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

Reas. 2. From the secret Atheism and hypocrisy that is in the heart of vain man, who thinks God takes no notice of their wickedness, but is deceived by their pretended services; men consider not that Gods all ⟨p. 8⟩all seeing eye penetrates into all corners of the earth, and the secrets of the heart, and hence they think they may sin unseen. Ezek. 8. 12.

Reas. 2. From the secret Atheism and hypocrisie that is in the heart of vain man, who thinks God takes no notice of their wickedness, but is deceived by their pretended services; men consider not that Gods all ⟨p. 8⟩all seeing eye penetrates into all corners of the earth, and the secrets of the heart, and hence they think they may sin unseen. Ezek. 8. 12.

Use To quicken us up to examine our selves, whither or no we are not going into Apostasy by this; ask every one his own heart, can we not launch forth into any sin, do violence, steal &c. and yet go & stand before the Lord and say, we are delivered to do all these abominations: Sin and pray, and pray and sin again, with as much greediness as ever; come before God and make our confessions, tell him a large story of what sins we have been overtaken withal, and seem to beg his presence and help against it, as though we were willing and desirous to be rid of it, and yet go away, and strive no more against the temptation, nor set our selves in opposition against the sin then we did before; but entertain the same with greediness, the very next time we meet an opportunity and provocation, be as vain, as passionate, &c as ever; and when all is done, then come and rinse them over again in few tears and empty confessions: and so wipe our mouths, and say, what have I done; if the matter so with us, this is an evidence to us of the depth of hypocrisy in our hearts; well, let us look to our selves, we may thus please our selves into a vain hope and soul delusion, but let us know that God and our sins will find us out.