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.

Another priuate Prayer for the Morning.

O Almighty and eternall God, our most gracious and louing Father in Iesus Christ, I thy poore sinfull seruant, being in my selfe vtterly vnworthy to appeare in thy glorious pre∣sence, doe yet in the Name and mediation of Iesus Christ, offer vnto thee my prayers and supplications, in obedience to thy Commandements, and in some assurance of thy gracious pro∣mises; rendring vnto thee from the bottome of mine heart, all humble and hearty thankes, for thy manifold mercies and abundant blessings multiplied vpon mee, both in respect of spirituall and heauenly priui∣ledges, which concerne my euerlasting saluation, and of temporall and earthly benefits appertaining to the good of this life, and my present estate in this place of my Pilgrimage. For that thou hast freely loued mee from all eternity, and of thy meere grace hast chosen mee vnto life and glory, without any respect of my workes or worthinesse. For crea∣ting mee according to thine owne Image, and redeeming me out of the estate of sinne and death. For calling mee effectually by thy Word and Spirit, and making mee a seruant of thine owne family, and a member of Iesus Christ, whereby thou hast giuen mee iust title vnto him and all his benefits. For making with mee the Couenant of grace, adop∣ting mee in him to bee thy child, vnto a liuely hope of my heauenly in∣heritance. For iustifying mee in his righteousnesse imputed vnto mee, and applyed by a liuely faith; and sanctifying mee with thy Spirit, gi∣uing mee some power ouer my corruptions, and some desire and inde∣uour to serue and please thee in the duties of a godly life. For watch∣ing

ouer mee with thy prouidence euer since I had my being and birth, shielding mee from dangers, deliuering mee out of manifold euils, and prouiding for mee all things necessary both for my soule and body. For preseruing mee this night past from all perils, giuing vnto mee quiet rest, and bringing mee in safety to see the light, adding yet ano∣ther day to my life, that therein I may doe thee seruice, and vse all good meanes for the furthering and assuring of my saluation. O Lord, giue mee a true sense and feeling of thy loue, that I may loue thee againe, and a liuely apprehension and taste of thy rich mercy and goodnesse, that mine heart and voyce may returne vnto thee the praises that are due. Yea, so much the more, O Lord, increase my thankfulnesse, by how much the lesse worthy I am of the least of thy mercies, by reason of my manifold and grieuous sinnes. For I confesse vnfainedly that miserable estate in which I am by nature; both in respect of my originall corrup∣tion in which I was conceiued and borne, whereby all the powers and faculties of my body and soule haue beene wholly defiled, and vtterly disabled vnto all duties of thy seruice, for which I was created; and that I haue made my selfe much more miserable, by adding heereunto actuall transgressions, whereby I haue broken all and euery of thy Commande∣ments, in thought, word, and deed, both by omitting the duties which thou hast commanded, and committing the contrary vices and sinnes which thou hast forbidden; the which, as they are for the quality of them haynous, so doe they in number exceed the haires of mine head and the starres of heauen. Yea, Lord, I haue not onely thus sinned against thee in the dayes of my ignorance, when as I neither had any knowledge of thee and of thy will, nor so much as any desire to serue and please thee, but euen since the time that thou hast called mee to the knowledge of thy Truth, and by the good motions of thy Spirit, hast perswaded mee to imbrace, professe, and practise it; since thou hast allured mee by thy gracious promises to serue thee, and hast incouraged mee heereunto by innumerable blessings, and large testimonies of thy fauour, I haue of∣ten sinned against thee through frailty and infirmity, and not seldome against my knowledge and conscience. Oftentimes I haue neglected thy seruice, to serue in the meane while mine owne sinfull lusts; and when I haue vndertaken it, I haue performed it oftentimes after a cold and formall manner, with much weakenesse and wearinesse, vncheareful∣nesse, and deadnesse of heart and spirit. By all which my sinnes thus mul∣tiplyed against thee, I haue iustly deserued to bee depriued of all thy blessings and benefits, and to bee ouerwhelmed with all those fearefull punishments threatned in the Law, respecting both this life and the life to come. O Lord my God, affect my heart with vnfained sorrow in the sight and sense of this my sinne and misery. And as it is a burthen too heauy for mee to beare, so let mee haue such a feeling of it, that I may hunger after the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ, and apply it vnto mee by a liuely faith; and so make good the Couenant of grace, which thou hast made with mee: one speciall branch whereof is this, that thou wilt remember my sinnes no more. I confesse that I haue offended thy Iustice, but my Sauiour Christ hath satisfied it, by paying my debt to the vtter∣most

