Youth's comedy, or, The souls tryals and trivmph a dramatic poem, with divers meditations intermixt upon several subjects, set forth to help and encourage those that are seeking a heavenly countrey / by the author of Youth's tragedy.

THE PREFACE.

IT is recorded in the Scripture of Truth, That we must through much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God; Acts 14.22. No sooner doth the Soul set it self to seek a Heavenly Countrey, but it meets with Tryals: sometimes new Converts meet with Assaults from Old Companions, who are tem∣pting them either to return to their former Courses, or deriding them because they will not run with them to the same Excess of Riot. Sometimes it so falleth out, that they meet with sharp Tryals from Parents and near Relations. Thus it was with that fa∣mous Italian Marquess, and so it is with se∣veral others. But though in this case all due Honour, Service, and Respect, is to be gi∣ven to them, yet so as that it may be con∣sistant

with that Supream Love and Obedi∣ence which we owe to our Heavenly Father, See Luke 10.37. Sometimes they meet with Hot Persecution from Enemies: These I have mentioned in a short Paragraph, Page 46, 47. setting forth what was suffered by the Sincere Professors of Old, upon the defection of the Ten Tribes; amongst whom some did not on∣ly fall off from the true Worship of God them∣selves, but were active to persecute those that did adhere thereunto, as you may see, Hosea 5.1, 2. Agreeable to this is the same Persecution carried on by the Church of Rome; who may well be compared to them in point of Idola∣trous Worship, and great rage against the truly Reformed, loading them with oppro∣brious Language, as pag. 33, calling them Hereticks, and such as forsake the Church, and persecuting them with great Cruelty: But this Scripture among others, may com∣fort those that are suffering under her Tyra∣ny; 2 Tim. 2.12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: Speaking of Christ, con∣cerning whose Kingdom I have hinted pag. 57, &c. And of which we have mention 2 Tim. 4.1. He shall judge both the quick and the dead, at his appearing and his King∣dom. Of this judging work see Revel. 11.18. As to the Destruction of his Enemies in

that Scripture mentioned, see Revel. 19.11. &c. And as to the Reward he gives his Prophets and Saints, see Revel. 20.4. Concerning the Peace, Purity, and Largeness of this Kingdom, we read of it abundantly in the Prophets, especially in the Prophet Isa. And for the Re∣stitution of all things therein, see Acts 3.11. I have for the most part followed Scripture Expressions in the Description of it. But I must not here enlarge concerning those other Tryals the Soul meets with, from the World, from Self, from Desertions, from Satan, with what Relief the Soul hath under them, issue out of them, reward after them, I leave to be consider'd as presented in the following sheets.

VALE.