THE TRAVELS OF TRUE Godliness FROM THE Beginning of the World to this present Day in an apt and Pleasant ALLEGORY SHEWING The Troubles Oppositions Reproaches and Persecutions he hath met with in every Age. TOGETHER WITH The Danger he seems to be in at this present Time by Vice Papistry and other Grand Enemies Also where he makes his last and final Abode By B. K. Author of War with the Devil and Sion in Distress The Third Edition carefully Corrected London Printed for John Dunton at the Raven over against the Stocks-Market MDCLXXXIV London Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Black Rauen In the Poultrey over against y e stocks market 1683 Babilon Apostates Apostate Godlines Knowledge Faith Love â—incerity Order discipline Thoughtfull Religion Ierusalem THE EPISTLE TO THE READER IN this Tract is shewed the many Snares and Temptation that attend both Riches and Poverty Youth and Old-Age together with the chief Reason why most Men of all Ranks and Qualities are such great strangers to True Godliness The Legalist and Formal Hypocrite may also here see the danger they are in Moreover True Godliness is opened in his own primitive Internal and External Beauty and Glory being vindicated from all those foul Calumnies and Reproaches cast upon him in this and former Ages With his sad Lamentation in respect of the prevailing power of Vice Ungodlines and that great danger he seems now to be in by Papistry and other Enemies Also the usefulness and necessity of Consideration and the Creatures utmost care and diligence in order to their Conversion is clearly evinced with the chief means nature and excellency thereof Together with the cause and dismal Consequences of Apostacy c. If thou art a Saint read with delight but if thou art an Enemy to True Godliness read and tremble For the happy estate of the one and the miserable condition of the other is here set out before your eyes In this Treatise you may see the little cause the one has to mourn in the worst of Times and the other to rejoyce what times soever they live in I hope none will be offended because True Godliness is here presented in an Allegory sith the Holy Scriptures abound with them and so fully justifie our practce herein However 't is now exposed to publick view and since it hath its Birth in such a juncture as this I expect it will meet with different entertainment but whatsoever censures it passeth under yet if but one soul reaps real benefit by it it will requite me for my pains I can say it hath been sweet to me in writing God grant it may prove so to thee in reading and I shall say no more but shall leave it to the Blessing of Jehovah in whom I still remain through infinite Grace Thy Souls Friend and Servant B. Keach THE TRAVELS OF TRUE GODLINESS CHAP. I. Shewing what true Godliness is as also his Pedigree Original and Antiquity TRUE Godliness being of late as well as in former daies become so great a stranger to most men and indeed not known but by a very few in the World I shall in the first place before I Treat of his Travels and of the Entertainment he meets with where he comes give you a description of him and the rather because many persons I perceive are subject to so great an errour as to take Mortality for him and others out of ignorance to say no worse Rail and ignominiously call and abuse him by the names of Singularity Stubbornness Pride and Rebellion as if he were not fit to live or have a being in the World he being rendered a make-bate a seditious and common disturber of all Kingdoms Cities Towns and Villages wheresoever he comes and is entertained Yea such a factious and quarrelsome companion that he is indeed the only cause and stirrer up of all those unhappy differences divisions troubles and miseries that are this day in the world This being so I conclude nothing is more necessary than to take off that ugly Mask or Visard which his implacable enemies have put upon him and clear him of all those soul and unjust slanders and cursed reproaches of the Sons of Belial that so he may appear in his own original primitive and spotless Innocency that none may be afraid of him or be unwilling to entertain him nor ashamed to own him and make him their bosome-companion Know ye therefore in the first place That Godliness consists in the true and right knowledg of Divine Truths or fundamental principles of the Gospel which all men ought to know and be established in that would be saved without Controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up to Glory These great Truths of the Christian Religion are called Godliness many men conclude 't is no matter what faith or principle they hold and cleave to provided they do but live a sober and honest life doing to all men as they would be done unto supposing that the whole of Religion and Godliness consists in these things but alass they are greatly mistaken Godliness is another kind of thing than they imagine it is impossible to receive or entertain True Godliness whilst we shut out of doors the Essentials of the Christian Religion and instead thereof imbrace Superstition Errour and Heresie there being damning principles as well as damning practices 2 Pet. 1.2 3. Now should any demand further to hear more particularly what those principles of divine truths or fundamentals of Christian Faith be which are the Essentials of True Godliness 1. I answer the Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity or the three distinct Subsistances in the Glorious Deity 2. The Unity of the two natures in the person of Christ viz. that he is really God and man in one person David's Lord and yet David's Son David's Root and yet David's Off-spring 3. The Doctrine of Attonement or that plenary satisfaction and reconcilliation the Lord Jesus hath made by his glorious understaning on man's behalf 4. The Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone or the imputation of Christs Righteousnes to those who do believe 5. The Doctrine of Regeneration Resurrection Judgment the World to come c. Now I say in the true knowledg of these and such like principles of divine truths and being truly established in the stedfast belief thereof does True Godliness in part consist But secondly Godliness as to his inward and more hidden parts and power is a holy conformity to these sacred and divine principles which natural men may understand Religion by but True Godliness consists in the light of supernatural truths and life of Grace God manifesting himself in the light of those glorious principles and working the life of supernatural grace in the soul by the Holy Ghost it consists in the saving and experimental knowledg of God and Jesus Christ in having all the evil
