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

And yet many who profess a love to me, do not care to encounter with small difficulties about Consideration, how to entertain and embrace me, though it be their only business and chief interest in all the World. Were a man's House on fire over his head, and he like to be burned, would not he think of ways to get out, because it was a difficult work to do? 'Tis not because Considerations about Heaven and Happiness are so hard and difficult; but because men have no will nor love to these things, other things are more in their affections. Besides, the rarest things are not obtained but through great difficulty. What hazards do men often run for honour and worldly riches? Oh! what projects and contrivances do they find out? And wilt thou desist this work because it is difficult. Consideration (saith one) that spotless Virgin,¹ that joy of Angels, that envy of Devils, that Off-spring of God; the Ladder whereby men climb to Heaven, is thought hard, though nothing be more easy; 'tis a thing portable, and 'tis always to be had; its always in season, always at hand, always in call, no burden in a Journey, no Load in a Voyage; men may carry ⟨p. 122⟩it with them where ever they go, when they travel abroad, when they stay at home, when they sit down, when they rise up, they need not go beyond Sea to fetch, or involve many Books to be Masters of it; they need not sail to the Antipodes to compass it, nor dig under ground to find it; they need not to ransack the Indies to enrich themselves with it; they need not sell their Lands and Houses to purchase it, nor run the hazard of Sword and Fire to secure it; they need not clamber Mountains to possess it, nor wade through Rivers to inherit it —Strong Stupidity! Men do not think it hard to carry talents of Lead, or mountains of sin on their backs, and yet they think Consideration difficult, who like a faithful friend, would tell them how to be rid of that load that will, except they get faith in Christ, or receive True Godliness into their hearts, sink them down into the lowest pit; they do not think it hard to dig into Hell, yet they think Consideration hard, who would teach them a way to quench that fire; they do not think it hard to be oppressed by a bloody Usurper, and yet they think Consideration hard, which would help them to shake him off. O fools and slow of heart!

And yet many who profess a love to me, do not care to encounter with small difficulties about Consideration, how to entertain and embrace me, though it be their only business and chief interest in all the World. Were a man's House on fire over his head, and he like to be burn'd, would not he think of wayes to get out, because it was a difficult work to do? 'Tis not because Considerations about Heaven and Happiness are so hard and difficult; but because men have no will nor love to these things, other things are more in their affections. Besides, the rarest things are not obtained but through great difficulty. What hazzards do men often run for honour and worldly riches? Oh! what projects and contrivances do they find out? And wilt thou desist this work because it is difficult. Consideration (saith one) that spotless Virgin,