Sufferers in the Cause of Christ c. By Samuel Clarke late Pastor of St. Bennet Fink London The Lives of sundry Eminent Persons in this latter-Age in two Parts 1. Of Divines 2. Of Nobility and Gentry of both Sexes by the above-mentioned Samuel Clarke To which is added his own Life and the Lives of the Countess of Suffolk Sir Nathanael Barnardiston Mr. Richard Blackerby and Mr. Samuel Fairclough drawn up by other hands A Large Dictionary in three Parts performed by the great pains and many years Study of Doctor Thomas Holy-Oke Mr. Wilson's Compleat Christian Dictionary wherein the several significations and several acceptations of all the Words mentioned in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are fully opened expressed and explained Mr. Baxter's Christian Directory or Sum of Practical Theology and Cases of Conscience in four Parts Treating 1. Of Christian Ethicks 2. Christian Oeconomicks 3. Christian Ecclesiasticks or Church Duties 4. Christian Politicks or Duties to our Rulers and Neighbors Peter Heylin's Cosmography in four Books containing the Chorography and History of the whole World and all the principal Kingdoms Provinces Seas and the Isles thereof Bishop Reinold's Works containing 1. The Vanity of the Creature 2. The Sinfulness of Sin 3. The Life of Christ 4. An Explication of Psalm CX 5. Meditations on the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 6. An Explication of the 14 th Chapter of Hosea 7. A Treatise of the Passions and Faculties of the Soul in a Collection of 30 Sermons Preached on several Solemn Occasions Dr. Horton's 100 Select Sermons upon several Texts of Scripture fifty upon the Old Testament and fifty upon the New A Book of singular vse for Divines Mr Charneck's Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God Mr. Richard Hookers Ecclesiastical Polity in 8 Books compleated out of his own Manuscripts with several other Treatises by the same Author and an Account of his Life and Death Esquire Felthams Resolves Divine Moral Political the 10 th Impression with new Additions both in Prose and Verse not extant in the former Impressions Reinholds Triumphs of Gods Revenge against the crying and execrable Sin of Murder expressed in 30 several Tragical Histories the Sixth Edition carefully corrected To which is added Gods Revenge against the abominable Sin of Adultery Illustrated with several Sculptures Dr. Littletons Sermons Preached mostly upon Publick Occasions with a Table to them The History of the Life Reign and Death of Edward the Second King of England Lord of Ireland with the Rise and Fall of his great Favorites Gaveston and the Spencers Sanders Physiognomy Chiromancy Metoposcopy with the Symmetrical Proportions and signal Moles of the Body Richard Baxters Catholick Theology plain pure peaceable for pacification of the Dogmatical Word warriors in three Books containing 1. Pacifying Principles 2. A Pacifying Praxis 3. Pacifying Disputations Opus Historicum Chronologioum per D. Robertum Baillium The History of the execrable Irish Rebellion trac'd from many preceding Acts to the grand Eruption October 23. 1641. and thence pursued to the Act of Settlement 1662. Dissertâ—tio de Scientia media tribus Libris absoluta Autore Gulielmo Twisse S. Theolog. Doctore Dr. Cudworâ—hs True Intellectual Systeme of the Universe wherein all the Reason and Philosophy of Atheism is confuted and its impossibility demonstrated Philip's New World of Words or General English Dictionary useful for the adornment of our English Tongue Dr. Owens Excercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews concerning the Priesthood of Christ Dr. Ingelo's Bentivolio and Vrania in six Books the fourth Edition with large Amendments Dr. Pagit's Christianography or a Description of the sundry sorts of Christians that are in the whole World Caryls Exposition upon Job in two Volumes in large Folio Bakers Chronicle of the Kings of England to the Reign of King Charles the Second with a Continuation of that Chronicle to these present Times The Works of Isaac Ambrose containing his Prima Media Vltima with several other useful things c. Riverius his General Practice of Physick a Book of singular Use to all that study Physick Clelia A Romance comprehended in a thick Folio A Book much esteemed by the Wits of the present Age. Pools Synopsis in five Volumes upon the Old and New Testament Mr. Abraham Cowleys Works Published out of his Original Copies Causins Holy Court in four Parts compleat in a large Folio Clarks Examples being a Mirror or looking-Glass both for Saints and Sinners wherein is represented as Gods wonderful Mercies to the one so his severe Judgments against the other Collected out of Authors of good Credit both ancient and modern with some late Examples Hammonds Paraphrase and Annotation on the New Testament briefly explaining all the difficult places thereof Medes Works in one Volume Taylors Ductor Dubitantium or the Rule of Conscience in all her general Measures serving as a great instrument for the determination of Cases of Conscience Brownriggs Sermons compleat 65. Published by Will. Martyn M. A. sometimes Preacher at the Rolls Sandersons 34 Sermons 16. Ad Aulam 4. Ad Clerum 6. Ad Magistratum and 8. Ad Populum with a large Preface by the said Author To which is added a Sermon Preached