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

Our wills are so stubborn 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 hardened with the deceitfulness of sin, that they are not easily mollified with thy sweet promises and gracious benefits, nor terrified and broken with thy threatenings and righteous Judgements. Our affections are so wholly corrupted and disordered, that they are wholly set upon worldly things; and little love and delight in thee and thy saving truth, in thy service and Sabbaths, do we feel in our dead hearts, in comparison of that fervour of affection, which we sensibly perceive in the pleasures of sin, and worldly delights. And with this corruption of our sinful souls, our bodies likewise are so tainted and infected, that they are altogether indisposed unto thy service, and exceeding dead and lumpish in the performance of all holy and Religious duties. From which total corruption of our natures, have issued and sprung those innumerable numbers of actual transgressions, whereby we have broken thy whole Law, and every Commandment thereof in thought, word and deed. But especially we acknowledge our fearful neglect of the duties of thy service, and our weak & imperfect performances, when we have undertaken them; our profanation of thy Sabbaths, and abuse of thine holy Ordinances; our little profiting by those plentiful means of our salvation, which for a long time thou hast graciously afforded us, either for the increasing of saving knowledge, the strengthening of our faith, or bringing forth fruits of new obedience; our want of faith and fervency of spirit in calling upon thy Name; our want of reverence and attention in hearing thy Word; our many distractions and wandering thoughts; our want of care to treasure it up in our hearts, and of conscience to make an holy use of it in our lives and conversations. By all which and innumerable other sins, we acknowledge (good Lord) that we have justly deserved to be deprived of all means of our salvation, and that thou shouldest take away from us the food of our souls, and cause them to perish through Spiritual famine;

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 lumpish in the performance of all holy and Religious duties. From which totall corruption of our natures, haue issued and sprung those innumerable 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 plentifull meanes of our saluation, which for a long time thou hast graciously affoorded vs, either for the increasing of sauing knowledge, the strengthening of our faith, or bringing forth fruits of new obedience; 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 treasure 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 deserued to be depriued of all meanes of our saluation, and that thou shouldest take away from vs the food of our soules, and cause them to perish through Spirituall famine;