The peril of the times displayed. Or The danger of mens taking up with…

2. But the great enquiry is, whether there be not too much of a general denying of the power of it? God forbid that any discouragement should be offered to those who are serious and watchful ⟨p. 90⟩Christians, whose hearts are truly set for the Glory of God, and the promoting of his interest: and let it be the encouragement of all such, that if there be but a few names in a degenerate Sardis, God doth not overlook them, nor will he forget them. See how comfortably he speaks to such, Rev. 3.4. thou hast a few names even in Sardis, that have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. But if the other frame be grown too general and prevailing, the Symptoms are bad; and let us remember, that there are many discoveries which may be made of such a spirit, which, though they are not all found in every one, yet if they are found distributively, and spread generally, it will amount to the thing that we are enquiring after. When God chargeth a people in this regard, he doth not always say you are all ••us & so, but such are found in thee, see Ezek. 22.7, &c. and is it not too much thus with us? Whence else is it, that there are such things as these that follow, to be observed.

1. That there is such a prevalency of so many immoralities among Professors? I confess that it must be granted, that in the best times, and in places where the power of Godliness is most flourishing, there have been, and will be those that have not the fear of God before their eyes: there were so in the times of the greatest Reformation that we read of in the Book of God. In this world we must expect that Wicked men will be mixed with the Godly, and such as will dare to show their wickedness in their Lives, and not be afraid to Transgress in a Land of Uprightness. But when such are not countenanced, but due testimony is born against them; when they are contemned in the places where they live, and a note of infamy and scandal is put upon them; this will not be charged on such a people for Apostasy: But when such sins grow frequent, and those that have taken on themselves a name of being Religious, begin to indulge themselves herein; and men that allow themselves in such things are not Reproached for it, but are in as good Credit