although he trusteth thus to his own Righteousness yet I could pick many holes in his Coat for he is a very worldly proud and passionate person nay and he himself confesseth he is a Sinner and yet would be justified by the Law whereas you know the least Sins Lusts of the Heart and evil Thoughts are a breach of it and the smallest breach is Death and eternal Wrath without a compensation made to offended Justice and none was able to do this but Jesus Christ and none have the blessing of his undertaking but such only who do believe Godli You seem to have a good understanding and can talk well but how comes it about you let me stand all this time at your door is this your kindness to me what signifies your knowledg and parts except you entertain True Godliness Legal I have opened you may perceive to you already you are in my affections and I will further open to you pray come in Godli Nay do not mistake your self you have opened to me in one respect but not in another you seem to like my form but not my power my external Rites but not my internal Life I am indeed received into your Head but not into your Heart I may be in your Judgment worth embracing but your will consents not to receive me you like my Garb but love not my Person you are I know a Professor of me but not a Possessor of me The truth is I Suspect you Formal Suspect me Sir for what Godli That you have one or two implacable Enemies of mine hid secretly in your House Formal Who I Sir God forbid I should hide any cursed Enemies of True Godliness Who are they pray tell me their Names Godli Old-Man Carnal Affections and Hypocrisie Formal As touching the Old-Man there is no Christian you know can be quite rid of him but God forbid I should shew him any countenance And as to Carnal Affections in this you do mistake for my Affections are spiritual But why should you think I harbour Hypocrisie in my House I will assure you there is none in all the world I hate more than this base Fellow for I know God abhors him and shall I shew countenance to him Lord far be it from me Godli Nay Formalist be not too confident 't is not your bare denial of it which is sufficient to acquit you of the suspicion I have of you upon this account but since you deny it I will see if I cannot find him out for you have a certain Officer in your House whom I am sure can make a righteous decision if he be not basely corrupted and blinded by your pretending so much Love and Zeal to seeming Holiness I know he will not flatter any man but speak according to his Light and Knowledg impartially at all times Sir I will appeal unto him Formal What is his Name Godli His Name is Conscience Vpon this Conscience was called and enquired of after this manner Godli Conscience I do require you in the fear of God to answer me a question or two concerning your Master Doth he nor secretly lodg and hide one in his house called Hypocrisie for I very much suspect him herein to be guilty What do you say Conscience Sir if you please to give me his Character or give me some certain signs of his behaviour and proprities whereby I may know him I will faithfully discover all that I understand as touching this matter Godli Conscience I thank you you speak like an honest man and indeed I have alwaies found you impartial according to your Light I will then give you such a Description of this subtil and deceitful Enemy of mine that you cannot well mistake and this I shall do by propounding a few questions to you Sir was he ever throughly wounded in the sense of sin as 't is sin being convinced of the ugly and abominable Nature thereof there being nothing in all the world more hateful to God than that not only convinced of the evil which does attend it or is the fruit of it but also of that cursed evil there is in it it being utterly contrary to the holy and pure Nature of God a breach of his Law and that which hath made a breach between God and Man and basely defaced the Image of God in him and is the absolute cause of all that abominable enmity that is in his heart against God and Me his Blessed Offspring and also makes man in love with the waies of the Devil nay to be like the Devil conformable to him and to do his will Secondly Is there no one Sin that secretly he loves and lives in the evil habit never being broken have you nor found him now and then telling Lie for his advantage sake or in telling of tales or stories adding to them to please the company or to excuse himself when accused of this or that that so he may gain credit Is he not sometimes overtaken by Drunkenness Is he not proud minding more the Honour praise and applause of men in what he doth in Religion than the praise of God Is he not Covetous Doth he give according to his Ability to the poor Doth he not rob God to serve the World I mean neglect hearing of Gods Word and other indispensable Duties for worldly Profit sake and so prefer the World above the Word Doth he never in Trading offend you in speaking better of his Commodities than they deserve Is not the World more in his love and affections than God and Jesus Christ Does he alwaies give good and just weight and measure and not take unlawful profit Doth he not make gain of Godliness and use Religion as a Cloak to cover his secret sins Doth he concern himself for the interest of the Gospel and by his open-heartedness shew upon that account he loves Christ above Son or Daughter Is he resolved to part with all rather than to sin against God and to offend you his poor Conscience Doth he see more evil in the least Sin than in the greatest Suffering Thirdly Doth he desire as much to have his Sins mortified as pardoned to be made holy here as well as happy hereafter Is he as much in love with the work of holiness as with the wages of holiness Doth he love the word of God because of the purity of it Is he willing to bear the Cross as well as wear the Crown to be with Christ in his Temptations here as well as with Christ in his Exaltations hereafter to live to God on earth as well as to live with God in heaven Fourthly Is he the same in private as in publick Doth he not rest satisfied upon the bare performance of Duty not minding whether he hath met with God or not Doth he pray in private as if men saw him and in publick as knowing God sees him Doth not his satisfaction more lie in his asking of God than in his receiving from God Does he not seek more
