Chapter 5: Godliness and the Young Gallant

Showing how True Godliness finding Riches and Poverty had rejected him, in his travels came to a great city, where dwelt a brave young gallant, with whom he had a mind to be acquainted, and to take up his lodging; showing also how basely he was dealt with by him.

One might think by this time it was in vain for True Godliness to travel any further, not being like to find entertainment anywhere, since Riches and Poverty both had refused to receive him; yet he was resolved to pursue his journey, not being without hopes of finding his dear friend at last, called Consideration, whom he sought for; and coming into a famous city, where one youth dwelt, could not tell but he might meet with him at his house, calling to mind what kindness young Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Obadiah, Josiah, John, and Timothy of old, and many others had showed him, and therefore came boldly to his door, and desired entertainment. Now, it appears this youngster was a great gallant, but though he had been brought up to learning, and lived in a place where the Gospel was powerfully preached, yet was very ignorant as touching the best things, though very complaisant. And after Godliness had in a grave and sober manner desired a lodging with him he asked him what he was, as also his name.

Godliness: Sir, I am a person of noble descent, being nearly Allied to a great and mighty Prince, and my name is True Godliness, being by him sent to travel here to commend his sovereign grace and clemency to the inhabitants of this city; and I have also brought along with me (as tokens of his eternal favor and good will, to such who will receive me) very rich presents, and I shall bestow them on you, if you will be pleased to entertain me.

Youth: Your most humble servant; I must confess I have read and heard much of you, but why do you choose to take up your lodging in my house, there being many grave and ancient gentlemen near? I know not but you seem to be one whose company would better suit men of riper years.

Godliness: Sir, my master gave me orders to commend his princely grace and favor to you (if your name is Youth,) besides, he has chosen your house for my lodging above others; in fact he has made more blessed promises upon your kind and loving reception of me, than he has to any besides in the world. Have you not read that word, I love them that love me, and they that seek me early, shall find me (Proverbs 8:17). And that word, Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

Youth: As for those other things, I need them not, I have enough of the world.

Godliness: Aye, sir, but you want my master's righteousness, and also a part in his kingdom, and those are some of those glorious commodities I have to bestow upon you, if you will entertain me (Revelation 3:17-18).

Youth: Aye, there it is, I perceive, I must entertain you if I would have them; but I tell you plainly, your company does not suit with my age, why should you force yourself upon me?

Godliness: Why would you have a part in the righteousness of Christ, and in his kingdom, and not receive True Godliness? No, sir, that will never be, you must believe in him, and lead a godly life, or you will have no lot nor part in this matter: He that believes not, shall be damned (Mark 16:16).

Youth: Pray sir, do not trouble me, you are going to preach.

Godliness: It is sad you should think I trouble you, because I desire you to let me have a lodging with you.

Youth: Sir, you will spoil all my pleasure and sensual delights if I entertain you; I know your manners well enough. You will cause me also to turn out of my house my familiar friends and consorts, that rejoice my heart in these youthful days of mine. Now those he called his friends were these following: Pride, Wanton, Vain-glory, Love-lust, Ambition, Gay-clothes, Toss-pot, Gamester, Please-friend, Time-server, Scornful, Hate-good and Scoffer.

Godliness: Young man, believe me, those pleasures and delights which your heart is so much set upon, are brutish and very hateful to God, and do also debase your noble soul, which is of a sublime extraction. In fact, furthermore hear what wise Solomon says, Rejoice, O young man, in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes (Ecclesiastes 11:9). Maybe you will say, O this is brave. Indeed, but after the flash of lightning, comes a clap of thunder, enough to make you quake: But know, that for all these things, God will bring you to judgment. Your sweet meat, young man, is like to have sour sauce; you will pay dear at last for all your sensual pleasures and vanities.

Youth: But for all your haste, wise Solomon made trial of all the delights of the children of men before he condemned them, and so will I too, as far as I can.

Godliness: It is true, Solomon did so; and does he not by the sad experience he had of them tell you, all was vanity and vexation of spirit. Come, sir, you had better believe the poison in the cup is deadly, than to taste of it.

Youth: Sir, pray speak no more, I have not sowed all my wild oats yet, let me alone.

Godliness: Wild oats indeed: Come let me persuade you to sow no more of them, for it is but sowing to the flesh, and he that sows to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption (Galatians 6:8). You had better far to sow to the Spirit. And now I will tell you what a kind of crop you will have at harvest by sowing that cursed seed, which you call wild oats, unless by repentance you pluck them all up again.

Youth: Why, sir, what a crop shall I reap?

Godliness: You are like, in the first place, to reap here in this world, a crop of loathsome diseases; for drunkenness, rioting, and whoring, does commonly produce that. Secondly, you will reap a crop of infamy and reproach; for sin is the shame of any people or particular soul; and it will be much if you reap not a crop of want and beggary too in the end. Thirdly, you will reap a crop of horrible and unsupportable guilt, by which means your conscience will torment and lash you after such a sort, that you will not be able to endure it, unless you go on in these ungodly courses so long until he is feared with a hot iron, and then you will reap a crop of a hard, obdurate, and impenitent heart. Fourthly, you will reap a full crop of all manner of foul and detestable filth and pollution; indeed, such corruption, that will cause God to loath your soul. Fifthly, you will reap also a crop of all the fearful plagues and curses that are in the Book of God, pronounced against wicked and ungodly sinners. Sixthly and lastly, at the great and terrible day of judgment, you will reap a full crop of God's eternal wrath and vengeance, a crop of briny, though fruitless tears, groans, and endless torments in hell fire. Now, if you like to gather in at harvest such crops as these, go on and sow your wild oats plentifully.

