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 That a godly life doth not bring with it want and po∣uerty.

The sixth obiection is, that godlinesse bringeth with it want and po∣uerty, as appeareth first by common experience, and innumerable ex∣amples of those, who being most religious and conscionable in all their courses, come as far short of other men in worldly wealth, as they exceed and go before them in piety and honest dealing, in so much as it is growne into a common, yet wicked Prouerbe, that plaine dealing is a Iewell, but he that vseth it, shall dye a begger. And secondly, it standeth with rea∣son that it should bee so, seeing piety letteth passe, and refuseth many aduantages, by which, those that want it, doe increase their wealth, and im∣prooue their worldly estate. For their thoughts lesse runne vpon earthly things, being taken vp with heauenly; their indeuours are more faint and weake in pursuing them, then theirs who haue set their hearts vpon them; their time and strength is not so wholly imployed in getting and kee∣ping riches. They lose much which they might get, because they will not vse vnlawfull meanes, as fraud and deceit, extortion and oppression; be∣cause they will not lye, and confirme it with an oath for their aduantage; nor prophane the Sabbath by selling and buying, and labouring in their callings; nor keepe seruants vnder them, who make no conscience of these things, though they bee neuer so profitable, nor follow the bent of the times, and soothe euery one in their humour, of whom they may make any aduantage. And finally, because they will not stoope to eue∣ry baite of profit which is cast before them, vntill by due examination in the Court of Conscience it may appeare to bee honest and lawfull. To which I answere, first, that though all this were true, that godli∣nesse should giue a Supersedeas to worldly thrift, so that it were not possible to imbrace piety, and escape pouerty, or to bee rich and reli∣gious both at once; yet this should not weaken our resolution to serue God in the duties of a godly life, seeing our spirituall gaines doe farre exceed our worldly losse. For godlinesse it selfe is the chiefest gaine, as * 1.1 bringing with it that contentation which all worldly wealth cannot pur∣chase. Secondly, though being godly, we haue but a poore estate, yet it is more to bee esteemed then the greatest abundance of the vngodly, ac∣cording to that of the Psalmist; A little that a righteous man hath, is better * 1.2 then the riches of many wicked. For the armes of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord vpholdeth the righteous. The little wealth they haue, is accompa∣nied with Gods blessing, by which it is made more sufficient and durable for their vse and comfort, then the rich Treasuries, and full store-houses of worldlings; their little pittance, being like the Widdowes cruze of oyle and handfull of meale, which as it was daily spent, so by the blessing

of God it was daily renued and replenished, that there might bee no want, when the full barnes were emptied, and the storehouses of the rich without food; like Daniels pulse, which made him and his fellowes fatter and in better liking, then the prouision which was brought to others from the Kings Table. Finally, like the small streames of a liuing fountaine, which continue running in the greatest drought, when great standing waters, and huge torrents arising from land waters are dryed vp. A∣gaine, though the godly haue but little, yet that which they haue, they haue receiued from Gods owne hand, as a testimony of his loue and fa∣uour, as Iacob acknowledged to his brother Esau, Take, I pray thee, my * 1.3 blessing which is brought to thee, because God hath dealt graciously with me, and I haue enough. Yea, they receiue it from him as his free gift, and shall neuer be called with wicked men to account for intrusion and vsur∣pation. Neither is it a gift to bee esteemed onely in its owne value, but as an earnest-penny, which bindeth a greater bargaine, and giueth them assurance of their heauenly inheritance, and euerlasting happinesse in Gods Kingdome. Finally, though they haue but little, yet they haue with it a good conscience, seeing they haue gotten it by lawfull meanes, the which will be in stead of a continuall feast, and make a dinner of cold * 1.4 herbes, or simple rootes, better then a stalled Oxe, or the greatest dainties to them that want it. Whereas contrarywise, the greater plenty of wicked men bringeth no such comfort with it; because it is mutable and momen∣tany in it selfe, and giueth no assurance of better and more durable riches which shall succeed it. Because their worldly abundance is often ioyned with many and great discontents, which depriueth the owners of all their ioy, as we see in the example of Saul, Ahab, Haman, and many others. Be∣cause their prosperity slayeth them, whilest it serueth as a snare, to intangle * 1.5 them in all maner of sins; as a pasture, to fit and prepare them for destructi∣on; as an intoxicating cup, to bewitch and inamour them with worldly loue, and to make them neglect spirituall and heauenly things; because af∣ter their great cheere, they shall haue such an heauy reckoning as wil quite dampe all their musicke and delight. And finally, because they are no gifts of Gods loue and fauour, but rather of his clemency and forbearance; like the liberall allowance which Princes make to great and noble Traytors, vntill they be brought foorth to tryall and execution, according to course and extremity of the Law.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Tim. 6. 6.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 37. 16, 17.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 33. 11.
• * 1.4

  Pro. 15. 15, 17.
• * 1.5

  Pro. 1. 32.