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
sooner and open to me thou canst not save it for without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Fifthly Worldly Cares I know hinders my dear Friend Consideration as much as any thing he would perswade thee thou hast no time to think on God nor Godliness having a Trade to follow a Family to provide for c. But shall those things hinder thee from thinking of any thing else Is there not one thing more needful viz. to make much or seriously think on me and of the concerns of thy Soul when thou art at work or about thy secular Affairs when thou goest out and when thou comest in when thou liest down and when thou risest up thy heart may be with God when thy hand is otherwise imployed True if the World is got into thy heart there can be little room for Consideration nor True Godliness a continual hurry of Business puts out the Eye whereby it should reflect upon it self But shall the Earth keep out Heaven and the Prince of Darkness shut out the Prince of Light and Briars and Thorns choak the good Seed Shall Worldly Cares and Business be thy chiefest Guests whom thou biddest welcome and shall Christ stand at thy door as a neglected stranger Shall Thoughts be cherished about getting the World and serious Consideration be crushed who would put thee in a way how to get Heaven But remember this he that has no time to open to Christ here Christ will find no time to open to him hereafter Can the World help thee to Peace and Pardon on a Death-Bed or Riches deliver thee in the day of Wrath Sixthly As to what thy Old Companions lay before thee to render me odious if thou mind or regard them adieu for ever they that hate seriousness themselves must needs dislike it in others These are the Devils Agents whom he sends abroad into the World to deflowr Virtue these are his Factors by whom he draws men into eternal Chains of Darkness these strive to put me True Godliness into a Wolves Skin then set all the Dogs in the Town upon me This Age hath bred more Monsters of wickedness than many Ages before it Shun keeping Company with these Scoffers and Contemners of True Godliness for the Lord's sake As thou art come into the Town of Religion so let the truly Religious be thy Companions who will instead of hindring help serious Consideration What ground is there to think a man should mind the true interest of his Soul that keeps Company with persons who makes a Sport and Maygame of Serious Consideration He that would keep his Garden and precious Flowers securely must be sure whatever he does to keep out the Hogs What is he that keeps company with Sinners but a companion of Sinners and society in Sin strangely takes off from the heinousness of it Also men may judg of a Person by the Company he keeps as is a man's Company such is the man and as is his Company here such it is like to be hereafter O how do sinners harden one another in waies of Wickedness They think there is some comfort in having associates in Misery They dare to sin more freely as one observes when they are in company being afraid their single Valour will never be able to duel Gods Wrath they hope God will not damn a multitude of his Creatures together as if the number of sinners could move the Almighty into compassion and if they perish they think nay sometimes speak it they shall fare as well as their neighbours 't is a hard thing indeed Thoughtful to be serious in such a lascivious Age as this is a wicked man as he poisons the Air in which he breaths so he pollutes the Age in which he lives 't is bad lodging in that house where God himself refuses to dwell with the froward thou wilt soon learn frowardness Who can touch Pitch and not be defiled But 't is better to be contemned for Virtue by men on earth than to be condemned for Vice by the God of Heaven What sayst thou now Thoughtful shall Consideration prevail with thee to open the door to me He stood and paused a while and had a great mind to embrace him Conscience being quite brought over to joyn in with him and now Consideration was hugg'd by Thoughtful with great joy and all those other Enemies seem'd quite vanquished but lo on a sudden new Enemies rose up in his House and made strong opposition and strove to keep Godliness out though Consideration was kindly embraced for he like David thought on his waies and began to turn his feet to keep God's Testimonies and with the Prodigal being come to himself resolved to go home to his Fathers House CHAP. XII Shewing how poor Thoughtful though he had embraced Consideration and was resolved to receive Godliness into his House was hindred by one Old-Man Wilful Will Carnal Affections and Apollyon also shewing how he met with his good Friend Laborious who did what he could to help him but had not prevailed had it not been for another who came in to his Assistance THoughtful having with much joy and gladness embraced Consideration and most bravely overcome the Snares and Impediments those Adversaries we mentioned before laid in his way was now resolved to receive True Godliness and speedily close with Jesus Christ but lo on a sudden other Enemies that seem'd to lie still in his House before rose up and made strong opposition against his entertaining this new Guest But a he met with fresh opposition from other Enemies whose Names were Old-man Carnal Affections and Wilful Will all stirr'd up by the envious and black Prince Appollyon and other Powers of Darkness so he had by the means of Consideration and the light of God's Word some new Friends to help and assist him their Names were Conscience Informed Judgment alias enlightned Vnderstanding Now Apollion being in great fear that Thoughtful by the help of Consideration Conscience and enlightned Vnderstanding would embrace True Godliness rose up in great fury and spoke to the rest of the infernal Crew to this purpose Most mighty Pow'rs who once from Heav'n fell To raise this Throne and Monarchy in Hell Bestir your selves with speed or all is gone For Thoughtful hath almost the Battel wone 'T is hateful in my sight to think that we Should by this thinking Thoughtful worsted be Shall Godliness that cursed foe of ours Prevail against all Hells infernal Pow'rs I swear in spight of Heaven it shall not be And presently he rose from of his Seat Ready to burst with rage and malice great And cast a terrible look on Thoughtful who Stood musing still but knew not what to do At this another Fiend stept in and said Let ne'r a Devil of us be afraid Lo don't you see th' unwary Wretch doth lie Ope to your Arms in great security What though some Ground is lost we 'll seek about To find some way to keep this Traveller
nor is there any indeed more like him or does more lively represent him in all the Earth for he bears his express sweet and Heavenly Image yea and such a venerable respect and gracious esteem hath he of him that those who love him he loves those who hate him he hates those who receive him he receives and those who reject him he rejects where he comes to dwell there God Christ and the Holy Ghost dwells Godliness is of great Antiquity nay according to the description we gave you of him In the first place we may well say he is without beginning of daies for Truth for some times he bears that name dwelt in God from Everlasting though in time manifest or made known to men and that in divers waies and manners according as God in wisdom saw good But if we speak of his Antiquity in respect of his dwelling here below the first man that knew him was Adam who whilst he stood in the state of Innocency enjoyed some part of his sweet Company but by the malice of a great and potent Enemy he was abused and his Image so defaced and marr'd that he forsook his Habitation which was the ruine and utter undoing of our first Parents and their whole Posterity and had not the Father of True Godliness the King of Heaven and Earth found out through his infinite wisdom a way to recover Man from his lost Estate Godliness had made his abode no longer in this World for by means of Corruption of Nature there was begotten and brought forth a cursed Monster of ugly shape whose Name was Vice alias Lust who