at St. Pauls Cross Gurnals Christian Armour A Treatise of the Saints War against the Devil Taylors Life of Christ being an entire History of the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus with Figures sutable to every Story The House of Mourning A Collection of Sermons Furnished with Directions for Preparation to Meditations on Consolations at the hour of Death Preached at the Funerals of several faithful Servants of Christ By Dan. Featly Martyn Day John Preston Tho. Taylor Richard Holdsworth Richard Sibbs J. Pearson Chr. Shute Tho. Fuller Edmund Barker Josias Alsop Doctors in Divinity and other Eminent Divines with some Additional Sermons Cambridge Concordance with the various Readings both of Text and Margin in a more exact Method than hath hitherto been Extant By S. N. Owen of the Spirit A Discourse concerning the Holy Spirit wherein an Account of his Name Nature Personality Dispensation Operations and Effects his whole work in the Old and New Creation is explained the Doctrine concerning it vindicated from reproachs the Nature also and Necessity of Gospel-Holiness the difference between Grace and Morality c. Hutchenson on Job the Sum of 316 Lectures Preached in the City of Edenburgh Bishop Pearson on the Creed Cradocks Harmony of the Four Evangelists and their Text methodized according to the Order and Series of times wherein the entire History of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is methodically set forth By Sam. Cradeck Ushers Body of Divinity or the Sum and Substance of Christian Religion Catechistically propounded and explained Stillingflects Sermons with a Discourse annexed concerning the true reason of the Sufferings of Christ wherein Crellius his Answer to Grotius is considered Scriveners Body of Divinity or an Introduction to the knowledge of the true Catholick Religion
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
would now and then curse it lov'd to read Romances and Song Books But poor Conscience being stifled in a little time he gave content to the whole Family in that he could mumble over a few Prayers out of a Book And that in rhe second place he could Bowl drink Healths be Drunk and cry God damn him with any of them and there was indeed never a one in all the Family that hated True Godliness more than he for he made songs of him and scoffed jeered and derided him continually and made himself and others merry with his mean low and distressed condition and also stirr'd up all the Neighbourhood to find fault and quarrel with all those who were friends and true lovers of him Godliness now perceived he was like to have but cool Entertainment at this House having waited at Riches Gate till his patience was almost worn out began to think of a removal and to Travel to some other place but before he took his final farewel he was resolved to speak his mind freely to him thereby to leave him without any kind of excuse whatsoever and therefore addrest himself to him after this manner being at door ready to depart Godli Well Riches I see now very plainly you did but flatter me when you began to hearken to your poor Steward Conscience in order to the letting me into your House for evident it is you are grown far worse than before and have blinded his eyes by entertaining another who calls himself by my name instead of me but before I do depart I will shew you the great danger you are in and the cause of it the truth is you have got such a Crew of lose base and deceitful Servants that they will utterly undo you and bring upon you the eternal ruine of your poor soul which I design'd by my coming to you to save and make happy for ever for indeed whether you will believe it or no there was never any who entertained these graceless Villains and enemies of God but were for ever ruin'd by them at last nay and not only eternally hereafter in the World to come but many times externally here in this World therefore I advise you to do what you can to get rid of them and I will help you to far better Servants in their stead For first of all can you think it will be safe for you to keep Presumption still in your House since there is scarce a more deceitful and bloody Wretch in the World how many thousands of poor souls hath he impudently destroy'd by causing them to presume on the mercy of God and the death of Christ and yet live in Sin Pride and Covetousness and in a vile manner hating and contemning me that is to say True Godliness Doth not God say it is harder for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and yet you are perswaded by him to think it is an easie thing and doth not the Scripture say Except your righteousness do exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of God And yet he tells you that by doing a few good deeds or by giving a little of your great abundance to the Poor your state is good enough whereas many of the Pharisees did as to acts of Charity exceedingly out-do you nay doth not St. Paul say Though he gave all his goods to feed the Poor and his Body to be burned yet without Charity that is to say true love to God and Godliness he was nothing and yet you though you slight and contem God and Godliness are taught to presume on God's Mercy who hath notwithstanding positively said concerning you and such as you are He that made them will