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.

§. 10 The ninth signe, hearing the Word with∣out Faith.

The ninth signe of carnall securitie, is when we heare the Word without Faith; neither giuing credit vnto the Promises of the Go∣spell, whereby wee are encouraged to serue God, nor to the Threat∣nings of the Law, whereby wee are discouraged in the wayes of sinne. An example whereof wee haue in the people of the Iewes, who by Christs melodious musicke preaching vnto them Gods mercies to the Penitent, were not allured to obedience; nor by Iohn the Baptists mournfull threatnings of the Law, were mooued to shead the teares of heartie repentance. For to heare the Word without Faith, is (as it were) to receiue meate into our hands, wanting a mouth to feede vpon it. And as it is a signe of the true feare of God when wee beleeue his Word, not onely that which is spoken by his owne mouth, but that also which from him is de∣liuered vnto vs by his Ministers, which is all one in substance, like the Water which is the same in the Fountayne, with that which is conueighed vnto vs by the Conduit pipes, as Iehosaphat implyeth in that speech to the People: Beleeue in the Lord your God, so shall you bee established: beleeue his Prophets, so shall you prosper; and our Sauiour plainly sheweth, saying, Hee that heareth you heareth mee, and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee, and hee that despiseth mee de∣spiseth him that sent me; because as hee was the Angell or Messenger of the Couenant sent by God, so his Ministers are his Messengers sent by him: So is it a signe of the want of this feare and of carnall securi∣tie, when we doe not heare with Faith the Word of the Lord spoken vnto vs by his Ambassadors. And as it was an euidence of Noahs Faith, when hee tooke warning by Gods Word, before the Flood came, to build the Arke, as the Apostle sheweth; and that those E∣gyptians feared God, who hearing the threatnings of grieuous hayle by the mouth of Moses, were warned by it, and made their seruants and cattell flee into the houses: so is it a signe of the greatest securitie, when as hearing Gods Word, we giue no credit vnto it, but carelesly goe on in our sinfull courses without repentance, as though wee had neuer heard of either Promise or Threatning.

Notes

• Matth. 11. 21.
• 2. Chron. 20. 20.
• Luk. 10. 16.
• Heb. 11. 7.
• Exod. 9. 20.