whom should a people seek but to their God The Lord liveth though the Fathers are gone and Prophets do not live for ever with him is no variableness nor shadow of turning And we have yet incouragement to look to him for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil Joel 2. 13. There is no God like unto him that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy M c. 7. 18. Let us then lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the highest with whom is forgiveness that he may be feared plenteousness of redemption that he may be hoped in by us for the Lord will not cast off for ever But though he cause grief he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies for he doth not willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men Lam. 3. 31 32 33. But in our turning to him let us search and try our hearts and wayes and turn from the things reproved and which he is discovering us to be guilty of and polluted with otherwise we shall but turn to him feignedly and not with the whole heart Jer. 3. 10. If we will return let us return to him and put away our abomixations out of his sight Jer. 4. 1. To this end it is that the Lord's voice is crying to the City O that we may be men of wisdom to see his Name and hear his Rod and who hath appointed it Mica 6. 9 13. O that that also may not be verified concerning us which the Prophet confesseth with shame they were guilty of that though all this evil is come upon us yet though we assemble together and seek him and pray to him yea seek him daily and take delight in approaching to him we have not made this our prayer unto God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand his truth Dan. 9. 13. all his debatings with us are to this end that our iniquity may be purged and this is all the fruit to take away our sin Isa 27. 8 9. And if we receive not this end of his we shall still provoke him to watch upon a further evil and bring it upon us Shall one take up a sâ—are from the earth and have taken nothing Amos 3. 5. Will he remove his judgments and cease smiting and take away his snares as it were while he hath effected nothing by them no surely But if we be not reformed by these things but will walk contrary to him he will also walk contrary to us and punish us yet seven times for our sins Lev. 26. 23 24. it will even provoke him at last to send a famine of hearing the words of the Lord to remove all left that are in any measure faithful in seeking the good of others and to deliver the residue to the multitude And this was that which was much dreaded and deprecated by our Brother a little before his being removed from amongst us and hath been since threatned in some measure once and again but hitherto in great mercy and in a great measure he hath withdrawn his hand and wrought wonderfully that his name might not be polluted Oh! that because sentence against our evil work is not speedily executed our hearts may not be set in us to do evil but that we may by his goodness be led to repentance and run together unto the Lord and with one another and in the acknowledging and for saking our iniquities cry mightily unto him whom mercy pleaseth that he may forgive our sins and heal our breaches and be merciful unto and spare the remnant of his heritage and make them blessings in those several parts of the field where the wise and gracious sower hath sowed them and that the commandment may be kept without spot unrebukable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6. 12 14. The following Treatise hath been several moneths at the Press and met with manifold obstructions otherwise thou mightest sooner have seen it Possibly it hath stuck so long there that we who are so apt to forget the blow when the rod is taken off might be again awakened to some fresh remembrance and consideration of the sharpness and severity of it and the greater judgments threatned in it And very probably in some particular testimony of displeasure to him who undertook the work and was so altogether unmeet for it being of such an uncircumcised heart and lip I mean Thine unworthy servant in and for the Lord CHARLES PHELPES Lyn-Regis August 6. 1669. Turn us again Lord and to us return How long against us shall thine anger burn O pour not forth thy fury still like fire Mind not our sins for ever mark not in ire Against thy people their transgressions but Say 't is enough an end to such stroaks put Many indeed are our abominations Our close and our appearing provocations O we have sin'd and thou in all art just Righteous art thou O Lord yet since thou dost Excel in goodness there help us to trust In our sad banisht state when we were all Undone and lost none could recover our fall No man could help his brother thou didst then In love a Lamb provide for us poor men O now that grace remember and a seed Reserve to teach the world thy flock to feed C. P. Light in Darkness Acts 20. 32. And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sancitified THe Apostle in the foregoing part of the Chapter having sent for the Elders of the Church of Ephesus puts them in mind of his faithfulness and constancy in service and sufferings and tells them that they all should see his face no more this he knew it being as it may seem so revealed to him ver 25. and now appeals to them and takes them to witness that he was pure from the bloud of all men ver 26. and to evidence this that he was not guilty of the bloud of the souls of men as Jer. 2. 24 he saith For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsell of God ver 27. The thing he had declared it was all the counsell of God namely the Gospell of the grace of God ver 24. the kingdom of God ver 25 even the testimony of Christ as now revealed in which is shewn unto us Gods purpose and grace his counsells of old which are faithfulness and truth as Isay 25. 1. And out of the bowels whereof all the Counsells of God concerning mankind as fallen do issue and that in which God is giving us good counsell good doctrine as Prov. 4. 2. 6. To the end we might have his testimony and testimonies therein as the men of our Counsels Psal 119. 24. this was the Apostles rejoycing now
