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 that we could exceed all others in love and thankfulness, as far as we exceed them in these high and holy privileges, and were able to express them in our careful and conscionable endeavours to glorify and please thee in all things, who hast been so gracious and good unto us! But alas, how unworthy have we made our selves of the least of these thy benefits, by our manifold and grievous sins; both our original corruption, which having over-spread all the powers and parts of our souls and bodies, hath utterly disabled them unto all duties of thy service; and our manifold actual transgressions, which in number and weight exceed all things but thy mercies, which are above all thy works, and the merits and satisfaction of thy Son, which are of infinite worth and value? More especially, we humbly acknowledge our fearful abuse of those great privileges and means of our salvation, which for a long time thou hast graciously granted unto us. For not only have we, in the days of our ignorance, utterly neglected all duties of thy service, spending our whole strength in the miserable slavery of sin and Satan, and profaned and mis-spent thy Sabbaths, in pleasing our carnal lusts, and performing the works of darkness, in greater measure, and worse manner then any other days besides; but even since we have been called to the knowledge of thy truth, and have consecrated our selves to thy service, we have either upon slight occasions neglected those holy duties of thy public and private worship, or performed them with many wants and weaknesses, discovering unto thee who searchest the heart, many imperfections and great corruptions. For we have not remembered thy Sabbaths, nor with fervent desires longed after thine holy Day. We have not delighted in them, nor consecrated them unto thee as an holy Rest; but though the spirit hath been willing, yet the flesh hath been weak, and soon tired with spiritual exercises. We have been much defective in our zeal and devotion, and have been too too cold and formal in religious duties, and have not performed them with that care and conscience, nor have served thee with our hearts and souls, in spirit and truth, in that degree which thou ⟨p. 918⟩requirest; but externally and with the outward man, having in the mean while our minds and hearts carried away with many distractions and worldly imaginations.

O that we could exceed all others in loue and thankfulnesse, as farre as wee exceed them in these high and holy priuiledges, and were able to expresse them in our carefull and conscionable indeuours to glorifie and please thee in all things, who hast been so gracious and good vnto vs! But alas, how vnworthy haue we made our selues of the least of these thy benefits, by our manifold and grieuous sinnes; both our originall corruption, which hauing ouer-spred all the powers and parts of our soules and bodies, hath vtterly disabled them vnto all duties of thy seruice; and our manifold actuall transgressions, which in number and waight exceed all things but thy mercies, which are aboue all thy workes, and the merits and satisfaction of thy Sonne, which are of infinite worth and value? More especially, we humbly acknowledge our fearfull abuse of those great priuiledges and meanes of our saluation, which for a long time thou hast graciously granted vnto vs. For not onely haue we, in the dayes of our ignorance, vtterly neglected all duties of thy seruice, spending our whole strength in the miserable slauery of sinne and Satan, and prophaned and mis-spent thy Sabbaths, in pleasing our carnall lusts, and performing the workes of darknesse, in greater measure, and worse manner then any other dayes besides; but euen since wee haue been called to the knowledge of thy truth, and haue consecrated our selues to thy seruice, wee haue either vpon slight occasions neglected those holy duties of thy publike and priuate worship, or performed them with many wants and weaknesses, discouering vnto thee who searchest the heart, many imperfections and great corruptions. For we haue not remembred thy Sabbaths, nor with feruent desires longed after thine holy Day. We haue not delighted in them, nor consecrated them vnto thee as an holy Rest; but though the spirit hath been willing, yet the flesh hath been weake, and soone tyred with spirituall exercises. We haue been much defectiue in our zeale and deuotion, and haue been too too cold and formall in religious duties, and haue not performed them with that care and conscience, nor haue serued thee with our hearts and soules, in spirit and truth, in that degree which thou