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 the rege∣nerate haue a new nature, vnto which a godly life is easie and pleasant.

ANd thus it appeareth, that the godly life is easie and plea∣sant in it selfe and it owne nature. Now if wee can further prooue, that it is also vnto vs nothing hard or impossible, tedious or troublesome, but contrariwise easie and familiar, then the obiection of difficulties being sufficiently answered and remoued, need not to be any impediment to hinder vs from entring into the wayes of godlinesse. To which purpose we are first to know, that howsoeuer the leading of a godly life be as hard and difficult, as grieuous and euen vnpossible for a naturall man, as for Lead to swimme, or for the earth to leaue its center, and to mount vp vnto the skies; yet vnto those who are regenerate, it is not so, seeing their corrupt nature is changed and sanctified, and they haue a new nature wrought in them, vnto which a godly life is easie and familiar, by reason of that similitude which is be∣tweene them. And thus the Lord, when hee would haue his people to serue him in the duties of holinesse and righteousnesse, doth promise to worke this change in them: And the Lord thy God will circumcize thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and all thy soule, &c. For this commandement which I command thee, is not hid∣den from thee, neither is it farre off, &c. But the Word is very nigh vnto thee, in thy mouth, and in thine heart, that thou maist doe it. And againe, I will giue them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and I will giue them an heart of flesh, that they may walke in my statutes, and keepe my ordinances and doe them. So in the new couenant of grace the Lord promiseth, that he would write his Law, not in Tables of stone, but in the fleshie tables of their hearts, and put it into their inward parts; thereby inabling them to yeeld vnto it cheerfull obedience, seeing they haue an internall cause of this spirituall motion in themselues, euen an heart sanctified and replenished with the loue and feare of God, which maketh them to desire aboue all things to serue and please him. In respect of which change (so farre forth as they are changed and regenerate) it is no more tedious and wearisome vnto them to performe the duties of a godly life, then for the liuing fountaine to spring, or the riuer to flow, or for grosse vapours and slimie exhalations to mount aloft into the middle and highest region of the aire, when as they are rarified by the Sunne, and haue their nature changed from an earthly grosnesse, to an ayery or fiery subtilty and lightnesse; although the reliques of sinne and corruption of nature remaining still in the vnregenerate part, doe hang vpon vs, and pull vs backe, hindring vs in our spirituall motion (like an exhalation in∣closed with the vapours of the middle region, so as it cannot mount vp vnto his owne proper place) whereof arise some tedious conflicts and sharpe incounters, which make the duties of a godly life to seeme vnto vs by fits more difficult and wearisome. Yea, if wee rest vpon our owne strength and abilities, the infirmities and corruptions which we shall dis∣couer,

will be notable discouragements to hinder vs in the wayes of god∣linesse, and like children which presume to goe alone, when they haue onely strength to walke as they are led in their fathers hand, we shall, by receiuing many falls and knocks, be so daunted and dismayed, that we shall be afraid to set a foot forward in the duties of Christianity, as farre exceeding our abilities of performance. Whereas, if seeing our frailties and infirmities, we take occasion thereby to deny our selues and our owne strength, and wholly distrust the weake reede of our owne free wills, as being vtterly insufficient to stay and vphold vs in our Christian course: And contrariwise, altogether rely vpon Gods power and promises, and acknowledge that his grace is sufficient, when we most see and bewayle our owne weakenesse and impotencie; wee shall heereby receiue no dis∣couragement, but goe on cheerefully in all holy duties of his seruice. For when wee are most blinde and ignorant, this grace of God will bee all-sufficient to inlighten vs; when wee are most weake and feeble, it will confirme and strengthen vs; when wee most distaste the duties of Christianity, as being bitter and vnpleasant to our corrupted nature, it will, by changing and renuing it, make them to become easie and plea∣sant, and (as wee see in the example of Dauid) sweeter vnto our mouthes then the hony and the honey combe. When wee feele the flesh rebelling and lusting against the Spirit, it will mortifie and subdue it; And when our tumultuous passions and inordinate affections doe rage in vs, striuing to carry vs with headlong fury, from the seruice of God, to the seruice of Satan, the world, and our owne vnruly lusts, it will powerfully purge away their corruption, rectifie their disorder, and make them become seruiceable to the spirituall part; like wild beasts, which being in their owne nature fierce and cruell, and ready to deuoure or teare vs in pieces, when they are mastred and tamed, become helpefull and commodious for diuers vses. And thus the grace of God sanctifieth our loue, and weaning it from worldly vanities, fixeth it vpon spirituall and heauenly things. Thus it changeth our choller into zeale; our ha∣tred of good things into the hatred of that which is euill; our world∣ly sorrow, into repentant griefe for sinne; our carnall ioy into spi∣rituall reioycing in the assurance of Gods fauour; and our desperate boldnesse and audaciousnesse, into Christian courage, and magnanimous resolution, which will inable vs valiantly to oppose and ouercome all difficulties, which would discourage and hinder vs in the profession and practice of true godlinesse. So that the difficultie of Christian du∣ties, compared with our owne frailties and infirmities, will not dis∣courage vs, if wee doe not seuer the Law from the Gospel, looking onely vpon that obedience which it requireth, and not vnto that grace of God which the Gospell promiseth, and which he purposely bestoweth vpon vs, that thereby we may be enabled to performe that which he com∣mandeth. But rather the sight and sense of our owne weakenesse, will but make vs cling the faster to the firme pillar of our strength, and to flee vn∣to him in our earnest & effectuall prayers, desiring him to command what he will, if withall hee will giue vnto vs grace and strength to performe those duties which he commandeth.

Notes

• Deut. 30. 6, 11, 14.
• Ezek. 11. 19, 20 and 36. 26, 27.
• Jer. 31. 33.
• 2. Cor. 12. 9.
• Psal. 19. 9, 10.