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. 7 Of the exter∣nall meanes of executing Gods Decree of Election.

Moreouer, we may haue plentifull matter of meditation, from the ex∣ternall meanes of executing the Decree of our Election: As from the Couenant of grace made with vs in Christ, wherein the Lord hath pro∣mised that he will be our God, and wee shall be his people, the remission of our sinnes and saluation of our soules, grace and all good things in this life, and euerlasting happinesse in the life to come, vpon the alone con∣dition of faith, which being liuely and effectuall, bringeth forth the fruits of vnfained repentance. So also from the meanes whereby this Couenant is administred, namely, the ministery of the Word, and administration of the Sacraments, Baptisme, and the Lords Supper; both which affoord vn∣to vs plentifull matter of meditation. From the degrees likewise of the executing Gods Decree of Election and Reprobation. As the loue and free grace of God in Christ: and the degrees of the declaration of this loue both in this life, and afterwards. The first degree in this life is our effectuall calling, the parts whereof are, our election and separation from the world, Gods donation, giuing Christ vnto vs to be our Sauiour, and vs to Christ to be saued by him; and finally, our insition into Christ, and vnion with him. From the meanes of executing this our calling, which is the sauing hearing of the Word, the softening of our hard hearts, ma∣king them humble, contrite, penitent and sorrowfull for sinne, which are all preparatiues to our sound conuersion and regeneration, whereby wee who were dead in sinne, are quickened and reuiued by the Spirit of God, effectually applying vnto vs the vertue of Christs death and Resurrection. From the worke of grace thus begun in vs, we may haue much profitable matter of meditation. As of the illumination of our minds with sauing knowledge, of iustifying faith, with the causes, effects, degrees, properties

and signes of it, our iustification by faith in Christ, our reconciliation, and adoption; and manifold other priuiledges of the faithfull, of which I shall haue occasion to speak hereafter. The speciall fruits of faith respect∣ing our Iustification, as our entrance into grace by which wee stand, the loue of God shed abroad in our hearts, confidence, free accesse to the Throne of grace, peace of conscience, ioy in the holy Ghost, and an holy glorying in Gods benefits. The fruits of faith respecting our adoption, as the Spirit of adoption, hope, Christian liberty. So also we haue excellent matter of meditation from our sanctification, the causes, effects, degrees, properties, meanes and signes of it, and from the speciall parts of it, our mortification vnto sinne, and vinification to newnesse of life. From the imperfection of our sanctification, which is but begun in this life, and to be perfected in the life to come, and that by reason hereof the reliques of all sorts of sinne doe still remaine in vs, blindnesse in our mindes, errour in our iudgments, impurity in our consciences, forgetfulnesse in our me∣mories, rebellion in our willes, security, impenitency, infidelity and hard∣nesse in our hearts, corruption and disorder in our affections, and by rea∣son of all these many sinnes breaking out into our actions. And heere we may meditate of those speciall sinnes and corruptions whereunto our natures are most prone, and wherewith wee are most often ouertaken; and of the meanes whereby we may mortifie and subdue them, that they may no longer beare this sway in vs as in former times. So also wee haue heere occasion to meditate of our begun sanctity in all our parts and actions: of the internall holinesse of our natures, and the change that is wrought in vs by repentance from euill to good, from corruption to grace, the which is to be obserued in all our inward faculties; as the holi∣nesse of our minds and vnderstandings in their spirituall illumination, whereby they become wise and prudent in the things appertaining to God and our saluation; the purging of our consciences from dead works, and their naturall impurity; the sanctity of our memories, whereby they become faithfull Registers of good things; the freedome of our willes in chusing good, and refusing of euill; the suppling, softening, and sanctify∣ing of our hearts; the rectifying, right ordering, purging and and renew∣ing of our affections; as loue, hatred, confidence, hope, feare, despaire, ioy, sorrow, anger, zeale, and the rest. The sanctity of our bodies and outward actions, appearing in our new obedience and good workes. The integri∣ty, sincerity, alacrity and constancy of them; the parts of this obedience, which are, the denying of our selues, and the profession of Christ. How we are to deny our selues, namely, by resigning vp our selues wholly vnto God, to be not onely his seruants, but also his souldiers in the Christian warfare; where we may take occasion to meditate of that due preparati∣on which is required to this warfare, and of the Christian armour, and of the conflict it selfe, consisting in the manifold tentations of our spirituall enemies, and our resistance, and of our standing and falling in it. How we are also to deny our selues in taking vp our crosse and following of Christ, bearing with patience whatsoeuer afflictions hee imposeth; and of the meanes whereby we may attaine vnto it. In respect of our profession of Christ, we are to meditate how we are to carry our selues towards Christ

himselfe, and how towards his members. How wee are to professe Christ at all times, by inuocation and calling vpon God in his name and media∣tion. And here we haue much profitable matter of meditation concer∣ning prayer, both in respect of the doctrine and vse of it, of which I haue before spoken, and the particular practice of it in the Lords Prayer, of which we may profitably meditate, proceeding from one petition to ano∣ther. The profession of Christ in time of danger, which is either the pro∣fession of the mouth by Christian apologie, or of the fact, by suffering persecution and martyrdome, of which we may meditate, and the meanes whereby we may be prepared and strengthened vnto them. The professi∣on of Christ respecting his members, is our edifying them, by instructi∣on, admonition, exhortation, consolation and good example, or our hel∣ping and relieuing them by the workes of mercy and almes-deedes, whereon we may profitably meditate, and of the motiues and meanes whereby we may be stirred vp and inabled to performe them. And final∣ly, our perseuerance in grace, and in all these Christian duties, euen to the very end of our liues, which is the consummation of all the rest, is neces∣sary to be thought vpon, our certainty of it, and by what meanes wee may come to this assurance. And thus wee must meditate on the degrees of Gods executing the Decree of our election in this life. In respect of the life to come, hee executeth it by our glorification, of which we may me∣ditate, as it is begun or perfected. It is begun at the death of the Elect, whereby their soules being separated from their bodies, are receiued into the ioyes of heauen. The which our death is an excellent subiect of me∣ditation; as of the nature of it to the elect, the certainty of it, and vn∣certainty of the time, of our preparation to it, and meanes whereby we may be armed against the feare of it.