found so much favour with Adam's Children that Godliness was utterly discountenanced and though he was the Off-spring of Heaven as you heard before and the only delight of Jehovah and unto man the greatest friend and chief Benefactor in all the World striving to enrich him chear his heart and to make him truly Noble and Renowned on Earth and bring him back into his former Primitive Glory and thereby at last make him eternally happy in Heaven yet he was neglected and lamentably slighted that there was but only one of Adam's Off-spring cared for him at that time and he too for entertaining of him with that just and good respect he deserved was by his Brother whose Name was Cain basely murdered so that Godliness by this perceived very early what kind of usage and entertainment amongst the Children of men he was like to meet withal and truly never was there any one so nobly descended and of such an excellent peaceable and sweet a nature and behaviour generally so dealt with as Godliness hath been from the beginning to this very day except the Prince of Godliness himself yet he found some friends after Abel was slain who entertained him kindly and though they were reproached hated and persecuted for shewing favour to him yet they never lost anything by him but contrarywise were infinite gainers for he never came empty handed to any mans house but alwaies brought plenty of good things along with him yea such things the worth and value whereof no mortal is able to compute as I 'll shew hereafter God assisting nay so great a friend he was to the next man which I find eminently embraced him that he saved him from the Grave he sent him to Heaven without calling at the Gate of Death his name as I remember was Enoch and 't is not to be thought what sweet and Heavenly Communion true Joy and Felicity this good man had with Godliness for the space of three hundred years for so long they abode together on Earth and now dwell together with the Father of true Godliness and his only begotten Son in Heaven Some time after this great Prince for so they are all made who entetain True Godliness was carried to Heaven a sad disaster besell the World I mean the Enemies of Godliness for so it was that cursed Monster and Off-spring of Hell viz. Vice finding such great your with the men of the Generation they delighting in nothing more than in sin and wickedness hating God and his true and lovely Off-spring Godliness it provoked him to take vengeance upon them and utterly to destroy them from off the Earth and this was done by a fearful and amazing Flood of Water Now this heavy Judgment was brought I say upon the men of that Generation for their slighting neglecting and basely contemning of Godliness and sad it was to consider how generally men were at that time out of love with him for there was not one in ten thousand but hated him and loved vice and ungodliness far better than he nay to tell you plainly there was but one man in all the World who was an eminent Lover of this Noble and High Born Prince Godliness whose name was Noah though 't is not to be doubted but his Wife and Sons especially two of them were in some measure Favourites of him likewise But mark how at that time it fared with this Holy Man and his Family who were Friends to Godliness never a one of them were destroyed by that Flood we may well say Godliness is profitable unto all things and Blessed are all they who love and kindly entertain him for had it not been for Godliness Noah had doubtless perished as well as others But to proceed in this brief History of the Antiquity of Godliness it would not be amiss if we speak a little of the next man after Noah who entertained him and how he was blessed in so doing his Name at first was Abram but afterwards he was called Abraham This man lived for some time amongst a Blind Heathenish and Idolotrous People and was ignorant of True Godliness but when he became acquainted with him few men ever loved him better for he made him his Bosom Companion and chiefest delight and so indeed must every one that entertains him and hereby he became great and his Glory and Renown was spread abroad nay he was by this means so honoured that he was called the Friend of God and the Father of all true Lovers of Godliness and besides the outward Blessings this faithful man reaped as the fruit or donation of Godliness which were many for he had much Cattel Men-servants Camels and Asses so that he became very great he was blessed with all spiritual Blessings viz. he had sweet fellowship and communion with God abounding in Faith Love and Joy in the Holy Ghost the Covenant of Grace was also renewed to him with a gracious Promise that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed for he having received Godliness as his choicest Companion and chiefest Delight Godliness brought along with him the Promises of this Life and that which is a thousand times better viz. the Life which is to come But now near where this faithful man dwelt there was a City nay more than one whose Inhabitants were utter enemies to Godliness and lovers of that ugly
Age therefore gave him this following general Reply and departed Godliness Father Old-age it grieves me to find you thus blind and hardened in your evil waies and the rather because I see your enemy Death also standing with his Sword drawn here at your Door ready to enter in and Hell is at his heels Alas Death who now shakes his Sword over your head will soon sheath it in your heart What will you do who contemn True Godliness through Ignorance when you come to stand before God in Judgment there is but a little airy breathings between you and Eternal Burnings it 's better to have your eyes open on Earth to bewail your Sins than to have your eyes open in Hell to bewail your Sufferings though you will not let me in now who would make you happy yet you will not be able e'er long to keep Death out who will make you eternally miserable 'T is sad you will not see your danger till you cannot escape your danger As I now stand at your Door saying Open to me but am not let in so you e'er long will say Lord Lord open to you but you shall be kept out for none but those who receive me into their Hearts on Earth shall be received by Christ hereafter into Heaven Those who contemn Godliness here shall be condemned for their ungodliness hereafter Your poor deluded Soul who thinks its state so good without Grace and Regeneration will find it bad e'er long under wrath and condemnation For except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3. 3. This is the day of Gods long-suffering but quickly will come the day of your long-suffering for He whose mercy you have abused while you live will let out His Vengeance against you to Eternity when you die much to the same purpose he spoke to him and with abundance of sorrow left him to perish in his sins How sad's the case of frail and mortal man Whose time is short its length is but a span In Youth he 's proud Ambition then so Raigns That he true Grace and Godliness disdains Virtue is then contemn'd 't is Vice which he Doth make his choice but yet does hope to be When Old-age comes another man for know He would have Heaven but not let the Earth go But when he 's old sin in him 's grown so strong He 's more adverse to Grace than are the Young Take heed you don't upon Old-age depend Least he deals by you like a Traiterous Friend CHAP. VII Shewing how True Godliness in his Travels chanc'd to fall into a certain Island where he met with a great number of cruel Enemies who conspired together to take away his Life and the Life of his Servants but their Grand Plot failing they contrived many Sham-plots to cast the whole Intreague upon his own Friends and Servants together with True Godliness's sad and grievous Lamentation TRue Godliness having Travelled as you have heard up and down in the World for many years and suffered divers hardships and grand Affronts and abuses at last came by the gracious Providence of God into a small Isle neither did he Travel alone but like a High-born Pirnce though in a state of Exile he had some Servants to attend and wait upon him who loved their Master