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. 2 Of the meanes of perseue∣rance. 1. Meanes.

Now the meanes whereby wee may attaine vnto this perseuerance in the duties of a godly life, are diuers. The first is, to consider often with our selues, that all Gods gracious promises are limited and restrained vnto those (not that begin well, or hold out to the mid way, but) who per∣seuere vnto the end. So our Sauiour Christ, Hee that indureth to the end, shall be saued. Be faithfull vnto the death, and I will giue thee a Crowne of life. And not he that fighteth, but in fighting ouercommeth, hath the promi∣ses of freedome from all misery, and fruition of heauenly happinesse made vnto him. And elsewhere he indefinitely promiseth, that if wee abide in him, and let his Word abide in vs, then aske what we will, and it shall bee done vnto vs. To the same purpose the Apostle Iames telleth vs, that who so looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a for∣getfull hearer, but a doer of the worke, that man shall bee blessed in his deed. And the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith, that we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold out the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end. And therefore if we meane to haue any part in Gods promises, we must constantly per∣seuere in the profession and practice of true godlinesse, and the Christian duties of an holy life. The second meanes of perseuerance, is carefully to auoyd the causes and meanes of apostasie and defection. And these are diuers: first, voluntary liuing in any knowne sinne, which will harden the heart, and dead the conscience, and so make way for many others, till wee be wholly carried away from God in a streame of wickednesse. Secondly,

we must carefully take heed of the least declinations in Christian graces and holy duties; for if we be once going downe the hill, wee shall hardly keepe our selues from running headlong to the bottome, vnlesse wee stop speedily in the very beginning. And as for the preseruing of our bodies in a sound estate, we labour with seasonable physicke to preuent diseases, and when we finde our health to decline a little, doe vse all good meanes at the first, because if the sicknesse seaze thorowly vpon the vitall parts, it will hardly be remoued, and indanger our liues: so must we take the same course for the good of our soules, carefully obseruing the first declinati∣ons of our spirituall health, that we may stop them at the beginning, be∣fore they breake out into any extremities. And considering that those diseases both of body and soule, are most dangerous and desperate (not which come suddenly with some sensible violence, but) which steale vpon vs by degrees vpon no apparant causes, and impaire the health by little and little, because they are hardly discerned, and when they are knowne, not easily cured, as in the outward man, the consumption, hectique feuer, and the like; and in the inward and spirituall part, carnall security, hard∣nesse of heart, and others of like nature; let vs not therefore neglect the least declinations in sauing grace, and holy duties, but keepe a carefull watch ouer our selues, that none of these diseases of our soules steale vp∣on vs, and become desperate before we discerne them. Let vs bee as good husbands for our soules, as wee are for our clothes, houses and grounds, mending little holes, before they teare out into great rents, repairing the first decayes, ere they become rotten and ruinous, and making vp the breach as soone as wee discerne it, before it come to an inundation, and carry vs away in a floud of wickednesse. And this counsell the Apostle gi∣veth vs. Lift vp (saith he) the hands which hang downe, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths to your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed, &c. Looking diligently lest any man faile of the grace of God, lest any root of bitternesse springing vp, trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. A third cause of apostasie, is a great opinion of our owne strength, which causeth God to leaue vs that we may see our weaknesse, as we see in the fearfull defection of the Apostle Peter: And also a fond con∣ceit that we are so rich in grace, that we may spend vpon the stocke, and labour for no more; and that we haue already so well profited in religi∣ous duties, that we need not take any care or paines to make any further progresse: For there is no standing still in the wayes of Christianity; but when we cease to goe forward, wee begin to goe backward; when in our owne opinion we are at the full, we will begin to wane and decline towards a change; and when our godlinesse is come to a standing water, it presently declineth and neuer ceaseth, vntill it be come to a low ebbe. For the preuenting whereof, let vs not measure our vertues and good pro∣ceedings by the false mete-yard of pride and selfe-loue, which will make vs ouerweene our owne gifts and good parts; nor compare our selues with our selues, or others that come behind vs, and haue not attained vn∣to our measure, but with the perfect Law of God, which like a looking∣glasse will discouer our blemishes and imperfections, and with our Saui∣our Christ, the perfect paterne of holinesse and righteousnesse, according

to whose Image we ought to be conformed. A fourth cause of defection from God and godlinesse which we must shunne, is the immoderate loue of the world and worldly vanities, which cooleth and quencheth in vs the loue of God, and of spirituall and heauenly things; and so choketh in vs all good desires and indeuours of seeking after them that wee may ob∣taine them. For as our Sauiour telleth vs, we cannot serue God, and Mam∣mon: And the Apostle saith, that the amity of the world is enmity with God; and therefore whosoeuer will be a friend of the world, he is Gods enemy. Which argument the Apostle Iohn vseth to disswade vs from this carnall loue: Loue not the world (saith he) nor the things that are in the world. If any man loue the world, the loue of the Father is not in him. A fifth cause, is slacknesse and negligence in the vse of those meanes which both beget and begin Gods graces in vs, and also nourish and preserue them when they are be∣gun; as the hearing of the Word, reading, prayer, meditation, the Sacra∣ments, and such like. For as the strength of the body languisheth and consumeth, if we refuse our bodily food, whereby it is preserued, so must also our soules needs fall into a consumption of all grace and goodnesse, if we neglect that spirituall nourishment by which onely they are sustai∣ned in vs. A sixth cause is, the grieuing of Gods Spirit dwelling in vs, by quenching the good motions of it, and defiling our soules with sinnes that waste the conscience, being committed wilfully against the know∣ledge; which loathsome filthinesse polluteth our soules and bodies, and maketh this holy Ghest weary of his lodging, & going away, to withdraw also with him his gifts and graces, by which alone wee are inabled vnto all good duties. And therefore if wee would not fall away from all grace and goodnes, let vs louingly entertain the Author of them, and not grieue Gods holy Spirit, by resisting those good motions which he putteth into vs, and by making our hearts and bodies, which should be his holy tem∣ples and place of residence, a loathsome stie of sinfull vncleannesse. A last cause of apostacy, is neere and inward familiarity with prophane and wicked persons, who will corrupt vs with their euill examples, and poy∣son vs with the contagion of their sinnes, alluring and drawing vs by de∣grees to accompany them in their euill courses, vntill at last wee runne on with them into the same excesse of outragious wickednesse, and so giue a finall farewell to all grace and goodnesse.

Notes

• Math. 24. 13. Apoc. 2. 10. Apoc. 2. 11. 26. and 3. 11. 12.
• Joh. 15. 7.
• Iam. 1. 25.
• Heb. 3. 14.
• The second meanes of perseuerance, is to auoyd the causes and meanes of apostacy and defection.
• Gal. 6. 4.
• Ephes. 4. 13, 14, 15.
• Math 6. 24. Jam. 4. 4.
• 1. Ioh. 2. 15.
• Ephes. 4. 30. 1. Thes. 5. 19.
• Deut▪ 7. 2, 3, 4.
• Pro. 22. 24, 25.
• 1. Cor. 6. 14.