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 The manifold euils which accompany vnconstancy in good duties.

Lastly, the manifold euils which are caused by vnconstancy, may effe∣ctually moue vs to be constant in all good duties. For this various and often changing of our spirituall estate vpon euery slight occasion, maketh our seruice odious vnto God, and all our actions vncleane in his sight. The which is implyed in the ceremoniall Law, wherein the Chamelion

was forbidden, among the beasts which were vncleane, whose property is to hold constantly no colour, but changeth as the things are changed which lye next vnto it. Secondly, it hindreth our growth in grace, and ma∣keth all the good meanes which we vse to this purpose, vnprofitable vnto vs. It disableth vs in our spirituall race, from comming to the goale, and getting the garland, and causeth vs to be preuented with their speed, who set out long after vs. It maketh vs vnfit for all good duties, and not only more backward vnto them by our intermission, but also more vnable to performe when we doe vndertake them. For when we haue for a time neg∣lected prayer, meditation, hearing the Word, and such like spirituall ex∣ercises; our deceitfull hearts, after they are broken loose out of the bonds of Gods feare, and haue tasted the carnall sweetnesse of this slothfull liber∣ty, are hardly recalled & recouered; and not without much paines reduced into order, nor well settled and composed to religious duties. It hindreth vs in our spirituall iourney towards our heauenly home; and whereas those who are constant in their trauell, and ridde continually some part of the way, come seasonably and surely to their iourneys end, though they seeme to goe a slow pace; these who goe on by fits and spurts, tire them∣selues in the mid way, and though sometimes they seeme to goe a gallop, yet their many intermissions, and often stayes make them to bee benigh∣ted, and to giue ouer their trauell before they come to their iournies end. Finally, it greatly indangereth vs vnto finall apostasie, for leauing those good duties vndone, which our consciences approuing, call vpon vs to performe, and by this negligence running into tentation, it is iust with God to leaue vs in it, and to withdraw his grace, which onely giueth vnto vs both will and ability for the well performing of any good duty. Wher∣of it commeth to passe, that many who intend at the first but to play the truants, and to intermit their studies for a time, that they may take their liberty and pleasure, and then to come vnto Christs schoole againe, are afterward partly so possessed with feare and shame of their Masters pre∣sence, and partly so bewitched with their carnall delights, that they runne quite away, and neuer returne. And when they haue thus farre giuen place to the diuels tentations, and the sluggish sloth of their sinfull flesh, that they intermit all spiritual exercises, as prayer, hearing the Word, reading, meditation, that they may the more thorowly intend their worldly pro∣fits or delights, yet with a purpose to returne vnto them againe when these things are dispatched; they are more and more insnared in Satans nets of perdition, into which they haue cast themselues, and the longer they forbeare, the lesse appetite they haue to religious duties. Lastly, this vn∣constancy maketh vs farre worse in the seruice of God, then the sonnes of Belial are in the seruice of the diuell, and of the world. For they, for the vncertaine and base wages of earthly trifles, are constant in those workes of darkenesse wherein they imploy them, toyling themselues, and spen∣ding their strength in their seruile drudgery night and day, though it bee to the euerlasting damnation both of their bodies and soules: whereas these who professe themselues the seruants of God, serue him negligently by fits and starts, one while taking a little paines in spirituall exercises, and another while intermitting their labours, and spending their time in

sloth and idlenesse, although he incourageth them to doe him faithfull and constant seruice, with the present pay of all temporall blessings, and with the assured hope of future happinesse.