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

3. The thing it self is unreasonable. Of all the men in the world, the formalist acts the most irrationally, and contrary to the very sentiments of common reason: and if you would but ponder on the matter according to the Principles of the light of nature, it would afford you sufficient conviction of your egregious folly: either the Religion which you thus formally profess, is worthy of your cordial embracing of, or it is not; if it be not, why then do you take up so much as a form of it? if it be, why then no more but a form? Out of your own mouth you will be one day judged in this matter. If Godliness be the way to eternal life, it ⟨p. 156⟩requires your cordial & sincere profession of it; if it have nothing of saving good in it, nor will profit you for happiness, why will you, by a formality, hinder your selves of that which you think will do you good? The lewd sinner, who pretends to nothing more, but to seek his happiness in this life, and expects it from the fruition of the World, and thereupon giveth scope to himself, to take all the carnal satisfactions in it, which he can extract out of it, acts more according to Principles than you. He that cannot give a good reason why he should be through and upright in the practice of Holiness, cannot give one why he should take up a form of it. And if you conceive an excellency in the form; reason should tell you how much more excellent the power of it must be: let me then say as he, 1 King. 18.21. H•w long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God follow him, but if Baal, then follow him.

2. To those that are truly Godly: be you Exhorted to preserve the power of Godliness in times wherein there is little of it to be found. And to move you hereto, Consider;