their pernicious ways." We have reason to expect the evils to increase
till "The godly cease and the faithful fail" from among us. _For when
the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth_? This land
will also be overspread with infidelity! "The whole world lie in
wickedness!"

There may be partial revivals of religion, but no general reformation
is to be expected; and after every refreshing, the declensions will
probably be greater than before. Fanatic emotions, here and there, may
flatter some who are friends to religion, but they only serve to
accelerate the spread of infidelity.

It is a gloomy thought! The serious soul saddens; sorrow fills the
good man's heart, if, when he sees little regard paid to religion, he
expects yet greater defections! If when he sees but few of those who
are rising into life, paying attention to the best things, he expects
still fewer of their descendants to be wise and good! Yea that the
declensions will continue and increase, "till all flesh shall become
corrupt, and the earth be filled with violence!" Would to God these
expectations might not be realized; for they are exceedingly
distressing. But they appear to us to be dictated by the spirit of
truth, and confirmed by the history of the world, and by the progress
of events opening to view.

One consideration, however, ministers consolation, shining through the
gloom; namely, the long, holy, happy period, which may be expected to
follow the dark term now approaching.

By _dark_ we mean only in a moral view. Respecting arts and sciences,
mankind may never have been more enlightened than at present. But this