qualities of the Soul removed and heavenly habits infused in their room or in a gracious conformity disposition and affections of the heart to God cleaving to all truths made known to us to find the powerful influences of the Gospel and Spirit of Christ upon us whereby our Souls are brought into the Image and likeness of his death and resurrection this is True Godliness 't is not a bare living up to the natural principles of morality nor a simple knowledg of the letter of the word or an historical notional or dogmatical knowledg of the sacred Gospel and the precepts thereof but in a faithful living up to the supernatural principles of Grace and the Gospel discharging our duties with as much readiness and faithfulness towards God as towards man so that our conscience may be kept void of offence towards both It consists in forsaking of every sin and not only to leave it but to loath it as the greatest evil and to cleave to God in sincerity of heart valuing him above all who is the chiefest good and from a principle of divine love willingly subjecting to all his Laws and appointments Godliness makes a man say with the Psalmist whom have I in Heaven but thee c. Non amat Christum amat aliquid plus quam Christum saith Austin he loves not Christ at all that loves him not above all He that entertains True Godliness is as much for the Work of Religion as for the wages of Religion Some there be who serve God that they may serve themselves upon God but a true Christian desires grace not only that God would glorifie him in Heaven but that he may glorifie God on Earth He cries Lord rather let me have a good heart than a great Estate though he loves many things besides God yet he loves nothing above God This man fears sin more than suffering and therefore he will suffer rather than sin He is like a Palm-Tree he alwaies flourishes best when he is prest down most This may serve in the second place to discover what the inward life and power of True Godliness is Thirdly That you may have a compleat and perfect knowledg of him it may not be amiss if I describe or give you the character of his form and external parts together with the very fashion he continually wares or goes in First Then know ye that the form or external parts of True Godliness are very comely and beautiful and no marvel it is so seeing he was form'd and fashioned by the wisdom of the only wise God our Saviour the works of whose hands being all glorious but this viz. the formation of Godliness being one of the chiefest highest and most admirable contrivances of his eternal wisdom must of necessity excel in glory sweet odour and amiableness his form and external beauty therefore is such that he needs no humane artifice to paint or adorn him or any waies to illustrate or set off his beauty and sweet comeliness of his countenance for there is nothing defective as to his Evangelical and Apostolical form as he came out of his great Creators hands and as there is nothing from head to foot that is superfluous more than needs or might be spared so every line and lineament Veins Nerves and Sinews of him are in such an exact and admirable order placed that is to his beauty there can be no addition Every one therefore that goes about to take from add to or alter any thing touching the form of True Godliness mars instead of making and defiles instead of beautifying besides God hath strictly forbid any thing of this nature to be done no man is to set up his Post by the Lor'ds Post Add thou not unto his Word lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar viz. by fathering that upon God which is none of his do not the Papists call those superstitious and vain Ceremonies us'd in their Church by the name of God's Worship and what is this less than the putting a lye upon him besides it reflects upon the wisdom of God to attempt to change or alter any thing of the form of Godliness as if he did not know best how and in what way or after what manner he himself would be worshipped But must be beholding to man for his help wisdom and rare contrivances touching many things that are by the Papists called decent and necessary also doth it not reflect upon the care and faithfulness of God insomuch that he should not himself take care to lay down in his blessed word many things which are very necessary to be added to the form of Godliness which man's care and wisdom is fain to supply Therefore from hence all may perceive that True Godliness never alters his Physiognomy nor changes his countenance he is the very same and not altred in the least from what he was in the Primitive Time nay and there is indeed nothing in the world he hates more than those pompous Garbs superstitious Vestments and other Fooleries that are used in the Popish Church as Crossings Crysoms Salt Spittle Oyl and Holy Water with divers other ridiculuous Cereremonies which are so numerous they are too tedious