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 Lords Day in the Morning.

O Lord our God, glorious in Maiesty, omnipotent in power, infinite in all goodnesse & perfection, and our most gracious Father in Iesus Christ, who hast created all things of no∣thing for thine own glory, and man especially for thine own seruice; the which he is bound to performe both by the right of creati∣on, wherin thou hast vouchsafed vnto him his being; & of Redemption, whereby thou hast giuen vnto him his wel-being, by restoring him to that estate of blessednes which he had lost by his sins. But yet in a more especiall maner ought this seruice to be performed on thine owne pe∣culiar Day, which thou hast appropriated to thy worship, & consecra∣ted to an holy rest, both by thy commandement, and also thine owne example. We thine vnprofitable seruants, and vtterly vnworthy of these high and holy priuiledges, doe here present our selues before thee, desiring, and in some poore measure indeuouring to sanctifie this Day of rest, and to glorifie thee by performing, as we are able, such du∣ties of thy seruice as thou requirest. Howbeit, we must needs acknow∣ledge, to thy glory & our own shame, that we haue vtterly disabled our selues vnto them by our manifold & grieuous sins. For through our na∣turall corruption, thy Sabbaths, which should be our delight, are be∣come tedious & vnpleasant; thy seruice, which should be our meat and drinke, and euen the very life of our life, and ioy of our hearts, is be∣come so lothsome and distastfull to our carnall appetite, that either we vtterly neglect it, or else performe it after a cold and carelesse man∣ner, with much dulnesse, drowzines, and irksome wearinesse. Our wis∣dome is enmity against thee, & our vnderstandings dull in conceiuing spirituall things, our thoughts & imaginations so wholy carried away with earthly vanities, that when they should be wholy intent vnto

spirituall exercises, they roue and wander after worldly trifles. Our consciences are so loaded with dead works & the guilt of our sins, that they weaken our faith in applying thy promises, and depriue vs of that confidence and comfort which we should otherwise haue in our pray∣ing and hearing. Our memories are like riuen vessels, which suffer the precious liquor of thy Word to run out without vse or profit. Our wils are so stubborne and rebellious, that we cannot submit to thine holy Ordinances, but resist both the outward ministry of thy Word, and the inward motions of thy holy Spirit. Our hearts are so hardned with the deceitfulnesse of sin, that they are not easily mollified with thy sweet promises and gracious benefits, nor terrified and broken with thy threatnings and righteous Iudgements. Our affections are so wholy corrupted and disordred, that they are wholy set vpon worldly things; and little loue and delight in thee and thy sauing truth, in thy seruice and Sabbaths, doe wee feele in our dead hearts, in comparison of that feruour of affection, which we sensibly perceiue in the pleasures of sinne, and worldly delights. And with this corruption of our sinfull soules, our bodies likewise are so tainted and infected, that they are altogether indisposed vnto thy seruice, and exceeding dead and lum∣pish in the performance of all holy and Religious duties. From which totall corruption of our natures, haue issued and sprung those in∣numerable numbers of actuall transgressions, whereby we haue broken thy whole Law, and euery Commandement thereof in thought, word and deed. But especially we acknowledge our fearefull neglect of the duties of thy seruice, and our weake & imperfect performances, when we haue vndertaken them; our profanation of thy Sabbaths, and abuse of thine holy Ordinances; our little profiting by those plen∣tifull meanes of our saluation, which for a long time thou hast gra∣ciously affoorded vs, either for the increasing of sauing knowledge, the strengthening of our faith, or bringing forth fruits of new obedi∣ence; our want of faith and feruency of spirit in calling vpon thy Name; our want of reuerence and attention in hearing thy Word; our many distractions and wandring thoughts; our want of care to trea∣sure it vp in our hearts, and of conscience to make an holy vse of it in our liues and conuersations. By all which and innumerable other sinnes, we acknowledge (good Lord) that we haue iustly deser∣ued to be depriued of all meanes of our saluation, and that thou should∣est take away from vs the food of our soules, and cause them to perish through Spirituall famine; or that thou shouldest turne our meate into poyson, and make it to become the sauour of death to our dee∣per condemnation, which in it owne nature is the sauour of life vn∣to life, and thine owne strong power vnto saluation. But wee be∣seech thee (good Lord) for thy Sonnes sake, to be gracious vnto vs in the free pardon of these and all other our sinnes; and seeing hee hath fully satisfied thy Iustice, by that all-sufficient sacrifice, which he hath once offered vpon his Crosse, be reconciled vnto vs in him, and clense vs thorowly from the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes, that they may not be as a wall of separation to stop from vs thy

