Useful instructions for a professing people in times of great security and degeneracy

Reas. 1. Because God is hereby robbed of that glory which is due to his Name, who requires hearty service; which the hypocrite offers up to the Idol of his heart, and not unto God; he gives that glory which is alone due to God, to his graven Images, to his own by ends and aims; God requires the heart, because he knows that that is the leader of all the rest of the faculties, and it is his due, for he made it; but the hypocrite steals the best piece of the sacrifice from God, and is not this Robbery.

Reas. 2. Because the sinner hereby robs himself of all the good which he should otherwise get by his […] that were done in sincerity. Ezek. 14. 7, 8 God hath made great promises to sincerity, in manifold expressions in Scripture, but he denounceth s•re woes upon hypocrites, destructive desolation and ruin; so that it is […] lost, and […] ourselves out from good.

Reas. 2. Because the sinner hereby robs himself of all the good which he should otherwise get by his 〈…〉 that were done in sincerity. Ezek. 14. 7, 8 God hath made great promises to sincerity, in manifold expressions in Scripture, but he denounceth s•re woes upon hypocrites, destructive desolation and ruine; so that it is 〈…〉 lost, and 〈…〉 ourselves out from good.

Use To condemn that spirit of hypocrisy which is ready to seize upon our hearts, will you give entertainment to secret sins, and forsake God in your hearts, live in a way and course of disobedience, and yet here come before God in solemn and serious duties, as though you were good Christians; God looks upon you as no better then a company of Robbers, you do at the present rob him of his glory; but, assure your selves, he will not be a looser by you, the time hastens when he will come and recover his honour out of your hands: and you rob your selves of all the good you might get by such opportunities as these; oh! if such duties were done in truth and sincerity, they would bing in a plenteous harvest; fasting days would be our best feasting days, God would both accept of us, and also crown us with admirable blessings; but it we will come with an Idol in our hearts, cry out against such sins as we bear an entire love unto, confess those evils we never intend to leave off in our course, assure we our selves we shall be found the greatest self Cheaters in the end.