An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

And especially if Idolaters have outward prosperity, to be as the glue and cement, to join their hearts to that way of false worship, then they are joined indeed. Take men that are superstitious and if they do prosper in their waie•, this their prosperity is the glue and cement to join their hearts strongly to those ways, there is no getting of them off from them. And though they have been long in that way of false worship, they do nor like it ever a whit the worse. I beseech you observe this note.¹ In any thing that is false worship antiquity will make it venerable, and they will plead for it by antiquity, and say, it is thus and thus ancient, and their forefathers did thus and thus. But observe it, in ways of the true worship of God men are quickly weary, and because they have had it a great while they desire some novelty, some new thing. You shall have many people much affected with ⟨p. 201⟩the truth when it is first revealed to them, and when they come to hear Sermons or such exercises their hearts are much taken with them, but within a while they loath this Manna and so fall off quickly from it! So that in the worship of God that is true and right, there the continuance in it makes it to be less esteemed; but in false worship the longer people continue in it the more they esteem it, and there antiquity makes it to be venerable, they do argue from antiquity to make it the more honourable. This is the wickedness of the hearts of men.

And especially if Idolaters have outward prosperity, to be as the glew and cement, to joyn their hearts to that way of false worship, then they are joyned indeed. Take men that are superstitious and if they do prosper in their waie•, this their prosperity is the glue and cement to joyn their hearts strongly to those waies, there is no getting of them off from them. And though they have been long in that way of false worship, they do nor like it ever a whit the worse. I beseech you observe this note.¹ In any thing that is false worship antiquity will make it venerable, and they will plead for it by antiquity, and say, it is thus and thus ancient, and their forefathers did thus and thus. But observe it, in waies of the true worship of God men are quickly weary, and because they have had it a great while they desire some novelty, some new thing. You shall have many people much affected with