The Sincere Convert

3. If men have no peace here, then they fly to, and rest in the goodness of their insides: you shall have many a man, whom if you follow to his chamber you shall find very devout, and they pray heartily for the mercy of God, and forgiveness of sins: but ⟨p. 231⟩follow them out of their Chambers, watch their discourses, you shall find it frothy and vain, and now and then powdered with faith and troth and obscene speeches. Watch them when they are crossed, you shall see them as angry as Wasps, and swell like Turkeys, and so spit out their venom like Dragons. Watch them in their journeys, and you shall see them shoot into an Alehouse, and there swill• and swagger, and be familiar with the scum of the country for profaneness, and half drunk too sometimes. Watch them on the Lords day, take them out of the Church once, and set aside their best clothes, they are the same then as at another time; and because they must not work nor sport that day, they think they may with a good conscience sleep the longer on the morning. Ask now such men how they hope to be saved, seeing their lives are so bad; they say, though they make not such shows, they know what good prayers they make in private, their hearts they say are good. I ⟨p. 232⟩tell ye brethren, he that trusteth to his own heart, and his good desires, and so resteth in them, is a fool. I have heard of a man that would haunt the Taverns, and Theatres, and whorehouses at London all day, but he durst not go forth without private prayer in the morning, and then would say at his departure; now devil do thy worst, and so used his prayers (as many do) only as charms and spells against the poor weak cowardly devil, that they think dares not hurt them, so long as they have good hearts within them, and good prayers in the chamber; and hence they will go near to rail against the Preacher as an harsh Master, if he do not comfort them with this, that God accepts of their good desires.

3. If men have no peace here, then they fly to, and rest in the goodnesse of their insides: you shall have many a man, whom if you follow to his chamber you shall finde very devout, and they pray heartily for the mercy of God, and forgivenesse of sinnes: but ⟨p. 231⟩