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 That the work of redemption should mooue vs to serue our Redeemer in all duties of a godly life.

Againe, as Christ our Sauiour giuen vnto vs by God his Father; so also the great worke of Redemption wrought by him, may serue as a most powerfull argument to mooue vs vnto the diligent performance of all the duties which belong to a godly life: For though the worke of our Crea∣tion and preseruation are inestimable benefits, yet, this much exceedeth them, being farre aboue all humane conceit, and so vnspeakeable, that it can neuer be sufficiently expressed and magnified by the tongue of men and Angels. Yet let vs take, as we are able, some slender view of it; and with rauishing wonder, admire and adore the rest which we are not able to comprehend. And consider first, what wee were who were thus redee∣med, to wit, mortall men, dust and ashes, weake, and of no strength, stran∣gers, sinners, yea, enemies vnto God and our owne saluation. Secondly, from what we were redeemed, namely, out of the greatest and most des∣perate misery which could possibly bee incident vnto any creature. For Christ hath deliuered vs from the wrath of God, the curse of the Law, and all the fearefull plagues therein threatned, temporall and eternall, from the miserable bondage and captiuity of sinne and Satan, from death, hell, and euerlasting condemnation both of body and soule; and that when we were so desperately and vnrecouerably plunged into these fearefull mise∣ries, that wee were vtterly vnable to helpe our selues, yea, when all the power of men and Angels was altogether vnsufficient to doe vs any good. Thirdly, consider who redeemed such poore sinfull wretches out of this wofull plight, euen the glorious Sonne of God, equall to his Father in power and Maiesty; hee vouchsafed to pitty vs in our misery, and to take vpon him our deliuerance. Fourthly, consider the meanes which he vsed to effect this great worke of our Redemption, namely, by humbling him∣selfe, in taking vpon him our nature, and vniting it in a substantiall and inseparable vnion vnto his Diuine nature, that so he might in our stead, doe and suffer whatsoeuer was necessary for our saluation. Fifthly, consi∣der the manner of effecting this great worke, or the meanes which hee vsed, that he might redeeme vs; namely, by offering himselfe vnto God his Father, as a sacrifice for our sinnes, and an all-sufficient price for our Redemption, and to suffer in his body and soule, all those punishments which were due vnto vs for our sinnes. As all the miseries of his life, po∣uerty and meane birth, flight from his enemies, the tentations of the de∣uill, hunger, wearinesse, the persecutions, scornes, reproches, and slanders of the world and wicked men. And those especially, which he indured a little before his death; for he was betrayed by his owne Apostle, and for∣saken