farthing: accept therefore of his satisfaction, and impute not vn∣to mee that debt which hee hath discharged. I haue deserued eternall death and condemnation: but hee was condemned, that I might bee acquitted, and hath suffered the bitter death of the Crosse, and thine anger due vnto my sinnes, that I might bee freed from death and thy dis∣pleasure: and therefore, O Lord, I beseech thee for his sake, to take away the guilt and punishment of all my sinnes, that they may neuer bee im∣puted vnto mee in this life, nor in the life to come. And being thus iu∣stified by faith, and at peace with thee, let mee also obtaine peace of con∣science, in the assurance of the remission of my sinnes, and thy loue and fauour in Iesus Christ. Giue vnto mee thine holy Spirit, and thereby seale mee vp vnto the day of my Redemption, and make mee thine owne Child by adoption and grace. Let mee approoue my selfe to bee thy Child, by resembling thee my heauenly Father in holinesse and righteous∣nesse; by hating and forsaking all that is euill, and by louing and imbra∣cing all that is good. Sanctifie mee thorowout in my soule and body, and let mee not onely make an holy profession with my mouth, but let it proceed from my heart, and bee expressed in the whole course of my life. Encourage mee in this worke against all difficulties, by assuring mee that thou wilt bring it to good effect, and let mee apply vnto my selfe thy gra∣cious promises, which assure mee as well of my sanctification and victory ouer my corruptions, as of my iustification and freedome from the guilt and punishment of my sinnes. Let mee set continually before mee thy Law, as the rule of my life, and labour to conforme my obedience in all things thereunto, denying vngodlinesse and all worldly lusts, and li∣uing holily and religiously, in respect of thee; righteously and charita∣bly, in respect of my neighbours; and temperately and soberly, in respect of mine owne person. Let mee labour to obserue thy whole Law, in for∣saking all sinne; especially that which is most sweet and pleasing to my corrupt flesh, and in imbracing all vertues and Christian duties which thou hast commanded, especially those vnto which my nature is most auerse. Let mee not content my selfe with such an hypocriticall holinesse as is destitute of righteousnesse, nor with such a meerely morall righte∣ousnesse as is without holinesse; but let mee approoue my piety to bee sin∣cere, by my iustice, charity, and mercy, and let these bee sanctified by my true godlinesse and religious deuotion. Let mee not stand at a stay, con∣tenting my selfe with that small measure of sanctification which is be∣gunne in me, but let mee daily striue in the vse of all good meanes, where∣by I may attaine vnto more perfection, and so sanctifie them vnto mee by thy holy Spirit, that they may bee effectuall to perfect that good worke which thou hast begunne. Inrich mee more and more with all sanctifying and sauing graces, with the knowledge of thee and thy will, a liuely faith in Iesus Christ, vnfained repentance for my sinnes, firme af∣fiance and confidence in thee, feruent loue of thee and my neighbours, yea, euen mine enemies for thy sake. Inflame mine heart with an ardent zeale of thy glory, replenish it with thy feare, that it may neuer depart from thee. Strengthen mine hope, in the assured expectation of all thy gracious promises, especially those which concerne my euerlasting hap∣pinesse;

giue mee patience in all my troubles, thankefulnesse for all thy benefits, peace of conscience, spirituall ioy in the assurance of thy loue, and the grace of perseuerance in the profession and practice of thy true Religion vnto the end. Remoue all stum∣bling blockes of offence out of my way; comfort me against all dis∣couragements, and arme me against all the tentations of my spiritu∣all enemies, that they may neuer preuaile against me. Take me into thy gracious protection this day and euer, preserue me with thy pro∣uidence from all dangers, vphold me with thy Spirit, that I fall not into sinne. Direct me with thy Wisdome, and strengthen me with thy power in all my thoughts, words and workes, that they may be acceptable in thy sight. Blesse and assist me in the generall duties of Christianity, and in the speciall duties of my calling, that they may haue good successe, and wholy tend to the aduancement of thy glorie, the edification of my brethren, and mine owne spiri∣tuall and euerlasting good. Blesse thy whole Church and euery member thereof, especially this in which I liue, with all the Ma∣gistrates, Ministers and people, this Family, and all to whom I am bound in any speciall bond of dutie, beseeching thee to giue vnto vs all, according to our seuerall necessities, all those gifts and gra∣ces which thou in thy wisdome knowest needfull, euen for Iesus Christ his sake: to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit, I ascribe all glorie and prayse, power and dominion, both now and for euer∣more. Amen.