Youth: Sir, I intend to sow other seed hereafter; I desire only liberty for the flesh in these my youthful days: If you should chance to call at my door when I am old, I may then possibly see cause to entertain you; in fact, Sir, I promise you I will then open my doors to you.

Godliness: Alas, Sir, present promises to open hereafter to God and True Godliness, seldom ever ends in real performance: He who promised to go and work in his master's vineyard, went not, such who put me off with promises to become godly hereafter, it is evident do purpose to be wicked for the present, besides do you know you shall live to be old? Or if you should, that God will send me then to knock at your door? Moreover, let me tell you, if I should then visit you, I fear it will be to no purpose, because, Sir, you ripen apace already in wickedness, and sin is of a hardening nature, evil habits are not easily changed, the Blackamore may as soon change his skin, or the leopard his spots, as you may learn to do well, and open to me when you have been a long time accustomed to do evil: Therefore open to me now.

Youth: Sir you will raise my spirits anon, if you leave not off your canting the sooner; you are a gentleman, I am sure, few or none cares for. Have any of the rulers and nobles of the nations embraced you, I mean strict godliness? Why do you not see if they will entertain you?

Godliness: In fact, pray be not offended with me, I seek your profit — I will do you no wrong; you shall not lose any thing by me, if you will let me have a lodging with you, though possibly you may lose something for my sake, but if you do, I will repay you again a hundredfold in this world, and in the world to come you shall have life everlasting. And what though not many mighty, and not many noble ones do love me, or will entertain me: it is not because I do not deserve esteem from them, but because they are incensed against me by the Devil, and are so in love with vice, my mortal enemy. Sir, I am abused, and rendered very odious by wicked men, as if I were a factious, restless, and seditious fellow, and this is one reason why I am so slighted and scorned.

Youth: Yes, (and to speak the truth) I cannot believe but you are the cause of all the present discord, animosities and confusions that are among us, for since you came into this country, what disputes, contentions, and distractions has there been? When sweet Popery was generally received in this land it was not thus.

Godliness: I and my children ever, I must confess, were thus censured and falsely accused, though never so stigmatized as now of late. Jerusalem of old was called a rebellious and bad city, because I dwelt in it, and my enemies said of old time, sedition had been there, and that it was a great enemy to kings and governments. But it is no marvel I am thus abused, considering my Lord and Master himself was loaded with like calumnies, being accused with sedition, and called an enemy to Caesar likewise. But let not this discourage you from receiving me into your house, for all these things are utterly contrary to my nature, and abhorred by me and all my good friends, and therefore pray let me come in.

Youth: It will not be for my honor, I shall be derided and scoffed at, should I do it, and be looked upon as a dangerous person: Therefore pray be gone from my door.

Godliness: What if you lose the honor of this world, I will raise you to far greater; for honor and riches are with me? Indeed, durable riches and righteousness. They that receive me, and serve Christ, God will honor.

Youth: Pray let me alone till another time, until I am a little older.

Godliness: Sir, my Master commands you to remember him now in the days of your youth; and to remember him is to embrace me: And let me tell you, to reject me, is rebellion against him who is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; shall not what he requires you to do, be done?

Youth: I have other business at present of greater concern than to attend on such a guest, take an answer therefore, and be gone.

Godliness: No, do not mistake yourself, for to attend upon me, and to lead a godly life, is business of the greatest concern in the world: Were you not made and sent here on purpose to serve and honor your Creator, and not to live like a brute to satisfy your lust, and serve the Devil as previously you have done; and if you do persist in these courses, be sure you will perish in Hell at last for evermore. Upon this, the young gallant was in a great rage, and swore, Damn him, he would be revenged on him, and on all his friends, and never endure True Godliness more. In fact, and presently all his companions and attendants who were in his house (mentioned before) stirred him up to fall upon Godliness immediately, and force him away. Pride swelled like a toad, Vain-glory vaunted himself, and both bid him disdain the very motion Godliness had made. Time-server and Please-friends bid him mind what was the all-a-mode of the times, and do as other young gallants did. Scornful looked with contempt upon True Godliness, Toss-pot had the young man away to the tavern, and Gamester, after he came there, set him to play at cards, dice, etc. Love-lust enticed him to a whore-house, Scoffer and Scornful lolled out their tongues at Godliness, jeering and deriding him shamefully: In fact, and not only so, but also made base songs of him, crying, Hie boys, up go we. And Hate-good commanded them all to fall upon him, and rid him out of the world; and had it not been for fear of some neighbors (who though they were but moral people) he had doubtless been utterly trod down under their feet: But blessed be God, he escaped this time also, and got away, leaving the poor debauched youth to himself, to gratify his own sensual and luxurious appetite.

O how perverse is flesh and blood, in whom all vice abounds, and blossoms from the womb: What God commands, youth is adverse to; but what Hell bids, O that! it is that he'll do. The rich, the poor, with youth I do espy act in their parts in life's short tragedy: But are they men, or beasts? See, view them well; souls they have, but what in them does dwell, you may perceive if you do cast your eyes on what they choose and love, and what despise.