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
GOdliness had no sooner left Formalist's door and gone a little further into the Town Religion but he espied a great number of People hasting out as fast as they could go nay he observed some of them ran though others of them went very softly At first he wondred what the matter was because the Town was a little before look'd upon to be a very safe and honourable place to dwell in as any in all the Countrey and had as great and glorious Priviledges belonging to it but upon enquiry he was told there was a number of Lions Evening-Wolves and other evil Beasts who had for a long time been shut up in their Dens a getting out and they having a great while been kept without prey they were afraid they should be torn in pieces But he observing which way they went was the more amazed for he perceived plainly they all steer'd their course directly towards the great City Babylon which he saw likewise a falling and was sure would suddenly in one hour be utterly dstroy'd True Godliness at this seemed so mightily concerned that he could not let them all pass without speaking to them and minding one of them to look like a sober man though he hung down his head as if he had been ashamed resolved to have a little Discourse with him to whom he spake after this manner Godli Sir What is the matter you leave this Town and haste away so fast When you first took up your dwelling here did you not intend to abide in it as long as you liv'd Apostate for that it seems was his Name truly Sir I did intend it I had a great love for this poor Town but I must remove out and be gone now Godli Why must you Is there a necessity laid upon you to acquit this place this honourable Town Religion Apostate Sir I shall be destroyed else for the Walls of late are much gone to decay I do not see that safety to reside here as formerly Besides they say there are a great number of Lions Romish Wolves and other Beasts of Prey a breaking out upon us and I am afraid if I should escape with my life yet having a few Sheep and Lambs they will devour them Truly Sir I do it to save what I have yet I wish very well to the place Godli 'T is very like you speak the truth in this but Sir pray whither are you going Apost I am a going towards the Confines of Babylon that great City Godli I am heartily sorry for you let me perswade you to return back and rest in this Town Sir do not fear those Lions you speak of for God hath said he will break the teeth of the Lions the old Lion and the Lions whelps but what though they should destroy your substance is not your Soul worth more than all the world Come go back again with me and I will dwell with you and be a sure defence to you so that you will not be hurt let Lions Woolfs and Devils too do what they can My name is True Godliness Sir I have saved many thousands from ruin in as great danger as you can be in Apost Sir there will be no safe living for me I must acquit the place the Town is besieged Godli What though it is besieged God is able to defend it and will be a wall of fire about it but why Sir do you chuse that great City you speak of for your Habitation I perceive you intend to go far enough Apost Sir don't mistake me I do not intend to go so far but to return again when the danger is over at present I will go but a little way out of the town Godli Sir you shew your self to be a naughty and trayterous and hypocritical person will you leave this Town in its distress if the danger be great which attends it you had the more need to abide in it to strengthen and encourage the poor Inhabitants Pray Sir do not shew so base and cowardly a Spirit What is this less than to betray rhe Town to the enemies Is not the strength of any place the People Besides your flying mightily encourages the Adversaries for by this means they may think to frighten all out and then with much ease take the Town and utterly destroy it Also you weaken the hands and sadly grieve the hearts of all true Protestants whose chief Treasure lies in the Town and cannot be removed out and it being also their Spiritual Native place they resolve to abide in it to the last let what will come You say you intend to return again when the danger is over What dangers you see above others to move you to acquit the Town I know not but let me tell you few who leave this Town out of fear of humane loss or danger do return again You say you intend to go but a little way alas you can't tell where you shall stop when once you leave the True Religion you desert Gods gracious protection you may not only cleave to Papistry but Atheism or any thing Come go back let me save you from a fall Why will you leave that Religion you have been so long established in Apost Sir I retain the same Principles that I formerly held and my love is the same to the Town as it was Godli Poor wretch you own the Principles of the True Religion and yet cleave to Idolatry and Superstition The three Worthies of old by your example might have retained Faith and right Principles in their hearts of the true God and yet have bowed down to the Golden Image and so needed not to have exposed themselves to a hot fiery Furnace Nay by this Doctrine who needs suffer Persecution Besides it renders all the Martyrs of old to be meer fools and madmen What do you say will you return my company one would think might allure you Apostate No Sir I have formerly had your company and I don't find you so pleasant a Companion besides the Town is sadly divided amongst themselves those who love you do not agree Godli Nay Sir now you are out for you and I never dwelt together yet for if I had ever took up my dwelling with you I would have kept you from this great Fall you will prove your self a meer Hypocrite one that never loved God nor this Town Religion in your heart Sir Uprightness and Sincerity of heart preserves from Apostacy and what though the Town is divided it is my great grief to see it but you had the more need to abide in it to do what you can to perswade them to love and Union however to unite in Affection Come humble your self before God for this great Sin and let us dwell together now and thou shalt abide secure notwithstanding the Divisions within and Troubles without and have most sweet peace and inward joy yea such as thou never hadst in all thy Life What dost say Apost Sir hold your peace and say