The PREFACE; fered to God, byMultitudes, under a Notion of a pleating acceptable d; Sacrifice to him, that is indeed above all Things abominable to him. By this Means, he deceives great Multitudes about this State of their Souls ; making them think they are fomething, when they are nothing ; and fo eternally undoes,'em : And not only fo, but efta- blifhes many, in a ftrong Confidence of their eminent Holinefs, who are in God'sSight, fome of the vileft of Hypocrites. By thisMeans,he many Ways, damps and wounds Religion in the Hearts of the Saints, obfcures and deforms it by corrupt Mixtures, caufes their religious Affe6tions wofully to degenerate, and fometimes for a confiderable Time, to be like the Manna, thatbred Worms and flank ; and dread- fully enfnares and confounds the Minds of others of the Saints, and brings 'em into great Difficulties andTemptations, and entangles 'em in a Wildernefs, out of which they can by no Means, extricate them- felves. By this Means, Satan mightily encourages the Hearts of open Enemies of Religion, and ftrengthene their Hands, and fills them with Weapons, and makes ftrong their Fortrefíes ; when at the fame Time, Religion and the Church of God lie expofed ti) 'em, as a City without Walls. By this Means, he brings it to pafs, that Men work Wickednefs under aNotion of doing God Service, and fo fin without Reftraint, yea with earneft Forwardnefs and Zeal, and with all their Might. By this Means, he: brings in, even the. Friends of Religion, infenfibly to themfelves, to do.xthe Work of Enemies, by deftroying Religion, in a far more effeEtual Manner, than open Enemies can do, under a Notion of advancing it. By this Means theDevil fcatters the Flock of Chrift, and fets 'em one againft another, and that with great Heat of Spirit, under-a Notion of Zeal for God ; and Religion by Degrees, degenerates into vain Jangling ; and during the Strife, Sa- Ian leads both Parties far out of the right Way, driving each to great Extremes, one on the right Hand, and the other on the Left, accor- ding as he finds they are molt inclined, or molt eafily moved and fway'd, 'till the right Path in the Middle, is almoft wholly negle6ted. And in the midi# of this Confufion, the Devil has great Opportunity to advance his own Intereft, and make it ftrong in Ways innumera- ble, and get the Government of all into his own Hands, and work his own Will. And by what is feen of the terrible Confequences of this counterfeit Religion, when not diftinguifhed from true Religion, God's People in general have their Minds unhinged 'and unfettled, in Things of Religion, and know not where to fet their Foot, or what to think or do ; and many are brought into Doubts, whether there be any Thing at all in Religion ; and Herefy, and Infiidelity and Atheifin_ greatlyprevail. Therefore, it greatly concerns us to ufe our utmoft Endeavours, clearly to difcern, and have it well fettled and eftabliBhed, wherein true
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=