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 Of desperati∣on, and that it is a great im∣pediment to godlinesse.

Finally, these scrupulous feares, and carnall sorrow, if they bee not re∣moued or moderated, will bring vs by degrees, into that fearfull gulph of deepe despaire, whereby we shall cast off all hope of Gods mercy, and re∣iect the all-sufficient merits and satisfaction of Iesus Christ, through our incredulity, as though the multitude and hainousnesse of our sinnes, did farre exceed them. And this is the very cut-throat of all piety, and the di∣uels strongest and most horrid chaine, to inslaue men in his seruice, and to hinder them from entertaining so much as a thought or desire of ser∣uing God in the duties of a godly life. For it wholly discourageth a man from proceeding in such a way, as offreth no hope of bringing him to his iourneys end. It maketh a seruant wholly to neglect his duty, when as hee is quite cut off from all expectation of reward. It causeth men to giue themselues to all sensuality, voluptuousnesse, and prophanesse, when they haue no other hopes, but what this present life offereth vnto them; and the rather, that they may hereby put off, for a little while, their terrours of conscience, and griefes of minde; as it were by drinking of cold wa∣ter in the fit of a feauer. And wanting faith, by which wee are vnited vnto Christ, in whom a lone we can bring forth fruits of holinesse and righte∣ousnesse, how can we otherwise chuse but be vtterly barren in all true obe∣dience, and like wild Oliue trees, bring forth onely fruits of impiety and wickednesse? Which impediment if we would remoue, we must remem∣ber, that the Lord is infinite in grace and mercy, as he describeth himselfe * 1.1 in his Word, so that though our sinnes be many and grieuous, yet they are infinitely exceeded by them, for his mercies are aboue all his workes. * 1.2 That he taketh delight in shewing mercy toward repentant sinners, see∣ing hereby he exerciseth his nature, and magnifieth his holy name in the manifestation of his grace and goodnesse. That he loued vs when we were his enemies; yea so loued vs, that he sent his onely begotten and dearely * 1.3 beloued Sonne to dye for vs, and therefore will not now reiect vs, when as through Christ we sue and seeke to be reconciled vnto him. That he hath made his free couenant of grace with vs, wherein hee hath promised the remission of all our sinnes, vpon the alone condition of faith, bringing forth the fruits thereof in vnfained repentance, and that his promises are indefinite, without exception of any sinners, and therefore shall assuredly belong vnto vs, if we doe not reiect them through vnbeliefe. That the me∣rits

and satisfaction of Christ are of infinite value, and an all-sufficient sa∣tisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world, if they were applyed by faith; and that he hath giuen vnto vs his couenant in writing, and ratified it by his Sacraments, which he hath annexed as seales to the great Charter of our peace, that there might no place be left to doubting. Finally, that our Sauiour Christ continually maketh intercession for vs, pleading the all-sufficiency of his merits and satisfaction for our iustification and sal∣uation. So that though we sinne, yet this is our comfort, that we haue an Ad∣uocate * 1.4 with the Father to pleade our cause, euen Iesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sinnes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Exod. 34. 7.
• * 1.2

  Micah 7. 18.
• * 1.3

  Ioh. 3. 16.
• * 1.4

  1. Ioh. 2. 1, 2.