not being like to find Entertainment any where since Riches and Poverty both had refused to receive him yet he was resolved to pursue his Journey not being without hopes of finding his dear Friend at last called Consideration whom he sought for and coming into a famous City where one Youth dwelt could not tell but he might meet with him at his House calling to mind what kindness Young Joseph Moses Samuel David Obadiah Josias John and Timothy of Old and many others had shewed him and therefore came boldly to his Door and desired Entertainment Now it appears this Youngster was a great Gallant but though he had been brought up to Learning and lived in a place where the Gospel was powerfully preached yet was very ignorant as touching the best things though very complisant And after Godliness had in a grave and sober manner desired a Lodging with him he asked him what he was as also his Name Godli Sir I am a Person of Noble Descent being nearly Allâ—ed to a great and mighty Prince and my Name is True Godliness being by him sent to Travel hither to commend his Soveraign Grace and Clemency unto the Inhabitants of thâ— City and I have also brought along with me as Tokens of his Eternal Favour and good Will to such who will receive me very rich Presents and I shall bestow them on you if you will be pleased to Entertain me Youth Your most Humble Servant I must confess I have read and heard much of you but why do you choose to take up your lodging in my House there being many Grave and Ancient Gentlemen near I know not but you seem to be one whose Company would better suit Men of Riper Years Godli Sir my Master gave me orders to commend his Princely Grace and Favour unto you if your Name is Youth besides he hath chosen your House for my Lodging above others nay and he hath made more Blessed Promises upon your kind and loving Reception of me than he hath to any besides in the World Have you not read that Word I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall find me And that Word Seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you Matth. 6. 33. Youth As for those other things I need them not I have enough of the World Godli Aye Sir but you want my Masters Righteousness and also a part in his Kingdom and those are some of those Glorious Commodities I have to bestow upon you if you will Entertain me Youth Aye there it is I perceive I must Entertain you if I would have them but I tell you plainly your Company does not suit with my Age why should you force your self upon me Godliness Why would you have a part in the Righteousness of Christ and in his Kingdom and not receive True Godliness No Sir that will never be you must believe in him and lead a Godly Life or you will have no Lot nor Part in this Matter He that believeth not shall be Damned Mark 16.16 Youth Pray Sir do not trouble me you are going to preach Godliness 'T is sad you should think I trouble you because I desire you to let me have a Lodging with you Yoâ—th Sir you will spoil all my pleasure and sensual delights if I entertain you I know your Manners well enough You will cause me also to turn out of my House my familiar Friends and Consorts that rejoyce my heart in these youthful daies of mine Now those he called his Friends were these following Pride Wanton Vain-glory Love-lust Ambition Gay-clothes Toss-pot Gamester Please-friend Time-server Scornful Hate-good and Scoffer Godliness Young man believe me those pleasures and delights which your heart is so much set upon are bruitish and very hateful to God and do also debase your noble Soul which is of a sublime Extraction Nay furthermore hear what wise Solomon saith Rejoice O Young-man in the daies of thy Youth and walk in the waies of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes May be you will say O this is brave I but after the flash of Lightning comes a clap of Thunder enough to make you quake But know that for all these things God will bring thee to Judgment Your sweet Meat young man is like to have sowr Sauce you will pay dear at last for all your sensual pleasures and vanities Youth But for all your haste wise Solomon made trial of all the delights of the Children of men before he condemned them and so will I too as far as I can Godliness 'T is true Solomon did so and doth he not by the sad experience he had of them tell you all was vanity and vexation of Spirit Come Sir you had better believe the Poyson in the Cup is deadly than to taste of it Youth Sir pray speak no more I have not sowed all my Wild Oats yet let me alone Godliness Wild Oats indeed Come let me perswade you to sow no more of them for 't is but sowing to the Flesh and he that soweth to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption You had better far to sow to the Spirit And now I will tell you what a kind of Crop you will have at Harvest by sowing that cursed Seed which you call Wild Oats unless by Repentance you pluck them all up again Youth Why Sir what a Crop shall I reap Godliness You are like in the first place to reap here in this World a Crop of loathsome Diseases for Drunkenness Rioting and Whoring doth commonly produce that Secondly you will reap a Crop of Infamy and Reproach for sin is the shame of any People or particular Soul and it will be much if you reap not a Crop of Want and Beggary too in the end Thirdly You will reap a Crop of horrible and unsupportable Guilt by which means your Conscience will torment and lash you after such a sort that you will not be able to endure it unless you go on in these ungodly courses so long until he is feared with a hot Iron and then you will reap a Crop of a hard obdurate and impenitent Heart Fourthly You will reap a full Crop of all manner of foul and detestable Filth and Pollution yea such Corruption that will cause God to loath your Soul Fifthly You will reap also a Crop of all the fearful Plagues and Curses that are in the Book of God pronounced against wicked and ungodly Sinners Sixthly and lastly At the great and terrible day of Judgment you will reap a full Crop of Gods eternal Wrath and Vengeance a Crop of brinish though fruitless Tears Groans and endless Torments in Hell fire Now if you like to gather in at Harvest such Crops as these go on and sow your Wild Oats plentifully Youth Sir I intend to sow other Seed hereafter I desire only liberty for the Flesh in these my Youthful daies If
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
