The divine life in three treatises

And here take notice of the madness of the unthankful world, that hateth and persecuteth the Preachers of the Gospel, that bring them the glad tidings of pardon, and hope, and life eternal, of solid happiness, and durable delight; and yet they are not offended at these Atheists and ungodly Cavillers, that would take them off from all that is truly good and pleasant, and make them believe that nature hath made them capable of no higher things than beasts, and hath enthralled them in remediless infelicity.

Quest. 9. Do you not see by experience that there are a people in the world whose hearts are upon God, and the life to come, and that make it their chiefest care and business to seek him and to serve him? How then can you say that there is no such thing, or that we are not capable of it, when it is the case of so many before your eyes? If you say that it is but their fancy or self-deceit: I answer, that really their hearts are set upon God, and the everlasting world, and that it is their chiefest care and business to attain it; this is a thing that they feel, and you may see in the bent and labour of their lives; and therefore you cannot call that a fancy, of which you have so full experience: But whether the motives that have invited them, and engaged them to such a choice and course, be fancies and deceits or not, let God be Judge, and let the awakened consciences of worldlings themselves be Judge, when they have seen the end, and tried whether it be Earth or Heaven that is the shadow, and whether it be God▪ or their unbelieving hearts that was deceived.

Quest. 9. Do you not see by experience that there are a people in the world whose hearts are upon God, and the life to come, and that make it their chiefest care and business to seek him and to serve him? How then can you say that there is no such thing, or that we are not capable of it, when it is the case of so many before your eyes? If you say that it is but their fancy or self-deceit: I answer, that really their hearts are set upon God, and the everlasting world, and that it is their chiefest care and business to attain it; this is a thing that they feel, and you may see in the bent and labour of their lives; and therefore you cannot call that a fancy, of which you have so full experience: But whether the motives that have invited them, and engaged them to such a choice and course, be fancies and deceits or not, let God be Judge, and let the awakened consciences of worldlings themselves be Judge, when they have seen the end, and tryed whether it be Earth or Heaven that is the shadow, and whether it be God or their unbelieving hearts that was deceived.