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

Godliness, Alas Father, you may not live another day, Death may seize you before to morrow ^*morning, why should you put me off, I was formerly at your door when you was young, and then you told me you could not open to me, because you had not sowed all your wild Oats, and you were too young, and I was not a fit Companion for Youth. Moreover, you then said, when you were old you would let me in; and will you put me off now too, pray rise and open to me. But all the ways and means Godliness could use, signified nothing he was ^*settled so on his Lees, and had such abundance of stubborn and rebellious Servants and Children, that they would not suffer him to show Godliness the least favour; the Names of some of them were, besides Weary-limbs, Dim-eyes and Peevish-hard-heart, Impenitency, Self-conceit, Enmity, Unbelief and Ignorance, with many more of like sort; the first I named were his own Natural-Off-spring, and somewhat younger than the rest; Hard-heart ^*he had nourished and fed continually from his Youth, for Godliness found him at his House when he gave him a visit in the prime of his Days. But now he was grown a very stout, stubborn and obdurate Piece; this Fellow made Old-Age not to regard at all, nor fear the threats of God. And he was so void of Pity, that he stirred Old-Age up to stifle poor Conscience, who kept his Accounts; and at every turn, to tread him under foot, if he had at ⟨p. 67⟩any time so much light and power as to tell him of his Debts, viz. what abundance of abominable sins he had committed against God, nay not only so, but not to regard nor pity the sad estate of his own Soul; nor did he concern himself with the low condition of God's Church, and the Protestant Religion in this dismal hour, but would curse and swear, and tell many stories and filthy Lies, and now and then be Drunk, notwithstanding he was even ready to drop into Hell, and but seldom cry, God forgive me; and all this comes to pass through the evil nature of this cursed Hard-heart, and his Companions Enmity and Unbelief.

Godliness, Alas Father, you may not live another day, Death may seize you before to morrow