here to reckon up therefore take heed you do not take the counterfeit form of Godlineness for the true Form for as there is a counterfeit Godliness so there is a counterfeit form of Godliness which the counterfeit or false Godliness alwaies wares it is also needful to note one thing more lest you are deceived viz. you must be sure to receive the power of Godliness with his form for his form without his inward life and power will do you no good 't is but as the Body without the Soul or the Shell without the Kirnel or the Cabinet without the Jewel neither ought any to slight his form for you may remember what the Apostle speaks of the form of Doctrine and of the form of sound Words for as the true faith must be held fast so must the profession of it also you may 't is true meet with a Shell without the Kirnel but it is rare to meet with a Kirnel without the Shell Having thus briefly given you the description both of the inside and outside power and form of True Godliness We shall proceed to Treat of his Pedigree and shew you whose Off-spring he is you by his name may easily read from whence he descends and learn what a Noble Patronage he is of he is indeed High-born the great and glorious Off-spring of the Lord Jehovah the Almighty Prince of Heaven and Earth the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the universal Monarch of the World whose Kingdom ruleth over all and as this is his Noble Extract and renowned Descent so likewise he is alwaies in high esteem and favour with his glorious Prince for there is none no not one in Heaven or Earth that he loves and takes more delight in than in True Godliness
out We in the House have a strong party yet Who in our Bands keep his unwary feet But sad it is the Wretch such Light should see As to perceive his woeful Misery We must bestir us and give new Directions And by all means keep fast his Souls Affections Affliction still by Old-man is directed And Wilful Will to us is well affected Let us pursue our present Enterprise With all the power and craft we can devise This Consideration hath the mischief done Whom I do wish all Plagues to light upon Appollyon and all the Powers of Hell having thus combin'd together to find out new waies to prevent Thoughtful from receiving True Godliness endeavoured to stir up Old-man and his cursed Darling Carnal Affections to do what they could to place his Mind and Thoughts upon the perishing things of this Life which being done this put poor Thoughtful unto a stand one while he was resolved to open the Door but then on a sudden his heart was captivated with the Pleasures and Delights of this Life which came to pass by reason his Affections were not yet throughly changed nor the evil qualities of his Soul removed for Old-man had grievously corrupted all the Powers and Faculties thereof which Godliness who with patience waiting still at his Door perceiving asked him what the matter was he did not let him come in Thoughtful answered he was hindred by a base Fellow that he had got in his House Upon this Godliness and he fell into a serious Discourse again Godli Who is it Thoughtful that obstructs my being received Thoughtful His Name is Old-man Godli He is indeed I know my grand Enemy and hath been near this 6000 Years for so old this Villain is and there is not one in all the world that has done me more wrong to tell thee plainly than he and his cursed Daughter Carnal Affections Thoughtful Ay Sir but I find also one Wilful-will is utterly against your coming in Lord what will become of me I know you are a person worthy of entertainment and O who am I that you should come to be Guests to such a vile and unworthy wretch Godliness Nay Thoughtful I do not stand alone but here are others waiting at thy door to come in with me also who are persons of no mean quality Thoughtful Others pray who are they Godli Why here is my Father the Eternal Jehovah with Jesus Christ the Prince of the Kings of the Earth and the Holy Spirit Rev. 3.30 Thoughtful Lord what shall I do O infinite and admirable Grace and Condescention God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost at my door and I not let them in O this is an amazing Consideration Godli Nay Thoughtful 't is so and more I must tell thee they have been waiting here a long time even ever since I came first to knock at thy door and I told thee so too but I perceive thy memory proves false to thee likewise he is doubtless misled by that base Old-man but if thou dost not open to me the sooner they will leave thee for they never come into any man's House who keep their doors shut against True Godliness Why dost not knock the Old-man down and lay him a bleeding 't is not enough to cry What Lord shall I do but thou must shake off that lazy Fellow Sloth and like a brave and couragious Soul acquit thy self Thoughtful Alas what can I do this Old-man is too strong for me and Wilful-will is a very stubborn Fellow too I am no match for them Godliness Why I will tell thee there is one in thy House that will help thee if thou hearken to him Thoughtful What is his Name Sir Godli His Name is Conscience Thoughtful Sir I know him very well he has since his eyes were opened been a very good Friend to me But for a great while he lay in my House as one dead and I found his eyes almost quite put out by that cursed Old-man but all that he can do is not sufficient without further help Godli Thou saist right thank Enlightned Vnderstanding for that Consideration by bringing thee to read and hear God's Holy Word opened his eyes also but is there never another Friend of mine in thy House who can lend thee a little assistance in this time