as their own Souls yea and above their natural lives their Names were Heavenly New-man Innocency Humility Sincerity Temperance Sobriety Faithful New-obedience Hope-well True-love Blessed Experience Excellent Knowledg Christian Courage Vehement Desire Godly Zeal with many more Now after he had been for some considerable time in the said Island and had through his sweet and Heavenly and peaceable carriage got himself many Friends and Favourites having lived many years in good credit and esteem amongst them and no body thought or dreamt he had been in the least danger But in process of time on a sudden there being a little before arrived in the same Isle a great number of out-landish-men called by some Mahometans but their right name it seems was Babylonians being Natives of a great City that bears that Name * Now divers strange ridiculous Orders of men they had amongst them and all cruel enemies to True Godliness But one Order of them proved more subtile and implacable than the rest called Loyalatites being as 't is said the Spurious Off-spring of one Ignatius who were men of such base Spirits that they were content to become meer Pimps and Panders to a great Whore endeavouring alwaies to allure Kings Princes and mighty men to commit Fornication with her and if they could not effect that then they perswade Subjects to cast off their Allegiance to their Spiritual and Temporal Soveraign and to own the Usurpt Power and Jurisdiction of their Master the King of Babylon Now these men remembring what a great enemy True Godliness had been to them in the same Isle in former times and how he had forc'd them to pack up their Trumpery and be gone nay and not only so but also found that he had got a great number of the Inhabitants of the said Isle to side with him against their beloved Mistriss and great Goddess â—â—ana which they feared might stand in the way of her mounting the Saddle once again they maliciously and traiterously made a devellish Conspiracy to destroy True Godliness and all those who favoured him and to set up false and counterfeit Godliness in his stead and indeed so far they had proceeded in this hellish design that by the help of some deluded souls they had brought over to their party had not the all wise God who alwayes took care of his precious Darling Godliness by his most eminent and oâ—er-ruling Providence defeated the Conspiracy and discovered the Conspirators Godliness with his Servants and all his poor Friends would doubtless have had the greatest blow that he had met with for many Ages before but they being betrayed by one who seem'd to adhere to their Party who was privy to their horrible bloody and detestable intention having unknown to them a kindness for True Godliness and his dispised Friends and Servants whereupon the whole Island was inraged against these cruel Babylonians and called a Counsel together to search into the bottom of their Hellish design and so it happened that divers great Lords who had been poysoned with their bloody and detestable principles were found in the Conspiracy and were Attainted for High Treason for though their great design was to destroy True Godliness yet they as it seemed consulted also to destroy the Prince of the Country and all who were true Favourites of Godliness And in the conclusion one of the Lords in the Conspiracy had his Head cut off and divers of the Loyalatites or Ignatius's Off-spring were drawn hang'd and quartered Now one would have thought this eminent hand of God's Vengeance against them might have deterred them for ever attempting the ruine and utter overthrow of True Godliness any more
Content Hast thou God for thy God Christ for thy Saviour the Holy Spirit for thy Comforter and yet not Content Nay doth God Christ and the Holy Spirit dwell with thee and yet not Content Hast thou received True Godlinesses glorious Retinue into thy house to abide with thee to enrich thee strengthen thee to comfort thee and make thy life sweet to thee and yet not Content Are thy sins pradon'd thy soul justified hast thou Union and Communion with the Father and Son and yet not Content Is thy Name writ in the Book of Life shalt thou dwell with God and Christ for ever is Heaven thy Inheritance art thou an Heir of a Crown and Kingdom that fadeth not away and yet not Content Nay let me tell thee all these things and many more are absolutely thine with Contentment Come are thou willing to possess them to make them thy own and to enjoy them for ever yea or no if thou wouldst be sure of them then get Contentment to dwell with thee for Godliness with Contentment is great gain 1 Tim. 6.6 It doth not say Godliness without Contentment but with Contentment 'T is this glorious Prince it appears who puts thee into the sure possession of all true happiness and yet not Content Thirdly Ponder saith Consideration upon the excellency of Contentment for a Saint never looks like himself acts like himself acts like a person of such Rank and Quality a person who hath received so many glorious and excellent Graces and Priviledges but when in all conditions he is therewith contented Fourthly Ponder saith Consideration upon the Evils of Discontent Oh what dishonour doth it bring unto God! what reproach to True Godliness and what great wrong to thy own Soul Fifthly 'T is below thy Christian Relation saith Consideration to be discontent It was the Speech of Jonadab to Amon why art thou being a King's Son lean from day to day But that was as one observes for a wicked Cause he saw his Spirit was troubled for otherwise he was fat enough 'T is below thy Relation to God who is thy Portion thy Shield thy Sanctuary thy Father David thought it no small matter to be a Son-in-Law to an Earthly King and art thou the King's Son of Heaven and Earth and yet not content 'T is beâ—ow thy relation to Jesus Christ What art thou the Spouse of Christ a Member of Christ the Brother and Friend of Christ an Heir with Christ and yet not content 'T is below thy relation to the holy Ghost Is he thy Comforter Guide Witness Strength and art not content 't is below thy relation to the holy Angels who are thy Guard thy Attendance thy Friends thy Watchmen Hast thou Millions of those glorious Spirits to minister to thee to fight for thee keep thee in all thy wayes and yet not content 'T is below thy relation to the Saints and heavenly family Art thou brought home then to sit down with them to partake of all the sacred priviledges of God's House with them and to have a share in all their prayers and yet not content 'T is below the high and sovereign dignity thou art raised to Art thou born from above a Prince a Favourite of Heaven an Heir of both Worlds and yet not content Sixthly 'T is below those Graces Divine helps and endowments thou hast received Art thou in the Covenant of Grace Has God tyed and bound himself by promises and holy Oath to help thee uphold thee and keep thee from falling and yet not Content Is thy Eternal Estate secur'd art thou made sure of Heaven and yet discontented Lastly Consider all thy affictions troubles and sorrows are nothing in comparison of what other Saints have met with nay to those Jesus Christ met with himself for thy sake and art not content besides are they not less than thy sins deserve and yet not content nay and all those hard things thou meetest with God will cause to work for thy good and yet not content all the bitter things thou art ever like to meet with will be in this World nothing but sweet hereafter and yet not content all thy troubles will be soon gone they are but for a moment besides they are intermixt with much sweet and yet not content nay and all thy sorrows will be turned into joy and all tears will be wip'd off from thine eyes and yet not content No sooner had Consideration laid all these things and many others of like nature before him but lo to his eternal joy Contentment came in and was immediately gloriously welcomed by Godlinesses heavenly Retinue yea it cannot be imagined what rejoycing now there was in poor Thoughtful's house it would do also ones heart good to see how the scattered powers of the enemy were forced to fly into holes Apollyon himself was