A20762:2883
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
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helps enabling & the reasons persuading unto it the impediments hindering the practise of it, and the best means to remove them whereunto are added divers prayers and a treatise of carnal security by John Douname Bachelor in Divinity and minister of Gods Word.A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.
London: printed by Felix Kingstone and William Stansby for Ed, 1622
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
A Prayer for Children.
O Almighty God, and my most gracious Father in Jesus Christ, I humbly confess, that I am a most wretched sinner, and altogether unworthy to be in the Covenant of grace and salvation: For I was not only conceived and borne in sin and corruption, whereby thy glorious Image was defaced in me; but I have added thereunto many actual sins, by breaking thy Commandments, in thought, word and deed; whereby I have deserved thy just anger in this life, and eternal death in the world to come. But seeing thou hast vouchsafed to receive me into thy Covenant, of thy free mercy, giving me the sign thereof, the Sacrament of Baptism; and hast sent thy Son Jesus Christ to dye for, and by his death to redeem the young as well as the old; I beseech thee, for his sake, to pardon all my sins, and to wash them all away in his most precious blood; to receive me into thy love and favour, and to make me thine own child by adoption and grace. Give me thine holy Spirit to sanctify, rule and govern me; that according to my age and small ability, I may labour to serve thee. Make me daily to increase in grace, as I increase in years; enlighten my mind with the knowledge of thee, and my Saviour Christ and his truth. Sow in me the seeds of faith, and let it show it self as soon as I am capable thereof, in repentance and true obedience. Make me loving, dutiful and awful to my Parents and Governors, and let me learn by obeying them in my tender youth, to obey thee in my riper age. Give me grace to hearken to their good admonitions and instructions, and to profit and amend by their reproofs and chastisements. Make me humble, courteous and meek, modest and sober, diligent to please in all good things, and virtuous in my whole course of life, that so I may increase in favour with thee and all good men. And as I beg these benefits at thy hands, so I yield unto thee all humble and hearty thanks and praise, for all benefits, both spiritual and temporal vouchsafed unto me; and namely, for that it hath pleased thee to give me quiet rest and sleep this night past, and hast safely preserved me from all perils and dangers to which my frail life is daily subject. Continue (O Lord) thy love and favour towards me for ever; and especially this day take me