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 That the Christians chiefest ioy is Spirituall, and wherein it ex∣ceedeth all o∣ther ioyes.

So that no lawfull ioy, either spirituall, or temporall, inward or out∣ward, is wanting vnto the righteous who desire to please God. But yet their chiefe and principall ioy in which they exceede all others, is spi∣rituall, in the assurance of Gods loue and their owne saluation, and that both in respect of the excellency, perpetuity and propriety of it. For first, it excelleth all other ioyes, being of a spirituall and diuine nature, and (as it were) a short prelude to that heauenly and harmonious ioy, of which wee shall haue the full and euerlasting fruition in the life

to come. For so the Apostle teacheth vs, that the Kingdome of God (that is, the first beginnings of it in this world) consisteth not in meates and drinkes, but in righteousnesse, peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost; and they who haue here tasted these first beginnings of this heauenly ioy, shall haue the perfect fruition of that fulnesse of ioy, and of those eternall pleasures which are at Gods right hand for euermore. So that when righteous men reioyce, there is great glory, (as the Wise man speaketh) seeing their ioy farre exceedeth the ioy of them who reioyce in their corne and wine, as being not onely much more excellent both in respect of the nature and obiect, but also an earnest-penny of a greater bar∣gaine, the first beginnings and prime taste of those full riuers of di∣uine pleasures, whereof they shall drinke their fill in Gods Kingdome; and the first fruits of that heauenly and happie haruest of ioy, which is reserued for them in the life to come. And therefore no mar∣uaile, seeing this spirituall ioy is aboue all others most excellent, that Dauid (when hauing wounded his conscience with grieuous sinnes, hee was depriued of the sense and feeling of it for a time) did so earnestly desire to haue it againe restored: Restore vnto mee the ioy of thy saluation, and vphold mee with thy free Spirit: Seeing herein hee had much more contentment, sound comfort and delight, then in all the earthly pleasures, which a Kingdome could yeeld vn∣to him? For they all were but slight and childish, this, solid and substantiall; they, vaine and worthlesse, this, excellent and of incom∣parable value; they, short and fickle, momentany and mutable, this, durable and permanent. And this is the second reason to commend vnto vs this spirituall Ioy, in that it is not like worldly ioyes, onely by fits and flashes, but settled and constant in all estates and condi∣tions, as well in aduersity and affliction, as in prosperity and all earth∣ly aboundance. For if our hearts bee once replenished with this Ioy, no man shall bee able to take it from vs; and being of a spiri∣tuall and diuine nature, no earthly thing can quell or quench it. No prison can locke it from vs, no banishment can diuide and seuer vs, no losses and crosses, confiscations of goods, Rackes or Gibbets, fire or sword, can take it away and depriue vs of it. For in all extremities wee haue an inward Comforter, euen the Spi∣rit of God dwelling in vs, which filleth our hearts with ioy, and turneth our mourning into mirth and gladnesse, and as our afflicti∣ons doe abound, so also he causeth our consolations to abound much more. Wee liue the life of faith, and not of sense, which looketh not so much vpon things present, as vnto our future hopes and certaine∣ties, and hereby wee apply vnto vs Gods Word and gracious pro∣mises, which supplyeth comfort sufficient to support vs in all our sorrowes. For it assureth vs, that those are blessed which mourne now, because they shall bee comforted, and which weepe now, for they shall laugh. That all things, euen afflictions themselues shal worke together for the best, and our momentany and light suffrings shall cause vnto vs a farre most ex∣cellent and eternall waight of glory, that by these many tribulations wee shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen: and if we suffer with Christ, wee shall also

raigne with him. And this was that Word of God applyed by faith, which was Dauids comfort in his afflictions, without which hee should haue pe∣rished. This was it which made the Church of Macedonia in a great triall of affliction, and in their deepe pouerty, to haue withall abundance of ioy. This made the godly Hebrewes to take ioyfully the spoyling of their goods, know∣ing that they had in heauen a better and induring substance. Finally, by this the Apostle himselfe was filled with comfort, and exceeding ioyfull in all his tribulations. But contrariwise, the carnall ioy of worldlings in the plea∣sures of sinne, is fickle and false, mutable and momentany, like the short blaze and crackling of thornes vnder a pot, or laughter in a fit of phren∣sie, or of a man tickled, which laugheth in the face and countenance, when he is grieued at the heart; because in the middest of their mirth they haue many a cold qualme and checke of conscience, being not able to forget, that after all their youthfull reioycing, they must come vnto Iudgement. The which euen in laughter maketh the heart sorrowfull, because the end of their mirth is heauinesse; and when they glory in outward appearance, to haue no ioy at all in the heart. For who but fooles can reioyce in their full barnes, and abundant prouisions, that remembreth, This night his soule shall be taken from him? Who can haue any sound ioy and comfort in such plea∣sures and delights, which within a while shall end in endlesse woe and misery; according to that of our Sauiour, Woe vnto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourne and weepe?

Notes

• Rom. 14. 17.
• Psal. 16. 11. Pro. 28. 12.
• Psal. 4. 7.
• Psal. 36. 8. Psal. 51. 12.
• Rom. 5. 3. Iohn 16. 22.
• Iohn 16. 7. 2. Cor. 1. 5.
• Math. 5. 4. Luke ••. 21.
• Rom. 8 28. 2 Cor. 4. 17. Act. 14. 22. 2. Tim. 2. 12.
• Psal. 119. 50, 92
• 2 Cor. 8. 2.
• Heb. 10. 34.
• 2. Cor. 7. 8.
• Eccl. 7. 6.
• Chap. 11. vers. 9.
• Prou. 14. 13.
• 2. Cor. 5. 12.
• Luk. 12. 20.
• Luk 6. 25.