# Of The Greater Danger There Is At This Time, Than In The Bloody And Distressing Times Of The Martyrs.4 · Page 2 of 4 [Previous page: OF THE GREATER DANGER THERE IS AT THIS TIME, THAN IN THE BLOODY AND DISTRESSING TIMES OF THE MARTYRS.4](/en/stories/mm-of-the-greater-danger-there-is-at-this-time-than-in-the-bloody-and-distressing-times-of-the-martyrs-4/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: OF THE GREATER DANGER THERE IS AT THIS TIME, THAN IN THE BLOODY AND DISTRESSING TIMES OF THE MARTYRS.4](/en/stories/mm-of-the-greater-danger-there-is-at-this-time-than-in-the-bloody-and-distressing-times-of-the-martyrs-4/part-3/) It certainly was through worldly lusts that the old world perished; that Sodom, Gomorrah, Zeboim, and Admah were consumed, overthrown and totally destroyed by fire from Heaven; that in forty years, through serpents, fire, and other plagues, the wanton and lustful people of Israel perished to the number of over six hundred thousand in the wilderness; and that the mighty maritime cities, Zidon and Tyrus, whose ships were trimmed with embroidered, silken sails from Egypt; whose rowers sat upon benches of ivory; where incalculable riches were bought and sold, and, from carnal incentives, almost inconceivable arts practiced were reduced to a heap of stones and so leveled to the ground, that the fishermen stretch out their nets to dry on the rocks upon which these cities stood. Gen. 7; Matt. 24:37,38; Luke 17:26,27; 2 Peter 2:5.—Gen. 19:24,25; Is. 13:19; Jer. 50:40; Hos. 11:8; Amos 4:11; Luke 17:28,29; 2 Pet. 2:6; Jude 7.—compare Num. 1:2,3,46 with Num. 14:22,23. Also Num. 11:1 and 16:31–35; 21:6; Jude 5.—Is. 23:4,5; Ezek. 27:26–28; 28, the whole chapter. I will not now speak of Jerusalem, Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, and other mighty licentious and luxurious cities, which, with all their inhabitants who had in this respect sinned against God, have borne his wrath, and felt, to their destruction, the plagues of his afflicting hand; for this would consume too much time.[7](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/#Footnote_7) O awful judgments of God! O pernicious worldly-mindedness! O corroding and cankering luxury, that draggest after thee such a train of unspeakable miseries! Help, Lord, that our soul be delivered from all these dangers. But what danger would there be, if none but the open enemies of God and his holy truth were guilty in this matter? What harm could be done, if they alone, and no others, would arouse and call down upon themselves the wrath of God? For then every pious and serious soul would beware of their example as of a savage beast, venomous serpent, or deadly basilisk. But now such is the state of things that many commoners and such as are not total strangers to religion or the worship of God; who, as they say, would fain be saved; and who, therefore, though they are not truly enlightened, glorify and praise God and his word with their mouth, show nevertheless (to the seduction of the simple) that the world is their dear friend, yea lies nearest to their heart, since most of their works are directed to its service, that they may thereby partake of its glittering but deceptive reward. Hence arises that shameful and vast commerce which extends far beyond the sea into other parts of the world, Ezek. 27, but which notwithstanding cannot satisfy those who love it, but, on the contrary, brings great danger, that that which has already been gotten, may be lost, others defrauded, and they themselves, both in soul and body, stripped and robbed of their possessions. Numerous large, expensive and ornamented houses, country-seats of splendid architecture and provided with towers, parks magnificent as a paradise, and other embellished pleasure-grounds, which are seen on every hand indicate this in no small degree. Dan. 4:29,30. The wearing of clothes from foreign countries, whether of foreign materials, uncommon colors or of strange fashions as obtain in the course of time according to the custom of the openly worldly-minded (which are as changeable as the moon), and which custom is followed by many humble and seemingly plain people, confirms greatly what we have before said. Gen. 35:2; Zeph. 1:8; Is. 3:16–24. The giving and attending great dinners, lavish banquets and wedding-feasts (though one may never be found in taverns or tippling-houses), where everything is in profusion, and where the beneficent gifts of the Lord which should not be used otherwise than with great thankfulness, and of which a portion naturally belongs to the poor, are squandered and consumed without the least necessity, even by those who are considered sober and temperate, is an incontrovertible evidence of a sensual and wanton heart; and proves also that those who have much to do with these things, cannot be exculpated from living after the flesh; for which carnal life certainly has no promise of salvation, but, on the contrary, 10many severe threatenings of the wrath and displeasure of God, nay, of eternal damnation, are recorded in the blessed leaves of the word of God, which contains nothing but the truth. Esth. 1:3–8; Dan. 5:1–3; Luke 12:19,20; 16:19. O how different is this from the life of a true Christian, who has forsaken himself and his lusts! How great the step that is between their walk and that of the holy martyrs, who delivered up, not only their carnal desires, but also their bodies and lives, unto death for the Lord’s sake! But how great a difference will also be between the two classes afterwards! when the former, having had their good things in this life, shall be shut out from the true, heavenly riches, but the latter, because they from love to God, renounced and abandoned their possessions, which might have led them into sin, be admitted to the true enjoyment of the heavenly riches and pleasures, and that for ever and ever! Mal. 3:18. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#FNanchor_7) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: OF THE GREATER DANGER THERE IS AT THIS TIME, THAN IN THE BLOODY AND DISTRESSING TIMES OF THE MARTYRS.4](/en/stories/mm-of-the-greater-danger-there-is-at-this-time-than-in-the-bloody-and-distressing-times-of-the-martyrs-4/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: OF THE GREATER DANGER THERE IS AT THIS TIME, THAN IN THE BLOODY AND DISTRESSING TIMES OF THE MARTYRS.4](/en/stories/mm-of-the-greater-danger-there-is-at-this-time-than-in-the-bloody-and-distressing-times-of-the-martyrs-4/part-3/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-of-the-greater-danger-there-is-at-this-time-than-in-the-bloody-and-distressing-times-of-the-martyrs-4/part-2/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Of+The+Greater+Danger+There+Is+At+This+Time%2C+Than+In+The+Bloody+And+Distressing+Times+Of+The+Martyrs.4+%C2%B7+Page+2+of+4&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AOf+The+Greater+Danger+There+Is+At+This+Time%2C+Than+In+The+Bloody+And+Distressing+Times+Of+The+Martyrs.4+%C2%B7+Page+2+of+4%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-of-the-greater-danger-there-is-at-this-time-than-in-the-bloody-and-distressing-times-of-the-martyrs-4%2Fpart-2%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-of-the-greater-danger-there-is-at-this-time-than-in-the-bloody-and-distressing-times-of-the-martyrs-4--b00017-o000000%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)