of need Thoughtful Alas Sir who have I else that can do any thing for me for my House is full of cursed adversaries never was a Cage fuller of unclean and hateful Birds than my house I mean my heart is full of base and filthy Enemies to True Godliness Godli Thou saist right I believe thee poor Thoughtful But prethee see if thou canst not find a Friend that I dearly love and have a long time sought for Thoughtful Pray Sir who is that tell me his Name Godli His Name is Endeavour alias Laborious you can't Thoughtful imagine what great things he hath done at a dead lift O I love him dearly he helpt Noah to build the Ark and Jacob to get the blessing and to wrestle with the Angel and to prevail too and Solomon to build the Temple Consideration 't is true caused David to think on his waies but it was Endeavour that turned his foot to keep God's Statutes Consideration also brought the poor Prodigal to his right mind but it was my Friend Endeavour that sent him home to his Fathers House 't was he that made him find his feet nay I could tell thee I have taught him to get many a blessing by Prayer Prethee who was that got the three Loaves in the Gospel was it not this importunate Laborious Was it not he likewise that made the poor Widow to prevail with the unjust Judg to avenge her of her Adversary nay in a word the Promise of God is made to him If you follow on to know the Lord then you shall know him 'T is this diligent painful person that makes men with God's blessing rich I mean spiritually rich and this I must tell thee too unless thou canst get his help I shall never come into thy House I do not say Thoughtful that he is of himself able to open the door but the promise of better assistance is made to this my dear Friend sweet Endeavour have you never read in Aesop's Fables of a man that was fallen into a ditch and lying there almost drowned he called to Jupiter to help him out But Jupiter Answered Endeavour to get out and Jupiter will help thee Though 't is but a Fable yet the Moral is very teachable Now what dost thou say Thoughtful canst thou find thy good Friend Endeavour Thoughtful Truly Sir now I think of it I hope I have but he has been here but a little time if I have found him and God knows too much neglected by me for I did not understand its great worth till now But pray wherein will he be so useful to me What are his Properties Godli Why he commonly stirs up men to do what they can
is he not a Wretch that shall call into question the Care and Faithfulness of God whose Promises are to Feed and Cloath thee and to supply all thy necessities in the way of thy Duty so that thou shalt want no good thing as I said before though thou possibly mayst think that good for thee which God knows is not And now in the last place let me speak a few words to those cowardly fellows Faint-heart and Fear-man these are they that would have you fear man more than God and yet I am ready to believe some of their words take much place upon your heart as any thing you heard from the other But what reason there was or is for it we will come now to consider First they say I am grown here of late very contemptible and am of very little esteem or credit * amongst any sort or degrees of men and that I shall ere long be forced to flye into a corner to hide my self c To this I answer first I never had much esteem amongst great men nay in every Age of the World very few gave credit to me and now being come almost to the end of my Travels into the last and worst Age I could expect no other usage than what I meet withal How should I have many to admire and fall in love with me when the Text positively saies All the World Wonders after the Beast That is they are in love with and admire counterfeit Godliness and the truth is I marvel not at it because all along the false Prophets were more readily embraced than the true and their words generally believed If another comes in his own name said Jesus Christ him you will receive the reason is easily discerned because they smooth the People up in their sins Alas don't you see how counterfeit Godliness gives liberty to men to please their sensual and Bruitish Lusts teaching an easier way to Heaven than ever I did or can for I alwaies taught as at this day the Doctrine of Self-denial the necessity of Faith in Christ Regeneration and Mortification of Sin c. Secondly whereas they say I shall ere long be forc'd to flye into some corner that is I know the fear of these paltry Fellows but if it should chance so to come to pass woe be to you and all the World besides if True Godliness once finds no place nor countenance in any Nation of the Earth and indeed you had the more need with all speed receive me into your House least hereafter you find me not and so perish in your Sins John 8.22 Thirdly What though Riches hath rejected me he never had much kindness for me but was generally alwaies my enemy and whereas they say he will be displeased with you and warn you out of your House if you entertain me What then Christ will receive you into his House and you were better have him to be your Friend than any Potentate of the Earth When my Father and Mother saith David forsakes me the Lord will take me up Have you not read of that poor man which the Pharisees Excommunicated for cleaving to me and how the Lord Jesus graciously received him Come Poverty don't fear the worst that men can do God will help you and he is above them all and it will be but a little while before that word shall be made good Your Brethren that hated you and cast you out for my Names sake saying Let the Lord be glorified but he will appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed And what though some great Potentates of Rome combine together to tread me under their feet and set up Idolatry Popery and Superstition should this deter you from receiving me Alas man the time is at hand when all will be undone and be forc'd to cry out Woe woe woe that ever they were born but those only who have made me the Joy and Delight of their Hearts say to the Righteous it shall go well with him Woe to the wicked it shall go ill with him 'T is said indeed to see any leave me in my Adversity but they were false Friends and let them go they never loved me in truth but do thou but kindly embrace me and I will keep thee from falling nay thou shalt find me a sure refuge and defence to thee in the day of distress yea and I will store thee with all good things which the rich have not I am resolved to feast thy soul continually and never leave thee unto thy dying day Come thee and I shall live splendidly together notwithstanding thou art poor if we can but get my dear friend Content to dwell with us What dost thou say Poverty shall I come in but notwithstanding all that Godliness could say Poverty would not give way to him but began to give him reviling words saying He was born a Gentleman tho' he was fallen to Decay and that he would not suffer such Tumults at his Door for it seems while Godliness was praying and pressing for entertainment one Persecution the Off-spring of Adam's eldest son Cain had raised abundance of lewd Fellows together to drive Godliness away from Poverty 's Door so that by the opposition within Doors and without Godliness found no lodging there neither yea and escaped not without many bitter threatnings Execrations and Blasphemous words Now one Reason why Riches and Poverty did not receive True Godliness was because Consideration dwelt with neither of them who being a grave Counsellor might possibly have given them better advice than to deny entertainment to so sweet a Friend Godliness after this began to be at a stand which way to Travel next but hearing of one Youth who lived not far off he resolved to see whether he might not get a dwelling with him because he was one that his Commission particularly directed him to visit Sad is the state of Woeful Man I see Riches slights Christ and so does Poverty The Snares are great which doth Riches attend And Poverty to Virtue proves no Friend But this poor Wretch I pity most for why He has no Portion here yet does deny To Entertain True Godliness that so He might have Heaven above though none below But by curst Foes he is so perplex'd that he Cann't find the way to true Felicity Not many Rich nor many very Poor Vnto True Godliness do ope their Door But rather such who in a medium be Betwixt great Riches and low Poverty This state with Agur Lord I beg of thee CHAP. V. Shewing how True Godliness finding Riches and Poverty had rejected him in his Travels came to a great City where dwelt a brave Young Gallant with whom he had a mind to be Acquainted and to take up his Lodging shewing also how basely he was dealt withal by him ONE might think by this time 't was in vain for True Godliness to Travel any further
for suitable words in Prayer than for a suitable heart Doth not he study more for acute expressions to affect the hearts of others than to meet with powerful impressions upon his own Doth he not lengthen his Prayers before others and hurry them over in private Doth he as much endeavour after what he needs from God as that which he seeks of God Fifthly Can he bear reproofs kindly for his faults and take them patiently nay and esteem him his greatest friend who deals most cordially with him is he ready to take shame to himself and give glory to God Can he be contented in the waies of God though he meets with little sensible comfort from God nor outward respect from Saints Sixthly Doth he as much desire to have his heart filled with Grace as his head with knowledge Doth he take as much care to make the Glory of God his end in what he doth as the Command of God his ground in what he doth Seventhly Is he not more severe in pressing the lesser concerns of Religion than in urging the greater Doth he not require those Duties of others which he himself is loth to practice Is he not more curious to know other mens conditions than his own Eighthly Hath he received a whole Christ with a whole heart First A whole Christ comprehends all his Offices and a whole heart comprehends all his Faculties Hath he received Christ not only as a Priest to die for him but also as a Prince to rule over him Doth he obey all God's Precepts as well as believe all God's Promises 2. As to his Faculties his understanding may be somewhat enlightned but his affections may be carnal and his will oppose me being averse to True Godliness Is not his Heart divided Come Conscience I do now command you in the presence of the great and dreadful God who searches all hearts to make a righteous decision tell me plainly Is my Enemy Hypocrisie here or no By these brief Hints you may easily know him Conscience Sir I must confess Hypocrisie is here now I have found him out nay Sir and he hath hid him secretly in his House ever since he came to live in this Town Religion he is seemingly holy but really wicked he loves the Face of Holiness but is without the Grace of Holiness his greatest care has been to wash the outside of the Platter if he can but keep his name from being reproach'd by men he cares not though his Heart be grievously defiled before God Should I tell you of all those Lusts which he harbours in his heart and what favour he shews to that Old-Man you mentioned before I should