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.

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Title
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.
Author
Downame, John, d. 1652.
Publication
Printed at London :: By Felix Kingstone [and William Stansby] for Ed: Weuer & W: Bladen at the north dore of Pauls,
[1622]
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Subject terms
Christian life -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A20762.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 17, 2024.

Pages

§. Sect. 5 Of the exe∣cution of the Decree in the creation and gouern∣ment.

Againe, the particular execution of Gods decree, in the creation and gouernment of Angels and men, affordeth vnto vs plentifull matter of Me∣ditation. As the felicity and glory of the blessed Spirits, the Image of God in them; their alacrity and cheerefulnesse; their speed and diligence in doing Gods will, and in ministring vnto the elect for their preseruation, and the furthering of their saluation. The fall and misery of the euill an∣gels, their malice towards God and his elect, and their policy and power

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in seeking their destruction, by drawing them to sinne, which should double our diligence in arming our selues against all their tentations. So also we may haue abundant matter of meditation ministred vnto vs from that which is reuealed in the Scriptures concerning man. As his Creati∣on, whereby God made mans body of the dust of the earth; the Image of God in man consisting in wisedome, righteousnesse, and true holinesse; his felicity in the state of innocency, the immortality and excellency of his soule, the beauty, health and vigour of his body, his dominion ouer the creatures, the ioyes of Paradise. Likewise in our meditations we may consider, that man continued not in this blessed estate, but fell from it; and that the cause hereof was sinne. Where we take occasion generally to meditate of sinne, what it is, how horrible, grieuous, and contrary to Gods pure nature, and how much in this regard hee hateth and detesteth it: the fearefull properties of it, both in respect of the guilt and punishment; temporall, as all the calamities and miseries of this life, and our spirituall seruitude to Satan; and eternall, as the losse of heauenly happinesse, and euerlasting condemnation both of body and soule. More especially, wee may meditate on the fall of our first Parents, what it was, and wherein it consisted, the causes of it outward and inward, and the lamentable effects which followed vpon it. As Gods fearefull curse vpon themselues, and vp∣on the creatures for their sake, the defacing of his glorious Image in them, the sense of their nakednesse, and terrour of conscience accompa∣nying it, the losse of their dominion ouer the creatures, their thrusting out of Paradise, the visible place of Gods presence, their separation from him, and all other euils both of sinne and punishment. The wretchednesse of all mankind in the state of disobedience and vnbeliefe, by reason of that corruption which followed the fall; as the participation of Adams sinne, guilt and punishment. The propagation of their sinne and misery to all their posterity. Their originall sinne and corruption of nature, both in respect of their soules and bodies. The ignorance and vanity of our mindes, the errour of our iudgements, the wickednesse and worldlinesse of all our imaginations; the impurity, stupidity and horrour of our con∣sciences; the losse of our freedome of will in chusing that which is good; their auersenesse and rebellion against the will of God, and pronenesse to all euill; the blockishnesse of our memories to receiue into their kee∣ping any good motions, and their slippery feeblenesse to retaine them; the infidelity, security and hardnesse of our hearts; the corruption and dis∣order of our affections and passions; the pollution of our bodies, their feeblenesse and lumpish heauinesse vnto any good action. From which root of originall corruption haue sprung all kinds of actuall transgressi∣ons, we being made thereby vtterly vnable so much as to thinke a good thought, or to will that which is good. Whereof it commeth to passe, that our best actions in this state of corruption and vnbeliefe, are no better then sinne, how glorious soeuer they seeme to the world. And heere wee may meditate of the seuerall kinds of actuall sinnes; those that are inter∣nall, as wicked thoughts, errours in iudgement, forgetfulnesse in our me∣mories, vncleane and carnall lusts: and those which are externall, secret or manifest, raigning or not raigning, of omission or commission, in our

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words or deeds, which we haue committed as principals or accessaries. Sinnes of ignorance, or of knowledge, of infirmity and frailty, or of con∣tumacy and rebellion, which wee haue wilfully and presumptuously com∣mitted against God. The like matter of meditation the punishment of our sinnes doth minister vnto vs: As namely, that by our sinnes wee haue made our selues subiect to the fearfull wrath of God, the curse of the Law, all the plagues and punishments of this life: As all external miseries which are innumerable; respecting our estate, as pouerty, penury, losses and cros∣ses; or our bodies, as heat, cold, hunger, thirst, sicknesses and diseases, shortnesse and vncertainty of life and death it selfe. So also the internall miseries of the soule, as terrours of conscience, and griefes of minde; or contrariwise, to be giuen vp of God to our security and hardnesse of hart, infidelity, finall impenitency and to a reprobate mind. And finally, the eternall and euerlasting punishments of body and soule in their separa∣tion from God, and the vnspeakable torments of hell fire. And finally, we may meditate of the remedilesnesse of this our miserable condition, in respect of any created helpe of men. Angels, or any creature, as the top and consummation of all our misery, seeing the infinite Iustice of God being offended by our sinnes, would not admit of any finite satisfaction. The which kind of meditations vpon sinne and punishment, serue not on∣ly to humble vs before God, by bringing vs vnto a true sense of our sinne and misery, to make vs to deny our selues in the worke of our Redemp∣tion, and to fly vnto Christ, but also cause vs to admire and praise Gods mercy and goodnesse, patience and long-suffering, who hath so long borne with vs in the state of infidelity, and hath not inflicted vpon vs all these fearfull punishments which our sinnes haue deserued; yea, to inflame our hearts with most feruent loue towards God, and his Christ, and holy Spirit, who seeing vs in this wretched plight, loaded and defiled with the filth of sinne, and guilty and liable to all punishments and miseries, did pitty vs in this miserable estate, and when there was no other meanes of saluation and deliuerance from all these euils, wrought our freedome and redemption by the death and obedience of the Lord of life.

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