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, who art infinite in goodness, grace, and mercy; most true in all thy promises, and most just and powerful in performance; thou hast, when we were strangers and enemies, subject to the curse of the Law, and liable to thy wrath, by reason of our manifold and grievous sins, and utterly unable to free our selves out of the state of death and condemnation, given unto us thine only and dear Son, to work the great work of our Redemption, by his perfect satisfaction, death, and obedience. By whom, thy Justice being fully satisfied, and thy wrath appeased, thou hast made with us in him thy Covenant of grace, wherein thou hast promised the free pardon of our sins, and the salvation of our souls, grace in this life, and glory and happiness in the life to come, upon the alone condition of faith, laying hold upon Christ and his righteousness, and bringing forth the fruits thereof in hearty repentance and amendment of life. The which, though it be in it self of most infallible truth, yet having respect to our weakness, doubting, and infidelity, thou hast been graciously pleased to confirm it unto us, by adding thereunto thy Seals, the Sacraments. So that nothing hath been wanting on thy part, either for the perfecting the great work of our Redemption, or the effectual applying of it unto us for our use and benefit. But (O Lord) we humbly confess, that as we have shamefully broken the Covenant of works, by failing in the condition of perfect obedience; and have made void thy promises of life and happiness, by our grievous and innumerable sins, both original and actual; so also, as much as in us lieth, we have deprived our selves of the benefits which thou offerest unto us in the new Covenant of grace in Jesus Christ, by our manifold failings, wants, and imperfections in performing our promises made unto thee, if thou shouldest look to the perfection of our graces and outward actions, and not unto the inward truth and sincerity of our hearts. For we have not thoroughly acquainted our selves with the knowledge of thy saving truth, concerning this great mystery of our salvation, nor searched and examined these spiritual Evidences, for the clear understanding of them;

O Lord our God, who art infinite in goodnesse, grace, and mercy; most true in all thy promises, and most iust and powerfull in performance; thou hast, when we were strangers and enemies, subiect to the curse of the Law, and liable to thy wrath, by reason of our manifold and grieuous sinnes, and vtterly vnable to free our selues out of the state of death and condemnation, giuen vnto vs thine onely and deare Sonne, to worke the great worke of our Redemption, by his perfect satisfaction, death, and obedience. By whom, thy Iustice being fully satisfied, and thy wrath appeased, thou hast made with vs in him thy Couenant of grace, wherein thou hast promised the free pardon of our sinnes, and the saluation of our soules, grace in this life, and glory and happinesse in the life to come, vpon the alone condition of faith, laying hold vpon Christ and his righteousnesse, and bringing forth the fruits thereof in hearty repentance and amendment of life. The which, though it be in it selfe of most infallible truth, yet hauing respect to our weakenesse, doubting, and infidelity, thou hast beene graciously pleased to confirme it vnto vs, by adding thereunto thy Seales, the Sacraments. So that nothing hath beene wanting on thy part, either for the perfecting the great worke of our Redemption, or the effectuall applying of it vnto vs for our vse and benefit. But (O Lord) wee humbly confesse, that as wee haue shamefully broken the Couenant of workes, by fayling in the condition of perfect obedience; and haue made voyd thy promises of life and happinesse, by our grieuous and innumerable sinnes, both originall and actuall; so also, as much as in vs lyeth, wee haue depriued our selues of the benefits which thou offerest vnto vs in the new Couenant of grace in Iesus Christ, by our manifold faylings, wants, and imperfections in performing our promises made vnto thee, if thou shouldest looke to the perfection of our graces and outward actions, and not vnto the inward truth and sincerity of our hearts. For wee haue not thorowly acquainted our selues with the knowledge of thy sauing truth, concerning this great mystery of our saluation, nor searched and examined these spirituall Euidences, for the cleere vnderstanding of them;