[2.] Men are apt to countenance themselves in lesser evils, having their eyes fixed upon greater abominations of other men, that they behold every day; nay, there are those who pay their tribute to the devil, — walk in such and such abominations, and so countenance them- selves in lesser evils. This is part of the public infection, — that they " do not run out into the same excess of riot that others do," though they live in the omission of duty, conformity to the world, and in
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many foolish, hurtful, and noisome lusts. They countenance them- selves with this, that others are guilty of greater abominations.
[3.] Pray let such remember this, who have occasion for it (you may know it better than I ; but yet I know it by rule, as much as you do by practice), that general converse in the world, in such a season, is full of danger and peril. Most professors are grown of the colour and complexion of those with whom they converse.
This is the first thing that makes a season perilous. I know not whether these things may be of concern and use unto you ; they seem so to me, and I cannot but acquaint you with them.
II. A second perilous season, and that we shall hardly come off in, is, when men are prone to forsake the truth, and seducers abound to gather them up that are so ; and you will have always these things go together. Do you see seducers abound ? You may be sure there is a proneness in the minds of men to forsake the truth: and when there is such a proneness, they will never want seducers, — those that will lead off the minds of men from the truth ; for there is both the hand of God and Satan in this business. God judicially leaves men, when he sees them grow weary of the truth, and prone to leave it; and Satan strikes in with the occasion, and stirs up seducers. This makes a season perilous. The apostle describes it, 1 Tim. iv. 1, " Now the Spirit speak eth expressly, that in the latter times" (these perilous days) " some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." And so Peter warns them to whom he writes, 2 Epist. ii. 1, 2, that " there shall come false teachers among them, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction : and many shall follow their pernicious ways." There shall come times full of peril, which shall draw men off from the truth into de- struction.
If it be asked, how we may know whether there be a proneness in the minds of men in any season to depart from the truth ? there are three ways whereby we may judge of it : — ■
1. The first is that mentioned, 2 Tim. iv. 3, " The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." When men grow weary of sound doctrine, — when it is too plain, too heavy, too dull, too common, too high, too mysterious, one thing or other that displeases them, and they would hear something new, something that may please, — it is a sign that there are in such an age many who are prone to forsake sound doctrine : and many such we know.
2. When men have lost the power of truth in their conversation, and are as prone and ready to part with the profession of it in their minds. Do you see a man retaining the profession of the truth under
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a worldly conversation? He wants but baits from temptation, or a seducer, to take away his faith from him. An inclination to hearken after novelties, and loss of the power of truth in the conversation, is a sign of proneness unto this declension from the truth. Such a season, you see, is perilous. And why is it perilous? Because the souls of many are destroyed in it. The apostle tells us directly, 2 Pet. ii. 1, of " false prophets among the people, who privily bring in dam- nable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." Will it abide there? No: "And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." Brethren, while it is well with us, through the grace of God, and our own houses are not in flames, pray do not let us think the times are not perilous, when so many turn unto Popery and Quakerism, into pernicious errors, and fall into swift destruction. Will you say the time of the public plague was not perilous, because you are alive ? No. Was the fire not dreadful, be- cause your houses were not burned ? No ; you will, notwithstanding, say it was a dreadful plague, and a dreadful fire. And pray consider, is not this a perilous season, when multitudes have an inclination to depart from the truth, and God, in just judgment, hath permitted Satan to stir up seducers to draw them into pernicious ways, and their poor souls perish for ever.