A01975:6
A guide to go to GodA guide to goe to God
A guide to go to God: or, An explanation of the perfect pattern of prayer, the Lords prayer. By William Gouge, B. in D. and minister of Gods Word in Black-Friars LondonA guide to goe to God: or, An explanation of the perfect patterne of prayer, the Lords prayer. By William Gouge, B. in D. and minister of Gods Word in Black-Friers London
London: printed by G. Miller for Edward Brewster, 1626
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, RIGHT Worshipful, and other my much respected Parishioners, Inhabitants in Black-Friars London, All needful Prosperity in this world, and eternal Felicity in the World to come
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, RIGHT Worshipfull, and other my much respected Parishioners, Inhabitants in Blacke-Friers London, All needfull Prosperitie in this world, and eternall Felicitie in the World to come
I DESIRE (my much honoured and entirely beloved Parishioners) so long as the Lord of life shall preserve me in the Land of the living, I desire to go on in promoting your spiritual edification every way that I can, privately, publicly, by prayer, by preaching, yea and by printing too. Behold here an evidence thereof. What privately I first digested in mine own meditation, and then publicly delivered by word of mouth, whereof in the open Church you heard your children and servants examined,1 and for a blessing whereupon many prayers by us all jointly and severally have been poured out before God, is now through Gods gracious providence so published as it may be reviewed so oft as you please. Well accept it: for it is A GUIDE TO GO TO GOD. God is the highest, and chiefest Good, below which we may not remain, beyond which we cannot attain. To place our rest in any thing before ⟨image 3⟩we come to God is dangerous.2 To attain to any rest beyond God is impossible. This therefore, is that proper place whether the soul well enlightened and rectified aspireth, as all hot light things aspire to the high hot Region. The means whereby we men on earth have access to God in Heaven, is Prayer. By Prayer we enter into the Court where God sitteth in his Majesty, and we present out selves before him speaking unto him as it were face to face. That therefore which instructeth us to pray aright, directeth us to God. This doth the Lords Prayer: And nothing can do it better. For this end, To teach us how to pray, it was first prescribed. It is not only a most absolute prayer in it self, but also a perfect pattern for other prayers. And in this respect the only way wherein we can go to God. Full of matter is this form of Prayer, but few the words thereof. Such fullness of matter in so few words make it to many as the prophecy of Christ was to Candaces Eunuch, whereof he said (to him that moved this question, Understandest thou what thou readest?) How can I except I had a guide? A guide therefore is needful for many to direct them in this way to go to God. Lo a Guide at hand. This Explanation of the Lords Prayer is offered to you for that purpose. But as a Guide that directeth a Traveller in his journey to the Kings Court, maketh not the way better, but showeth him how to order his travel in that way: