nations must submit and stoop; and their kingdoms must all become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ, to be governed by his deputy, the pope; and (the power falsely called spiritual, being first well settled) the other key or sword also (the temporal), must for unity sake be put into the same hand. The heavens therefore should rejoice, and the earth be glad, for the Lord thus cometh to judge the world. The fifth monarchy is at hand: the universal, holy reign of Christ, not by profane princes, but by his Holiness the Pope, and by the saints (the Friars, Jesuits, Monks, and Clergy), that shall judge the world, to whom ere long all knees shall bow.

But you will say, We are so far from joining with these Friars, that we hate the pope much more than you do. I answer, You have received their frame of doctrine of the universal fifth monarchy that is at hand. There is but one thing to do, and you are theirs; which is, to convince you that he is not to come and reign here personally, but by his great vicegerent. And they that could bring you to believe things more improbable, may more easily bring you to them from your unreasonable conceit.

Pardon this digression; I thought meet to tell you that Godliness lieth not in breaking the law of God, nor in obeying pride, nor being the enemies of government and order in the world, nor in an impatient striving by right or wrong, to break away from the yoke of suffering, that God for our sin (or for his cause) shall lay upon us. And now I have fully and distinctly told you, what Godliness is, and what is not.

And now go thy way, malicious soul, and say if thou dare, (as the devil's informers frequently do) that it is sedition, or faction, or schism, or disobedience, that we draw the people to under the name of Godliness. Hold on if thou wilt a little longer in such impudent calumniations against me and other ministers of Christ. But know that thy day is coming, and that for all these things thou shalt come to judgment; and if thou justify the ungodly, yet remember, that "It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment; and he that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous; the people shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;" Prov. xxiv. 23, 24. "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord;" chap. xvii. 15. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good

evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter;-which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him. Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as the dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel;" Isa. v. 20. 23, 24. Let the malicious serpent accuse Job before God; in the end it shall turn to his own confusion. And if any of the princes of the earth, will by dogs be provoked to destroy the priests, or by jealousy kindled by malicious whisperers, be incited to do by the servants of Christ, as they did by the Waldenses, Bohemians, and Protestants in many places, &c. we will remember the memorable words of David, 1 Sam. xxvi. 18, 19. and let the sufferers imitate him in the submissive part, "Wherefore doth my Lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand? Now therefore I pray thee let my Lord the King hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering. But if it be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go serve other gods." (By go ing where they are served.)

Having fully shewed you what Godliness is, I now beseech thee, reader, to inquire, Whether this described case be thine? Art thou devoted to God without reserve, as being not thine own but his? And hast thou devoted all thou hast to him with thyself, to be used according to his will? Art thou more subjected to his authority, and observant of his laws and government, than of man's? And can his word do more with thee, than the word of any mortal man, or than the violence of thy lusts and passions? Art thou heartily engaged to him as thy felicity, and dost thou give up thyself to him in filial love, dependance, and observance, as to thy dearest friend and father? Dost thou most highly esteem him, and resolvedly choose him, and sincerely seek him, preferring nothing in thy estimation, choice, resolution, or endeavour before him? Try by these and the other particulars in the description, whether you are godly or ungodly; and do it faithfully. For the day is at hand, when the ungodly

shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the just;" Psal. i. 5.

And besides the marks expressed in the description, let me offer you some from the plain words of the text, that you may see what God accounteth Godliness, and consequently how to judge yourselves.

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1. In John iii. 3. 5, 6. it is written, "Verily, except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new ;" 2 Cor. v. 17. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is none of his ;" Rom. viii. 9.

From these texts you may see, that a heart and life made new by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, is absolutely necessary to true Godliness.

2. "O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes ;" Psal. cxix. 5. "To will is present with me;" Rom. vii. 18. "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none on earth, &c.;" Psal. lxxiii. 25. "The desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee;" Isa. xxvi. 8.

From these and such like texts it is evident, that the principal desires of a godly man, and the choice of his will is to be what God would have him be.

3. "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and therein doth he meditate day and night;" Psal. i. 2. "As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby;" 1 Pet. ii. 2.

From these and such like texts it is manifest, That all the godly do love the word of God, as the food of their souls, and the director of their lives.

4. "Lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, &c. For where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness;" Matt. vi. 20, 21. 33. "Enter in at the strait gate-strive to enter in-for many shall seek and shall not be able;" chap. vii. 13. Luke xxiv. "Give diligence to make your calling

and election sure;" 2 Pet. i. 10.

From these and such texts you may discern, that Godliness consisteth in such diligence for salvation, as to seek it before any earthly things, and not think the labour of a holy life too much for it.'

5. Rom. viii. 1.5.6-8. 13. Gal. v. 18, 19. Read them, and you will see that Godliness consisteth in living after the Spirit, and not after the flesh, and in mortifying the deeds of the body by the Spirit, living not by sensuality, but by faith.

6. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light," &c. John iii. 19, 20. "And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord. But I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the King say so;" 1 Kings xxii. 7, 8.

From these and such like texts you see, that the godly love the discovering light, and the most certain, faithful preacher; but the ungodly cannot endure the light which sheweth them their sins, nor love the preachers that tell them their sin and misery.

7. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you love one another;" 1 Cor. xiii. John xiii. 35. "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren;" 1 John iii. 14. "In whose eyes a vile person is contemned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord;" Psal. xv. 4.

From these and such like texts it is evident, that all that are truly godly, have a special love to those that are godly. They love and honour Christ in his image of saints..

8. Acts ii. 42. and iv. 32. You may see, that the godly love the communion of saints, to join with them in holy doctrine, fellowship, and prayers.

"Christ spake

9. "Pray continually;" 1 Thess. v. 17. a parable to them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to wax faint;" Luke xviii. 1. "Behold he prayeth ;" Acts ix. 11. "I will pour out-the spirit of prayer and supplication-;" Zech. xii. 10. "The Spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what to pray for as we ought," &c. Rom. viii. 26.

From all these and such like it is evident, that prayer is the breath of a godly man. He is a man of prayer. When he wanteth words, he hath desires with tears or groans.

10. "This people draweth near me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;" Matt. xv. 8,9. "God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth;" John iv. 23, 24.

From such texts it is evident, that every godly man doth make the inward exercise of his soul the principal part of his worship unto God, and doth not stick in bodily exercise, or lip service.

11. "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord;" Josh. xxiv. 15. So Deut. vi. and xi. and 1 Pet.ii. 17, 18. and iii. 10. and Eph. v. and vi.

From many such texts it is evident, that godly men desire the sanctification of others, and make conscience of the duties of their relations, and would have their households or friends to serve the Lord as well as they.

12. Luke xiv. 26. 33. xviii. 22. Matt. x. 37. Rom. viii. 17, 18.

From these and other texts it is evident, that all things are below Christ and heaven in the practical esteem of a godly man, and that he will forsake them all rather than he will forsake him. All these are Scripture marks of Godli

ness.

Having hastily run over these things to help you in the trial, I will add some directions to help you in the practice, and therein yet more fully to acquaint you, Wherein true Godliness doth consist.

Briefly to lay down before you first the mere enumeration of the chief points wherein sound Godliness doth consist, to help your memories, while you see them close together. 1. Sound Godliness consisteth in a solid understanding of the substantial points of religion. 2. In a sound belief of the truth of God's word, and the reality of the unseen things. 3. In an adhering to the holy Scriptures as the divine rule of faith and life. 4. In the love of God in Jesus Christ, excited by the belief of his love revealed by Jesus Christ. 5. In true humility, and low thoughts of ourselves, and low expectation from others. 6. In a heavenly mind that most regardeth the things above, and seeketh them as our only felicity at home. 7. In self-denial, and mortification, and temperance, and victory over the desires of the flesh. When we can deny our own conceits, and interests, and wills for