacob: and there∣fore let vs not foolishly presume, that we shall be his redeemed, if wee continue in our sinnes without repentance. Let vs not post off God to another time, when he offereth vnto vs mercy and forgiuenesse: But let vs seeke the Lord, while hee may bee found, and call vpon him while hee is neere. Let the wicked forsake his wayes, and the vnrighteous man his thoughts, and let him returne vnto the Lord, and then hee will haue mercy vpon him, and abundantly pardon, as hee hath promised. Let vs not presume on Gods mercy, whilest we continue in our sinnes; yea, rather after that wee haue vnfainedly repented of our sinnes, let vs feare alwayes, considering our owne frailty and infirmity, which maketh vs apt to relapse into them, and so to prouoke Gods wrath against vs. Let vs worke out our saluation with feare and trembling, and whilest we presume of standing, take heed of falling. And if we call God, Father, who without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans workes, let vs passe the time of our soiourning heere in feare, as the Apostle Peter exhorteth vs.

Notes

• Psal. 130. 4.
• Exod. 34. 6, 7.
• Psal. 145. 17.
• Esa. 45. 21. Psal. 11. 7.
• 2. Cor. 5. 10.
• Psal 25. 8. Psal. ••01. 1.
• Psal 8••. 10.
• Ecclus. 5. 6, 7.
• Rom. 2. 4, 5, 6:
• Deut. 29. 19, 20.
• Eph. 5. 5, 6.
• Psal. 73. ••.
• Psal. 34. 15, 16.
• Psal. 4. 4, 5.
• 1. Ioh. 3. 8.
• Tit. 2. 14.
• Luk. 1. 74, 75.
• 1. Cor. 6. 20.
• Eph. 5. 25, 26.
• 1. Pet. 1. 18.
• Mat. 9. 13.
• Esa. 59. 20.
• Esa. 55. 6, 7.
• Pro. 28. 14.
• Phil. 2. 13. 1. Cor. 10. 12.
• 1. Pet. 1. 17.