An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

3. Their trust shall be a spiders web, in the issue it shall perish like a spiders web. How is that? As soon as the house comes to be cleansed, down go the spiders webs; when the house is swept, the cob-webs are first swept away. Thus it is with the trust of all hypocrites: when God sweeps his house, his Church, he quickly sweeps out these spiders webs (Isa. 14.23.) the Prophet speaks of the besom of God; the judgements of God are the besom of God, by which he sweepeth his house. God hath a double besom, or a double use of his besom; he hath a besom of destruction, and a besom of purgation. It is a besom of destruction to hypocrites, and it is a besom of purgation to his Saints. When either the besom of destruction, or the besom of purgation is in hand, the trust of hypocrites is swept away. When the Prophet describes the Lord in his great and terrible judgements (Isa. 33.14.) the text ⟨p. 92⟩saith, The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness surpriseth the hypocrite, who shall dwell with devouring fire? God provoked is a devouring fire. How shall stubble and spiders webs stand before him? When trouble comes, the trust of hypocrites goes to wrack, they tremble then, for their trust is but a spiders web, it cannot stand one stroke, or endure the flaming heat. The hope of a godly man grows strongest in times of trouble, he is purified in the fire; and the hope of an hypocrite weakens, till it be none at all in times of trouble, it is cast out of doors amongst the rubbish, or is consumed with the fire.

3. Their trust shall be a spiders web, in the issue it shall perish like a spiders web. How is that? Assoon as the house comes to be cleansed, down go the spiders webs; when the house is swept, the cob-webs are first swept away. Thus it is with the trust of all hypocrites: when God sweeps his house, his Church, he quickly sweeps out these spiders webs (Isa. 14.23.) the Prophet speaks of the besome of God; the judgements of God are the besome of God, by which he sweepeth his house. God hath a double besome, or a double use of his besome; he hath a besome of destruction, and a besome of purgation. It is a besome of destruction to hypocrites, and it is a besome of purgation to his Saints. When either the besome of destruction, or the besome of purgation is in hand, the trust of hypocrites is swept away. When the Prophet describes the Lord in his great and terrible judgements (