The Godly Man's Picture

First, Such as are still in their natural estate, who never yet did relish any sweetness in the things of God; let me beseech them in the bowels of Christ, that they would labour to get these Characters of the Godly, engraven upon their hearts; though godliness be the object of the worlds scorn and ha•ed (as in Tertullians days, the name of a Christian was a^* crime) yet be not ashamed to espouse godliness; know, that persecuted godliness, is better than prosperous wickedness; what will all the world avail a ⟨p. 274⟩man, without godliness? To be learned and ungodly, is like a Devil transformed into an Angel of light; to be beautiful and ungodly, is like a fair picture hung in an infected room; to be honourable in the world and ungodly, is like an Ape in purple, or like that Image, which had an head of gold upon feet of clay; 'tis godliness,² that en-nobles and consecrates the heart, making God and Angels fall in love with it.

First, Such as are still in their natural estate, who never yet did relish any sweetness in the things of God; let me beseech them in the bowels of Christ, that they would labour to get these Characters of the Godly, engraven upon their hearts; though godliness be the object of the worlds scorn and ha•ed (as in Tertullians daies, the name of a Christian was a^* crime) yet be not ashamed to espouse godliness; know, that persecuted godliness, is better than prosperous wickedness; what will all the world avail a ⟨p. 274⟩man, without godliness? To be learned and ungodly, is like a Devil transformed into an Angel of light; to be beautiful and ungodly, is like a fair picture hung in an infected room; to be honourable in the world and ungodly, is like an Ape in purple, or like that Image, which had an head of gold upon feet of clay; 'tis godliness,²