N30392:68
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.
Riches. What Doctrine is that, prithee inform me, for I have a very good Esteem for thee; and in Truth, for a long Time have been sensible of the gainful Service thou haft done me; for when I kept my old Servant Prodigality to be my Purse-Keeper, I could never Thrive; but since I met with thee, I have increased my Substance exceedingly.
Riches. What Doctrine is that, prethee inform me, for I have a very good Esteem for thee; and in Truth, for a long Time have been sensible of the gainful Service thou haft done me; for when I kept my old Servant Prodigality to be my Purse-Keeper, I could never Thrive; but since I met with thee, I have increased my Substance exceedingly.
Covet. Why Sir, then I will tell you, he teaches Riches to sell all that he hath, and give it to the Poor, and to follow a new Master who had not one Foot of Land in all the World, nor a House to dwell in; no, nor one Penny of Money in his Pocket, whose Disciples were generally ⟨p. 23⟩poor illiterate contemptible People, &c. Sir, in a Word, •f you open to this Godliness, you will be undone; for tho' you are not put upon the selling all you have presently, yet you will be forced by him to give to the poor Saints (as they call them) not a little, but according to what your Estate and their Necessity is; nay, you will not know when you have done, for he will find out for you every Day new Objects of Charity; he will tell you there are so many poor Parish-Children to be put out, and so much you must give with them, and so many aged Widows, who must be relieved; and who should do it, he will say, but Riches; nay, 'tis a thousand to one if he doth not put you to build an Hospital for them: Besides, when you have done this, he will not let you rest, but will tell you, whensoever Christ in his Members is Sick, you must Visit them; and when Hungry, Feed them; when Naked, Clothe them; and when in Prison, you must Relieve them; take Notice that he will send you to this Prison and that Prison, to see if Christ be not there, I mean some of his poor Children who lie there for his sake; if there be any, tho' they may not in all points of Religion agree with you, yet he will tell you, you must not let them want whilst you have enough to supply their Necessities, and if you do, he will tell you, go ye Cursed will be you Portion at last. Besides all this, you do not think what a deal of Money he will tell you is your Duty to give to Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel, who are his great Instruments and Promoters in the World; nay, Sir, he positively Affirms, you ought not only to give to them just so much as will supply their Necessities, but that 'tis your Duty to give, and their right jure divino, to have a plentiful Allowance, so that they may be freed from all the perplexing Cares of this Life;