_Thirdly_. May not this refer to the State of the Church of God, which is at present in her imperfect state; not only in her feelings, but plagued with those who are only hypocrites in Zion, Tares among the Wheat, Sheep among the Goats, and Wolves in Sheep’s cloathing. This is the sad state of the Saints; at times they are ready to cry out with Job, _Let not the hypocrite reign_, _lest the souls of the righteous be ensnared_. And, with the Apostles, _Lord_, _shall we root them up_? But no; these Wise and Foolish Virgins must be together till the Midnight Cry is made, then there will be an happy but awful separation; but these dwell together now, in the same Church, at the same table; sit in the same seat; look just the same as the Saints; claim the same Promises, and boast the same light; talk of what they never felt, and in full, tho’ daring and presumptuous confidence, are, in their own esteem, going to the same glory. Hence God complains of them, _Ezek._ xxxiii, 30, _Also thou Son of Man_, _the children of thy people are still talking against thee_, _by the walls and in the doors of the houses_—(how true have I found this?)—_and they come unto thee as my people cometh_, _and they sit before thee as my people_, _and they hear thy words_, _but do them not_; _and lo_, _thou art to them as a very lovely song_, _of one that hath a pleasant voice_, _and can play __well upon an instrument_, _for they hear thy words but they do them not_. Doing them is believing—receiving the truth in the love of it; and by experience, proving the truths we preach. There are Wolves that are in Sheep’s clothing—these feed upon _sounds_, but the Lambs upon _substance_.—Under another metaphor we shall point out the _food_ of such Wolves and Goats—they are distinct from the Sheep, and will be found so in the last great day. See 25th of _Matthew’s_ Gospel.