quite shame him he is a Saint indeed abroad but a Heathen to say no worse at home he prays hears and reads but 't is to keep up his Credit Name and Esteem amongst many Christian men of this Town for I have often found him very weary of these Duties God knows it as well as I Nay Sir he would seldom pray at all were it not to quiet me for he doth not love my lashes besides he performs them with a sad cold dead carnal and lifeless spirit he is much for the lesser things of Religion as you minded he keeps a mighty stir about Mint Anise and Cummin but quite neglects the greater and more weighty things nay there is one thing more I will tell you as he does not love strict Godliness himself so his heart is ready to rise against all such who outdo him Sir he is a meer Dissembler yet he would be thought as religious a man as any in the Town I find him also much abroad finding of faults in others or spying the more that is in his Brothers eye but never minds the beam that is in his own nay and he is ready to fall out with many good Christians because they will not follow him in Habit Mode and Gesture c. In a word most of all those black Marks of this deceitful Villain Hypocrisie you hinted at I find in him also Godli Conscience say no more I see was not mistaken and now Formalist are not you a wretch to pretend kindness to me and secretly thus to entertain one of my worst Enemies Sir 't is you who have brought so great a reptoach upon this poor Town* and on all its Inhabitants Nay and 't is through your means I am so basely villifi'd and condemned by that blind Fellow Ignorance for he is ready to conclude that all my Friends and true Fovourites are such as your self viz. meer loose and Formal Hypocrites Besides you are like to be undone and perish for ever unless you do the sooner turn this vile Enemy of mine out of doors for I expect no other but that you will in a little time fall into Apostacy but should you die first yet assure your self you will be damned for Hell is indeed prepared for such as you are you are poor Creature in the worst condition of all men for the wicked hate you because you pretend so much love to Religion and Godliness God also and all good men hate you because you are not real but only pretend love to them being not sincere and upright in your Profession Formalist At this began to be very angry being greatly offended at True Godliness for he could not endure to see his State ript open nor did he like to hear of his present nor future misery being perswaded by Mr. Vain-hope Vnbelief and Good-Opinion to think his condition for all this might be safe enough however Vain-hope told him though at present his state might be doubtful yet he should have many daies on earth and that he might repent and set all things at rights before he died whose word and promise he adventur'd to take and so bid True Godliness be gone at this great grief seem'd to seize upon True Godliness and and no mans state in all his Travels he did indeed more lament and his Soul being almost overwhelmed with sorrow he broke out to this purpose and departed Passion o'reflows why melt I thus with grief For him whose trayt'rous Heart denies relief But what could I expect false wretch from thee Who harbour'st in thy House Hypocrisie A feigned Friend's worse than an open Foe And unto me oft-times more wrong does do Of all to whom I am by Jesus sent O're thee O Formalist I do lament I know there 's cause were things consider'd well Thou suffer'st here and yet must go to hell Hated of God and man what can be worse Than th' wrath of man and great Jehovah's Curse Farewel poor Soul is this thy love to me Must I begone adieu adieu to thee CHAP. X. Shewing how Godliness travelling further into the Town called Religion saw abundance of People who had been great Professors getting away out of the Town as fast as they could Shewing also what Discourse he had with one of them wherein the Nature and Danger of Apostasie is plainly opened
no more I am resolv'd to be gone Godli Well since I see I cannot perswade you to return but that you are resolved to leave Religion and not receive True Godliness I will tell you what your present state is and what your future portion is like to be for ever hereafter Apost Sir pray be silent I do not love to hear it Godli I do not care whether you do or no I will shew it First It appears as I hinted before that you were never truly converted being no part of that good ground Christ sperks of Secondly You are it appears forsaken of God he hath left you or else you would never think of cleaving to Mystery Babylon Thirdly Either God will let Conscience out against you to torment you as he did upon Francis Spira or else wholly give you up as he did Israel of old to your own hearts Lusts to walk in your own counsel Fourthly Your Sin tends towards the Sin against the Holy Ghost that shall never be forgiven neither in this world nor in that which is to come for you have been a person I hear much enlightned and now wilfully cast off God and Religion pray read these Scriptues Fifthly Jesus Christ will be ashamed of you at the last day when he comes in the glory of the Father with all his holy Angels Sixthly Those who set their hands to the Plough and look back remember are not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven nor will Gods Soul take pleasure in them Seventhly without you return back you are like to have the hottest place in Hell Eighthly The place you are going to is like suddenly to be destroyed Do you not read how just at the time when her judgments come upon her she saith in her heart I sit a Queen and shall see no sorrow nor