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 earthly blessings are no hindrances vnto godlines, but the immo∣derate loue of them.

WHen the mind and heart are indisposed to Gods seruice, and auerse to religious exercises, the flesh will neuer want excu∣ses to put them off, and withdraw vs from them; neither is there any estate and condition, which will not minister dis∣tractions and discouragements. For if wee be poore, it will suggest, that all our time is little enough, though it be wholly spent in our labours, that thereby we may earne and furnish our selues with things ne∣cessary for our maintenance: if we haue sufficiency and plenty of all tem∣porall blessings, they will steale our hearts from God, and so wholly fixe them vpon earthly things, that they will finde little or no leisure for spiri∣tuall exercises. And now they haue so many things to looke vnto, the care of so many businesses lying vpon them, so many and waighty imploy∣ments, for the well managing of their worldly estates, if they will not suf∣fer all to goe to losse, and the blessings of God to perish through their negligence, that they cannot, like others who haue little to doe, spend much of their time in religious exercises; as prayer, reading and hearing the Word, meditation and such like. Neither doe they thinke it necessa∣ry that they should so doe, seeing God will excuse, if not approoue and commend them, if they follow diligently the duties of their callings. And this carnall disposition in worldly men, our Sauiour taxeth in the Parable of those vnworthy ghests, who being inuited vnto the Marriage * 1.1 of the Kings Sonne, pretend diuers excuses, all which are borrowed from their worldly imployments. One had bought a piece of ground, and must * 1.2 needs goe and see it; another had bought a yoke of Oxen, and must needs goe to prooue them; another had married a wife, and could not come. Yea euen Martha her selfe, though otherwise a vertuous and religious * 1.3 woman, being incumbred with worldly imployments, thought her neg∣lect of hearing Christ, excused, and her sister Mary, worthy blame, because

she did not ioyne with her. For the answering of which obiection, let vs first know, that Gods temporall blessings, which hee hath bestowed vpon vs, are not in themselues any causes to hinder vs from the duties of Gods seruice, but our immoderate loue of them, which makes vs forget and neglect the Authour of our good, and to minde and affect the gifts, more then the giuer. For otherwise, the greatnesse of our meanes and possessi∣ons would not, through multitude of imployments, bee distractions to hinder vs from seruing God, but rather effectuall motiues to perswade vs vnto it, which also being rightly and wisely managed, would affoord vs better leisure for religious duties, seeing we are well prouided for, though we take but moderate care, and but ordinary paines in the workes of our callings. It is not our necessary busines and imployments, which so whol∣ly take vs vp, that we haue no time to spare for Gods seruice; but such cumbersome imployments which the inordinate and immoderate loue of the world and earthly things imposeth vpon vs, that by excessiue care and labour, our state being managed to the greatest aduantage, wee may be∣come suddenly rich. It is not the comforts of this life which hinder vs in the spirituall race, but the sinne and worldly concupiscence that doth so * 1.4 easily beset vs, which maketh them so waighty and cumbersome vnto vs. And therefore we must mortifie our carnall loue of earthly things, if wee would not haue them to be hindrances in spirituall exercises. For if wee doe not immoderately affect them, we shall take little pleasure, so to cum∣ber and ouertoyle our selues in our worldly imployments about them, that we can finde no time for religious duties. Let vs not inordinately loue the world, and worldly things, if we would haue the loue of the Father to * 1.5 abide in vs; nor deuote our selues to the seruice of the earthly Mammon, if we would haue any time to spare for Gods seruice. Let vs cease from our * 1.6 carnall wisedome, and not labour to bee rich, seeing riches make themselues wings, and fly away, like an Eagle towards heauen. Let not this heauie Iudge∣ment of God be drawne vpon vs by our worldly loue, that we should take pleasure to labour in the very fire, and weary our selues for very vanity. Let vs * 1.7 remember, that a feareful woe is denounced against him, that toyleth him∣selfe to increase that which is not his, and ladeth himselfe with thick clay; so as * 1.8 he cannot goe on cheerfully in the wayes of godlinesse. And that, if to multiply and heape vp this worldly pelfe, we neglect the duties of Gods seruice, he will crosse and curse our indeuours; and then wee shall sowe * 1.9 much, and bring in little; eate, but not haue enough; drinke, and not bee satisfied; clothe our selues, and not be warme; and put all the wages which we earne, into a bag with holes. For if God blow vpon it, when wee looke for much, it will come to little; or if he doe not, he will bring vpon vs a more heauy Iudge∣ment, by suffering vs to inioy our riches, which wee immoderately loue, that we may fall into tentations and snares, and into many foolish and hurtfull * 1.10 lusts, which drowne men in destruction and perdition. For the loue of money is the root of all euill, which while some coueted after, they haue erred from the faith, and pierced themselues thorow with many sorrowes. And this is that sore euill which Salomon obserued vnder the Sunne, namely, Riches kept for the * 1.11 owners thereof to their hurt. Let vs remember, that when we haue by all our toyle heaped vp riches, they shall (as the Wise man speaketh) perish by euill

trauell; and he that hath most wearied himselfe by getting wealth; As he * 1.12 came forth of his mothers wombe naked, so he shall returne as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Math. 22. 2.
• * 1.2

  Luk. 14. 18, 19.
• * 1.3

  Luk. 10. 42.
• * 1.4

  Heb. 12. 1.
• * 1.5

  1. Ioh. 2. 15. Math. 6 24.
• * 1.6

  Pro 23. 4, 5.
• * 1.7

  Hab. 2. 13.
• * 1.8

  Vers. 6.
• * 1.9

  Hag. 1. 6, 7, 8.
• * 1.10

  1. Tim. 6 9, 10.
• * 1.11

  Eccl. 5. 13.
• * 1.12

  vers. 15.