N30392:361
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.
Were a Man's House on fire over his Head, and he like to be burned, would he not think of Ways to get out because it was a difficult Work to do?
Were a Man's House on fire over his Head, and he like to be burn'd, would he not 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 ⟨p. 122⟩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?
'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 obtain'd but through great Difficulty. What Hazards do ⟨p. 122⟩Men often run for Honour and worldly Riches? Oh? what Projects and Contrivances do they find out? And wilt thou disist this Work, because it is difficult?
Consideration (saith one) that spotless Virgin, that joy of Angels, that envy of Devils, that offspring of God,1 the ladder whereby Men climb to Heaven is thought hard, though nothing be more easy, '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 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 it, or involve many Books, to be Masters of it, they need not Sail to the Antipodes to compass it, or dig under Ground to find it? they need not 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.