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. 4 Diuers mo∣tiues vnto the daily exercise of prayer.

Vnto which daily and continuall prayers, with this zeale and feruency of Spirit, we may be moued; first, if we consider, that we stand in such neede of Gods continuall helpe and assistance, that wee cannot subsist without it the least minute, for in him we liue, and mooue, and haue our being. Secondly, that we stand daily and continually in want of some gift and grace of God, and of all of them in some measure and degree; and also of some one or other of Gods temporall benefits, or at least, of the right and holy vse of them. And therefore seeing our wants are continuall, and God hath appointed prayer as the hand of the soule, to be thrust into his rich Treasury of all grace and goodnesse for a continuall supply, without which we can haue no assurance, that wee shall receiue any thing at the hands of God; heereby it manifestly appeareth that our prayers also ought to be daily and continuall. Thirdly, we are daily and continually subiect to innumerable dangers, in respect of the euils that may befall vs in our soules, bodies, and estates, and it is God onely watching ouer vs with his

prouidence, that can both preserue vs from them, and deliuer vs out of them: the which, we cannot expect, vnlesse we serue his prouidence, by vsing this meanes of prayer, whereby onely his gracious helpe and assist∣ance is obtained; and therefore our continuall dangers, needing conti∣nuall preseruation from them, commendeth vnto vs the necessary vse of our daily and continuall prayers. Finally, the many and mighty enemies of our saluation doe continually assault vs with their tentations, that ouer∣comming, they may bring vs to destruction. And prayer is the chiefe meanes, both of buckling vnto vs the whole Armour of God, whereby we are inabled to stand in the euill day; and of obtaining the helpe and assistance of his holy Spirit, whereby alone we are inabled to ouercome. And therfore as we are continually tempted to one sinne or other, so must we continually pray for grace to withstand the tentation; and as the A∣postle speaketh, Pray alwayes, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching thereunto with all perseuerance, &c.

Notes

• Act. 17. 28.
• Mat. 7. 7.
• Ephes▪ 6. 18.