fain to pull in his horn Despond was vanquished cursed Disquiet and Murmur could find no more place in his house O this to him was the day of dayes Upon this perceiving Glorious Content with Triumph was entred into his house to dwell with the rest of True Godliness's heavenly Retinue and that there was now nothing wanting to make his life life comfortable here and happy hereafter he fell a singing of sweet Hymns of Praise and Thanksgiving to God A sweet Hymn of Praise 1. True Godliness is come to me And with him also lo I see His glorious Train who will attend My precious soul unto the End No day like this hath ever bin Content with Triumphs enter'd in 2. I love thee and admire thee too What Work remains thou'lt help me do My chiefest business it is done Possess the house which thou hast won The fruits of Conquest now begin Content with Triumphs enter'd in 3. What 's this don 't boast what can it be Remains there still an enemy Have I o'er come all deadly foes And shall this Old-man me oppose The fruits of Conquest now begin Content with Triumphs enter'd in 4. I shall I 'm sure be rid of thee And then how happy shall I be When Godliness in me doth reign Alone with his most glorious Train And not a foe dares once appear O then what Triumphs shall I hear 5. Can man on Earth more happy be I Peace possess I Glory see God and Christ with me do dwell I 'm sure of Heaven sav'd from Hell The fruits of Conquest now begin Content with Triumphs enter'd in FINIS BOOKS Printed for and are to be Sold by John Dunton at the Black Raven in the Poultrey over against the Stocks-Market London Note Those Books that are mark'd with a Hand are lately Printed Folio A General Martyrology containing a Collection of all the greatest Persecutions which have befaln the Church of Christ from the Creation to our present Times wherein is given an exact Account of the Protestants Sufferings in Queen Maries Reign whereunto is added the Lives of 32 English Divines famous in their Generations for Learning and Piety and most of them
most rich and glorious Presents of the choicest things of Heaven the worth of which is infinite or beyond computation But since I perceive he is come to a certain Town where one Riches dwells and is now at his Door let us see what Entertainment he meets with at this place Now Godliness knock'd very hard and often before any within would give an Answer Riches being full of business for either he was telling of his money or casting up his Accounts to see what his Neighbours owed him or else consulting new Projects to encrease his store for I perceive he is a person never satisfied besides the Times being very perillous his mind was filled with perplexing and vexatious thoughts how to save and keep what he had already gotten so that he had no leasure nor time to listen to the continual knocking of True Godliness at his Door insomuch that Godliness was forced to stay there a long time and that which grieved this High-born Prince most of all was this viz. he perceived that no sooner than some other Guests came to his Door who were persons much interiour as to Birth and Quality to him and indeed not worthy of the least regard and not having business of that great weight and moment with him as Godliness had yet he opened his Door immediately to them but before this Renowned Hero and Darling of Heaven could get in Riches had so many base and ill-bred Servants in his House that they clapp'd to the Door so that he could not get so much as one foot in Now the Guests he so readily opened unto were as I take them these following viz. The Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life These be took much delight in kept company with continually sometimes they had him to the Tavern sometimes to the Play-Houses and sometimes to recreate him at Bowls Cards and Dice and with divers other Sensual Sports and Pleasures but at last it so fell out that he was taken very sick and Godliness still waiting at his Door it happened at this time one was in his House who forced him to listen to this earnest and continual knocking his name was Mr. Fearful he is one that Riches doth not at all love but when sickness comes he is grievously troubled with him and he made him at this season to cry out who is there who is at my Door Godly I am here and have a long time waited at your Door Riches What is your Name Godly My name is True Godliness one that you have a little reason to slight neglect and contemn as you have done for there is none you stand more in need of nor can you do that good as I can and will do you if you please but to open your Door and let me in Riches Sir I am troubled I have not minded you all this while for I have a great reverence and respect for Godliness God forbid I should keep you out any longer Upon this the whole House was in an uproar for he had as I told you before divers loose ill-bred or rather Hell-bred Servants all bitter Enemies to True Godliness their Names were Presumption Pride Vnbelief Ignorance Malice Vain-hope and Covetousness c. These and several other base companions of like quality whom he had brought up and a long time cherished in his House seemed mightily concerned that the least heed or attention should be given to True Godliness they also enquired who was the cause of it at last they understood it was Mr. Fearful they then presently joyned together to fall upon Fearful and turn him out of the House Presumption struck the first blow and spake also to this purpose Presump Are not you a base Fellow thus to disturb my Master as to cause him in the least to doubt of the strength of his strong and impregnable fortification wherein he hath placed his long confidence and now to force him to incline to open unto True Godliness who is our utter Eemy Is he not an honest man what can you charge him with What cause or ground is there for this disturbance Hath he not done much good in the Parish where he lives and given many a piece of Bread at his Door I warrant you it will go well with him Fearful what do you say Fearf Truly Sir I seeing him very sick thought he might die Presumpt Thou Fool what and if he should did not Jesus Christ die for sinners God is merciful and will forgive men their sins at any time even at the very last hour if they do but call upon him Besides Fearful are you mad to give way much more to force him to encline to open to True Godliness for if once he is let into the House you will be immediately turned out and hardly if ever have one Meals-meat more nor the least countenance Fearf Truly Presumption the fault was not principally mine I was partly forced to do what I did Presumpt Forced by whom who forced you Fearf 'T was the Steward of the House who keeps the Records or an Accompt of all that is done whose name is Conscience he finding much guilt lying upon him through his cruelty hard-heartedness and debauched life stirred me up to what I have done nay Conscience told him he had been such a vile and graceless wretch that if he died he would go immediately to Hell therefore you cannot blame me for disquieting of him Pride Hearken to me a little Is it not my Masters below such a brave and Heroick Spirit that alwaies attends Riches to be troubled about sin or to give way to a bawlling Conscience and this ill-bred fellow Fearful I hate the thoughts of it this is the way to bring him to reproach and shame amongst his Neighbours and to make great men to laugh at him and contemn him who have been his companions My great Prince Lucifer sent me into his service and I will not betray my trust ever to give way that this unwelcom and hateful Traveller true Godliness should be let in who would beguile my Prince of his right Vnbelief Alas Sirs there is no danger I agree with my Friend and dearest Brother Presumption that hss condition is good enough let Conscience say what he will for if there be a Hell for I much question it yet he will go should he die I will assure you to Heaven Ignorance What a stir is here if our Master was poor and had not so many Bags of Gold and Silver there might be some ground for this base Fellow Fearful to disquiet him But I can give as good counsel as any of you Do you not know if he does but send for a Romish Priest with a good piece of Money he may have a full pardon for all his sins for there are many they say just now come over fresh out of the Mint from his Holiness this being done if he should die he will I will warrant you be
