The glory and interest of nations professing the Gospel preached at a private fast,…

2. Set your selves to oppose that overflowing flood of profaneness, and opposition to the power of Godliness, that is spreading it self over this Nation. Know you not that the Nation begins to be overwhelmed by the pourings out of a profane, wicked, carnal spirit, full of rage and contempt of all the work of Reformation that hath been attempted amongst us? Do you not know that if the former profane principle should prove predominant in this Nation, that it will quickly return to its former station and condition, and that with the price of your dearest blood; and yet is there not already such a visible prevalency of it, that in many places, the very profession of Religion is become a scorn; and in others, those old forms and ways taken up with greediness, which are a badge of apostasy from all former engagements and actings; and are not these sad evidences of the Lords departing from us; if I should lay before you a comparison between the degrees of the appearances of the Glory of God in this nation, the steps whereby it came forth, and those whereby it seems almost to be departing, it would be a matter of admiration and lamentation; I pray God we loose not our ground faster then we won it. Were our hearts kept up to our good old principles ⟨p. 18⟩on which we first engaged, it would not be so with us; but innumerable evils have laid hold upon us; and the temptations of these days have made us a woeful prey, grey hairs are here and there, and it will be no wonder if our ruin should come with more speed, then did our deliverance. O then set your selves in the gap; by all ways and means oppose the growth of an evil, profane, Common, malignant spirit amongst us. But I hast.

2. Set your selves to oppose that overflowing flood of prophanesse, and opposition to the power of Godlinesse, that is spreading it self over this Nation. Know you not that the Nation begins to be overwhelmed by the powrings out of a profane, wicked, carnal spirit, full of rage and contempt of all the work of Reformation that hath been attempted amongst us? Do you not know that if the former prophane principle should prove predominant in this Nation, that it will quickly return to its former station and condition, and that with the price of your dearest blood; and yet is there not already such a visible prevalency of it, that in many places, the very profession of Religion is become a scorn; and in others, those old formes and wayes taken up with greedinesse, which are a badge of apostacy from all former ingagements and actings; and are not these sad evidences of the Lords departing from us; if I should lay before you a comparison between the degrees of the appearances of the Glory of God in this nation, the steps wereby it came forth, and those wherby it seems almost to be departing, it would be a matter of admiration and lamentation; I pray God we loose not our ground faster then we won it. Were our hearts kept up to our good old principles