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. 1 That if we will leade a godly life, we must vse the meanes inabling vs vnto it.

VNto the rules of direction, which helpe and further vs in the duties of a godly life, wee are to adde the consideration of certaine speciall meanes respecting practice, whereby wee may be the better inabled to performe them. For as God in his Decree hath ordained the ends at which we must chiefly aime, that we may attaine vnto them; so also the meanes which conduce vnto these ends. As for example; hee hath propounded his glory as the supreme end of all things; and withall, diuers meanes whereby it is ad∣uanced and magnified, as our faithfull seruice and obedience to his Com∣mandements, faith in Christ, and such like. He hath ordained vs to salua∣tion, and that we may attaine vnto it, hee hath linked his Decree to this end by certaine subordinate causes and meanes, as Creation, Redempti∣on, Effectuall calling, Iustification, Sanctification, and Preseruation. Hee hath decreed that we should liue our naturall life vnto our appoynted time, but withall, that we should vse the meanes of food, clothing, sleepe, physick, by which it is preserued and maintained. And thus also as hee hath ordained that we should liue the life of grace, so likewise that wee should vse the helpes and meanes which hee hath appoynted for the be∣ginning, continuing, and finishing of it: which if wee neglect, wee can haue no more hope of attaining vnto it, whatsoeuer faire pretences wee make of our feruent desires to atchieue this end, then of comming to hap∣pinesse, being destitute of holinesse, without which, the Apostle telleth vs, we shall neuer see God; or of liuing to old age, without the vse of the meanes, meate, drinke, and apparell; or of liuing to Gods glory, when as we delight in the workes of darknesse, and shine not in the light of an holy life. The which as it must make vs carefull to vse all good helpes ap∣poynted by God for the inabling vs vnto the duties of a godly life; so our

second care must be, that wee vse them as meanes, and not supreme and principall causes, but relying our selues chiefly vpon God, his wisedome, and goodnesse, power, and promises, the death and Resurrection of Christ effectually applyed vnto vs by the holy Spirit, let vs vse these meanes, as being his ordinances which hee hath appoynted to serue his prouidence, yet without putting our trust and confidence in them, as suf∣ficient in themselues to conferre grace, or to inable vs vnto the duties of a godly life; seeing without the chiefe Worker assisting vs in the vse of them by his holy Spirit, they are able to doe nothing; and contrariwise, if they be wanting, he is all-sufficient without them, to make vs liue holily in this world, and happily in the life to come. Now these meanes are ei∣ther ordinary, and in continuall vse vpon all occasions; or extraordinary, and to be vsed but at some times, when some speciall causes mooue vs vn∣to them; and both of them either publike or priuate, or else mixt, and to be performed sometimes publikely in the Congregation, and sometimes priuately by our selues, or with others. The publike meanes are the mini∣stery of the Word, the Sacraments and prayer. The which admit of a dou∣ble consideration in respect of their diuers relations to seuerall ends. For as they are duties performed vnto God, that wee may glorifie him by do∣ing vnto him seruice in them, they are parts and branches of piety and a godly life, in which sense we haue already intreated of them; but as they helpe and further vs for the begetting and increasing in vs of all spiritu∣all graces, and the inabling of vs vnto all other Christian duties, they are the meanes of a godly life, in which sense we are now to speake of them. Wherein they may be resembled vnto coyne and treasure, the which is not onely a part of our wealth, but also the meanes of purchasing and procuring house, lands, goods, and all other riches: or vnto the hand, which in one relation is a part or member of the body, but in another re∣spect, an instrument and speciall meanes for the preseruing and nourish∣ing of all our other parts.

Notes

• Heb. 12. 14.