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
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
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
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
for suitable words in Prayer than for a suitable heart Doth not he study more for acute expressions to affect the hearts of others than to meet with powerful impressions upon his own Doth he not lengthen his Prayers before others and hurry them over in private Doth he as much endeavour after what he needs from God as that which he seeks of God Fifthly Can he bear reproofs kindly for his faults and take them patiently nay and esteem him his greatest friend who deals most cordially with him is he ready to take shame to himself and give glory to God Can he be contented in the waies of God though he meets with little sensible comfort from God nor outward respect from Saints Sixthly Doth he as much desire to have his heart filled with Grace as his head with knowledge Doth he take as much care to make the Glory of God his end in what he doth as the Command of God his ground in what he doth Seventhly Is he not more severe in pressing the lesser concerns of Religion than in urging the greater Doth he not require those Duties of others which he himself is loth to practice Is he not more curious to know other mens conditions than his own Eighthly Hath he received a whole Christ with a whole heart First A whole Christ comprehends all his Offices and a whole heart comprehends all his Faculties Hath he received Christ not only as a Priest to die for him but also as a Prince to rule over him Doth he obey all God's Precepts as well as believe all God's Promises 2. As to his Faculties his understanding may be somewhat enlightned but his affections may be carnal and his will oppose me being averse to True Godliness Is not his Heart divided Come Conscience I do now command you in the presence of the great and dreadful God who searches all hearts to make a righteous decision tell me plainly Is my Enemy Hypocrisie here or no By these brief Hints you may easily know him Conscience Sir I must confess Hypocrisie is here now I have found him out nay Sir and he hath hid him secretly in his House ever since he came to live in this Town Religion he is seemingly holy but really wicked he loves the Face of Holiness but is without the Grace of Holiness his greatest care has been to wash the outside of the Platter if he can but keep his name from being reproach'd by men he cares not though his Heart be grievously defiled before God Should I tell you of all those Lusts which he harbours in his heart and what favour he shews to that Old-Man you mentioned before I should quite shame him he is a Saint indeed abroad but a Heathen to say no worse at home he prays hears and reads but 't is to keep up his Credit Name and Esteem amongst many Christian men of this Town for I have often found him very weary of these Duties God knows it as well as I Nay Sir he would seldom pray at all were it not to quiet me for he doth not love my lashes besides he performs them with a sad cold dead carnal and lifeless spirit he is much for the lesser things of Religion as you minded he keeps a mighty stir about Mint Anise and Cummin but quite neglects the greater and more weighty things nay there is one thing more I will tell you as he does not love strict Godliness himself so his heart is ready to rise against all such who outdo him Sir he is a meer Dissembler yet he would be thought as religious a man as any in the Town I find him also much abroad finding of faults in others or spying the more that is in his Brothers eye but never minds the beam that is in his own nay and he is ready to fall out with many good Christians because they will not follow him in Habit Mode and Gesture c. In a word most of all those black Marks of this deceitful Villain Hypocrisie you hinted at I find in him also Godli Conscience say no more I see was not mistaken and now Formalist are not you a wretch to pretend kindness to me and secretly thus to entertain one of my worst Enemies Sir 't is you who have brought so great a reptoach upon this poor Town* and on all its Inhabitants Nay and 't is through your means I am so basely villifi'd and condemned by that blind Fellow Ignorance for he is ready to conclude that all my Friends and true Fovourites are such as your self viz. meer loose and Formal Hypocrites Besides you are like to be undone and perish for ever unless you do the sooner turn this vile Enemy of mine out of doors for I expect no other but that you will in a little time fall into Apostacy but should you die first yet assure your self you will be damned for Hell is indeed prepared for such as you are you are poor Creature in the worst condition of all men for the wicked hate you because you pretend so much love to Religion and Godliness God also and all good men hate you because you are not real but only pretend love to them being not sincere and upright in your Profession Formalist At this began to be very angry being greatly offended at True Godliness for he could not endure to see his State ript open nor did he like to hear of his present nor future misery being perswaded by Mr. Vain-hope Vnbelief and Good-Opinion to think his condition for all this might be safe enough however Vain-hope told him though at present his state might be doubtful yet he should have many daies on earth and that he might repent and set all things at rights before he died whose word and promise he adventur'd to take and so bid True Godliness be gone at this great grief seem'd to seize upon True Godliness and and no mans state in all his Travels he did indeed more lament and his Soul being almost overwhelmed with sorrow he broke out to this purpose and departed Passion o'reflows why melt I thus with grief For him whose trayt'rous Heart denies relief But what could I expect false wretch from thee Who harbour'st in thy House Hypocrisie A feigned Friend's worse than an open Foe And unto me oft-times more wrong does do Of all to whom I am by Jesus sent O're thee O Formalist I do lament I know there 's cause were things consider'd well Thou suffer'st here and yet must go to hell Hated of God and man what can be worse Than th' wrath of man and great Jehovah's Curse Farewel poor Soul is this thy love to me Must I begone adieu adieu to thee CHAP. X. Shewing how Godliness travelling further into the Town called Religion saw abundance of People who had been great Professors getting away out of the Town as fast as they could Shewing also what Discourse he had with one of them wherein the Nature and Danger of Apostasie is plainly opened
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