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Vers. 3. Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew it passeth away, as the chaffe that is driven with a whirlwinde out of the floore, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
The destruction threatened for this sin is held forth under foure similitudes, of a cloud, and the dew evanishing before the Sun, as chaffe driven away before the whirlwinde, and of eva∣rishing
smoke. Whereby is pointed out that they should be driven out of their land and consumed, till they should (in a manner) come to nothing. Whence learn, 1. Where stroaks inflicted do not amend a people, the Lord hath yet more to let out, even till they be utterly consumed; for, beside all that had been inflicted, v. 1. he hath yet more here. 2. Nothing will be able to stand out against an angry God; all that the creature can oppose may be compared to frailest things; yea, and many si∣militudes are little enough to point out this frailty; for, there∣fore are all these similitudes borrowed from evanishing things, gathered together to point out what they should prove. 3. Great appearances and shewes of a flourishing condition, will not guard against Gods hand; for, so much also do these similitudes teach, a great cloud over-spreading the skie, and abundance of dew watering the earth, seem to promise much, but they soon passe away before the Sun, chaste lying secure among grain, is soon driven by a whirlwinde, and great heaps of smoke go∣ing out of a chimney, do soon scatter and evanish; and so should their condition prove. 4. Judgements on impenitent sinners; will come swiftly and violently, and will bring utter desolation; so much further do these similitudes teach; the cloud and dew is swiftly gone, the whirlewinde violently drives the chaffe, and all of these do utterly evanish.