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. 6 That the du∣ties of our cal∣lings must bee performed af∣ter a right man¦ner, and first, with heauenly mindes.

And these things are to bee obserued in the labours of our callings, in respect of their causes both efficient and finall. In the next place our care must be, that we performe them after a right manner; vnto which is required that wee be exercised in our earthly businesse, with heauenly mindes and affections, and not suffer our worldly imployments so wholly to take vs vp both in soule and body, as that thereby wee should bee hin∣dred from hauing our conuersation in heauen. But like Citizens of hea∣uen, and pilgrims on earth, whilst our bodies are trauailing in world∣ly imployments, we must haue our mindes, hearts and affections lifted vp in spirituall and heauenly meditations and desires, contemplating and longing after the ioyes of our owne countrey, and not so much minding the things beneath, as the things aboue, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Especially, we must not neglect in the middest of our ordi∣nary businesse, to lift vp our hearts often vnto God, either crauing his bles∣sing in the beginning of our worke, or giuing him thankes and praise in the end; and not suffer our thoughts to be so wholly set vpon our bodily imployments, and earthly obiects, as not sometimes to fixe them vpon spi∣rituall and heauenly things. For it worldlings and citizens of the earth, are seldome or neuer so intent vpon their workes and present imploy∣ments, but that their minds and hearts will take liberty of wandring after

those carnall pleasures wherein they most delight; let it be a shame for vs, who professe our selues Citizens of heauen, so wholly to mind earthly ob∣iects, as neuer to finde leasure to thinke of the ioyes of our owne Country, or of the spirituall meanes whereby wee may be inabled to attaine vnto them. As therefore we are to auoide Monkish sloth and idlenesse, giuing ouer the painefull labours of our callings, vnder pretence of contempla∣tion; so are we with no lesse care to auoyd the contrary extreme, of tur∣ning worldlings, and being earthly-minded; hauing our mindes and hearts so wholly fixed vpon worldly things, as that we can finde no leasure to thinke vpon those which are spirituall and heauenly. But we must be so imployed in the duties of our callings, as that we neglect not the generall duties of Christianity, and the exercises of Religion in their due time; nor be so intent and earnest in pursuing momentany gaine and worldly pro∣fit, as that in the meane time, through spirituall sloth, we suffer any of Gods sauing graces, heauenly thoughts, or holy affections and desires, to bee cooled and quenched in vs. Wee must so play the good husbands, as that we doe not forget Christs counsell; First seeke the Kingdome of God, and his righteousnesse, and not be so taken vp with our Oxen, farmes, and earthly matches and marriages, as to neglect the meanes whereby wee may bee fitted to come as worthy ghests to the marriage of the Kings sonne. Wee must chuse with the Philosopher, rather to neglect our farmes then our soules; and suffer some weedes to grow in our fields, ra∣ther then to haue our mindes ouergrowne with vices, or to lose any good opportunity of weeding them out, or of sowing in them the seeds of Gods graces.

Notes

• Phil. 3 20. Col. 3. 1, 2.
• Mat. 22. 2, 3, 4.
• Aristippus apud Plut. de tran∣quil. animi.