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

3. Nay, there will be less hope of you than of others: Your Salvation will hereby be rendered far the more desperate of all the men in the world, there is none in more fearful danger of unavoidable perdition, than such an one as hath taken up with, and sheltered himself under a form of Godliness, without the power of it. There is more hope of a profane and prodigal sinner, who hath allowed himself in the greatest neglects of duty, and excesses of immorality, than of him. It ⟨p. 153⟩is a fearful word of Christ to the formalists of that time when he was conversant among men, Mat. 21 31 Verily, I say unto you, that the Publicans and the ha• lots go into the Kingdom of God before yo• ▪ We can easier reach the consciences of such, which will more readily accuse them of the enormities which we apply the awful threatenings of the Word of God unto, and say unto them, thou art the man. Whereas these are secure▪ and confident in their good estate, and can put away all awakenings, and warnings, and counsels from them, as things that they are not at all concerned with; and can sleep in a whole skin▪ under all the rousing truths that are spoken to them in the Ministry. If once you arrive hither, you are settled on your lees, and little hope is left of your being converted and saved; beware then of this frame, lest you rue it for ever.

3. Nay, there will be less hope of you than of others: Your Salvation will hereby be rendred far the more desperate of all the men in the world, there is none in more fearful danger of unavoidable perdition, than such an one as hath taken up with, and sheltered himself under a form of Godliness, without the power of it. There is more hope of a profane and prodigal sinner, who hath allowed himself in the greatest neglects of duty, and excesses of immorality, than of him. It ⟨p. 153⟩is a fearful word of Christ to the formalists of that time when he was conversant among men,