blessings, nor as strong chaines to pull downe vpon vs thy iudgements and punishments, either in this world, or in the world to come. And be∣ing thus freed from all our sinnes, let vs deuote our selues wholly to thy seruice: which that we may performe with greater cheerfulnesse and di∣ligence, let vs haue the comfortable assurance of this thy mercy in the re∣mission of our sinnes, sealed in our hearts by thy good Spirit, witnessing vnto vs that we are thy children by adoption and grace. And thereby not only seale vs vp vnto the Day of our Redemption, but also sanctifie vs throughout in our bodies and soules, by the mortification of the flesh, and our spirituall quickening in the inner man, that wee may, in the whole course of our liues, serue and please thee. But in a more especiall manner we beseech thee (good Lord) to sanctifie vs, that we may sanctifie this thy Sabbath; and assist vs by thy grace and holy Spirit, that wee may so per∣forme the religious duties of thy seruice, as that wee may bee made more holy, and inabled vnto the leading of such a Christian life as may bee ac∣ceptable in thy sight. Take away from vs the corruption of our natures, wherby we are made backward and vntoward to the duties of thy seruice, and make vs willing to sequester our selues from all worldly affaires, that we may wholly be imployed in them. Let vs reioyce in thy Sabbaths, as being the time of our spirituall refection, and the market of our soules, and let vs not rest in a formall keeping of them, but performe the duties required in them, with all care and good conscience, not onely in the out∣ward man, but with our hearts and soules, in spirit and truth. Free vs from carnall wearines, as thinking the time long till they be past: but knowing that time to be best spent which is imployed in thy seruice, let vs take most comfort and contentment in it. Inable vs (good Lord) by priuate prepa∣ration to fit our selues for thy publike seruice, meditating on our wants, that we may vse all good meanes whereby they may be supplyed, and on our speciall sins & corruptions, that we may get spiritual strength against them, and imploring the assistance of thy good Spirit, that we may be in∣abled thereby to performe, in an holy manner, all duties which thou re∣quirest. Let vs keep an holy Rest vnto thee, and abstaine not only from the ordinary workes of our callings and worldly affaires, but also from all car∣nall pleasures and sensual delights. Suffer not our thoughts to be taken vp with worldly or wicked cogitations, but let our minds bee exercised in spirituall and heauenly meditations. Set a watch before our mouthes, that we may not, on thine holy Day, speak our owne words, nor vtter any idle, vaine, worldly or wicked speeches; but let our tongues speak to thy praise, and be exercised in holy & religious conferences, tending to the mutuall edification one of another. Let vs not content our selues with a meere ces∣sation from our labours, but refer this Rest to holinesse, as the maine end thereof, without which the outward rest is but vaine; and with the exter∣nall, let vs ioyne the internall rest from sin, exercising our selues in repen∣tance from dead workes. Make vs carefull in vsing all good means which thou hast ordained for the sanctifying of thy Day, both publikely and pri∣uately, and let vs, with one hart and voyce, ioyne with the rest of the Con∣gregation in all the parts of thy seruice. Inable all thy Ministers in all pla∣ces, and him especially to whose charge thou hast committed vs, that they

may break vnto vs the Bread of life, and rightly diuide thy Word for our spirituall nourishment. Furnish them with all gifts and graces necessary for their high calling, and let them deliuer thy truth as in thy presence, faithfully and powerfully, truly and sincerely, and so assist them with the inward working of thine holy Spirit, that thy Word may be effectual for the conuersion, edification and saluation of their hearers. Inable vs by the same Spirit, to call vpon thee with faith & feruency, and with all loue and thankfulnes to praise thee for all thy blessings vouchsafed vnto vs. Let vs with all due reuerence & attention heare thy Word, lay it vp in our harts and memories, and bring forth the fruits of it in our liues and conuersati∣ons. Giue vs grace also (O Lord) to sanctifie thy Sabbaths priuately, by performing by our selues, and in our owne families, those priuate duties which are specially required on this thy Day. Let vs meditate on thy Word after we haue heard it, and apply it vnto our selues for our owne vse. Let vs meditate on thy maruellous works of Creation, Preseruation and Redemption; but especially on the death and Resurrection of our Lord and Sauiour, that they may be effectuall to mortifie our sins, and to quicken vs vnto newnes of life. Let vs spend our time in religious exerci∣ses, and in the works of charity & mercy, as being those sacrifices wherein thou most delightest; but especially in those spirituall duties which tend to the saluation of our owne and others soules, taking care not onely to sanctifie thine holy Day our selues, but, as much as in vs lyeth, that it may be sanctified by all those who any wayes belong to our charge. Accept of our praise and thanksgiuing for all thy blessings and benefits, both spiri∣tuall and temporall, which thou hast multiplyed vpon vs, and continue them vnto vs this day and euer, preseruing vs from all perils, and furnish∣ing vs with all necessaries, that we may be the fitter with all cheerfulnesse to doe thee seruice: And vouchsafe all these blessings which wee haue cra∣ued for our selues, with all other things which in thy wisdome thou seest needful, vnto euery true member of thy Church, &c. euen for Iesus Christ his sake, to whom with thee & thine holy Spirit, we ascribe all praise and glory, power and dominion, both now, and for euermore. Amen.