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

2. Practically; and so the word is very often used Metaphorically, when men live contrary to their Profession, they a•e said to deny it: and there cannot be a more effectual denial than this is; and hence these two are set in direct opposition, in the forecited, Tit. 1. ult. Now the thing here said to be denied is the Power of Godliness; and there are two things in which this consists, answering to the two fore-named ⟨p. 25⟩respects, in which we were told, the power of Godliness consists.

2. Practically; and so the word is very often used Met•phorically, when men live contrary to their Profession, they a•e said to deny it: and there cannot be a more effectual denial than this is; and hence these two are set in direct opposition, in the forecited, Tit. 1. ult. Now the thing here said to be denied is the Power of Godliness; and there are two things in which this consists, answering to the two fore-named ⟨p. 25⟩respects, in which we were told, the power of Godliness consists.

1. When men pretend to be Godly, & yet by their lives, discover themselves not to be so; and this is a thing too frequent. There are indeed those Hypocrites who deceive the People of God, and act Godliness so speciously, that they are not discovered▪ but there are others, who for all their stickling and noise, do yet express such vanity, and want of any favour of Piety in their lives, that give, at least to discerning Christians, if not to others, just reason to suspect that the root of the matter is not in them: such an one was Simon Magus, unto whom Peter plumply saith,