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.

CHAP. XXXIX.

That the whole Lords Day must be consecrated vnto him, first, by resting on it from all labour and from sinne.

§. Sect. 1 That we must spend the whole Day in religious ex∣ercises.

ANd these are the duties which are to bee performed in our preparation. In the Day it selfe the maine duty is, that wee consecrate it as an holy Rest vnto Gods worship and ser∣uice; and not in a part onely, as it is the practice of many, who thinke that they haue done all required of them, if they haue spent some few houres in the publike seruice of God, consu∣ming all the rest of the Day about their owne affaires which respect their pleasure or profit; but we must spend the whole Day in holy and religi∣ous exercises. For the Lord requireth at our hands, that we remember to keepe holy, not some few houres only, but the whole seuenth Day; and as he alloweth vnto vs for our owne affaires; not some houres onely of eue∣ry day in the weeke, but the whole sixe dayes: so hee reserueth vnto him∣selfe for his seruice such a Day as he granteth vnto vs. In which regard we

shall deale deceitfully and vngratefully with God, if we vse a double mea∣sure in sharing out the time, a shorter in allotting a Day to his seruice, and a longer for our owne worldly imployments. But as he alloweth vnto vs six dayes, consisting of 24. houres, so wee are not to curtall his Day, and to shorten him of his due, but to allow vnto his seruice a Day of like length and continuance, seeing God hath made a plaine bargaine with vs, that he will haue a whole Day for his seruice, as well as wee six for our owne imployments. And therefore as we would thinke that our hired la∣bourer should deale deceitfully with vs, if being hired for a weeke to doe our worke, he should labour in our businesse some few houres euery day, and spend all the rest of his time in his owne affaires: so will God thinke of vs, if we deale with him after the same manner; neither is it a lesse odi∣ous crime in his eyes to clip his precious time, when we come to pay vnto him his due tribute, which he hath giuen vnto vs in full waight and mea∣sure; then it is vnto our Prince, if wee offer vnto him for payment clipt coyne, when we haue receiued it good and currant out of his Mint. And if such a subiect deserueth to be hanged and quartered though hee payeth his tribute, because hee hath payed it in clipped coyne; how shall they escape vnpunished, who deale no lesse deceitfully with God himselfe? Be∣sides, as God requireth, so we professe, that wee sanctifie a day vnto him; and therefore if hauing consecrated the whole, wee doe with Ananias keepe backe a part for our owne vse, and iustifie our action, that wee haue done all we promised, we shall both rob God of his right, and by lying vnto the holy Ghost, make our selues liable to the like punishment. A∣gaine, such a Day as God obserued for his Rest, we must according to his example keepe for ours; but he rested from all his labours a whole se∣uenth Day, after he had finished his workes, and created nothing anew; and therefore we must rest from our workes a whole day, and not a part onely. Moreouer, as God rested the seuenth Day, so he is said to haue san∣ctified it, that is, to haue dedicated and consecrated it as holy vnto his seruice. Now as things consecrated to holy vses may not be recalled and reuersed in whole or in part, without sacrilegious profanation, because they are no longer in our power, but Gods right; so cannot wee without theft and sacriledge, take from God, voluntarily and wilfully, any part of that time which is consecrated to his seruice. Finally, the duties of the Sabbath are so manifold and important, as the hearing and reading of the Word, prayer both publike and priuate, meditation on that which we haue heard, and vpon the workes of creation, holy conference, and such like; that the whole day were too short, though it were altogether spent in these religious exercises; and if they bee rightly performed as they should be, they will leaue vs little time for any other imployments. Yea, so farre ought we to be from imagining that any part of the Day may lawfully be spent about our owne businesse, that wee must not thinke the night it selfe exempted from diuine seruice and religious duties; for as the six dayes which God hath allowed vs for our owne workes are natu∣rall, consisting of a night as well as of a day, and containe in them full 24. houres, according to that in Genesis, The euening and the morning were the first day; so the Lords Day containeth in it the like proportion of

