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. 7 That sloth and lazinesse is a great impedi∣ment to a god∣ly life.

The third corrupt affection, is sloth and lazinesse, which maketh men loth to take paines in performing the duties of Gods seruice, as watchful∣nesse, Prayer, hearing the Word, Meditation, and the rest. For many ha∣uing proceeded thus farre, as to approoue these things in their iudge∣ments, and haue some desires and faint resolutions to put them in practice, yet when they finde that they cannot be done without some paines, being of an idle and sluggish disposition, they are presently discouraged, and hauing found the treasure which is sufficient to make them rich, chuse ra∣ther to remaine in their spirituall beggery, then they will spend any sweat in digging for it. Needs then must this be a great impediment to the du∣ties of a godly life, when as men are so luskish and lazie, that they flie that labour which is required vnto them. Needs must such sluggards liue in pouerty, seeing it is onely the hand of the diligent that maketh rich. And farre off are they from atchieuing any excellent worke, who sit idly still, pretending excuses of danger and difficulty, and that there is a Lyon with∣out, ready to slay them, if they goe out into the street; which impediment if wee would remooue, let vs consider, that howsoeuer such men please themselues with idle desires, yet they wil nothing profit them, vnlesse they shake off their sluggishnesse, and vse all diligence in their spirituall busi∣nesse. So Salomon saith, that the soule of the sluggard desireth, and hath no∣thing; but the soule of the diligent shall be made fat. Yea, such desires, if wee rest in them, doe hurt, rather then helpe vs, according to that of Salomon; The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour. Secondly, let vs consider, that by this sloth we doe not only not get any spiritual riches, but also that wee consume that we already seeme to haue. For as our Sa∣uiour speaketh in another case, He that gathereth not, scattereth abroad; in which respect, Salomon maketh that man which is slothfull in his worke, 〈…〉〈…〉er to him that is a great waster. Thirdly, let vs consider, that the Lord hath appoin〈…〉〈…〉 this world to be a place of paines & labour, and reserueth

his Sabbath of rest for the world to come, after wee haue finished our worke. Heere we must worke in his Vineyard, and the night of death must come, before wee shall bee called to receiue our wages. Heere wee must keepe our markes, and there inioy the riches which wee haue gotten by our spirituall trading. Heere wee must fight the Lords battels, being couered with sweat and blood, and there wee shall obtaine the Crowne of victory. Finally, heere wee must trauaile like poore Pilgrims, and then take our ease when we haue finished our iourney, and are come safe to our heauenly home. Fourthly, let vs call to minde the labours of the Saints which haue gone in this way before vs, and especially of our Saui∣our Christ himselfe, who trauailed for our sakes, not onely vnto weari∣nesse and sweat, but euen vnto blood, and not foolishly imagine that wee may take our ease, and yet come timely and safely to the end of our hopes; seeing our Sauiour hath told vs, that the Kingdome of heauen suffereth vio∣lence, and the violent take it by force, and that wee must striue to enter into the straight gate with all earnestnesse and constancie, because many shall seeke to en∣ter, and shall not bee able. Lastly, let vs consider the punishments denoun∣ced against those who idly sit still, and refuse to trauell in the wayes of godlinesse. For it casteth them into a deepe sleepe, whereby all the ope∣rations of Gods graces are hindred, yea, it emptieth the sluggard of them all, like him, who wanting meate, is famished with hunger: Ac∣cording to that of Salomon; Sloathfulnesse casteth into a deepe sleepe, and the idle soule shall suffer hunger. And as it depriueth him of all grace in this life, so also of glory and happinesse in the life to come; for hee onely must haue the wages, who hath laboured in Christs Vineyard. And contrariwise, plungeth him into euerlasting death and destructi∣on. For the sloathfull and vnprofitable seruant must bee cast into outer darkenesse, where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth. And therefore, if nothing else will mooue vs, yet at least, let vs take some paines in Gods seruice, which being small and momentany, shall bee euerlast∣ingly rewarded, that wee may escape the endlesse paines of hell. For if wee cannot for a little while indure the kindly heate of the Sunne, how shall wee bee able to suffer the skorching and tormenting flames of hell fire? If wee are impatient of a little sweate and labour in the duties of Christianity, and of our callings, let vs thinke with our selues how much more intolerable the endlesse torments of the damned will bee vnto vs.

Notes

• Pro. 22. 13.
• Pro. 13. 4.
• Pro. 21. 25.
• Mat. 12. 30.
• Pro. 18. 9.
• Mat. 11. 21.
• Luk. 13. 24.
• Pro. 19. 15.
• Mat. 25. 26, 30.