The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

The first Use I will hence raise is an Use of reproof. This Doctrine confoundeth the carnal confidence of those Professors, that living in the bosom of the Church, place all their hopes and assurance of being saved upon this bottom: because they have been baptized, and come to Church, and hear the Word, and receive the Sacrament, therefore of necessity (they presume) they must be accepted of God. This was the old plea of the Jews in Jeremies time: When the Prophet came to them to reprove them for their sins, and press them to repentance, they began to quarrel with him, and to take up Bucklers against him, and cried out, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these. These are the Fig-leaves wherewith poor and ignorant. Christians think to hide themselves at this day. Tell them of their faults, bid them walk humbly and holily before God, reprove them ⟨p. 160⟩for their strange practises against God and his truth, in profaning his day, blaspheming his name, contemning his Word, despising his Ministers, &c. and they presently cry out against us: What will you make Pagans of us? What do you think we are Heathens? Have we not received Christian Baptism? &c. This is a bottom that beareth up many: But oh poor silly creatures, this will not do it; be not deceived, you will shrink under this shelter, you will fall notwithstanding these props, when you come to trial; you may have all this, and yet perish, this will not make you Saints in the sight of God. You that are Tradesmen, is it a good argument, that because have good ware in your shops, therefore you have no refuse, no drug commodity? or you that are husbandmen, because some good corn grows upon your ground, is it therefore all good corn? Who knows not that there is Cockle amongst corn, and bad wares even in your best shops. So it is true here, as there are many hearers in hell, and many receivers in hell, so there are too many in the bosom of the Church, enjoying the outward privileges of Gods people, that shall never receive good by all that they partake of.

The first Use I will hence raise is an Use of reproof. This Doctrine confoundeth the carnall confidence of those Professors, that living in the bosome of the Church, place all their hopes and assurance of being saved upon this bottome: because they have been baptized, and come to Church, and hear the Word, and receive the Sacrament, therefore of necessity (they presume) they must be accepted of God. This was the old plea of the Jewes in Jeremies time: When the Prophet came to them to reprove them for their sinnes, and presse them to repentance, they began to quarrell with him, and to take up Bucklers against him, and cried out, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these. These are the Fig-leaves wherewith poor and ignorant. Christians think to hide themselves at this day. Tell them of their saults, bid them walk humbly and holily before God, reprove them