time, and therefore ought to be wholy spent in the duties of Gods seruice, as farrre foorth as will stand with charity and necessity of nature. As we see in the example of Dauid, who in the Psalme appointed for the Sab∣bath, professeth, that it is a good thing to shew foorth Gods louing kindnesse in the morning, and his faithfulnesse in the night; and in Paul, who conti∣nued the exercises of Religion, as the preaching and hearing of the Word, and administration of the Sacrament when he was at Troas, euen vntill the breake of day which though it were extraordinarie in respect of those times of persecution, yet it teacheth vs, that the night following the Lords Day is a part of it, and as it may in like cases be allotted to the publike duties of Gods seruice, so ordinarily wee should performe in some part of it pious duties of like nature, and in the rest, compose our selues to sleepe in such a Christian and holy manner by prayer and meditation, that euen as much as may be, our imaginations and dreames may retaine some rellish and sauour of our former religious exercises. Where, by the way wee may note, that as the Christian Sabbath is to begin at the dawning of the day, because it was instituted in remembrance of Christs Resurrection, who was that Sunne of righteousnes, who brought light and life vnto vs, by performing and finishing that great worke of our Redemption, and not ouer-night like the Iewes Sabbath, which was or∣dained to put them in mind of the worke of Creation; and the rather, because it was fit that there should, vpon these diuers reasons, be a diffe∣rence betweene their Sabbath and ours; so also it is to continue to the dawning of the next day, as wee haue formerly shewed by Pauls example.

§. Sect. 2 That we must rest from our owne workes on the Lords Day.

And thus we see the time of the Lords Day how long it is to continue: now we are to speake of the duties which ought to be performed in it. And these are all comprized in these two things; first, in obseruing a Rest, and secondly, in keeping it holy, or in sanctifying this Rest vnto Gods seruice. The Rest consisteth in the forbearing, or not doing of our owne workes, but onely in cases of necessity, and when the sanctification of the Lords Day requireth them, as duties tending to the aduancing of Gods ser∣uice, or such workes of mercy and Christian charity, as belong to this Day; as the study and paines of the Minister, the trauell of the people to places of diuine worship, visiting and helping of the sicke and distressed, confounding of contentions, and making peace betweene neighbours, feeding and tending of cattell, and such like. Where, by our owne workes I vnderstand all our thoughts, words and actions, which simply or chiefly tend to our owne profit or pleasure. As first, the workes of our callings, of all kinds whatsoeuer, as all workes of husbandry, euen in the time of haruest, buying and selling, carrying of burthens, trauelling, and such like. Secondly, all kinds of recreations which are not necessary for the preseruing of health and life, and tend not to the better fitting and inabling of vs for religious duties, but to sensuall and carnall delight. Of which sort are walking abroad that we may take the ayre, or that wee may conferre one with another, or meditate on the crea∣tures, some bodily exercise in course of physicke to refresh the body, and in some cases musicke, not onely vocall by singing of Psalmes,

which is a duty of the Sabbath, but also on instruments, when as it is vsed, not for carnall and sensuall delight, but to refresh our spirits, and quicken our dull and drowzie hearts and minds, that they may with more cheere∣fulnesse returne vnto the performance of religious and holy duties; in which cases there may at some times be the same vse of these recreations, (so they be in moderation, in an holy manner, and to these ends) which is of physicke, meates and drinkes. But from all other recreations which tend onely to carnall and sensuall delight, we must wholly abstaine; first, be∣cause the Lord expressely forbiddeth vs to doe our owne pleasure on his holy Day, and contrariwise commandeth vs to call his Sabbath our delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and that we should honour him, nor doing our owne wayes, nor finding our owne pleasures, nor speaking our owne words. Se∣condly, because they are our owne workes, from all kindes whereof Gods Commandement restraineth vs, that wee may bee wholly deuoted to the seruice of God, and the meanes which inable vs thereunto: yea, they may in some sort be called more our owne workes, then the workes of our cal∣lings, because these are more expressely commanded, and are ordinarily more necessary, and more directly tend to Gods seruice then the other; for it is possible to liue and serue God without these recreations, but not vnlesse we walke in the duties of our callings. And therefore if these bee forbidden on the Lords Day, then much more the other which are of lesse vse and necessity. Finally, because these worldly recreations doe more dangerously and cunningly winde into our hearts, steale them away from holy duties, and distract vs in Gods seruice, then the duties of our cal∣lings, the workes and labours whereof we doe not loue for themselues, but onely as they are meanes of deriuing pleasure or profit vnto vs, where∣as we loue these sensuall pleasures for themselues, and oftentimes so dote vpon them, that we neglect our worldly profit; yea the seruice of God it selfe, and the eternall saluation of our soules, that we may inioy them.

