N01037:47
The danger of speedy degeneracy, held forth in a sermon preached at the lecture…
The danger of speedy degeneracy, held forth in a sermon preached at the lecture in Boston the 5th. of July, 1705. / By Solomon Stoddard Pastor of the church at Northampton.
Boston: printed by B. Green for Benj. Eliot, 1705
Title page typeset from the transcription.
THE Danger Of SPEEDY Degeneracy, › Application 3: USE III. Of WARNING.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. No man knows when you will be recovered, if you should grow more corrupt. Sometimes in the beginning of a distemper it is easily cured, but when it is grown inveterate it rejects all means. It is hard to recover us now, we find abundance of obstacles in the way, and some are discouraged; but if degeneracy should prevail more, the case will be more desperate; it is easy to grow worse and worse, but hard to grow better. When men are habituated to do evil, it is an hard lesson to learn to do well: Jer. 13. 23. How can you that are accustomed to do evil learn to do well? When much means are used in vain God speaks of a People as incurable: Jer. 13. 27. O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean, when shall it once be?
5. You will be reproached in the World. It was a great undertaking to Plant this Land; and the World will take notice how you carry your selves, if you do corrupt your selves, you will grow ignominious; you will be a contemptible People: Holiness makes a People to be honoured, but wickedness makes them to be despised; you will become a scorn to others, they will say, as Lam. 2. 15. Is this the City that men call the perfection of beauty? And when God brings Judgments on you, they will give that reason of it, because you have forsaken the God of your Fathers, Deut. 29. 24, 25. What meaneth the heat of this great anger: and men shall say, because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers.