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

and that which maketh it to be the more doleful, is that they have not been the Families of ⟨p. 107⟩such as have made no profession, but been openly profane, but of such as have made an acknowledgement of their Engagement to God, and have before men espoused the Gospel Covenant, and made promises to God that they would observe his Commandments to do them. There are some who pray not at all with their Families from one end of the year to the other; others who it may be on a Sabbath day find a time to pray for all the week. If Godliness had any power in them, it would not be so: Their sense of the need of Gods blessing upon their Family Affairs; their belief that it is of him to preserve their Houses from Desolation, their Substance from Casualties, their Families from mischief; their apprehension of the need which their Children and Servants have of being brought up in the fear of God, and the danger of their losing the very face of Religion, by such neglects as these; yea, the awe of God• indignation for such contempt offered him, would make them afraid of living in the frequent, much more the constant omission of this duty. If this grow to ⟨p. 108⟩be a common distemper in the midst of us, it saith, we are departed from God, and we have just cause to look for some fearful departure of his from us.

and that which maketh it to be the more doleful, is that they have not been the Families of ⟨p. 107⟩such as have made no profession, but been openly profane, but of such as have made an acknowledgment of their Engagement to God, and have before men espoused the Gospel Covenant, and made promises to God that they would observe his Commandments to do them. There are some who pray not at all with their Families from one end of the year to the other; others who it may be on a Sabbath day find a time to pray for all the week. If Godliness had any power in them, it would not be so: Their sense of the need of Gods blessing upon their Family Affairs; their belief that it is of him to preserve their Houses from Desolation, their Substance from Casualties, their Fam•lies from mischief; their apprehension of the need which their Children and Servants have of being brought up in the fear of God, and the danger of their losing the very face of Religion, by such neglects as these; yea, the aw of God indignation for such contempt offered him, would make them afraid of living in the frequent, much more the constant omission of this duty. If this grow to