leaving all their abominable wickedness 'T is the idle Soul that suffers hunger who shall beg at harvest and have nothing though there is Bread and enough to spare for you in Gods House yet they will not suffer you to seek out for it but cause you to cry yet a little sleep yet a little slumber yet a little foldidg of the hands to sleep Is it not sad notwithstanding your House is on fire and you like to be burnt in your Bed yet cannot through this base Sloth and Idleness rise up you are just ready to drop into Hell and yet will not endeavour to deliver your own Soul O remember that Word Take the slothful and unprofitable Servant and bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth And then secondly as to Light-fingers he is a Thief and if you follow his Dictates he will bring you to the Gibbet besides no Thief shall enter into the Kingdom of God Thirdly Wasteful his Brother for all his Huffing is almost as bad as he 't was this vain Fellow that brought the poor Prodigal to eat husks with the swine 't is he not only causes you to waste and foolishly spend your money when you have got a little but also your precious time which should be improved for the good of your poor perishing Soul Poverty can it do you any harm to be taught to become a better Husband and not to consume the little you sometimes get amongst Riotous Company which might be a great comfort to your poor Wife and Children also I will appeal to my Neighbour Morality whether there is any ground for you to refuse to entertain me because I teach you to be content with mean things hard fare and do put you upon hard labour and not to run into debt unless you knew which way to pay it Ignorance is a Murtherer and hath destroyed millions of Souls though there was a time indeed when God seemed to wink at him i. e. did not lay as it were his hands immediately upon him but now he is left altogether inexcusable because God hath afforded you a sufficiency of Light to bring you to the true knowledg of Salvation the necessity of Faith and True Godliness if you would escape the damnation of Hell Vnbelief I found the other day with Riches and indeed I am come to no Bodies door but I find him within I gave a plain Character of him then to which I refer you if you have a mind to know what a dangerous person he is but however take one word or two in answer to what he saies to you against me he affirms that all my promises are fictious being unseen things they have no reallity in them or things that you can never attain unto if you could yet they could not answer your present necessities If you will give credit to such a notorious Liar Murtherer and Blasphemer who certainly in a slie and treacherous manner seeks to stab you at the heart who can help it Are Christ's Promises of Grace and Peace here and Glory hereafter because not seen with external Eyes fictions He will tell you also ere long if you will believe him there is no God nor Devil Heaven nor Hell because not seen with visible eyes he may suggest the one to you as well as the other Come Poverty thousands of my Children by blessed experience have found my Promises no fictions nor idle fancies but things full of reality marrow and fatness O taste and see how good the Lord is And why may not you obtain these glorious good things viz. Union and Communion with God Pardon of Sin Peace of Conscience and Joy in the Holy Ghost as well as others They were commonly given in the time of the Gospel to the Poor Come Poverty these things are thine as sure as God is in Heaven if thou wilt but let me in poor Lasarus understood them and experienced the sweetness of them and shall to Eternity And then lastly have you no need of these good things of mine because they may not so directly answer your outward necessity Are not the necessities of your Soul more to be minded than to get store of Meat Drink Clothes Silver and Gold What are all these things to the love and favour of God an Interest in Christ and to have a Right to the Kingdom of Heaven How soon alas may your Life be gone and what good will those things do you do you not see they perish in the using And as they are corruptible so likewise they can never satisfie nor fill the desires of your Soul nor do they suit the necessities thereof Consider can any of these things make thy Soul happy Can Gold or Silver enrich it or the rarest worldly dainties feed it or Wine chear it No Poverty if thou hadst the things of this World in never so great abundance yet till thou lettest me in and makest me thy chief Companion thy Soul would be miserable What is it to have plenty of all good things and no God no Christ no Pardon no Peace but contrarywise the Curse of God Horror of Conscience and Hell at last Thou wilt Poverty become more happy if thou dost open the door to me and thou and I dwell together than the proudest and haughtiest Monarh in the World thy Comforts inward Peace and Joy will excell theirs and thy Riches be more abundant in Quantity besides the rare and excellent Quality of them nay and thy Glory will be far more transcendent and besides 't will abide with thee to the daies of Eternity As touching Carping Care he hath almost broke thy heart already he will not let thee sleep a nights he by telling thee of thy wants and necessities sadly disturbs thy mind but never helped thee to a Farthing in all his life and why shouldst thou hearken to him any longer he is thy utter Enemy as well as mine Hear what the Lord Christ saith Who by taking thought can add one Cubit unto his Stature Mat. 6.27 He has even eat up thy very Spirits and weakned thy Body marr'd thy Senses especially the Spiritual Senses of thy Soul so that thou canst not think one serious thought all the day for him nay when Sloth and Idleness will let thee go to hear Gods Word he follows thee thither too and so confounds thy mind with wandring Cogitations that all thy devotion is spoiled you can profit nothing Therefore I beseech you do what you can to thrust him out Distrust That faithless Fellow sets on this base Wrerch Carping-Care to perplex thy mind and this is not all for he tells thee if thou turnest Light-fingers out of door thou wilt certainly go a begging Come Poverty they are a pack of cursed Villains set on by their great Master Apollyon to bring thee to shame as if there was no waies to live but by breaking of Gods Commandment Thou shalt not steal and
to me are unholy quarrelsome given to strife debate and contention falling out with their Neighbours making causeless disturbance in the Town Place or House where they dwell I do this day disown them and indeed I fear 't is they who have in part exposed me to reproach and contempt in these evil dayes I am accused also with Sedition and Faction and for being the chief ring-leader of Sects c. But I may well say with my old friend St. Paul who was accused by Tertullus in like sort being called a pestelent Fellow and a mover of Sedition c. Acts 24.5 I am clear from this evil Charge neither can they prove this Accusation against me I have been travelling up and down in most parts of the earth for almost six thousand years and 't is strange were I really guilty that none should come forth and prove it against me Therefore know ye that the Doctrine I True Godliness the Off-spring of Jehovah the darling of Heaven do and ever did teach upon this account is this viz. That Husbands ought to love their Wives Wives to obey their Husbands Children to honour their Parents and Parents to carry it wisely towards their Children and to bring them up in the fear and nurture of the Lord. Servants to obey their Masters and Masters to carry it well towards their Servants and Neighbours to live in love one with another and Subjects to obey their Prince Did I not ever teach this Doctrine viz. That all Men ought to be subject to Principalities to obey Magistrates and to be ready to every good work Tit. 3.1 