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. 3 That we are in our medita∣tions chiefly to respect our will, harts and affections, our liues and actions.

And thus we are to proceed in the first part of meditation, which re∣specteth the discourse of our mind and vnderstanding: The second part respecteth the practique faculties, the will, heart, and affections, the life and actions, vnto which in this exercise we are to haue chiefe regard, that they may thereby be sanctified and nourished in all spirituall graces, and strengthened to the performance of all holy duties, with cheerfulnesse and delight. Neither is it sufficient, that we do by the former meanes pro∣uide plenty of spirituall food, fit for the nourishment of our soules, vn∣lesse we also feed vpon it, and apply it vnto them for their speciall vse. It is not enough that wee prepare abundant meanes and matter for our spi∣rituall good, vnlesse wee fit and apply them to those ends and vses for which we did prepare them, whereof if wee faile, all our former labour will be vaine and fruitlesse. For as it doth not auaile a man, for the preser∣uation and comfort of his life, that his granaries and store-houses are full of all good prouision, no not to haue his table throughly furnished with all variety of meats, if he doe not feed vpon them; nor to haue his chests and wardrobe full of apparell, if he doe not put them on, nor (miser-like) to hoord vp treasures in abundance, and neuer conuert them to vse, nor imploy them for the reliefe of his necessity, and comfort of his life: so it will not profit vs at all for the nourishing, strengthening and refreshing of our soules, to make prouision in all kinds, and to lay it vp in the store-house of our minds and memories, if it be not applyed to our hearts and affections, which are the most essentiall and vitall parts of a true Christi∣an, that they may nourish and comfort them, and make them actiue and able to performe with cheerfulnesse, all holy duties of a Christian life. To which purpose there is further required, after we haue by the discourse of our vnderstandings, cleered and inlarged the matter whereon wee medi∣tate, with much variety, that we now labour to bring all which wee haue thought vpon, by speciall application to our owne particular vse, and to worke and inforce it vpon our hearts and consciences, that they may haue a liuely taste, and thorow sense and feeling of it, stirring vp our affecti∣ons, according to the nature and quality of the matter, either to holy loue or hatred, to admiration or contempt, ioy or sorrow, hope or feare, desire

or abhorring, confidence or shame, and so in the rest. Thus if the subiect matter of our meditation be good, both in it owne nature, and vnto vs, we are by considering the Authour and end of it, the beauty and excel∣lency, the profit and benefit, the necessity of hauing it, and the misery of wanting it, to worke it into our hearts, by inflaming them with the loue and desire of it, by stirring them vp with admiration in their pursuit, and ioy in their fruition, by affecting them with hope of obtaining them, ei∣ther in respect of matter or degree, and with care and feare of losing or lessening them. But if it be euill and wicked, wee are, by considering the causes and fountaine from which it springeth, the pernicious ends where∣to it tendeth, the mischieuous effects which it produceth, the deformity and basenesse, the losse and misery, vnprofitablenesse and maliciousnesse of it, to worke our hearts to a further detestation and lothing, to a con∣tempt, auersation and abhorring of it, if by the tentations of our spirituall enemies it be pressed vpon vs, or to shame and sorrow, if they bee tainted with it, and haue giuen it admission. Neither must we content our selues with weake motions in this kind, but wee must labour to worke in our hearts feruent affections, and such as discouer much zeale and deuotion; not thinking it enough to taste of these spirituall meats which the dis∣course of our vnderstandings hath set before vs, and so to leaue them (as it were) standing vpon the table, without receiuing by them any further benefit; but we must hunger and thirst after them with longing and ear∣nest desires, we must labour to haue a thorow sense and feeling of their comfortable sweetnesse, yea wee must swallow them downe and digest them, not so much in our stomackes, as in the ventricles of our hearts, to increase the vitall spirits of our soules, which may inable vs to liue the life of grace, and make vs fit and vigorous for spirituall motion. And the more we finde our selues affected with these spirituall delicacies; and the more sweetnesse and benefit we rellish in them, the more earnestly must we still stirre vp our affections to goe on in this spirituall pursuit, setting vp (as it were) all our sailes, when wee haue got a prosperous gale; and when we are come to a good veyne in this golden mine, we must not bee satisfied when wee haue made an entrance, but dig into it further with more diligence, incouraging and comforting our selues in this delight∣full labour with these first good beginnings.