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

Yea, so much the more, O Lord, increase my thankfulness, by how much the less worthy I am of the least of thy mercies, by reason of my manifold and grievous sins. For I confess unfeignedly that miserable estate in which I am by nature; both in respect of my original corruption in which I was conceived and borne, whereby all the powers and faculties of my body and soul have been wholly defiled, and utterly disabled unto all duties of thy service, for which I was created; and that I have made my self much more miserable, by adding hereunto actual transgressions, whereby I have broken all and every of thy Commandments, in thought, word, and deed, both by omitting the duties which thou hast commanded, and committing the contrary vices and sins which thou hast forbidden; the which, as they are for the quality of them heinous, so do they in number exceed the hairs of mine head and the stars of heaven. Yea, Lord, I have not only thus sinned against thee in the days of my ignorance, when as I neither had any knowledge of thee and of thy will, nor so much as any desire to serve and please thee, but even since the time that thou hast called me to the knowledge of thy Truth, and by the good motions of thy Spirit, hast persuaded me to embrace, profess, and practise it; since thou hast allured me by thy gracious promises to serve thee, and hast encouraged me hereunto by innumerable blessings, and large testimonies of thy favour, I have often sinned against thee through frailty and infirmity, and not seldom against my knowledge and conscience. Oftentimes I have neglected thy service, to serve in the mean while mine own sinful lusts; and when I have undertaken it, I have performed it oftentimes after a cold and formal manner, with much weakness and weariness, uncheerfulness, and deadness of heart and spirit. By all which my sins thus multiplied against thee, I have justly deserved to be deprived of all thy blessings and benefits, and to be overwhelmed with all those fearful punishments threatened in the Law, respecting both this life and the life to come. O Lord my God, affect my heart with unfeigned sorrow in the sight and sense of this my sin and misery.

Yea, so much the more, O Lord, increase my thankfulnesse, by how much the lesse worthy I am of the least of thy mercies, by reason of my manifold and grieuous sinnes. For I confesse vnfainedly that miserable estate in which I am by nature; both in respect of my originall corruption in which I was conceiued and borne, whereby all the powers and faculties of my body and soule haue beene wholly defiled, and vtterly disabled vnto all duties of thy seruice, for which I was created; and that I haue made my selfe much more miserable, by adding heereunto actuall transgressions, whereby I haue broken all and euery of thy Commandements, in thought, word, and deed, both by omitting the duties which thou hast commanded, and committing the contrary vices and sinnes which thou hast forbidden; the which, as they are for the quality of them haynous, so doe they in number exceed the haires of mine head and the starres of heauen. Yea, Lord, I haue not onely thus sinned against thee in the dayes of my ignorance, when as I neither had any knowledge of thee and of thy will, nor so much as any desire to serue and please thee, but euen since the time that thou hast called mee to the knowledge of thy Truth, and by the good motions of thy Spirit, hast perswaded mee to imbrace, professe, and practise it; since thou hast allured mee by thy gracious promises to serue thee, and hast incouraged mee heereunto by innumerable blessings, and large testimonies of thy fauour, I haue often sinned against thee through frailty and infirmity, and not seldome against my knowledge and conscience. Oftentimes I haue neglected thy seruice, to serue in the meane while mine owne sinfull lusts; and when I haue vndertaken it, I haue performed it oftentimes after a cold and formall manner, with much weakenesse and wearinesse, vnchearefulnesse, and deadnesse of heart and spirit. By all which my sinnes thus multiplyed against thee, I haue iustly deserued to bee depriued of all thy blessings and benefits, and to bee ouerwhelmed with all those fearefull punishments threatned in the Law, respecting both this life and the life to come. O Lord my God, affect my heart with vnfained sorrow in the sight and sense of this my sinne and misery.