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. 4 The necessity of our adhe∣ring vnto God, proued by di∣uers reasons.

And this holy resolution of cleauing vnto God, and pleasing him in all things, is most necessary vnto a godly life; first, because it is the foundati∣on and ground of all other duties, which whilst it remaineth firme, there is good hope, though the rest of the building bee shrewdly shaken with the blasts and stormes of trialls and tentations, and much fayling and frail∣ty be shewed in many outward actions; seeing so long as the foundation remaineth, the decayed parts of the house may bee repaired with more ease; but if our resolution be vnsettled and weake, the whole frame that resteth vpon it, will fall with it owne waight; and the duties themselues of a godly life, will seeme irkesome and tedious. It is the very soule which giueth life and motion to all our actions, and in what case it is, in such are they; if strong, then are they strong, if weake, then they weake also. If it be faint, then they languish; If full of vertue and vigour, then are they also vigorous and couragious. Secondly, because it is a mayne and prin∣cipall part of true repentance, which chiefly consisteth in the full purpose of the heart, the inclination and resolution of the will, and the constant indeuour in our whole liues, to forsake all euill, and imbrace all good, and in all things both inwardly and outwardly to please God, by performing vnto him that acceptable seruice, which in his Word he requireth of vs. Thirdly, because this purpose of heart, and resolution of our wills, to serue and please God, doth make both our persons and actions acceptable vnto him; for he chiefly requireth the seruice of our hearts, as being the fountaine of all our actions, and respecteth not so much our deeds as our will; not the perfection of our actions, as the sincerity of our affections; according to that of the Apostle; If there be a willing mind, a man is accepted, according to that which he hath, and not according to that which he hath not. As we see in the example of the prodigall sonne, who resoluing to goe to his father, and to acknowledge his sinne, before he had done it, and whilest he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion on him. To this purpose one saith, If thou purposest in thine heart to leaue euill,

and doe good, to hold that which thou hast receiued, and to grow daily better, although (by reason of humane frailty) thou doest something not to be iustified: Yet if thou purposest not to persist in it, but repentest and amendest what is amisse, as farre as thou art able, God, without doubt, will repute thee holy. Lastly, this resolution is necessary, because we shall meete with many difficulties and discouragements in our course of a god∣ly life, as the tentations of the deuill, the persecutions, scornes, and repro∣ches of the world, the corruptions of our nature, and the vnpleasantnesse vnto flesh and blood of holy duties; that if we be not armed with a strong resolution, well grounded and settled with mature and serious considera∣tion, vpon vnanswerable reasons which induce vnto it, wee shall not bee able to continue constantly in our course, but giue ouer with shame, that which we haue rashly and weakely begunne. And therefore our Sauiour exhorteth vs to lay a good foundation before we begin this building, and to prepare a good stocke, whereby we may be inabled to finish our worke; and to make sufficient preparations to withstand the force of our spirituall enemies, before we presume to enter into the field and giue them battell. The which is chiefly done, when wee arme our selues with Christian cou∣rage and vndaunted resolution, that we will set aside all excuses, and come vnto God when he calleth and inuiteth vs, that wee will breake thorow all difficulties, and bee discouraged with no dangers; that, come prospe∣rity or aduersity, honour or disgrace, riches or pouerty, life or death, wee will consecrate our selues to Gods seruice, and doe all things which are pleasing in his sight.

Notes

• 2. Cor. 8. 12.
• Luk. 15. 19, 20. Et tu si proposue∣••is in corde, de∣clinare à malo, & facere quod bonum est, &c. Bern.
• Luk. 14. 28, 29, 30.