not save them and he that form'd them will shew them no favour Isa 27.11 And then as touching your Servant Vnbelief he is such a bloody and devouring Monster that he hath sent Millions to Hell by hindring them from believing what God hath said in his Word touching his Grace and Clemency to the truly penitent and of his wroth and vengeance to the Impenitent and unbelieving Soul he will not suffer you to believe nor give credit to that word If any man loves the World the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 1.15 Nor to that word neither Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3.3 And he that believes not shall be damned Mark 16.16 And many like dreadful Sentences which he will not suffer you to regard nor give the least credit to and thus he teaches you to make God a Lyar for he hath said you shall without Repentance be damned and perish in your sins but he says ye shall be saved though ye live in your sins Thirdly as to what Ignorance says of getting Pardon of Sins for a piece of Money by sending for a Popish Priest he deserves to be cheated of his Soul that will hearken to such a blind Sot who can forgive Sin but God Shall any believe that Pardon which is the gift of God can be bought with Money Sure his Holiness never learn'd this Doctrine of St. Peter whose Successor he says he is for St. Peter said to such a one as thou art Thy money perish with thee Acts 8.20 Fourthly As concerning Pride whom you entertain and hug in your bosom as a sweet and beloved Friend he hath been the ruine of many Souls likewise nay and not only Men but Angels also for 't is thought he was the principal Agent who wrought their eternal destruction and from Heaven cast them down to Hell and of Angels of Light made them Devils But Sir pray remember that word Pride goes before Destruction and a haughty Spirit before a Fall What became of the great King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar for entertaining this Fellow was it not Pride that brought him down with a vengeance and turned him a grazing to eat straw like Oxen Dan. 3.4 Moreover what became of Herod the Great who was so fond of this Companion Did he not bring God's heavy wrath upon him in such a fearful manner that a blessed Angel was sent to smite him with Death immediately and he was eaten of Worms Acts 12.23 Have you not read that the day cometh which shall burn as an Oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble Mal. 4.1 This haughty Villain Pride is one of those seven things as Solomon shews which God hates Prov. 6.16 If you will not Riches be perswaded from hence to turn him out of your House even take what will follow Fifthly Vain-hope I know is one that hath kept up your spirits and spoke peace to you all along but he is fitly so called for he will leave you like a deceitful false-hearted and treacherous Friend when you come to fall into distress You hope to be saved and so did many thousands that are now in Hell but alas what
ground have you to build your hope upon The Hypocrites hope shall perish whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be as a Spiders Web Job 18.13 14. Ah Sir what will your hope avail you though you have gain'd the World when God taketh away your Soul Job 27.8 Sixthly and Lastly as touching your sweet Darling Covetousness he is made up with Idolatry and what can be more detestable to Jehovah so long as you Entertain and love him you adore an Idol he is indeed the Ring-leader to almost all manner of Wickedness nay there is scarcely a viler and more abominable Wretch breathing on Gods Earth therefore justly called The Root of all Evil. he hath taught many to play the Thief others to commit Treason and others to Murther Innocents for their Inheritance he is guilty of Bribery Vsary Extorttion and Oppression It was he as made poor Achan lose his sweet Life he also contrived the death of Naboth and his Sons and more than all he tempted Judas to Sell and basely to betray my dear Lord and Master Jesus Christ for Thirty pieces of Silver Do not blame me therefore if I bear so hard against him moreover I can scarcely ever get one Foot into any rich mans House through his means 't is he and his Companions who keep me out he hath through his hard-heartedness almost famished to death all the Poor both in City and Countrey and hath also of late very near betrayed my whole interest that I have in the world into the Enemies hands he hath also grievously corrupted many who profess kindness to me by incumbring their minds so with the Affairs of this Life that they cannot find the way to the Church when they should be hearing of God's Word he forces them to abide in their Shops nor will he suffer many of them to take a little time to pray in their Families nor in their Closets He has also exposed many of my poor Ministers to many great straits and necessities by which means their heads have been so filled with the cares of this Life that they have been out of capacity to preach the Gospel as they ought to preach it nor can they get such helps that are necessary and all long of him Nay he hath almost undone every Nation Kingdom and Commonwealth First by corrupting the Law and subverting Justice causing Judges to judg for Reward and Lawyers to plead more for Fees than Equity And then secondly by spoiling