A trumpet blown in Zion, or, An alarm in God's holy mountain containing an…A trumpet blown in Zion, or, An allarm in God's holy mountain containing an…

Likewise such who for every small matter refrain from coming to the Lords Table; may be any trivial offence shall hinder them; they are offended with this Person, and that Person, and so cast a slight upon Christ, and on his Sacred Ordinance, and thus persist from time to time: They can go to Church, or stay at home: Can pray, and hear, and can forbear: Religion is a light and indifferent thing with them. This shows such are under fearful Temptations, or else loose and light Professors in the sight of God.

Likewise such who for every small matter refrain from coming to the Lords Table; may be any trivial offence shall hinder them; they are offended with this Person, and that Person, and so cast a slight upon Christ, and on his Sacred Ordinance, and thus persist from time to time: They can go to Church, or stay at home: Can pray, and hear, and can forbear: Religion is a light and indifferent thing with them. This shews such are under fearful Temptations, or else loose and light Professors in the sight of God.

5. Such are Chaff that only have the husk or shell of Christianity: Chaff is the husks of Wheat; many Professors please themselves with the external part of Religion, having a form of Godliness, but are Strangers to the Life and Power thereof: Like the foolish Virgins they have Lamps, but no Oil a Name; but want the Nature of true Believers; can talk and discourse of Religion, of the Covenant of Grace, and excellency of Christ; they may have, I grant, clear Notions in their heads of the Mysteries of the Gospel, and defend it too against opposers, yet their Hearts are unsanctified, and never felt nor experienced ⟨p. 25⟩the work of Faith with Power; they have the out-side of a true Christian, the Shell of the Wheat, but if tried and searched there's nothing but Chaff, no Kernel in them, they want the root of the Water: All true Believers have past through the Pangs of the New Birth; they found they were once Dead, but are now alive, once blind, but now they see, once lost in their own Eyes, but now found, once Carnal, but now Spiritual, once had their affection set on things below, but now on things above; Sin was once Sweet and Pleasant to them, but now 'tis bitter and Loathsome in their Eyes, because they see it is so in the sight of God: Their Judgments are informed, their Understandings savingly enlightened; Christ and heavenly things are valued and esteemed above all things here below, yea, above ten thousand Worlds, by them; and their understandings are not only brought to assent to the truth of Christ, to the Glory and Beauty of Christ; but their wills also are subjected to him, they are brought to consent, and yield themselves to the Lord; they believe, and love, believe and obey, believe and suffer reproach, taking up the Cross, putting on the yoke of Christ; their affections are so changed, and under divine Influences, that what they loved once, they hate, and what they once hated, or liked not, they dearly love and approve of now: But thus it is not with Chaffy Professors: They may be changed from open Profaneness to an outward Reformation of life, but their Hearts are not changed, Sin is not Crucified in them, self is not subdued; that enmity that was naturally in their hearts, or dislike of the Life, and Power of strict Godliness is not removed;