The travels of true godliness, from the beginning of the world to this present…

'twas this vain Fellow that brought the poor Prodigal to eat husks with the swine;¹ 'tis he, not only causes you to waste, and foolishly spend your money (when you have got a little) but also your precious time, which should be improved for the good of your poor perishing Soul. Poverty, can it do you any harm to be taught to become a better Husband, and not to consume the little you sometimes get amongst Riotous Company, which might be a great comfort to your poor Wife and Children; also I will appeal to my Neighbour Morality, whether there is any ground for you to refuse to entertain me, because I teach you to be content with mean things, hard fare, and do put you upon hard labour, and not to run into debt, unless you knew which way to pay it. Ignorance is a Murderer, and hath destroyed millions of Souls, though there was a time indeed when God seemed to wink at him, ^*i. e. did not lay (as it were) his hands immediately upon him; but now he is left altogether inexcusable, because God hath afforded you a sufficiency of Light to bring you to the true knowledge of Salvation, the necessity of Faith and True Godliness, if you would escape the damnation of Hell. Unbelief, I found the other day with Riches, and indeed I am come to no Bodies door but I find him within; I gave a plain Character of him then, to which I refer you, if you have a mind to know what a dangerous person he is; but however, take one word or two in answer to what he says to you against me; he affirms, that all my promises are fictitious, being unseen things, they have no reality in them, or things that you can never attain ⟨p. 49⟩unto, if you could, yet they could not answer your present necessities. If you will give credit to such a notorious Liar, Murderer and Blasphemer, who certainly in a sly and treacherous manner seeks to stab you at the heart, who can help it? Are Christ's Promises of Grace and Peace here, and Glory hereafter, because not seen with external Eyes, fictions? He will tell you also ere long, if you will believe him there is no God nor Devil, Heaven nor Hell, because not seen with visible eyes; he may suggest the one to you as well as the other. Come, Poverty, thousands of my Children, by blessed experience have found my Promises no fictions nor idle fancies, but things full of reality, marrow and fatness: O taste and see how good the Lord is.