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. 8 Of the vertues which must accompany vs in the duties of our callings.

The next thing to be considered, is the vertues which ought to accom∣pany vs in the right and religious performance of the duties of our cal∣lings. For howsoeuer all vertues and graces are necessary vnto the person that must thus walke acceptably before God, and scarce any can bee wan∣ting to the well-performing of any good action; yet there are some which more specially and properly belong to these duties of our callings, and doe so immediately concerne them, that they can in no good sort bee done of vs, vnlesse in some measure we be qualified with them. As first, knowledge

and iudgement, whereby we must be inabled to discerne betweene good and euill, right and wrong, which must be our light to guide vs in all our wayes, and our loade-starre to direct vs in all our courses, which if it bee wanting, we shall walke in darkenesse, and be apt to fall into many errours. Secondly, affiance in God, whereby we cast our selues vpon his promises and prouidence in the vse of lawfull meanes; the which the Psalmist re∣quireth of vs; Commit thy way (saith he) vnto the Lord, trust also in him, and * 1.1 he shall bring it to passe. The which we may more easily doe, if wee rightly consider our Sauiours argument which he vseth to the same purpose; for if the Lord take care to feede the fowles of the aire, which take no care for themselues; and clotheth the lillies of the field, which neither toyle nor spin, how much more will hee prouide for vs all things necessary, who rest vpon him in the vse of all lawfull courses, and take moderate care, and * 1.2 conuenient paines to serue his prouidence? which affiance, if it bee wan∣ting, we shall be subiect to innumerable discouragements, macerate our selues with carking care, and rush, vpon all occasions, into the vse of vn∣lawfull meanes, when lawfull are wanting; thereby shifting for our selues, because we haue no assurance that God will prouide for vs. Thirdly, wee must be accompanied with a good conscience both towards God and to∣wards men, and willing with the Apostle, to liue honestly, wee must with * 1.3 him keep it in all things. For hauing alwayes in our company this Monitour * 1.4 and Iudge, it will notably preserue vs from all secret sinnes, and craftie conueyances, whereby we are naturally apt to wrong our neighbours, that we may benefit our selues; from all halting, dissembling, and double dea∣ling, when as it may be so cunningly and closely carried, that respect of our credit, worldly shame, nor legall punishment are no sufficient bonds to restraine vs from them; and from sloth and vnfaithfulnesse in perfor∣ming our duties; when no eye of man can take notice of it. Fourthly, we must haue contentation for our companion, whereby we are in all things contented with Gods good pleasure, and thinke that estate and condition best for vs in which he hath placed vs, giuing indifferent welcome to pro∣sperity or aduersity, pouerty or riches, gaine or losse, because they are messengers alike of his sending; and though some more then others doe in rougher tearmes deliuer his message, yet when we doe entertaine them aright, they all assure vs of his loue, as being meanes to further our salua∣tion. And of this we haue an example in the Apostle Paul; Who had lear∣ned * 1.5 both, how to be abased and how to abound, to be full and to be hungry, to ex∣ceede and suffer want. Vnto which if we attaine; then shall we not be dis∣contented with the basenesse of our callings, nor enuie others their grea∣ter preferments, their lesse labours and more gaines; we shall not bee set vpon the racke of ambition, aspiring daily after higher dignity, seeing the place in which we are, being of Gods appointing, is most fitting for vs. Neither can any calling be thought too base for vs, wherin acceptable ser∣uice may be offered vnto God, yea wherein he ioyneth with vs as our hel∣per and assistant, and rewards the paines which we take in them, with no lesse wages then an heauenly inheritance. We shall be preserued from that deadly dropsie of vnsatiable auarice; for our conuersation may bee without * 1.6 couetousnesse, if we come to thinke godlinesse the greatest gaine, and can bee

content with such things as we haue. And consequently, we shall walke ho∣nestly in our callings, when being contented with our estate and condi∣tion, we will vse no indirect and vnlawfull meanes, nor fraudulent, vio∣lent, or vniust courses, to inrich our selues with other mens goods. And goe on in our duty with much comfort and inward peace, when our heads are not vexed with carking cares; nor our hearts affrighted with the ter∣rours, nor gnawed on with the worme of an euill conscience. But of this I haue spoken largely in another place. Fifthly, we must possesse our soules * 1.7 with patience, if we will, as we ought, walke in the duties of our callings; for besides that our labours in themselues are tedious and troublesome; we are daily subiect to many crosses and mis-carriages in them, which will discourage vs from going on; or if we doe, being constrained by neces∣sitie, yet with much discontentment and disquietnesse of minde, murmur∣ing and repining, if we be not armed with patience, and resolution to suf∣fer with meekenesse, whatsoeuer God shall be pleased to send. Sixthly, we must haue our hearts replenished with thankefulnesse vnto God, and bee ready at all times when we obserue his loue in blessing our labours, to lift * 1.8 them vp, rendring vnto him praise and thankesgiuing. And acknowledg∣ing that we are lesse then the least of Gods mercies, we must giue him the whole glory of them, and not sacrifice vnto our owne nets, nor attribute our well-proceeding and good successe to our owne policie and skill, industry * 1.9 and abilities, but knowing that whatsoeuer we haue, we haue receiued it from God, wee must take all occasions of rendring vnto him the praise * 1.10 which is due vnto him. Seuenthly, wee must performe the duties of our callings with alacrity and cheerefulnesse, and whatsoeuer we doe, we must doe it heartily, as vnto the Lord, and not vnto men, who will richly reward our la∣bours * 1.11 with an heauenly inheritance. For as he loueth a cheerefull giuer, so also a cheerefull labourer, in all things more respecting our inward affecti∣ons then our outward actions. And as it is acceptable to God; so will it bee most comfortable vnto vs, making all our labours easie; when our hearts and hands are conioyned in doing them. Eighthly, we must obserue Iustice in all the duties of our callings, doing nothing in them, but that which may aduance our neighbours good as well as our owne. And this will make vs auoyd all vniust and vnlawfull courses, which are common∣ly vsed to gather wealth; all fraud and deceit, extortion and oppres∣sion; * 1.12 all vnprofitable labours, which tend to the hurt, rather then the good of the Common-wealth; and deceitfull dealing, in those that are lawfull. Finally, by this Iustice wee shall bee mooued to giue euery man his due, and to doe no man wrong in the carriage of our callings; but so deale in them with others, as we would haue others in their callings to deale with vs.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 37. 5.
• * 1.2

  Mat. 6. 25, 28.
• * 1.3

  Act. 24. 16.
• * 1.4

  Heb. 13. 18.
• * 1.5

  Phil. 4. 12.
• * 1.6

  Heb. 13. 5. 1. Tim. 6. 6.
• * 1.7

  Christian war∣fare 2. part. l. 2. cap. 19.
• * 1.8

  Gen. 32. 10.
• * 1.9

  Hab. 1. 16.
• * 1.10

  1. Cor. 4. 7.
• * 1.11

  Col. 3. 23, 24.
• * 1.12

  1. Thes. 4. 6.