know Widdow-hood nor loss of Children any more Ninthly Remember the fearful end and what dreadful Judgments God hath many times in divers Ages brought upon such false and trayterous persons as you are Besides who will trust you For you that are false to your God and to your own Soul will never be faithful to men Come that very way you think to save all you may loose all Besides Sir let me tell you Light is sown for the righteous though is is a dark time now and Joy for the upright in heart Nay and this precious Seed is sown as I could shew you in this present dispensation but I am in haste What do you say to these things Will you return Apost I dare not Sir at present Godli Well then I see you love the world above Christ I have but little more to say unto you but Sir what man in his right mind would to prevent a few sparks leap into the fire or to save his hat lose his head Alas whilst you seek to save your Estate you are like eternally to loose your poor Soul Apost Well Sir trouble not your self I will talk no more with you Farewel Godli Adieu then poor deceived Soul Away he went as fast as he could go towards the great City Babylon Godliness having thus parted with him at last he met a man travelling into the Town Religion being not very rich nor very poor but in a middle state between both and he lookt as if he had a mind to take up his dwelling in this place for he enquired where he might have a convenient House Godliness was much pleased with this person because when others were hasting to leave the Town he was hasting into it besides he had a very serious countenance Now he had no sooner setled himself in a habitation but Godliness knocked immediately at his door not doubting now but he should find his sweet Friend Consideration Farewel Farewel thou Monster of Mankind Look East and West see see if you can find A man who may with this sad Soul compare Will he return or if he does is there A ground to hope Repentance he may meet Who treads the Truth nay Jesus under feet Can any man on earth ere come to be A full compleat and just Epitome Of Sin and wrath O then Sirs this is he Who turns his back on Christ to Babel flies He unto Falshood cleaves the Truth denies CHAP. XI Shewing how Godliness coming to one Thoughtful's House found there his Friend Consideration whom he had a long time sought for also the great opposition Consideration met withal GOdliness peing not without hopes of finding Serious Consideration for so sometimes he is called in or near this place chanc'd to knock as you heard before at a mans door who was newly come to dwell in the Town Religion Now this person formerly as it appears had been a very great Enemy to True Godliness having liv'd a grievous loose and profuse Life and like the poor Prodigal wasted all his chiefest Substance Godliness had not long knock'd and called at his door before he listned to him and spake within himself to this purpose Who is this that is come to my door sure said he this is a voice different from any I ever heard in all my life and he doth not knock also as others use to do at last he cried out Who is there who is it that is at my door your Name Sir Godli Soul Christ is at the door and I his noble and renowned Off-spring True Godliness Dost not remember that Word Behold I stand at the door and knock c. Sir now I will ask you the like question pray what is your Name I hope I am come to the right door He told him his Name might very well be called loose and ungodly Prodigal for said he I have hitherto lived a very wicked life but some call me of late Thoughtful because I am blessed be God newly come to my self by thinking upon my latter end and the evil of my former waies Godli But why dost thou chuse to take up thy dwelling in this Village now when so many are going out Thoughtful Sir 't is because I hear it is the best Town in all the Country to secure a man from danger in evil times provided I can but get a place in one of its strong holds in the heart of the Town for I have heard there is no safe dwelling at the Towns-end no nor any where in the Subburbs Besides I was told lately that Babylon where I have dwelt till now of late wil suddenly be destroyed I do it indeed to save my own Soul I am Sir desirous to find out if it may be where true peace happiness and eternal felicity is to be had for I see they are not to be found in those paths I formerly walked I mean in the waies of Riches Honour and the Pleasures of this World Godli I commend thee honest Thoughtful thou hast done wisely and like a considerate man prithee let me come in and dwell with thee and thou wilt find this poor Town the safest and
most secure place in these dangerous times in all the world Sir I have wandred about a long time travelling from place to place to seek for one whom I bear much good will to but hitherto I have not found him his Name is Consideration and many things more he said to make him in love with True Godliness Upon this Consideration who it seems was within whispered Thoughtful in his ear and said This is he that can alone make thee happy if he be readily sincerely and heartily embraced and entertained Is it not good for thee to muse upon the worth and Excellent Nature of thy Soul thou art made a man and therefore for a nobler and higher end and employment sure than eating and drinking sleeping and playing and wholly to mind thy Trade and seculiar Affairs and to enjoy sensual pleasures a happiness which Beasts arrives to as well as thee for this glorious Soul which lies in thy Bosom is capable of knowing God and of enjoying Union and Communion with him for ever so that all those who suffer