by the rest, apprehended by his enemies, and by them most iniuri∣ously and barbarously abused, and haled from one Iudgement seat to ano∣ther, falsly accused, wrongfully condemned, blindfolded, buffeted, rayled at, spit vpon, scorned and mocked, whipped, crowned with thornes, and crucified; and so suffered for vs that cruell, ignominious, and accursed death of the Crosse, and his Fathers wrath due to our sinnes, which made him to sweate drops of Blood, and vnder the waight of this intolerable burthen, to complaine, as a man forlorne and forsaken of God. All which, he willingly, meekely, and patiently suffered for vs, that he might redeeme vs out of the hands of all our enemies, and purchase vs vnto him∣selfe as his owne peculiar people. So that wee are now his by a treble right: for he hath made vs, and therefore we are his, euen his home-borne seruants, who owe vnto him our birth and being; hee preserueth vs, and giueth vnto vs all the good things which we inioy, and so we are his hired seruants, who owe vnto him all loue and duty, for the rich wages of his bounteous benefits; and finally, he hath redeemed vs out of the hands of our mortall enemies, by giuing for vs, not siluer or gold, or any corruptible thing, but himselfe and his owne precious Blood, as a price to satisfie his Fathers iustice for our sinnes; and therefore we are no more our owne, but his by the Law of Redemption. What then remaineth, but that we yeeld vnto our Sauiour his owne right which hee hath so dearely bought? and seeing he hath giuen a price for vs, which is of ten thousand, yea, infinite times more value then his purchase; O let vs not defraud him of his bar∣gaine, but deuote our bodies and soules wholly to him, that we may glo∣rifie him by our seruice, and be sorry that we haue no more to giue vnto him. Wee owed our selues vnto him before, by right of creation, but by our sinnes robbed him of his due, by selling our selues ouer to Satan, as his slaues, for the base hire of worldly vanities; and now hee hath againe made vs his owne, by giuing himselfe as the price of our Redemption: and therefore let vs not againe depriue him of his right, and defraud him of his seruice, which if we vngratefully doe, there remaineth no further sacrifice for sinne. He hath giuen himselfe for vs; and shall we thinke it too much to giue our selues to him? He came, not to be serued, but to serue, and to giue his life a ransome for many; and shall the seruant detract his seruice, when his Lord and Master, his King and Soueraigne hath abased himselfe to doe seruice for him? Hee hath made no spare of his Blood for our sakes, and shall we thinke our selues prodigall in our duty, if wee take a little paines, and spend some sweate in his seruice? Yea, rather let vs thinke no time well spent, which is not thus imployed; and all our labour lost, which by holy duty expresseth not some loue towards him, to whom we owe so much, and are able to pay so little. Excellent is the meditation of a deuout Father to this purpose; If (saith he) I owe my selfe wholly vnto him, for my Creation; what shall I now adde for my restauration and Redempti∣on? especially being restored after this manner? Neither was I so easily restored as created. For to create me and all things else, God did but say the word, and it was done; but he that by once speaking made mee, said many things, wrought wonders, suffered things not onely grieuous, but disgracefull and vnworthy of him, that he might redeeme mee. What

therefore shall I returne vnto the Lord, for all the good things which hee hath done vnto me? In his first worke he gaue me vnto my selfe; in the se∣cond, he gaue himselfe to me; and by giuing himselfe, restored me vnto my selfe. Being then both giuen and restored, I owe my selfe vnto him for my self, & so am twice due. But what then shal I giue vnto God for giuing himselfe? for thogh I could giue my selfe a thousand times for recompence, what am I in comparison of him? Besides which argument of thankfulnes, which might mooue vs to performe all duties of Gods seruice, there is ano∣ther of necessity, which like a strong chaine tieth vs vnto them: Seeing our Sauiour Christ hath propounded this as the maine end of our Redempti∣on, yea, hath also ratified it by his solemne Oth, that all those who are by him redeemed out of the hands of their spiritual enemies, shall serue him in holines and righteousnesse, before him, all the dayes of their liues. He therefore died, that he might be Lord of all, not in bare title & profession only (for that wil nothing profit vs at the day of Iudgment, as himselfe telleth vs) but in deed & truth, by performing vnto him faithfull and diligent seruice. Hee hath bought vs, that we should no more be our owne, (and much lesse the deuils or the worlds) but his, & glorifie him both in our soules & bodies, seeing they are his, as the Apo∣stle telleth vs. And therefore vnlesse we thinke that Christ may faile of his end which he hath propounded, & so die in vaine, yea, if he may not faile of his truth, & falsifie his Oath, let vs not imagine that we are his redeemed, or haue any part in that great worke of saluation wrought by him, vnlesse we labour and indeuour to serue him in the duties of holinesse and righ∣teousnesse, and that not by fits and flashes onely, but, from the time of our conuersion, all the remainder of our liues.

Notes

• Rom. 5. 8, 10.
• Psal. 100. 2.
• 1. Pet. 1. 17, 18.
• 1. Cor. 6. 20.
• Heb. 10. 26.
• Mat. 20. 28.
• Quòd si totùm me debeo pro me facto, quid ad∣dam iam & pro refecto, & re∣fecto hoc modo, &c? Bern. lib de diligen. Deo. c. 1.
• Luk. 1. 74, 75. Rom. 14. 9. Mat. 7. 22. Mal. 1. 6.
• 1. Cor. 6. 20. Col. 1. 22. 1. Pet. 2. 24. Esa. 44. 22. 1. Pet. 1. 17, 18.