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. /…

In the words there are two things observable: First, the judgement of God denounced against this people; Secondly, the cause of that judgement: Or thus, First, the sin of this people; Secondly, The judgement of God because of that sin. The sin of the people is, They have no understanding: The judgement of God because of that sin, Therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will show them no favour. First, you see the people offending; they want sanctifying and saving knowledge, they are a people of no understanding. You see again the Lord observing this, and proceeding severely against them because of this; Therefore he that made them, will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them, will show them no favour.

In the words there are two things observable: First, the judgement of God denounced against this people; Secondly, the cause of that judgement: Or thus, First, the sin of this people; Secondly, The judgement of God because of that sin. The sin of the people is, They have no understanding: The judgement of God because of that sin, Therefore he that made them will not have mercie on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour. First, you see the people offending; they want sanctifying and saving knowledge, they are a people of no understanding. You see again the Lord observing this, and proceeding severely against them because of this; Therefore he that made them, will not have mercie on them, and he that formed them, will shew them no favour.

First of the former, touching the sin of the people. I will not stand long in the opening of the words: Only thus much observe briefly, It is a people that have no understanding: What kind of people was it? Even those that lived under the means of grace, that enjoyed all the helps and encouragements ⟨p. 194⟩that a people could desire, that had an outward call, and were counted the people of God, those were a people of no understanding. Howsoever the Lord was pleased to enlarge himself toward them to bestow many outward Privileges upon them, to suffer them to enjoy many singular helps, howsoever they were those to whom were committed the Oracles of God, and means of life and salvation, yet they remained unfruitful and unprofitable, they were a people of no understanding, they had no depth of reach in spiritual things. The point observable from hence is thus much, That,