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.

A Prayer for the Family in the Euening.

O Lord our God, most high and holy, most dreadfull and glo∣rious in thy might and Maiesty vnto all creatures, terrible and like a consuming fire vnto all impenitent sinners; but a most gracious and louing Father vnto all those, who are reconciled vnto thee in Iesus Christ. Thou hast comman∣ded vs to call vpon thee in all our necessities, and hast incouraged vs hereunto by thy most gracious and free promise, that where two or three are gathered together in the name of thy Sonne, there thou wilt be pre∣sent amongst them by thy holy Spirit, to heare their suits, and relieue their wants. In obedience to which Commandement, and in some assu∣rance of thy gracious promise, we thy poore and vnworthy seruants, doe heere, in the mediation of Iesus Christ, humbly prostrate our selues be∣fore thy Throne of grace and mercy, acknowledging our selues guilty of innumerable sinnes, and thereby lyable to as many fearefull punishments; but yet in the merits of thy Sonne, and in the truth of thy promises, plea∣ding for pardon and forgiuenesse. We confesse vnto thee, that wee were conceiued and borne in sinne, hauing all the faculties and powers of our soules and bodies so wholly defiled with originall corruption, that wee are vtterly disabled for thy seruice, and prone vnto all manner of wic∣kednesse; and haue, in the whole course of our liues, multiplied against thee our actuall transgressions, by breaking thy whole Law, and euery Commandement thereof, in thought, word, and deed. Wee are naturally full of ignorance and blindnesse of mind, neither knowing thee, nor thy truth, and after that thou hast caused the light of the Gospell to shine vnto vs for many yeeres, our minds are still full of darknesse. We content our selues with a small measure of knowledge, and continue children in vnderstanding, when we should be of ripe age, not striuing after more perfection; neither according to the measure of our meanes, are we rich in knowledge, and in the fruits of new obedience. We are full of infide∣lity and doubting, and negligent in the vse of the meanes, whereby our faith should be confirmed and strengthened; and are full also of impeni∣tency, security and hardnesse of heart, and doe both seldome and slightly bewaile our sinnes past, and but weakly and vnconstantly resolue and in∣deuour to amend our liues for the time to come. We are ready to trust in the creature, more then in thee the Creator, and cannot, as we ought, rest vpon thy power and promises in the absence of inferiour meanes. We are apt to forget thee, when thou most remembrest vs, and the more that wee abound with thy blessings, the lesse mindfull wee are of thee from whom we haue receiued them. Wee haue loued the world and earthly things, more then thee and heauenly excellencies, and haue preferred the plea∣sures of sinne, before thy loue and fauour, being ready to hazard these, rather then to forgoe them. We are full of selfe-loue, and haue been mo∣ued hereby to sow vnto the flesh, of which we can reape nothing but sin and punishment; and haue set our hearts so much vpon carnall vanities, that they easily draw them away from thee. We doe not patiently and

constantly hope and waite for the accomplishment of thy promises, though we haue great experience of thy power, truth and goodnesse to∣wards vs. We are cold or luke-warme in our zeale, and haue not with any feruency aduanced the meanes of thy glory, nor remoued the impe∣diments whereby it is hindred. Our reioycing is more in the flesh then in the Spirit; in worldly things and the pleasures of sinne, more then in thee the Fountaine of all true ioy; in the fruition of thy present fauours, and expectation of heauenly happinesse. Wee are vngratefull vnto thee for thy manifold benefits, and oftentimes when we praise thee, it is with our lips onely, and not with inward ioy and cheerfulnesse of our hearts. Wee doe not approoue our loue and thankefulnesse vnto thee by our fruits of obedience; but haue been negligent in the duties of holi∣nesse and righteousnesse, that wee might giue glory to thy holy Name, and all wee doe, is maimed and imperfect, full of wants and weaknesses, and stained with many corruptions. Wee are ready to murmure and re∣pine in our least afflictions, and doe not beare thy fatherly corrections with patience and thankfulnesse, being more sensible of the smart, then of our sinnes which haue caused it; and looking more to the rod, then vnto thy hand, which thereby chastizest vs for our amendment. Wee doe not feare to displease thee by our sinnes, nor auoyd thine anger as the greatest euill; or if we doe feare thee at all, it is not so much for thy mercies, as to auoyd thy Iudgements. We haue not adorned our selues with humili∣ty and meeknesse, in the sight and sense of our owne vilenesse and vnwor∣thinesse; but are full of spirituall pride, arrogating vnto our selues those gifts we haue not, and ouerweening those we haue, or ascribing the praise of them vnto our selues, which is onely due to thee. We are negligent in the duties of thy seruice, and doe not performe them in Spirit and truth, but either neglect them vpon euery slight occasion, or doe them without due preparation, coldly and formally, without any feruency of zeale, re∣specting thy glory, or our spirituall good. We haue often taken thy holy Name in vaine, and abused thine holy ordinances, and prophaned thy Sabbaths, not doing thy will onely on thy holy Day, but speaking our owne words, walking in our owne waies, and seeking our owne carnall delights. We haue also neglected the duties of righteousnesse, charity and mercy towards our neighbours, and of temperance and sobriety to∣wards our selues. By all which, and many other our sinnes, wee haue made our selues subiect to thy wrath and the curse of the Law, and haue iustly deserued to be depriued of all testimonies of thy loue, and to bee ouer∣whelmed with all thy iudgements and punishments, both in this life, and the life to come. O Lord our God, affect our hearts with sonne-like sor∣row, because we haue so much and often displeased thee our gracious Fa∣ther; and let vs be grieued in our soules, that wee are so little grieued for our sinnes, whereby we haue pierced our Sauiour, and grieued thy good Spirit dwelling in vs. And further, wee beseech thee, in the multitude of thy mercies, to remit and forgiue all our sinnes, and wash vs cleane from the guilt and punishment of them all, that they may neither depriue vs of thy loue and manifold blessings temporall and eternall, nor expose vs to thy wrath and fearfull punishments. And not onely remit our sins, and

