The danger of speedy degeneracy, held forth in a sermon preached at the lecture…

5. They will grow very blind. When God converts men, he gives them light and understanding; Acts 26. 18. They are turned from darkness to light: And Spiritual Light received in Conversion, strengthens the reason of men, and makes the law of nature more legible; but when a people are a carnal people, they will grow as blind as moles: they don't know the mercy, and wisdom, and holiness of God, and so are not sensible how such carriages do reflect upon him: they think there is weighty reason for some carriages that are indeed sinful; their affections do darken their minds, they don't judge that pride that is pride, nor that to be intemperance that is intemperance: besides, such men will not study the mind of God, nor pray for light as Godly, men do, and so they grow blind; Isa. 5. 20 They call light darkness, and darkness light: Conscience in some cases gives them a liberty to sin, and in some cases it urges them to sin.

6. They won't much regard the warnings of the Word, or the Judgments of God. When God gives warning in his Word, Godly ⟨p. 12⟩men are wont to fear; Isa. 66. 2. They tremble at the Word of God: So did Hezekiah; Jer. 26. 18, 19. So did Josiah: and when Judgments come upon the Land, they are greatly affected with the anger of God. But when a people are a carnal people, they don't much mind warnings; many times they make a derision of the warnings of the Word; Isa. 5. 19. They say let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it, let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it. Godly men would lament upon such an occasion;