N30392:121
The travels of true godliness. From the beginning of the world to this present…
The travels of true godliness. From the beginning of the world to this present day, in an apt and pleasant allegory: showing, what true godliness is; also the troubles, oppositions, reproaches, and persecutions he hath met with in every age. : Together with the danger and sad declining state he is in at this present time, by errors, heresies, and ungodliness, or open profaneness. / By Benjamin Keach, author of a book called War with the devil, and Zion in distress, and The travels of ungodliness.The travels of true godliness. From the beginning of the world to this present day, in an apt and pleasant allegory: shewing, what true godliness is; also the troubles, oppositions, reproaches, and persecutions he hath met with in every age. : Together with the danger and sad declining state he is in at this present time, by errors, heresies, and ungodliness, or open prophaneness. / By Benjamin Keach, author of a book call'd War with the devil, and Sion in distress, and The travels of ungodliness.
Boston: printed by B. Green and Company for D. Gookin over against the Old South Meeting-House, 1745
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Distrustful sell into Discourse with his thieving Brother, and positively said, if he turned Light-fingers out of his House (as he knew he must if Godliness came in) he ⟨p. 46⟩would certainly go a begging from Door to Door. Wasteful told him, that True Godliness, if entertained, would not suffer him to buy such good pieces of Beef, Mutton, &c. as he was used to do on trust, unless he knew he was able to pay for 'em; and that he would not suffer him to go any more to merry Meetings, and carouse it amongst good Fellows at the Ale-House, nor recreate himself at Cards, Nine-Pins, and other Sports, for Money on Holidays, and that he must be content with such mean Clothes and Fare he had got, and never lose a Day's Work to gratify the Lusts of the Flesh; and that also he must change his Company; which particularly was grievous to Poverty to bear. Carping-cares filled his Head so full of distracting Thoughts, that he had not time to think of God, Christ, nor his own Soul, from one Week's end to another; but his great Study was either to think where to borrow Money, and so get more in Debt, or else how to Pay what he owed, to get out of Debt, or what he should do for Work, Trade being grown (by the badness of the Times) very dead; by this Means he was filled with sad Thoughts, not knowing how he should get more Bread, when that he had was gone, and more Clothes, when them he had, would hang on no longer; besides, it could not go out of his Mind, but that at one Time or other he should be Arrested, and thrown into a Gaol, having many Times most fearfully broke his Word. Faint-heart and Fear-man presented to him the Danger he would be in upon many considerations, if True Godliness were entertained: For, first, they told him how contemptible Real-Godliness was grown at this present Time, being of very little esteem amongst any degrees of Men in the World, by reason of Vice, which was never more rampant; insomuch ⟨p. 47⟩that True Godliness was like to be driven out of the World, and forced to fly into some hole or corner of the Earth, to hide himself. Mr. Riches, who is Lord of the Manor, hath beat him away from his Door, and hateth him with a perfect hatred;
Distrustful sell into Discourse with his thieving Brother, and positively said, if he turned Light-fingers out of his House (as he knew he must if Godliness came in) he ⟨p. 46⟩