Commerce for he hath Monopolized Trades and Commodities so into his own hands and inhanced the prizes of things that many men have been undone by him I cann't Sir reckon up all his horrible Crimes and is this he you so dearly love and must I be slighted and disregarded by you through love you bear to him Alas Sir he will bring your Soul if you follow him to destruction Pray what became of Achan who harboured him mentioned before also what became of Ananias and Sapphira whom he forced to tell a lie to the Holy Ghost Acts 5.1 2 3 4. Who was it that caused the Young Man in the Gospel to fall short of Heaven and to go away from Jesus Christ very sorrowful and Demas to turn Apostate and to embrace this present evil World was it not Coveetousness Ah Sir take heed of this abominable Miscreant for tho' some wicked ones of the Earth may bless you yet he caused God to hate you See what David saith The Wicked boasteth of his hearts desire and blesseth the Covetous whom the Lord abhorreth Psal 10.3 Consider of these things and be perswaded to put away all these deceitful and Hell-bred Companions which you have a long time nourished in your House or it will be worse with you I do assure you O that you would now at last before I leave you hearken to my Counsel and receive me into your House and renounce that Monster you have lately embrac'd who calls himself by my Name What do you say Riches Rich. Do you think I am such a Fool to give Entertainment to you and lose all my great Honour and Credit amongst the brave Heroes of the Earth Godli Why Sir is not the Honour that comes from God better than all the vain honour poor mortals can give you you have I am sure a rare Example of one to follow in this great Case Remember Moses and the Renowned Galeacius the famous Marquess of Italy he was not of your mind Some rich and noble Men have for my sake denied themselves of all the glory of this World and accounted the Reproaches of Christ greater Riches than Earthly Honours and Pleasures of Sin which are but for a season Rich. If others were such Fools to disgrace and undo themselves what is that to me I know what I have to do Godli Sir I perceive your condition is miserable for you seem to be hardened and whilst you have had gracious means afforded you to bring you to Repentance you are grown worse and worse however let me tell you if you die before you have embraced and received me into your House you will perish in your sins and Hell will be your Portion for ever those who reject me reject God and Jesus Christ also and to tell you the truth all this time that I have been at your door the Lord Jesus hath stood waiting at your door with me likewise Rich. Leave your Canting you are a bold and impudent piece do you begin to threaten me Am I not my own Master Would you Lord it over me I perceive you what you aim at you would have me entertain you that so your poor despised Off-spring might have a good fleece out of me I could find in in my heart to be revenged on you and set all the Rabble of the Town upon you Sirrah I have considered of the business and have had advice what to do from two able Counsellors Dr. Self-love and Sir Worldly Wiseman Godli Sir St. Paul did not take advice of those two shallow depraved degraded disherited Counsellors he consulted not with flesh and bloud Rich. Will you not leave your prating you would undo me you are called Godlidess but that is not your Name you are I understand a factious Fellow and your Name is Stubbornness alias Singularity alias Sedition one may know what you are by the many Names you go by know ye therefore Friend that I have received the true Godliness already and him I will keep he is indeed an honourale Person one whom great men love and is in favour with the Princes of the Earth But as for you I see no encouragement for any body to respect you for as most People in all Nations speak against you and hate you so you would I know soon spoil all my joyes and bring nothing but sorrow and fear along with you should I entertain you I should not so much as tell a lie for my advantage but you would threaten me with Hell and Damnation nor go
live as Trees and Plants do and though there was offered him a Cabinet of rich Jewels yet he would not so much as stretch out his Arm to take hold of it and notwithstanding he had many fiery darts stuck in his Breast yet he would not be at the pains of pulling them forth by which means he was in a sad and lamentable condition I remember a very wise man told me that he hides his hand in his bosome and it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth by the means of these two lazy Felows Sloth and Idleness Ignorance told him he had received True Godliness already and that he had dwelt in his house ever since he was a Child and that Baptism brought him in and that the chief business which God required of him was to get Bead and Clothes for his Family Vnbelief told him that those things which Godliness talked of were meer Fictions being unseen things there was no reallity in them But when he question'd the truth of what Vnbelief spoke upon this account then the Wretch told him however they were things far out of his reach and that he had no part nor lot in them neither could they if it was possible to obtain them answer his present necessities Light-fingers