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 by lea∣ding of a god∣ly life, we are assured of free∣dome from all our sins, both in respect of their guilt, punishment, and corrup∣tion.

Now the good things which accompany the duties of a godly life, are either the benefits, which as fruits and effects, attend vpon it; or those speciall and rich priuiledges, wherewith God of his free mercy is pleased to crowne his owne graces, and to reward, as with rich wages, that poore seruice which we performe vnto him. The benefits which follow a godly life, are either priuatiue, consisting in our freedome from euill; or posi∣tiue, in the fruition of good, and both of them either temporall or eter∣nall. The priuatiue benefits of this life are many, according to the multi∣tude of euils vnto which it is liable, both in respect of sinne and punish∣ment, from which, in the greatest and worst part, we are by the benefit of a godly life freed and deliuered. For first, if wee leade a godly life, it will be a meanes to assure vs of our freedome from the guilt of all our sinnes, by sole vertue of Christs death and blood-shed, applyed vnto vs by faith, both in regard that these holy duties of a godly life are the vndoubted fruits of a liuely faith, approuing it to bee sincere and vnfained; and as fruits of our Sanctification, assuring vs, that the same vertue of Christs death and Resurrection, which wee finde effectuall for the mortifying of our sinnes, and our spirituall quickening vnto holinesse and newnesse of life, hath been already alike effectuall vnto vs, for the freeing of vs from the guilt of sinne in our Iustification, of which the other are but fruits and effects. And secondly, wee shall hereby be freed, in the greatest part, from our fleshly corruption, and innumerable actuall sinnes; seeing those that are carefull to please God in the duties of a godly life, doe bend their whole force in the vse of all good meanes, for the subduing of their car∣nall

lusts, that though they dwell, yet they may not rule and raigne in them; resist, as much as in them lyeth, all the tentations of their spirituall enemies, alluring and drawing them into sinne, and keepe a conscionable and diligent watch ouer themselues, that they may not wittingly and wil∣lingly commit any thing which Gods Law hath forbidden and condem∣ned. Whereof it commeth to passe, that howsoeuer they are sometime (and it may be not seldome) ouertaken through humane frailty and infir∣mity, and so, contrary to their purpose and resolution, are led captiue into sinne, yet are they, by this care and circumspection, preserued from falling into any knowne transgression, for the most part, and from hainous and grieuous sinnes, which wound and waste the conscience, and like the hec∣tique feuer, consume the graces of God (as it were) the vitall spirits, which preserue the spirituall life; into which, worldly and carnall men, who neglect the duties of a Godly life, doe ordinarily fall, and make them (as it were) their ordinary trade. Or if through violence of tentation, and neglect of keeping their watch, they haue been surprised vpon a sud∣den, and ouertaken of such sinnes, yet hauing this care to please God in the duties of a godly life, this will but very rarely happen; and when it doth, yet they doe not like wicked men, multiply their transgressions, by committing often the same hainous sinne; nor impenitently con∣tinue in it from day to day, and yeere to yeere, but being through frailty falne, they doe not lye still, but labour to come out of it by vnfained re∣pentance. Now how inestimable this benefit is, which accompanyeth a godly life, whereby, in the greatest part, we get victory ouer our corrupti∣ons, by which, others are conquered, and as slaues held captiue, and pre∣serued from falling into innumerable, and those the most hainous sinnes; it will easily appeare, if we consider the greatnesse of the euill from which we are hereby deliuered, namely, from sinne, which, aboue all things in the world is most odious vnto God, and most pernicious vnto our soules and bodies, as being the root and fountaine of all those mischiefes and miseries, vnto which men are lyable, both in this life, and the life to come.

Notes

• Psal. 119. 9, 10, 11.