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.

§. 1 That God the supreme good∣nesse turneth all, euen euill it selfe into good.

AS it is the nature and propertie of the su∣preme Goodnesse, to make all things like vnto it selfe, and euen out of euill to pro∣duce that which is good: so is it the na∣ture of sinne and corruption, so to poy∣son and taint whatsoeuer it toucheth, that though it bee of an indifferent na∣ture, yea originally good, it maketh it like it selfe euill and sinfull. Of the for∣mer wee haue God himselfe, the best ex∣ample; who being infinite in wisedome, power and goodnesse, doth not onely effect his good ends by good meanes and instruments; but is able to bring light out of darknesse, good out of euill, and to make the worst instruments fit tooles for the perfecting and polishing his best works. And thus he ordinarily vseth the euill of punishment, as crosses, calamities and afflictions of all kinds corporall and spirituall, not onely for the iust punishment of the wicked, but for the triall of his owne Seruants, the purging and purifying of them from their corruptions, the exercise, and by exer∣cise the manifesting and increasing of their spirituall graces, and the furthering and assuring of their saluation. Thus he vseth the wicked for the chastizement of his Children, and the Deuill himselfe and his malicious tentations, for the strengthning of them in Faith, Loue, Pa∣tience,

and all other sauing graces, after they haue had experience of Gods power and goodnesse, assisting and giuing them victorie in these spirituall conflicts. Yea, this chiefe Goodnesse can make euen sinne it selfe in others, to serue as a meanes to execute his wise and iust Coun∣sailes, as the malicious practises of Iosephs brethren, the meanes of his aduancement, and their owne preseruation: the sinne of Absolon, Achitophel and Shemei, for his rod to chastize Dauid, and to humble him for his grieuous falls; the sinne of Iudas, the Scribes, Pharisies and Deuill himselfe, to set forward the worke of our Redemption by the death of our Sauiour. Yea, he can make of sinne in the same par∣tie, an Antidote against sinne, and, as it were, smother it in its owne smoke, and by letting his Seruants slip into lesser sinnes, hee can pre∣serue them from falling, or being fallen, can pull them out of those which are greater. As when by the pricke of other sinnes, he letteth out the wind of pride, which is most hatefull vnto him, and perni∣cious vnto our selues; and when by leauing vs, he suffereth vs to slip into sinne to make vs cast away selfe-confidence, that wee may more firmely cleaue vnto him, who alone is able to support vs by a liue∣ly Faith.

Notes

• Rom. 8. 28.
• 2. Cor. 4. 17.
• Gen. 45. 5. 7. 8.
• 2. Sam. 12. 11. & 16. 10. Act. 2. 23. & 3. 28.
• 2. Cor. 12. 7.
• Matt. 26. 33. 34.