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

1. In the Ministry: Hath it not been the voice of God in the mouth of all his Prophets, hath there not been a full and universal consent of all Gods Messengers, that God hath a Controversy with his people, and cannot be silent? How long hath this been a Conclusion, and they have been faithful to discharge their duty, and acquit their Consciences on this account by declaring it: this we have heard often proclaimed, and by sound demonstration cleared to us, but we have made too light of that, Ministers must say something to keep up their credit, and keep the people in awe. And therefore

1. In the Ministry: Hath it not been the voice of God in the mouth of all his Prophets, hath there not been a full and universal consent of all Gods Messengers, that God hath a Controversie with his people, and cannot be silent? How long hath this been a Conclusion, and they have been faithful to discharge their duty, and acquit their Consciences on this account by declaring it: this we have heard often proclaimed, and by sound demonstration cleared to us, but we have made too light of that, Ministers must say something to keep up their credit, and keep the people in awe. And therefore

2. God hath warned us in his Providences, that so he might make us believe his Word in the mouth of his Messengers: and that not only by many Signs and Prognostics usual forerunners of calamitous times, but also by the Vaunt-Couriers of his Army of Judgements, beginnings of sorrows; many have been the sad and awakening Providences of these latter years, he is a stranger in our Israel who is unacquainted therewithal. It we will not credit the Word, yet let us believe the Rod; if in the Morning we have been easily deluded into false and vain hopes, to think it would never be Night, yet one would think, when the Sun seems to be setting in our Horizon, and the dusk of the Evening is coming upon us, we should now be ready to give credit to it, unless we are fallen into a Lethargic, and dead sleep of Security.

2. God hath warned us in his Providences, that so he might make us believe his Word in the mouth of his Messengers: and that not only by many Signs and Prognosticks usual forerunners of calamitous times, but also by the Vaunt-Courriers of his Army of Judgements, beginnings of sorrows; many have been the sad and awakening Providences of these latter years, he is a stranger in our Israel who is unacquainted therewithall. It we will not credit the Word, yet let us believe the Rod; if in the Morning we have been easily deluded into false and vain hopes, to think it would never be Night, yet one would think, when the Sun seems to be setting in our Horizon, and the dusk of the Evening is coming upon us, we should now be ready to give credit to it, unless we are fallen into a Lethargic, and dead sleep of Security.