And if Christians at any time are by their Superiors required to do such things that they conceive are contrary to the Word and Will of God then I bid them patiently to suffer and not to resist but to learn of my blessed Master who when he was reviled reviled not again and when he suffered he threatned not But palpable 't is if men are bound to submit to their Superiors in all things in Divine matters whatsoever then the Apostles were faulty who in spiritual things cry'd out Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken to you rather than God judg ye Besides this would cause Persecution for ever to cease and charge all the Martyrs in every Age of the World not only with disobedience but also with folly and then also it would follow whatsoever Religion in any Nation the chief Magistrate thereof does set up must be subjected to which sure no wise man will say ought to be done therefore I am for rendring to Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods Mark 12.17 But these things are not the whole cause of my Lamentation but there are many other reasons Alas I am not only abused and laid under reproach and infamy by my open enemies but also basely slighted by many of those who pretend love and respect to me most indeed now a dayes do but complement me they speak me fair to my face but their hearts are not with me Was there ever more Godliness professed and less practised and more without doors and less within Did ever Pride Covetousness Vain-glory Self-love Slavish-fear Carnality and Luke warmness attend any People who called themselves Christians Saints and Members of Christ as in these days There are some who profess love to me that I am ashamed of they do me more wrong than the open profane I may cry alas and call long enough upon many in these dayes nay beg as it were upon my bare knees to be entertained by them and all in vain for they will not mind me nor take me in I meet indeed with nothing but feigned promises from the most of people I will open to you Sir I intend to let you in I am resolved to embrace you hereafter c. And thus I am put off and slighted from day to day O How long have I waited at the doors of some of these deceived Souls even till they are grown old and all to no purpose for I have seen death often seize and carry them away before I could get into their houses that so I might save them from Hell where now 't is to be feared they are O with what unkind dealings do I meet withal Is it not sad that Vice and Vngodliness should be by many so countenanced and I hated resisted and contemned in every place almost by every body for Riches contemns me Poverty dislikes me Youth derides me Old Age will not know me Legalist miscalls me and Formality playes the hypocrite with me and the Babylonians seek to take away my life I have a multitude of enemies and but a few friends But in the midst of my Lamentation the thoughts of those glorious promises of God concerning what he hath said of me in the latter dayes does revive my heart for though I have few to plead my cause or to clear my innocency and am like to be run down by Apollyon and his spurious Off-spring Lust and Vngodliness yet I see my day is a coming when sin shall be ashamed and iniquity stop her mouth Psal 107.42 When the Holy of the Lord shall be esteemed honourable and it shall be a reproach to be wicked Though I am now slighted I shall then be prized Jehovah will make my Glory to shine forth In the midst of all Nations and my Children shall flourish in every place and in that day none shall dare to open their ungodly mouths against me nor shall I need to travel up and down to seek for entertainment For the knowledg of the Glory of the Lord shall cover the Earth as the Waters do the Sea In that day there shall be upon the Bells of the Horses Holiness unto the Lord and the Pots in the Lords House shall be like the Bowls before the Altar Yea every Pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be Holiness unto the Lord of Host and all they that Sacrifice shall come and take of them and seeth therein and in that day there shall be no more a Canaanite in the House of the Lord of Hosts Zach. 14.20.21 Nay and this also adds to my joy in the midst of my sorrow this longed-for-day is near and hastens greatly 't is but a little while and there will be a great alteration in the World the Angel who enlightens the Earth with his Glory will suddenly cry Babylon the Great is fallen is fallen Rev. 18.13 2. CHAP. VIII Shewing how True Godliness after this Travelled towards the City Jerusalem near to which was a small Village called Religion in which dwelt one Mr. Legalist at whose Door he knocked shewing the Cause also why he did not entertain him GOdliness having hitherto happily escaped with his Life thought it now full time to leave those Parts where he had Travelled up and down a great while and suffered many hardships being generally baseâ—y slighted and contemned by all wheresoever he came and
to Travel into some other Countrey amongst People if he could find such who were not so abominably wicked however not such visible and open Enemies to him as others were And he thought within himself it might be his best way to bend his Course towards Jerusalem for hitherto he hath wandred up and down the Confines of Assyria Edwna Spiritual Sodom and Egypt but so it fell out before he entred into the Salem he perceived a Village lying near the City and the Name of that Town he understood was Religion a place much frequented by all true Sioners for so the Inhabitants of the City Jerusalem are called Now he presently made up thither and being informed that one Mr. Legalist lived at the Towns end near Mount Sinai he resolved to give him a Visit and immediately came to his Door where with great earnestness he knocked and he being within spoke to this purpose Legal Who is at my Door Godli Sir a stranger to you though your very good Friend and one who would gladly have a Lodging in your House Legal What is your Name Godli Sir my Name is True Godliness Legal I wonder much you should say you are a stranger to me whereas I have been so long time acquainted with you and know you so well Godli Sir 't is your great mistake for I am sure you know me not nor were you ever yet acquainted with me Legal What do I not know True Godliness this is strange do not you and I converse together every day Godli Sir I am not the person you take me for there is one or two more who go sometimes by my Name and 't is very probable you may be acquainted with one of them pray what are his manners what Doctrine I mean doth he teach you for by that I shall know who it is Legal Why Sir he teaches me to keep the Commandments of God to lead a Righteous Life to do unto all men as I would they should do unto me Godli O Sir that is my Friend and honest Neighbour Morality one that I love very well and I am sure 't is your great Ignorance to take him for me he will not say his Name is True Godliness for though in some things we are a little alike I teaching the same Doctrine you mention yet we differ exceedingly in many things First we herein agree he saies you must keep God's Commands I say so too 2. He saies you must be righteous I say the like And 3. That you must do unto all men as you would have them do to you I say the very same it being my Masters own Doctrine Legal Why wherein then Sir pray do you differ Godli He teaches you to seek for Justification by doing but I only by believing he by keeping the Law or by living a sober and honest Life I by Gods Free Grace through the Merits of Christ Legal What is that Friend you say are we not required to keep the Law of God Godli No Sir you ought to keep it as far as you are able though not as it is the Law of Works but as 't is the Law of Christ but you must not look for Righteousness and Justification by your keeping ths Law in any sence it was on this very Block the Jews of Old stumbled and were broken in pieces because you have sinned and daily do break the Law and the least transgression thereof exposeth you to the wrath and curse of God Legal I know I cannot perfectly keep the Law but I will do by the help of God what