A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

O Lord our God, most glorious in majesty, and omnipotent in power, who fillest heaven and earth with thy presence, and yet in a more special manner vouchsafest to dwell with those who are of a broken heart and contrite spirit, to hear and help them in all their necessities; I thy poor humble servant, in the mediation of Jesus Christ, do make bold to approach into thy glorious and dreadful presence, that I may lay open before thee my wretched estate and condition, by reason of my manifold and grievous sins, and those fearful punishments, both temporal and eternal, unto which by their guilt they have most justly obliged me. For though thou diddest create me holy and righteous, according unto thine own Image, yet I have fallen from that state of innocency and blessedness, in the loins of my first father Adam, and by being guilty of his sin, am become also liable to his punishment. And as I am partaker of his sin by imputation, as being one of his tainted posterity, so also of the corruption of his nature by propagation, the which like a fretting leprosy, or running canker, hath wholly overspread all the powers and parts of my soul and body, utterly disabling them unto all duties of thy service, and making them the ready instruments of sin and Satan. And whereas in their creation they were fit habitations for thine own Majesty to dwell in by thy Spirit, through this natural corruption they became cages of unclean birds, yea, noisome sinks, exhaling and breathing out the loathsome sent, and poisonous vapours of carnal concupiscence and filthy lusts. Mine understanding is so darkened with ignorance, that it is naturally unacquainted with thy will and ways, and though it be wise to evil, yet unto that which is good, I have no knowledge; my carnal reason and wisdom is enmity against thee, and understandeth not the things of thy Spirit, but so foolish it is, that it judgeth them foolishness. My judgement is so corrupted, that it hath no spiritual discerning, being ready to mistake evil for good, falsehood for truth, and wrong for right. My conscience is either seared or superstitious, either ⟨p. 892⟩senseless of sin, or scared with shadows; my mind and imaginations are only and continually evil, roving wholly after earthly things, and never minding spiritual and heavenly.

O Lord our God, most glorious in maiesty, and omnipotent in power, who fillest heauen and earth with thy presence, and yet in a more speciall manner vouchsafest to dwell with those who are of a broken heart and contrite spirit, to heare and helpe them in all their necessities; I thy poore humble seruant, in the mediation of Iesus Christ, doe make bold to approch into thy glorious and dreadfull presence, that I may lay open before thee my wretched estate and condition, by reason of my manifold and grieuous sinnes, and those fearefull punishments, both temporall and eternall, vnto which by their guilt they haue most iustly obliged mee. For though thou diddest create me holy and righteous, according vnto thine owne Image, yet I haue falne from that state of innocency and blessednesse, in the loynes of my first father Adam, and by beeing guilty of his sinne, am become also liable to his punishment. And as I am partaker of his sinne by imputation, as being one of his taynted posterity, so also of the corruption of his nature by propagation, the which like a fretting leprosie, or running canker, hath wholy ouerspred all the powers and parts of my soule and body, vtterly disabling them vnto all duties of thy seruice, and making them the ready instruments of sinne and Satan. And whereas in their creation they were fit habitations for thine owne Maiesty to dwell in by thy Spirit, through this naturall corruption they became cages of vncleane birds, yea, noysome sinkes, exhaling and breathing out the lothsome sent, and poysonous vapours of carnall concupiscence and filthy lusts. Mine vnderstanding is so darkened with ignorance, that it is naturally vnacquainted with thy will and waies, and though it bee wise to euill, yet vnto that which is good, I haue no knowledge; my carnall reason and wisedome is enmity against thee, and vnderstandeth not the things of thy Spirit, but so foolish it is, that it iudgeth them foolishnesse. My iudgement is so corrupted, that it hath no spirituall discerning, being ready to mistake euill for good, falshood for truth, and wrong for right. My conscience is either seared or superstitious, either