heale our soules, but speake comfortably to our consciences, by the secret voyce of thy Spirit, as once thy Sonne did to the sicke of the palsie, Sonnes, be of good comfort, your sinnes are forgiuen you. Strengthen our weake faith in the assurance of thy loue, and the remission of our sinnes, and let vs labour earnestly in the vse of all good meanes, where∣by it may bee more and more increased and confirmed, that so without wauering and doubting we may apply Christ vnto vs with all his benefits, and thy gracious promises made in him. Let vs not weaken and wound it with sinnes committed against our knowledge and consciences, but nou∣rish it by bringing foorth the fruits of obedience in a godly life. Assure vs that wee are thy children by adoption and grace, and heires of that heauenly inheritance reserued for thy Saints, and let vs approoue our selues to bee so, by demeaning our selues in all things as it beseemeth thy Sonnes. Let vs loue, reuerence, and obey thee our heauenly Father, and thinke all too little which wee can doe or suffer for thy sake, that thereby we may expresse our loue towards thee. Let vs, aboue all things, be zea∣lous of thy glory, reioycing when it is magnified, and grieuing when it is neglected either by our selues or others. Let vs not hazzard our heauen∣ly inheritance, by wilfull sinning for the gayning of the whole world, but let vs labour to make our calling and election sure, and worke out our saluation with feare and trembling. Giue vnto vs peace of a good con∣science, and replenish our hearts with spirituall ioy in the assurance of thy fauour. Let vs vndoubtedly expect the performance of al thy gracious pro∣mises made in Christ, euen when thou seemest to delay them, especially that mayne promise of euerlasting life and happinesse; and hauing this hope, let vs daily purge our selues, as hee also is pure. But especially giue vs grace, that wee may bring foorth the fruits of our faith, in true, hearty, and vnfained repentance; bewayling our sinnes past, hating our present corruptions which still hang vpon vs, and both purposing and seriously indeuouring to leaue and forsake our sinnes, and to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues. Let vs not de∣ferre our repentance from day to day, but seeing the necessity thereof vn∣to saluation, let vs lay hold of the acceptable time, and whilest it is cal∣led to day, let vs not harden our hearts, but turne vnto thee with all our soules. Let vs, as we daily renew our sinnes, renew also our faith and re∣pentance, and haue an earnest and serious study of pleasing thee in all things. Let vs not content our selues with a small measure of repen∣tance, seeing our sinnes are many and grieuous, but let vs aspire to the highest perfection, hating sinne with a perfect hatred, and bewayling it with bitter griefe. Finally, let vs constantly perseuere in the practice of repentance, and hauing begun in it, let vs continue it to the very end of our liues. And as wee begge these benefits at thy hands, so wee yeeld vnto thee most humble and hearty thankes, for all thy mercies and fauours vouchsafed vnto vs, especially for all thy spirituall graces con∣cerning eternall life, and aboue all, for that inestimable pledge of thy loue, thy deare and onely Sonne, whom thou hast giuen to the death, that hee might free vs from all our spirituall enemies, and purchase for vs euerlasting happinesse. Wee praise thee, for that thou hast watched

ouer vs with thy gracious prouidence, in the whole course of our liues, and namely, this day past, preseruing vs from all dangers, and furnish∣ing vs with all necessaries, and blessing vs in all our labours and inde∣uours. Wee beseech thee, holy Father, to continue with our thankful∣nesse, thy loue towards vs and care ouer vs. Take vs this night into thy gracious protection, and watch ouer vs with thy prouidence, waking and sleeping, and thereby preserue vs from all perils and dangers, and from the malice and fury of all our enemies spirituall and temporall, especially of that raging and roaring Lyon, the deuill, who seeketh all aduantages to worke our destruction. Let vs not sleepe, like others, the sleepe of sinne, which bringeth death, but let vs still keepe the spiritu∣all watch, that wee may alwayes bee prepared for the day of death and Iudgement, and haue our accounts continually in readinesse, that when wee are called to a reckoning, wee may with comfort appeare before our Iudge. Preserue vs in the darke from the workes of darkenesse, and let vs day and night behaue our selues as in thy sight and presence, ma∣king no lesse conscience of secret sinnes, then of those which are open and manifest. Let vs, whilest our bodies rest, haue our mindes exerci∣sed with holy and heauenly Meditations, and let them bee so seasoned with thy grace, and guided by thy good Spirit, that they may not in our sleepe giue way to sinfull thoughts and vaine imaginations. Giue vn∣to vs such quiet and moderate rest, that our bodies may thereby bee re∣freshed, and their decayed strength repaired; and so blesse and sancti∣fie our sleepe vnto vs, that it may bee a meanes of preseruing our health, and of making vs more fit for all duties of thy seruice. Heare vs, gra∣cious God, in all these our suites, and vouchsafe these and all other bles∣sings which in thy wisedome thou knowest needfull, not onely vnto vs, but also to all thy children and seruants, and especially such as bee of this Church, the Magistrates, Ministers, and whole people, euen for Iesus Christ his sake; In whose Name and words wee conclude our pray∣ers, as hee himselfe hath taught vs, saying, Our Father, which art in hea∣uen, &c.