I can and wherein I through weakness do transgress the Lord is merciful and I trust he will forgive me Godli Forgive you Why he hath said he will in no wise clear the guilty moreover what the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law that all mouths may be stopped and the whole world become guilty before God Legal What do you say will not God forgive me who am a penitent person O what a horrible Doctrine is this I believe he will not forgive the impenitent and they are such guilty ones only that the Scripture speaks of Godli Mistake not Sir all are guilty all have broke the Law all are under sin and wrath 't is not your Repentance will do God will not forgive any man let him be who he will except he believes in Jesus Christ and takes hold of the Merits of his Blood for as by the deeds of the Law no flesh shall be justified so God will not pardon your sins notwithstanding your Repentance as a simple act of his Mercy unless you fly to him through Christ who hath satisfied his Justice for what you say renders Christs glorious undertakings void and unnecessary and so does cast a great reflection upon the wisdom of God in sending his Son into the World Legal How do you make that appear Godli Do you not say you 'll do what you can to keep the Law and wherein you transgress God will through his Mercy forgive you now if God doth accept of your obedience in keeping the Law and forgive all your deviations as a simple act of his Mercy and that hereby you are justified and accepted by him why then did he send Jesus Christ into the World to die the cursed death of the Cross For if by this way Righteousness and Salvation is attainable it is evident Christ is dead in vain for could not God have done all this if Christ had never come Thou art a wretched creature and therefore look to Christ or thou art undone Legal Why do you tell me of Christ do you take me to be a sinner like other men Am I as this Publican I have all my daies lived a holy and blameless life and therefore shall be justified Godli I am ashamed of you you have 't is evident a slight esteem of Christ Legal Nay Sir do not mistake me neither I do not think my Righteousness justifies me any otherwise than through the Merits of Christ Godli Sir you erre exceedingly 't is not your personal Righteousness no not through Christs Merits that does Justifie but the personal Righteousness of Christ received by Faith alone Alas now you discover indeed what a great stranger you are to me you are one of those Just men it seems that never went astray or righteous ones that Christ came not to call Alas I alwaies do declare and testifie that all men must perish without Faith in Christ Doth not the text positively say He that believeth not shall be damned He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son shall not see Life but the wrath of God abides upon him Sir there is no other Name given under heaven whereby men can be saved Another foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ. Come let me into your house and I will expel these dark Clouds and teach you another kind of Doctrine I
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
pit they do not think it hard to dig into Hell yet they think Consideration hard who would teach them a way to quench that fire they do not think it hard to be oppressed by a bloody Usurper and yet they think Consideration hard which would help them to shake him off O fools and slow of heart they that have courage to meet an Army in the Field and have confidence to laugh at the glittering Spear and Shield they that have courage to plow the Sea to face the mouth of a Canon to stand a volley of Shot to fight Duels to endure the noise of Guns to hear the clashing of Swords and Spears and lie on the cold ground many nights together to have an Arm or Leg cut off have they courage to do all this and shalt thou think Consideration about these great things too hard for thee Contemn the thoughts of being overcome by this deceitful and timerous fellow Difficulty Secondly As to what Deficiency says that thou art a man of a weak understanding alas thou canst perceive that Gold is better than Glass or Rattles and that Pearls are better than Pebbles thou art able to perceive thou art mortal and must die and dost know when a Bone is broke 't is good to have it set and that Food is good for thee when thou art hungry and that 't is good to get Clothes on to hide thy nakedness and art not able to consider the need there is of food to feed thy Soul and Clothes to cover the nakedness of thy Soul and that it is good to get Grace to enrich thy Soul Art able to find out how grievous 't is to be cast into a furnace of fire and canst not think that 't is worse to be cast into a fire that cannot be quenched Nay and have not weak and simple ones in their own eyes and in the eyes of others too attained to the skill of Consideration about their eternal state nay and have wonderfully outdone the wise and learned ones of the World in it too Knowledge is easie unto him that hath Vnderstanding Wisdom gives subtilty to the simple and young Men Knowledg and Discretion When Wisdom entreth into thine Heart and Knowledg is pleasant to thy Feet Discretion shall preserve thee and Understanding shall keep thee Thirdly As for what Sloth saith thou hast cause to abhor him for he is a beggerly Villain and deserves to be drove not only out of thy House but out of the Town and World too for he never did any man the least good cast him out as a Vagabond How now Thoughtful wouldst thou not take pains Remember the sloathful person shall beg at Harvest and have nothing Through his means and Idleness his Brother thy House is ready to fall through and thy Vineyard is grown all over with Thorns and Nettles and yet he would not have thee consider thy danger till 't is too late to escape it Oh how many have lost their souls by this bloody wretch What good comes of Idleness Besides do you not see how the men of the World hate him They will not hearken to him but will in despight of him consider of fit waies and means to get Bread to eat and Clothes to put on nay and seek out through great industry rare projects to get store of Riches and wilt thou be drawn away by him from thinking on the ready way to be made rich great and renowned for ever 'T is the diligent hand that hath the Promise thou must seek for Wisdom as for silver and search for her as for hid Treasure Nay and do not think neither I put too great a burden upon thee for thou maist perceive thou needest not to take greater pains about this inestimable Jewel than the men of the World take to get the perishing things of this Life nay if men did bestow half the labour about the good of their Souls as they bestow about getting the World and providing for their bodies what happy creatures might they be Fourthly As touching what that timorous faint-hearted Fellow Danger laid before thee in respect of letting in Melancholy this is a meer deceit for there is a vast difference between serious Consideration and destructive Melancholly a man is not therefore sad because he will not Swear Rant Whore and be Drunk Consideration will let thee see that those men who are taken so much with vain sports and merriment have the least cause to rejoyce of any men in the world Jollities are as one observes much like Attila's Nuptials whose Wedding-Day proved his Funeral Who would hazzard an Eternity of Joy for a Moments time of vain and empty pleasure None can rejoyce so heartily as he that hath God for his portion and hath his Name written in heaven Consideration will let thee see that whatsoever vain men may say prate and boast of touching Joy and Pleasures yet there is no delight and felicity like that which is found in the waies of True Virtue that Goodness is the best security and that the Joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion that in this Garden are the sweetest Roses the most odoriferous Flowers the most Fragrant Plants Roses which have no Prickles underneath not like carnal Delights whose Flowers fade and wither away nor like the frotthy mirth which the laughter of Fools affords Consideration would