§. Sect. 3 That on the Lords Day we must abstaine from carnall recreations.

Now if any obiect, that to depriue vs of these recreations, is to take away all the ioy and comfort of our liues; to this I answere, that it is an obiection which altogether misbeseemeth a Christian. For howsoeuer In∣fidels and carnall worldlings may reioyce chiefly in them, as hauing no greater cause of ioy and comfort; yet it ought not to bee so with the faith∣full, who should chiefly reioyce in the Lord, and in the pledges and testi∣monies of his loue and fauour, in their Communion with him, who is their summum bonum, and chiefe happinesse, and the visible signes of his graci∣ous presence; vnto which spirituall ioy Dauid exhorteth; Delight thy selfe in the Lord, and he shall giue the desires of thine heart. Of which, he in many places propoundeth himselfe as an example for our imitation. Secondly, if we be spiritually, and not carnally and worldly-minded, we may make the Lords Day it selfe our delight, as he requireth, which if we doe, then we shall indeed finde sweete delight in the Lord. For what greater delight can there bee to a Christian, then to praise God by singing of Psalmes, who hath beene so good and gracious vnto vs? then to heare the Word, whereby God assureth vs of his fauour, and of the pardon of our sinnes, and receiue the Sacrament, whereby it is sealed and assured vnto vs? then to feast our soules at this spirituall banket, and afterwards medi∣tate

on, and peruse our spirituall euidences, whereby the assurance of hea∣uenly happinesse is conuayed vnto vs? then to be assured that wee are re∣deemed out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies, and restored to the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God? then to solace our selues in the sweete society of Christ our Bridegroome in his Banketing-house, and to be stayed and comforted with his flagons of wine, apples, and kinde imbracements? which spirituall ioyes if we rellish not, what doth it but argue a carnall taste and appetite, which we ought to bewaile and mortifie, and not feede and cherish it with vaine sports and worldly recreations, which is to strengthen the flesh against the Spirit, and to put weapons into it hands, whereby it will mortally stab and wound vs? But what then, shall our ser∣uants haue no time of recreation, who haue wrought hard all the weeke? I answer, To them that are wearied with labour, the rest of the Lords Day is the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their bodies; and if they be spiritually-minded, the exercises of the Sabbath before spoken of, are the best recreations for the cheering of the heart and minde. For who can reasonably thinke when a man is tyred with the weekes labour, that violent exercises which are required to many recreations, and bodily la∣bour to the most, should recreate a man more, then an holy and religious rest, hearing the Word, singing of Psalmes, holy conferences, and such like, if carnall loue did not take away all appetite from these, and supply spirits and strength for the atchieuing of the other? yea, but we must take our seruants as they are, and haue some respect to humane frailty and in∣firmity; and though we may perswade them to delight in spirituall exer∣cises, yet in the meane time, till they be alike spiritually-minded with vs, we must giue them liberty to vse those recreations wherein they take plea∣sure. Well, let it be so, yet is it necessary that the Lords Day must be the time allotted to these sports? will we lay sacrilegious hands vpon this Day which he hath appropriated vnto his seruice, and conuert it to our owne vse and pleasure? and whereas being chiefe Lord of persons and times, he might haue reserued sixe dayes for himselfe, and allowed but one vnto vs, now that he hath dealt thus graciously and bountifully with vs, as to ap∣propriate but one for his owne worship, and leaue sixe for our businesse, shall we thinke that one too much, and vngratefully incroach vpon it? and holding all in Kings seruice sauing a seuenth part which is reserued as an acknowledgement of our Soueraignes bounty, who gaue vs freely all the rest, shall we grudge and repine to pay this due tribute, and greedily seaze all into our hands by a false tenure? Finally, shall we thinke sixe dayes too little for those businesses which tend to the good of our bodies, and our momentany estates, and shall wee thinke one too much to be imployed for the good of our owne, and our seruants soules, and for the furthering and assuring of our owne and their euerlasting saluation? Rather there∣fore if recreations bee necessary for our seruants, let vs allot some of our owne time in the sixe dayes for this vse, then rob the Lord of any part of his Day, vnto which we haue no right; and not conclude with this childish, yet deuilish sophistry, That seeing of necessitie they must haue some time for their sports, therefore it must be on the Lords Day, rather then any of our owne. As if we would say, They must needs haue some mony to spend