the Honours Profits and pleasures of this World to take up and engross their hearts go astray and err from the great end of their Creation Alas there is nothing doubtless can fill the desires of thy Soul or be its Summum Bonum but God himself Thou hast hitherto suffered thy affections and desires to run after whatsoever thou couldest think might yeild thee true Felicity but it is evident there is nothing thou canst find here below that can satisfie thy thirsty and ever-craving Soul Riches which sometimes thy heart hath been so much set upon cannot be thy Summum Bonum or chief happiness for they are uncertain fleeting and variable things and let a man have never so much of them yet he is still craving and desiring more so that 't is as Solomon saies He that desireth Silver shall not be satisfied with Silver Secondly Honours are of like nature and besides their vanity they depend on the minds will and humors of men who are changeable and unconstant Thirdly Pleasures and Voluptuousness they are common as I told thee with Beasts as well as men and also have annexed their sting and discontentation when they are past Besides all this Consideration to induce him to open to True Godliness bid him ask his Soul where it was what it was a doing and whither it was a going First He endeavoured to shew him where his Soul now was and made it out by the help of Gods Word that it was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity being under the Law and Curse of God both in respect of Original and Actual Sin he having not yet clos'd with Christ nor received True Godliness Secondly Then as to what he was a doing he bid him see if he did not neglect that one thing needful Have you said Consideration made Religion your chief business since you come to live in this place Have you not rather spent too much of your time about Notions and airy Speculations Thirdly Whither are you a going said he Are you fit being well prepared to die Are you a going the way to Heaven Sure that cannot be unless you receive True Godliness for I have heard that he consists in a right Faith as well as in a holy Life Oh what Cost Labour Pains Means Motives and Arguments hath God used to make men sensible of the everlasting interest of their Souls and to engage them to a serious preparation for another World And this serious preparation must necessarily be a through Work of Regeneration Faith and spotless conversation for the Nature of the Means saith he must ever be suitable and agreeable to the Nature of the End And Heaven being a holy place nothing but perfect Holiness reigning there so it was impossible to enter into it hereafter without a considerable progress was made in Holiness here and that it was not to be thought a man could reach to the highest step of a Ladder without ascending the lowermost first Who said he ever hoped for a Crop of Corn without sowing any or expected to reap Wheat and sowed nothing but Tares He laid also before him the Nature and Holiness of God his infinite hatred of sin and great severity against all unbelieving and impenitent Souls together with the perfect knowledge he had of the hearts thoughts and waies of the Children of men together with his dreadful Judgments Commands Threats and precious Promises He brought to his mind also the evil of Sin shewing him what an abominable thing it was for men to seek to please obey and do the will of the Devil and offend disobey and cross the will of God Nay and he began to speak of the Excellency of True Godliness also and what he should gain by embracing him and letting Christ and the Spirit of Christ Christ and the Grace of Christ Christ and True Godliness reign in his heart Nay he had so much to say that had he not been opposed and basely obstructed with some other help Thoughtful had presently opened the door to True Godliness But alas on a sudden there was great Disturbance in the House and poor Consideration went to the walls and was almost utterly expelled his Tabernacle Now the Enemies he met with were these Difficulty Sloth Deficiency Security Danger Worldly Cares and Carnal Company These and many other Enemies appeared to obstruct and hinder Consideration about this great and importunate business of opening to True Godliness First Difficulty spake after this manner Sir Do not trouble your self to study to find out these great Mysteries of Religion and Godliness for it is a Work too hard and difficult for you to understand there is nothing in the World that is more abstruse and mysterious therefore to muse upon them would be lost labour Sloth told him it was a laborious and toilsom Work and 't would be great wearisomness to him if the Difficulty did not make it impossible Deficiency said he was a man of a weak understanding and those things were matters for the Learned and most knowing men of all to study nay and that many of them too notwithstanding all their profound Learning Proficiency and skill in the Tongues could hardly attain to the right knowledge of them Security endeavoured to make it appear his Condition was very good and safe now and that he had Religion and Godliness enough without troubling himself further and that he exceeded in holiness many men that had lived long in that Town Moreover he told him that he had followed the Counsel of Consideration too much already Danger spake to several things 1. That to give place to him would let in his Enemy Melancholy which might endanger his Life Do you not see saith he how uncomfortable this Fellow Consideration hath made many brave men causing them by thinking upon their latter Ends to hang down their heads like a Bull-rush fold their