A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. Sect. 1 That if we will lead a godly life, we must use the means enabling us unto it.

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

Unto the rules of direction, which help and further us in the duties of a godly life, we are to add the consideration of certain special means respecting practice, whereby we may be the better enabled to perform them. For as God in his Decree hath ordained the ends at which we must chiefly aim, that we may attain unto them; so also the means which conduce unto these ends. As for example; he hath propounded his glory as the supreme end of all things; and withal, divers means whereby it is advanced and magnified, as our faithful service and obedience to his Commandments, faith in Christ, and such like. He hath ordained us to salvation, and that we may attain unto it, he hath linked his Decree to this end by certain subordinate causes and means, as Creation, Redemption, Effectual calling, Justification, Sanctification, and Preservation. He hath decreed that we should live our natural life unto our appointed time, but withal, that we should use the means of food, clothing, sleep, physic, by which it is preserved and maintained. And thus also as he hath ordained that we should live the life of grace, so likewise that we should use the helps and means which he hath appointed for the beginning, continuing, and finishing of it: which if we neglect, we can have no more hope of attaining unto it, whatsoever fair pretences we make of our fervent desires to achieve this end, then of coming to happiness, being destitute of holiness, without which, the Apostle telleth us, ¹we shall never see God; or of living to old age, without the use of the means, meat, drink, and apparel; or of living to Gods glory, when as we delight in the works of darkness, and shine not in the light of an holy life. The which as it must make us careful to use all good helps appointed by God for the enabling us unto the duties of a godly life;

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 aduanced and magnified, as our faithfull seruice and obedience to his Commandements, faith in Christ, and such like. He hath ordained vs to saluation, and that we may attaine vnto it, hee hath linked his Decree to this end by certaine subordinate causes and meanes, as Creation, Redemption, 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 beginning, 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 happinesse, being destitute of holinesse, without which, the Apostle telleth vs,