on their pleasures, and therefore to get it, they must rob by the high-way, or picke other mens purses, but not haue a penny of our allowance. Now if those recreations, which at other times are lawfull, or of indifferent na∣ture, be on the Lords Day forbidden as vnlawfull; then what shall we say of such as are at no time lawfull, but simply euill and wicked? In which notwithstanding many that professe Christianity, spend a great part of the Lords Day, as if they would consecrate a feast to Bacchus or Venus, yea the Deuill himselfe, whose workes they are, rather then vnto God, who being pure and holy, condemneth and abhorreth these fruits of the flesh, and workes of darkenesse as odious and abominable.

§. Sect. 4 That we must rest from sinne of all kinds on the Lords Day.

Thirdly, our care must principally bee on the Lords Day to abstaine from all sinne, which aboue all others is to be esteemed the most seruile worke, seeing the committing thereof is the base seruice of the deuill, and our owne carnall lusts. In which regard, as wee must at all times auoyd it, so especially on the Lords Day, which is an holy rest, consecrated to his worship and seruice, seeing we cannot offer vnto him a greater indignity, then to serue the deuill in the workes of darkenesse, when we should serue him in the exercises of piety and Religion. And as wee are carefully and conscionably to auoyd all kinds of sinne, so those principally wherewith the Lords Day is most ordinarily profaned, which being the sinnes of the times and Countrey, will by the contagion of euill example, most easily poyson and infect vs, if we doe not warily auoyd them. Among these, we may number proud and laborious curiosity in decking and adorning of the body, which doth so wholly take vp the time of some, especially of the weaker sexe, that they haue scarce any leasure for any spirituall exercises, whereby they should priuately serue God, and prepare themselues for his publike worship in the Congregation. Secondly, excessiue and vnneces∣sary feasting, especially of our equals, by which, seruants ordinarily are more toyled, then on any other day in the weeke, and so wholly taken vp with these businesses, that they can seldome come to the House of God to doe him seruice. So that as Dauid sometime seemed to enuie the happi∣nesse of the Sparrowes and Swallowes, which had that liberty of com∣ming into the Tabernacle which he wanted: so haue these poore Cookes and seruants cause, not only to enuy them, but euen their Masters Hawkes and Dogs, which accompany them to the House of God, when as they, whose soules are no lesse precious then their Gouernours, and purchased at as high a rate, euen the inestimable price of Christs Blood, are constrai∣ned to stay at home with hungry and starued soules, for want of spirituall food, that they may prouide superfluity and abundance of corporall meat for the pampring of the flesh. And with this excessiue cheare we may also reckon immoderate eating and drinking of ordinary meates and drinkes; for as surfetting and drunkennesse are neuer seasonable, but are alwayes vn∣lawfull, and to be shunned as workes of the flesh; so aboue all other times vpon the Lords Day, as being not onely in themselues sinfull, and workes of darkenesse, but also notable impediments, which disable vs vnto all holy duties, whilst oppressing the heart, surcharging the stomake, and filling the head with drowzie fumes, they make vs more fit to sleepe, then either to pray, or heare, or meditate, or to performe any other duty of Gods seruice.

And vnto these we may adde dispatching of slight businesses, which are thought scarce worth the while vpon the weeke dayes, as vnnecessary iour∣neys, and idle visitations, casting vp our accounts, and setting our recko∣nings straight, carrying home of worke done the weeke before, giuing di∣rections and instructions to our seruants for the dispatching of their busi∣nesse the weeke following, and such like.

§. Sect. 5 That we must not thinke our own thoughts on the Lords Day.

