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

These three also had bred up another graceless Villain as bad as themselves, one Impenitency, so that all that could be said to him by Godliness and his servant Theology, concerning the detestable nature of sin and his miserable condition, yet he could not be brought to repent, nor to let one tear fall for his sins, so that that word of the blessed Apostle was made good in him, But after thy hard and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous Judgements of God; ¹Who will render to every man according to his deeds. Ignorance was in Young-mans House, and in Poverty's House, but not such a sottish Ignorance as seemed to be with this Father Old-Age, for he told him God did not mind nor trouble himself to take notice of what men did here below, but was taken up about high matters in Heaven; neither indeed could he believe he saw through the thick Clouds; Is not God (said he) in the height of Heaven, and behold the height of the Stars how high they are. And how doth God know? can he judg through ⟨p. 68⟩the dark Clouds? Thick Clouds are a Covering to him that he seeth not; and he walketh in the Circuit of Heaven, Job 22.12, 13, 14. Moreover, He and Unbelief told him, though he was a notorious Swearer, Liar and a very drunken Sot, that he had as good a heart as the best, and that to read and hear some good Prayers, and to mean well, was godliness enough for him. Besides, they would not suffer him to believe that God would ever cast any of his Creatures, whom he had made, into a Lake of Fire and Brimstone, for such a small frivolous thing as Sin was; nay, he was persuaded by them to believe there was no Hell at all. And as touching Heaven they told him, there might be some such thing, and that though he might not have so good a place there as some men, yet he should get in amongst the Crowd, and find some corner or other, for Heaven was a very large place.

These three also had bred up another graceless Villain as bad as themselves, one Impenitency, so that all that could be said to him by Godliness and his servant Theology, concerning the detestable nature of sin and his miserable condition, yet he could not be brought to repent, nor to let one tear fall for his sins, so that that word of the blessed Apostle was made good in him, But after thy hard and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous Judgements of God;