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. 3 Of the fruits and benefits which we in∣ioy by our dai∣ly seeking of God.

The third point to be considered, is the manifold fruits and benefits which they receiue and inioy who thus daily seeke God. For first, they shall not be confounded by any shame, nor with the malice and might of all their enemies, according to that of the Psalmist, Let not those that seeke thee, be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. Their infirmities shall not be laid to their charge, nor their imperfections, corruptions and fai∣lings in performing the duties of Gods seruice; as appeareth by the prayer of Hezechias for them, who had prepared their hearts to seeke God, whom God pardoned, though they were not cleansed according to the pu∣rification of the Sanctuary. They shall not lose their labour, nor spend their strength in vaine; for the Lord hath promised that those who thus seeke him, shall surely finde him. If thou seeke the Lord thy God, thou shalt finde him, if thou seeke him with all thine heart. So Azariah telleth Asa and the people, that the Lord would bee with them, while they were with him: and if they sought him, he would be found of them; the which he confirmeth by the experience which their fathers had hereof in former times, euen as after∣wards they found the Word of God in his mouth confirmed in their owne experience; for no sooner did they set themselues to seeke the Lord with their whole desire, but he was found of them, and the Lord gaue them rest round about. And as wee shall by seeking God be freed from all euill, so shall we haue the fruition of all good; for we shall inioy God himselfe, and hee will dwell in vs as in his Temple, and communicate himselfe vnto vs as vn∣to his loue and Spouse. Neither will he come empty-handed, but bring with him his rich rewards: and as he is infinitely good in himselfe, so will he bee good vnto them that waite for him, and to the soule that seeketh him. He will not let any good thing bee wanting vnto them. They shall receiue the blessing from the Lord, and righteousnesse from the God of their saluation. They shall prosper in all their workes, be preserued from all dangers, and deliue∣red from all euill; for the hand of the Lord is vpon them for good that seeke

him, but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. He will not forsake them; but will hide them in the day of his anger. They shall receiue spirituall growth in all graces, through the beames of his bright∣nesse, and the sweete influences of his fauour, as the hearbes and trees re∣ceiue growth and become fruitfull, by the vertue of the Sun that shineth vpon them. Yea, themselues shall be as the shining light, that shineth more and more to the perfect day; and in his light they shall see light, and be admit∣ted to the sight and contemplation of his secret counsels. They shall haue their faith and affiance in God more and more confirmed, through that familiarity and communion which they haue with him; and hauing peace with God, they shall haue also peace of conscience, and peace with all the creatures. They shall haue safety and Christian security in Gods presence, fauour, and protection, and he will giue them rest on all sides, because they haue sought the Lord their God. So as they may say with Dauid; I will not bee affraide of ten thousand of people that haue set themselues against mee round about. Though I walke through the vale of the shaddow of death, I will feare no euill: for thou, Lord, art with me, thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me. God is our refuge and strength, a very present helpe in trouble; therefore will not we feare, though the earth be remoued, and though the mountaines bee cast into the middest of the sea, &c. And in the greatest garboyles of worldly trou∣bles, they may say with him, I will both lay mee downe and sleepe, for thou, Lord, onely makest me dwell in safety. They shall haue their hearts filled with ioy and gladnesse in the fruition of his fauour, and shall, aboue all o∣thers, haue continuall cause of reioycing; according to that of the Psal∣mist, Let all those that seeke thee, reioyce & be glad in thee, and let all such as loue thy saluation, say continually, Let God be magnified. And againe: Glory ye in his holy name, let the heart of them reioyce that seeke the Lord. They shall lead an holy and vnblameable life, when as they are alwaies taken vp in these pious exercises, and attaine daily vnto more and more perfection in all sauing graces, and in the performance of all Christian duties. Yea, they shall haue not onely abundance of grace and all Spirituall good in this life, but also of glory in the life to come. For they that seeke God now, shall then perfectly finde him, and with him eternall blessednesse in the fruition of the chiefe goodnesse, according to that of the Prophet Dauid: They that seeke the Lord with their whole heart, are blessed; for they shall liue the life of Grace here, and the life of glory in the world to come.

Notes

• Psal. 69. 6.
• 2. Chro. 30. 18, 19.
• Esa. 45. 19.
• Deut. 4. 29. 1. Chro. 28. 9. 2. Chro. 15. 2. verse 4.
• verse. 15.
• Heb. 11. 6.
• Psal. 34. 10. Psal. 24. 4, 5, 6. 2. Chro. 31. 21.
• Ezra. 8. 22.
• Psal. 9. 10.
• Zeph. 2. 3.
• Pro. 4. 18.
• 2. Chro. 14. 7.
• Psal. 3. 5.
• Psal. 23. 4.
• Psal. 46. 1, 2.
• Psal. 4. 8.
• Psal. 70. 4.
• Psal. 105. 3. 2. Cor. 1. 12.
• John 17. 3. Psal. 16. 11. Psal. 119. 2. Amos 5. 4, 6.