The esteemed Rev. Thomas Manson (Works, vol. 14, pp. 191-192):
[W]hen men neglect God’s means, and trust to their own, this is a sure note of creature confidence in their present welfare and prosperity. When we have no other shelter against judgments but prosperous armies, numerous ships and fortifications, how soon may God blow upon these things? Who would believe that which God did twice to the state of the Jews, both by the Chaldeans and Romans? who would have believed thirty years ago what hath happened in Germany? who would believe what befell the churches of Asia and Greece, that they should be overrun so? If we should speak to you of England being unchurched, a man would think this were an idle dream that ever Christianity should be banished from this island, that we should lose our church and our glory; and if yet we should look to the spiritual causes of such a judgment, there is nothing so probable as this. God may in justice remove the old light, because we have set up so many new ones; and take away the candlestick from us, because we are despisers of the gospel.