told him he had been for a great while his best Friend and if it had not been for him he had been starved to Death long before now Distrust fell into discourse with his thieving Brother and positively said if he turned Light-fingers out of his House as he knew he must if Godliness came in he would certainly go a begging from door to door Wastful told him that True Godliness if entertained would never suffer him to buy such good pieces of Beef and Mutton c. as he was us'd to do on trust unless he knew he was able to pay for them and that he would not suffer him to go any more to merry Meetings and carowse it amongst good Fellows at the Alehouse nor recreate himself at Cards Bowls Nine-pins and other Sports for Money on Holidays and that he must be content with such mean Clothes and Fare he had got and never lose a days work to gratifie the lusts of the Flesh and that also he must change his Company which particularly was grievous to Poverty to hear Carping-Cares filled his head so full of distracting thoughts that he had no time to think of God Christ nor his own Soul from one weeks end to another but his great study was either to think where to borrow Money and so get more in debt or else how to pay what he ow'd to get out of debt or what he should do for work Trade being grown by the badness of Times very dead by this means Villain fill'd with sad thoughts not knowing how he should get more Bread when that he had was eaten up and more Clothes when they he had would hang on no longer besides it could not go out of his mind but that at one time or other he should be Arested and thrown into a Goal having many times fearfully broke his word Faint-heart and Fear-man presented to him the danger he would be in upon any consideration if True Godliness were entertained For first they told him how contemptible Real Godliness was grown at this present time being of very little credit or esteem amongst any sort and degrees of men in the world by reason of Vice which which was never more rampant insomuch that True Godliness was like to be driven out of the world and forc'd to flye into some hole or corner of the Earth to hide himself Mr. Riches who is the Lord of the Mannor hath beat him away from his door and hateth him with a perfect hatred now if you entertain him he will soon hear of it and so will become your deadly Enemy and pull down your Cottage or warn you out or be sure not let you have a farthing of the Poors Money nor never set you to work any more and what will become then of thy poor Wife and Children Nay said they we will tell you more Do you not hear what cruel Edicts the Prince of the Ancient Gauls Countrey hath made against True Godliness and how many of the Protestant Churches he hath pulled down and utterly demolished and how he is persecuted almost every where Come say they 't is that pleasant and lovely Form of Counterfeit Godliness that will in little time be generally embraced and those who entertain True Godliness must expect to be reproached and basely reviled Moreover do you not hear how many Thousands in France and in other places who have for a long time entertained him have turned him out of doors they are weary of him or afraid to own him and is this a time for you to think of embracing him Poverty said they pity your self and have more wit you are poor enough already and this is the way to make you more miserable If Riches will not entertain him who hath many advantages to relieve and help himself in distressing Times and sad exigencies over what Poverty hath or can promise himself there is no ground of encouragement for you to open to him Upon this poor Poverty resolv'd not to let True Godliness have a Lodging in his House but rather instead thereof to put stronger Bolts and Bars on his Door Godliness having waited all this while to hear what these cursed enemies of his would say and perceiving they had now done he broke silence and began of speak after this manner Godli Well Poverty I expected but little less from you when I perceived you were resolved to hearken to those graceless Villains you lodg in your House for they I hear would do their worst to keep me out but I shall now however to undeceive you answer them all First as to these lazy Companions Sloth and Idleness who will not suffer you to labour for the good neither of Body nor Soul they have in part brought you into this poor and miserable condition you are in Oh how many have they brought to beg their Bread from door to door and stirred up others to rob steal and commit horrible Murders to uphold them in their loose lazy and ungodly lifes by which means they have brought and daily do bring a number of men and women to the Gallows but the greatest mischief they do is to the Souls of men for they have cast thousands into such a deep sleep that never awake until they lift up their eyes in Hell they will not suffer men to labour to find out their great danger till it is too late and others when they do perceive their woeful condition are hindred by them from endeavouring timely and in a right manner to get out they many times cry Lord help us and Lord have mercy upon us but never strive to take hold of the offers and tenders of his Grace and Mercy by cleaving to Christ and
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