let thee see that those serious persons who look dejected and melancholly to a carnal eye have Joys within which no stranger intermeddles with and as little as they make of chearfulness yet they carry in their Breast that which can make their life a perpetual Jubilee 2. They are Fools that account the life of a Christian Madness and his inward peace an aiery fiction none is such a Phanatick as he who cherishes a Serpent in his bosome that will certainly sting him to death who never sows yet thinks to reap a good crop at harvest that may have glorious Robes to cloath him and yet values his own nasty Rags above them or else chuse to go naked who hates and seeks to destroy his best friends for the sake of whom he is not destroyed who thinks to go to Heaven and yet walks the direct way to Hell Can there be greater Madness than to prefer a Stone before Bread or feed upon Husks with the Swine when there is all good things to be had if they would but seek out for them Can there be greater madness than to value a base Lust above God Christ and eternal Glory 3. Whereas Danger tells thee to obstruct Consideration from opening to me of the evilness of the times and that if I am let in thou wilt be undone know then if I am kept out there is no way to escape but ruin'd thou wilt be no danger like Soul-danger he can never be undone that hath God for his portion and Heaven for his inheritance lose thy Soul and what hast thou more and unless thou consider the
Person and the nature of his Operations by which he soon understood it was the Holy Ghost upon this he was not a little glad but presently cryed out as one whose life is in danger to God to send the Holy Spirit to assist him O Lord the Spirit the holy Spirit now Lord thus he cry'd and presently there was strange struglings indeed yea such a conflict that he never met with in all his life Judgment in the combate behaved himself bravely Consideration was not wanting Conscience laid on home blows being back'd with Endeavour alias Laborious but at last in the middle of the battel in comes the Holy Spirit and with him Faith and some other of Godliness's Attendants and the door flew open and Old Man immediately went to the walls crying out quarter pleading his great Age but had no mercy shewed him Wilful-will straitway subjected himself that Scripture being made good My people shall be willing in the day of my power and became Thoughtful's very good Servant Carnal Affections changed their minds and were made heavenly and so they abode to his great joy until his dying day True Godliness being now entred into his House with his Attendance Thoughtful was not a little comforted Now Godlinsss's Retinue who came immediately in with him were these following some of which you had an account of before viz. Heavenly New-man True-love Innocency Humility Sobriety Sincerity Temperance Self-clearing Faithful Excellent Knowledge Blessed Experience Godly Zeal Filial Fear Precious Promises Holy Revenge Vehement Desire Constant Supplication Spiritual Indignation Christian Courage Sincere Aim and Ends Careful Patience Hospitality Stability Charity Liberality Chastity Purity Holy Sympathy Wake-man Watch-well Peaceable Harmless Gentleness Brotherly-kindness and Love-all besides several others of like quality and by reason these as I formerly told you were all great Nobles or Persons highly descended being the Off-spring of Heaven they had I perceiv'd also a most glorious Attendance to accompany them and to the end you may know what a happy man poor Thoughtful is now become and with him every true Christian I shall let you know who they were The first I saw was the Father of true Godliness for he alwayes dwells where he dwells and abides with this his glorious and heavenly Attendance Secondly the Lord Jesus Christ which brought that word to my remembrance If any man loves me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Also the other word I will come in to him and Sup with him and he with me 3. The Holy Spirit for he also is said to dwell in us and besides these there was 4. Justification 5. Reconciliation 6. Acceptation 7. Vnion and 8. Communion with the Father and Son 9. Adoption 10. Pardon of Sin 11. The Image of God 12. Peace of Conscience 13. And Joy in the Holy Ghost 14. Free access to the Throne of Grace 15. A place in the heavenly Family 16. Fellowship with Saints 17. The earnest and sealings of the Spirit 18. Increase of Grace 19. The Attendance of an innumerable company of Angels 20. Divine Protection or sure Refuge in God 21. A full assurance of Heaven but was a great while before he could see him he lay hid it appears though he came in with the rest 22 Lastly Final Perseverance But lo I looked and beheld a good way off I espied another glorious Train followed In the midst of which I plainly discerned amongst others whose Glory was so great I could not behold them these following Immortality Incorruption Perfection Glorious Victory Heavenly Triumph the Beatifical Vision Rivers of Pleasures The Tree of Life the King in his Beauty a white Throne Mansions of Glory the Holy City New Jerusalem the Streets whereof were all pav'd with pure Gold a Crown of Righteousness which so glistered that it dazled mine eyes in such a sort that could notlook downwards like some men ever since moreover I saw Millions of Millions of Glorified Saints coming amongst the Holy Cherubims and Seraphims and all the Host of Heaven with Palms and Harps in their hands singing Allelujah to God and the Lamb they made such Melody that it was enough to ravish ones Soul in such a manner as to leave no heart nor spirit in us to the empty things of this World Now the two first glorious Companies who attend True Godliness here these entred in with him immediately and the other Glories Thoughtful was sure of possessing after a few daies so that he was wonderfully fortified against all Domestick Commotions or foreign approaching dangers whatsoever for he could not but expect that new Troubles would be raised against him both from within and without And so indeed it suddenly came to pass for Apollyon the cursed Prince of Darkness first raised up all his scattered forces which still remained within who lurked in holes and secure corners of his house for particularly Old-man though he was dangerously wounded his head broke and laid a bleeding yet it appears he was not quite dead yet was committed close prisoner under the charge of one of Godliness his Servants called Holy Revenge and though he had a strict Command to kill him yet he saw he could not presently do it by which means it fell out that in a little time he seemed to revive again and poor Thoughtful thereby was continually plagu'd with Indwelling Sin to his dying day which was a great grief to him and an hindrance also to True Godliness at all times and the worst of all was this inward Corruption alias Old-man alias Body of sin getting too great power by the treachery of Mrs. Heart and Apollyon the Prince of Darkness for they laying before him his manifold evils and remisness in holy Duties perswaded him that he harboured in his house an Enemy of True Godliness called Hypocrisie and that he was like upon that account to lose all his hopes here and that happiness which Godliness assured him of hereafter and had not Sincerety come in with Godliness he had been utterly undone but as God would have it Self-clearing by the help of poor Conscience made it appear to him that Hypocrisie was not hid in his house nor in the least countenanced by him for first they made it out he had a general hatred of all iniquity and did not allow of nor connive at any sin whatsoever by the aid of Spiritual Indignation And secondly That there was no one duty which he was convinced of but he readily subjected to it by the help of New Obedience Thirdly That he was mighty careful of and had alwaies by the help of Christian Watchwel kept a strict eye over Mrs. Heart whom he most of all mistrusted and had great Jealousie of Fourthly That he rested not upon the external performance of any Duty but did all he did to the praise and glory of God by the help of true love Fifthly that he was the same