and base-born Monster and Spawn of the Devil Vice abounding in all manner of horrible wickedness who for this very reason were destroyed with their Cities by Fire and Brimstone from Heaven yet nevertheless before they were consumed so great a lover is Jehovah of Godliness that he told Abraham if there were but ten righteous persons in that City viz. such who had entertained Godliness and were true lovers of him he would spare the City for their sakes but it appeared there was but one man who shewed him countenance and was in love with him And yet before the City was burned the Angels bid him haste and be gone for Godliness was such a sure defence to him the Angel could do nothing till he was gone forth Sodom could not take Fire whilst righteous Lot was in it I might proceed further and shew you who they were that entertained Godliness in the succeeding Ages for the space of more than two Thousand Years and what great blessings he brought unto them and what they suffered for his sake but I can but give a brief hint or two upon this account 't is known to all what Joseph suffered for him by his envious Brethren and how Godliness advanced him for his Integrity to him at last Moreover the Children of Israel after Joseph was dead were through that love they bore to him grievously oppressed by the mighty King of Egypt but it proved his own utter Ruine in the end David for the love he bare to him was for many Years together greatly persecuted but afterwards Godliness raised him to great honour and made him very ich and sat a Crown upon his Head All along I might shew you in Ancient daies he was very much hated and persecuted nay and some of his true Friends and Favourites were for his sake cast into a fiery Furnace and another into a Lions Den yet they never lost any thing by him nor did they ever repent the Entertainment they gave him If we should come lower into the Times of the Gospel 't is well known what usage he met with in our Lord and Saviour Jesus and his Blessed Apostles afterwards also by the Heathen Emperours he was most abominably hated and persecuted and all those who entertained him were put to all manner of cruel Deaths and Torments imaginable Lastly we might also shew you what hard usage he met with by counterfeit Godliness I mean Papistry for near 1200 Years how many of his dear Children and Servants have for the sake of him been burn'd to Death and otherwaies tormented in most Nations of Europe but let what hath been said suffice touching the Antiquity gray Hairs and usage of True Godliness in former days CHAP. II. Shewing who the chief Enemies of Godliness are HAving given you a brief Account of the Pedigree Original and Antiquity of True Godliness wherein occasionally hath been hinted some of those great Abuses he met withal in Ancient times I judg it may not be amiss before I come to treat of his Travels and Entertainment in these latter daies and how it fares with him at this present juncture to give a Description of some of his chiefest Adversaries to the end the true lover of Godliness may be aware of them and those who have a mind to be accquainted with him and are hindred from receiving him into their Houses may know the Cause and Reason of it now 1. One of the chiefest Enemies of this great Prince and Favourite of Heaven is the Devil nor is there any one that hates him more 2. Sin alias Vice alias Lust 3. The Flesh 4. The World But because this general and common description is not sufficient to discover the great danger Men and Women are in by certain other secret and domestick Enemies who are the cursed Agents and Servants of those grand Adversaries of True Godliness some of which many are ready to entertain as Friends not suspecting the fatal danger they are in thereby I shall upon this therefore give you an account of a few of them and tell you their Names The First I shall begin with is Vnbelief a very dangerous Fellow 2. Pride 3. Vain-glory. 4. Formality 5. Hypocrisie 6. Oppression 7. Heresie 8. Superstition 9. Idolatry alias Papistry 10. Prosperity 11. Persecution 12. Ignorance 13. Blind Zeal 14. Vain Hope 15. Sloth alias Idleness 16. Covetousness 17. Old Custom 18. Evil Example 19. Self-Righteousness 20. Presumption 21. Despair 22. Slavish Fear 23. A Sensual Pleasure And 24. Apostacy with many other of like quality too tedious here to reckon up but by mentioning the Names of these you may easily discern who and what the others are who with their Attendance are all implacable Enemies to True Godliness and as much as lies in them endeavour to hinder his being entertained wheresoever he comes as you will find in the ensuing History of his Travels Now the Reason why True Godliness hath so many Enemies I had thought to have shewed in this place but because I will not hinder you from the main scope and design of this Treatise I shall reserve them for a more convenient place CHAP. III. Shewing how Godliness having received a Commission to Travel and visâ—t the Children of Men comes to a certain Town on the Confines of Babylon where one Riches dwelt and of his usage and evil intreatment there THE Great and Mighty Jehovah the God and Father of true Grace and Godliness out of his great Mercy and Infinite Goodness to Mankind graciously was pleased to send them a Saviour yea a great and mighty Saviour or one able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him and to the end that they might have the knowledge of this Blessed Saviour he hath sent the Gospel amongst them but in his eternal Wisdom hath so decreed and ordained it that no Man should have any saving benefit by this Glorious Saviour but he who doth receive entertain and kindly embrace True Godliness whensoever he is sent to visit them and to the end therefore that they might not miss of so great a Blessing which Godliness brings along with him I may safely adventure to say according to my present Method and to pursue my Allegorical Discourse Godliness hath received Commission from the King of Heaven and Earth to travel to see who would embrace and entertain him Moreover it appears his Commission was very large he was not limitted to the small Confines of Jury nor to ttravel only in the Land of Canaan but to go into all the World or to travel into all Nations Countries and Kingdoms of the Earth and to visit the Rich and Poor the Old and Young as well the King on the Throne as the Beggar on the Dung-hill even all Bond and Free Male and Female nor was he sent to travel alone but had a very rich and glorious Retinue alwaies with him neither did he come o any man's House empty handed but brought along with him
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