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. 1 That this dili∣gence must be vsed in all good duties, and a∣bout the meanes of them.

THe properties which respect the whole man, are two; dili∣gence and constancie. By diligence, I vnderstand that sedu∣lity and assiduitie, industry and labour, which wee are con∣tent to vse and take for the compassing and obtaining, effect∣ing and atchieuing of those things whereupon wee haue set our hearts and affections. The which property doth alwayes accompany the duties of a godly life, if we rightly performe them as God requireth of vs; and is an inseparable fruit of those which went before. For when wee performe them with alacrity and cheerefulnesse, and doe esteeme them our chiefe delight, then are wee not onely in our hearts zealously affected towards them, but so industrious and diligent in pursuing of them, that we thinke no paines or labour too much, that we may bring them to good effect. And then shaking off all naturall sloth and sluggishnesse, all idle∣nesse and vnprofitablenesse, wee will set our selues close to our Christian taske, and performe those religious duties, and that holy and spirituall seruice which our heauenly Lord and Master requireth of vs. The which diligence we will shew, not in doing some or many duties, neglecting the rest, vsing our industry and labour about one, as a vaile to couer our sloth in omitting another, but in the generall performance of all and eue∣ry of those Christian duties which God in his Word imposeth vpon vs; and like the good Widdow described by the Apostle, wee will diligently follow euery good worke; yea, wee must approoue our diligence, not onely in performing those good duties which offer themselues vnto vs, but in seeking all good occasions and opportunities of this Christian imploy∣ment, that we may not stand idle, and be vnprofitable for want of worke, which indeed is neuer wanting, if we want not eyes to see it, and hearts to vndertake it in due time. Neither must our diligence and laborious in∣deuours bee onely spent in the duties themselues, but also about the meanes whereby wee may bee inabled to performe them. For in vaine hee pretendeth diligence in attaining to the end, who neglecteth the meanes which conduce vnto it, seeing the meanes and end doe in∣separably goe together. And therefore as no man can bee truely said to bee diligent in his iourney to a Cittie, who goeth not in the way that leadeth vnto it, or in attaining to riches, who neglecteth the meanes whereby they are gotten, or in preseruing of his life, who doeth not vse the helpes of Physicke or diet, whereby it may be preserued: so neither can any be diligent in the maine duties of a godly life, who sheweth not the like industry and labour in the vse of all good helpes and meanes, which by Gods Ordinance and appointment inable vs vnto them. Neither must wee content our selues with the vse of some meanes, and neglect o∣thers, but we must shew and approoue our diligence, in vsing of all good helpes, which God hath giuen vs, to further vs in our Christian course. And as for the preseruing of our naturall life and strength, we doe not eate

alone, or sleepe alone, or onely keepe our selues warme, or vse good exer∣cise, & take profitable Physicke, but vse all these meanes ioyntly in their fit season; so seeing the Lord hath appointed vnto vs variety of good meanes, for the preseruing of our spirituall life and growth in grace, as praying, hearing, receiuing the Sacrament, reading, conferring; wee must not thinke it enough, to pray, or heare, or reade, or to single out vnto our selues any other meanes vnto which we haue best appetite, but wee must approoue our diligence in the ioynt vsing of them all in their due time. For as in nature God hath not ordained one thing as sufficient for all pur∣poses, but meate to feed vs, and not to keepe vs warme; clothes to couer vs and hide our nakednesse, and not to nourish vs; sleepe and exercise to refresh vs, and the like: so also for the preseruing of our spirituall life, it is not enough, that we vse one of those meanes whereof God hath giuen vs great variety, seeing he hath not made any one of them sufficient for all vses, but will haue them seuerally vsed for their seuerall ends, and all ioynt∣ly together, that we may be made perfect to euery good worke. Yea, this diligence must shew it selfe, not onely in the vse of all the best and chiefe meanes, but also in wise obseruing of all circumstances, as time, place, person, and such like, which may further vs in the well performing all Christian duties. Neither must we imploy our diligence and labour in such meanes as are of our owne chusing, and best fit our appetite, but in those which God hath appointed and sanctified for the better inabling vs vnto his seruice. For as it is not enough to be painefull in trauelling, vnlesse we chuse the right way which will bring vs to our iourneys end, nor for the nourishing of our bodies, and preseruing of our naturall strength, that we may bee fit for all ciuill imployments, to eate any thing that commeth to hand, but only such meates as God hath created for this vse, and hath made them effectuall vnto it, by his holy Ordinance and blessing vpon it: so we must not chuse wayes of our owne, if we will trauell to our heauenly home, but the right and straight way, which God in his Word hath prescribed vnto vs; we must not, for the nourishment of our soules, that they may be vigorous & strong vnto the duties of a godly life, choose food that fitteth our carnall appetite, as Images, Crucifixes, Pilgrimages, superstitious Pe∣nance, which torment the body, but doe not at all humble the proud flesh: for these being not ordained of God, nor sanctified to this vse, but inuen∣ted and appointed by the skill and will of man, haue no more power or vertue to nourish the soule, or to strengthen it to vertuous actions, then earth or chips haue to nourish the body. Neither must we spend our dili∣gence in good meanes vnseasonably, out of their due time and place, as those which are inferiour & lesse powerful, when we may imploy our selues in those which are superior, and through Gods Ordinance more effectual. As in priuate exercises at home, when we should ioyne with the Congre∣gation in Gods publike seruice; reading a Sermon in our owne houses, when wee should heare the Word preached in the House of God; for though it be a good exercise at another time, and though the Sermon which wee reade, may be as good or better then that which wee should heare, yet cannot it bee so effectuall vnto vs, for the begetting and increa∣sing of our faith, and other sauing graces (no more then Abana and

Pharpar for the clensing of Naamans Leprosie, though as good waters as Iordan) because God hath not ordained and sanctified reading to bee so ordinary and effectuall a meanes for the begetting of his graces in vs, as the Word preached, and the meanes themselues haue no other vertue and vigour in them, but as they are his ordinances which are made effe∣ctuall by his blessing. Finally, as wee must vse all diligence in all good meanes which may strengthen vs to Gods seruice, so also in shunning or remouing all lets and impediments, whereby wee may be hindred in holy duties, and the meanes become vneffectuall or lesse powerfull to those good ends for which we vse them. For as he who would be rich, is not on∣ly diligent in all good meanes which may improue his state, but also in shunning the contrary; as prodigality, excesse in diet and apparell, and the company of wastfull and riotous persons; and as hee who desireth to preserue his health, is not carefull alone to eate wholsome meate, but shunneth also the meanes with like care, which would hinder good con∣coction: so must we take the like course, if wee would thriue in our spiri∣tuall estate, and haue our soules healthy and strong in sauing grace, that they may bee fit and able for the well performance of all Christian du∣ties.

Notes

• 1. Tim. 5. 10.
• 2. King. 5. 12.
• Rom. 10. 17.