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

2. Duties of Religion are much neglected. Holiness teaches men to be much in them; Psal. 122. 1. I was glad when they said to me, let us go up to the house of the Lord: Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired, and that will I seek after, to dwell all the days of my life in the house of the Lord. But there is a considerable neglect of duties of Religion: the Scripture is not duly read in many Families; ⟨p. 17⟩if they do Pray, that is all: many men make little use of their Bibles: God required the King to read in the law all the days of his life, Deut. 17. 18, 19. And many people don't love days of Fasting: they are contented to go to Lectures, where after the Service they can visit their Friends, and be kindly entertained; but they are backward to have Communion with other Churches in this duty of Fasting; or to attend the same at home, but only when they are required by Authority; and seldom do any thing privately this way: it was otherwise with David, Psal. 35. 13. I humbled my soul with Fasting.

3. The Sabbath is not duly Sanctified. Where Religion thrives, men will be careful to Sanctify the Sabbath according to their light: and God lays great weight on the Sanctification of the Sabbath, Jer. 17. 24, 25. But here is not due care about it: besides, other miscarriages that are more particular: Men do take a mighty liberty in their Discourses on that day; this is a spreading disease in the Land: between the Exercises they will talk of any thing, they will Discourse of their Corn and Hay, and the prizes of Commodities, of almost any thing that they discourse of on Working days: they