Useful instructions for a professing people in times of great security and degeneracy

Use 1. See here a Reason why Gods Messenger are so slighted by a secure and prospering people: when they speak of days of wrath, men do not believe them, their Preaching is accounted as false tales & vain stories why, men live at case, and therefore they are accounted ⟨p. 52⟩fools that speak of a storm, and are made a May-game […] here of the Prophet: and no wonder, for they do so by God himself; I spake to thee in thy prosperity, and thou wouldest not hear. Men are short sighted, though they can discern the signs of […] yet they are not willing to see any thing of the signs of Divine Displeasure, and if they see nothing, they will believe nothing, yea though they do see they are not willing to believe.

Use 1. See here a Reason why Gods Messenger are so slighted by a secure and prospering people: when they speak of dayes of wrath, men do not believe them, their Preaching is accounted as false tales & vain stories why, men liv• at case, and therefore they are accounted ⟨p. 52⟩fools that speak of a storm, and are made a May-game 〈…〉 here of the Prophet: and no wonder, for they do so by God himself; I spake to thee in thy prosperity, and thou wouldest not hear. Men are short sighted, though they can discern the signs of 〈…〉 yet they are not willing to see any thing of the signs of Divine Displeasure, and if they see nothing, they will believe nothing, yea though they do see they are not willing to believe.

Use II. To convince us of, and humble us for even this very sin before God this day. God hath given New-England many days of prosperity, it hath been day with us a long time, but mean-while sin hath been growing upon us, and increasing, and Gods Messengers have dealt faithfully […] and told us of it, and warned us by the clear demonstrations of the Word of God, that Judgements hang over our heads, but have not these Admonitions been despised and mocked by us?