Fourthly, we must refraine (as much as in vs lieth) from thinking our owne thoughts on the Lords Day, that is, not onely such as are sinfull and wicked, vaine and good for nothing at any time, but those also which are worldly and about our earthly affaires, which may bee lawfull on other dayes. For the Lord requireth not the outward man, and externall actions alone to be consecrated to his seruice, but chiefly and principally the mind and the heart, in which, aboue all other parts he delighteth. And he for∣biddeth vs to walke in our owne wayes and pleasures on his Holy-day, which is to be referred to our thoughts as well as to our outward actions, seeing we delight in the one as well as the other. In which regard we must vse our best indeuour, to sequester our mindes and hearts from all worldly and earthly things, that they may be wholly exercised in spirituall and hea∣uenly Meditations. And as it is vnlawfull to thinke and meditate on earth∣ly things on the Lords Day; so also to spend any part of this time allotted vnto holy and religious duties, in the reading and studying of prophane Bookes, and such writings as are meerely ciuill and humane, as the Story of the times, and Histories of the Common-wealth, liberall Arts and Sci∣ences, and such like, which may make vs more wise to the world, but not to God; fit vs for earthly imployments, but neither furnish vs with spirituall grace, nor yet further our heauenly happinesse. Finally, as wee must ab∣staine from thinking our owne thoughts, and doing our owne workes on the Lords Day, so also from speaking of our own words, as the Lord requireth. By which wee are to vnderstand all discourses which are meerely worldly and about earthly things, more then charity and necessity requireth; all idle and friuolous talke, of which, if we must giue account, though it haue been vttered at ordinary times, how much more vpon the Lords Day, when as our tongues, (which as Dauid calleth them, should be our glory, to glorifie God by vttering his praises) are imployed in sounding out our owne froth and fooleries? All speeches about our worldly pleasures and profits, or about things impertinent, as other mens affaires, newes and nouelties which doe not concerne vs, especially in respect of our spirituall estate and condition, which we ought chiefly and soly to respect on this Day.

§. Sect. 6 That we must not doe the Lords workes after our owne manner.

And these are the workes which wee must leaue vndone on the Lords Day; from which as we must abstaine, as the matter of our imployments, so also from doing the Lords workes after our owne manner. Neither is it enough that we refraine from all sinfull and worldly actions, and doe the duties which God requireth of vs, seeing if wee doe them not in that sort and manner as he requireth; that is, spiritually, holily, zealously, and religi∣ously, with vpright hearts and good consciences, we make them no better then prophane and seruile workes, which God will reiect as odious and abominable. For if we worship the Lord only with the outward man, and not with our hearts and soules, with the lips alone, and not in Spirit and

Truth, in shew and hypocrisie after a formall, cold, and carelesse manner, and not with vpright hearts, substantially and zealously, he will demand of vs as of the Iewes, Who hath required these things at your hands? Hee will complaine of vs as of them; This people draw neere vnto me with their lips, but their hearts are farre from me. He will censure our seruice, as he did their sa∣crifices; Hee that killeth an Oxe, is as if he slew a man: hee that sacrificeth a Lambe, as if he cut off a Dogs necke: he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered Swines blood: and he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an Idoll. And though we pray, and preach, and heare, yea euen worke miracles in Christs Name, yet if we doe them not in a right manner, he will reiect vs at the day of Iudgement, and exclude vs from his heauenly ioyes, as being no better then workers of iniquity.

Notes

• Act. 5.
• Leuit. 27. 28. Act. 5. 4.
• Gen. 1.
• Psal. 92. 1, 2.
• Act. 20. 7, 12.
• Exod. 31. 15.
• Esa▪ 58. 13.
• Phil. 4. 4.
• Psal. 37. 4.
• Esa. 58. 13, 14.
• Cant. 2. 4, 5, 6.
• Rom. 8. 13. 1. Pet. 2. 11.
• Psal. 84. 3.
• Pro. 23. 26. Mat. 22. 39.
• Esa. 58. 13.
• Esa. 58. 13.
• Mat. 12. 33.
• Esa. 1. 12.
• Chap. 29. 13.
• Esa. 66. 3.
• Mat. 7. 22, 23.