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. /…

Thirdly, the Prophet having thus declared Gods care of his own people, and his fatherly chastisement of them, in the last place, from the 9th verse to the end of the 11th, he declareth his proceedings also against the cursed Hypocrites that live in the bosom of the Church, against those that have a form of godliness only, but deny the power thereof, that present themselves before the Lord, and appear in his Sanctuary, as if they would do great matters for him, yet their hearts are naught, and the Lord seeth them, and threateneth to deal with them accordingly, and in conclusion denounceth an utter overthrow, an universal ruin, and confusion unto them, so as that their estates shall be altogether helpless; for their defenced Cities shall be desolate, and their habitations forsaken, ⟨p. 193⟩and left like a Wilderness; Yea, so helpless shall they be, that if a poor silly woman come by, she shall spoil them; The women come, and set them on fire. Now if it be asked, Why the Lord doth deal thus fiercely with carnal sinful men, seeing though they have no strength of grace in their hearts, yet they are his creatures; The Reason is rendered in the words of the Text, For it is a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them, will show them no favour. As if he should say, Do ye inquire the reason why the Lord is so deeply displeased with Hypocrites that live in thee bosom of the Church, and why he threateneth to proceed so severely with them? Alas, it is no wonder, for they are a people of no understanding, what show soever they make, though they enjoy the Ordinances, yet they are no way fit for Gods spiritual building, they are only fit for the fire of his wrath, though they are in the Church, yet they are not of the Church; therefore he that made them will show them no mercy, and he that formed them, will not vouchsafe to bestow any favour upon them.

Thirdly, the Prophet having thus declared Gods care of his own people, and his fatherly chastisement of them, in the last place, from the 9th verse to the end of the 11th, he declareth his proceedings also against the cursed Hypocrites that live in the bosome of the Church, against those that have a form of godlinesse onely, but deny the power thereof, that present themselves before the Lord, and appear in his Sanctuary, as if they would doe great matters for him, yet their hearts are naught, and the Lord seeth them, and threatneth to deal with them accordingly, and in conclusion denounceth an utter overthrow, an universall ruine, and confusion unto them, so as that their estates shall be altogether helplesse; for their defenced Cities shall be desolate, and their habitations forsaken,