Thus the sin of this nation hath been always esteemed sensuality of life, in an eacess of eating and drinking, with the consequents thereof. Hereunto of late have been added vanity in apparel, with foolish, light, lascivious modes and dressings therein, and an immo- dest boldness in conversation among men and women. These are
corruptions, which, being borrowed from the neighbour nation, and
grafted on crab-stocks of our own, have brought forth the fruit of vanity and pride in abundance, And it is the most manifest evi- dence of a degenerate people, when they are prone to natwralize the vices of other nations among them, but care not to imitate their vir- tues, if in any kind they do excel. But thus the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are joined unto the lust of the flesh, to give the world, as opposite unto God, a complete interest among us. It may be these things are restrained in some by contrary vices, as covetousness, and an earnest desire or ambition to enrich a family,
and leave a name amongst men;—a vanity infused amongst man-
kind from the great design of the builders of Babel; which was, to “make unto themselves a name,” Gen. xi. 4. This is but another way of the exercise of the same sin.
Now, where sins are thus national and common, it is easier for men to preserve themselves from the most raging epidemical disease
than from being, in one degree or other, tainted with the infection of
them. It is almost inexpressible how efficaciously they will insinuate
- themselves into the minds and lives of men. They are so beset on
every side with the occasions of them and temptations unto them, they offer themselves continually with so many specious pretences, as that there is no security against them but by being encompassed with “the whole armour of God;” a matter that few understand or apply themselves unto. But it is not [possible] on any other grounds or by any other means for single persons to hold out and prevail against a national confederacy in sin; for they who will not say “ A confede- racy” to them, or in those things wherein a whole people shall say “ A confederacy,” must be content to be for “signs and wonders,” to be despised, and even hooted at, Isa. viii. 11, 12, 18. However, it is apparent that by them the general apostasy we treat of is visibly and openly promoted. Some are engaged in them by a corrupt course of education, and some are betrayed into the entrances of them by sloth, negligence, and security; some lose a sense of their guilt by their commonness; some yield to the arguments that are pleaded, if not in their justification, yet in their excuse or for their extenuation. One way or other, multitudes of all sorts are by them turned away from gospel obedience. Hence it is come to pass that Christianity is, as unto customs, manners, vanities, vices, and way of conversation, sunk down into heathenism; or prevalent national sins
208 THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF APOSTASY. —
have drowned the power and left little but the outward form of it in the world. And where it is so, the life, substance, and all the real benefits of the gospel, are renounced; for it doth not design only to turn men in their outward profession from “ dumb idols to serve the living God,” to change the form and outward state of religion,— as the Roman missionaries have made conversions of the Indians, giving them new images instead of their old idols, and new saints for their former Zemes,—but to turn men also from “all ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Where this is not effected, either the gospel never really pre- vailed among men, or they are fallen away from it. And where men do engage into a profession of religion, disallowing and condemning such national vanities, vices, and customs, if they are publicly counte- nanced they occasion particular apostasies every day. This is that which, on the one side and the other, hath almost lost the protestant religion in some neighbour nations; for, not being able to hold out against those national vanities and vices which are publicly counte- nanced, they find no relief unto their minds but in a renunciation of that religion by which they are condemned. And this I look upon as the principal means of that general defection from evangelical holiness which prevails in most nations. The gospel comes upon a nation as on a wilderness or forest that is full of such wood, thorns and briers, as the soil of itself is peculiarly disposed to produce.
These it cuts down to the ground, planting good and noble plaints in.
their room, whereby the barren wilderness becomes for a season a fruitful field. But in process of time, if continual care and culture be not used about it, the earth pours out of its own accord the weeds and briers which are natural unto it. These springing up abun- dantly choke the other plants and useful herbs, whereby the fruitful field is turned again into a wilderness. There needs no more unto this apostasy but that national vices, for a time suppressed by the power of the word, should overgrow the generality of any people, whereby the graces of the gospel will be certainly stifled and choked.