what God hath been putting into their hands Ezek. 33. 31 33. The love of money is the root of all evil not only of the evil of sin but also of judgment and affliction and it appears that the Apostle doth include that also in the evil of which covetousness is the root for he saith which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith this is a great iniquity and that which leads to many other iniquities and pierced themselves with many sorrows caused much grief and procured many judgments to themselves 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. So when the Prophet had been saying The righteous perisheth c. and merciful men are taken away the Lord as I conceive shews that this was the cause of this judgment For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth c. Isa 57. 1 17. This iniquity followed after causeth men to hate faithful reprovers and so provokes God to take them away Mic. 2. 2 6. yea this being inclined unto and persisted in and suffered to bring forth its fruits will even procure that great judgment of depriving such of or of the usefulness of all faithful helpers or such as have the words of wisdom fitted in their lips for speaking profitably unto others so for this the Lord threatens Amos 8. 3 13. The songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day saith the Lord God c. Hear this ye that swallow up the needy even to make the poor of the Land to fail saying when will the new Moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat when will those appointed days and meetings be over that we may follow and seek after our profit that we may buy aâ—d sell and get gain making the Ephah small namely the measure and so we may say the weight or any thing they sell and the shekel great getting as much money as they can though to the defrauding and over-reaching another and think this honesty too and falsifying the ballances by deceit that they may wrong others as follows the Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their works shall not the Land tremble for this I will turn your feasts into mourning and your songs into lamentation And Behold the dayes come that I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of bread or a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord and they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it Yea this and its direct fruits provokes God to shut out mens cryes even the oppressions of those upon whom God's name is called and their want of pity and mercy their with-holding more then is meet tendeth to poverty even to poverty in spiritual things it provokes God to take away or with-hold such faithful helps for their growth as they might have had and such betrusting with the true riches as might have been committed to them If therefore saith our Saviour to his Disciples ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches and if ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans who shall give you that which is your own This is anothers given to them for the good of others and especially that they might communicate to those that teach them in all good things if they have reaped their spiritual things their duty is also to Minister unto them in carnal things Luk 16. 9 12. Gal. 6. 6. Rom. 15. 27. And as I was saying it causeth God to hide his face that he will not hear To this purpose is that of the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah The new Moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity or grief even the solemn Meetings c. And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood And what he means by blood he afterwards explicates and shews to be their oppression and not shewing mercy to the oppressed and helpless for he adds Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgment relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widow Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow c. Isa 1. 10 23. Like whereto is that Isa 58. 3. 12. Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not c. Behold in the day of your fast ye exact all your labours Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh then shall thy light break forth as the morning Then thou shalt call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am c. Add hereto also that of the Lord by the Prophet Zechariah Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying execute true judgment and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother and oppress not the widow nor the fatherless the stranger nor the poor c. but they refused to hearken yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone therefore it is come to pass that as he cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not hear saith the Lord Zech. 7. 9 13. He shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Jam. 2. 12 16. And truly there might be some intimate reproof of these to whom the Apostle speaks for being so much inclined to this evil in that he appeals to them and saith Your selves know that these hands have ministred to my necessities and those that were with me it had been a small thing for him or those with him to have reaped of their carnal things who sowed unto them spiritual things Act. 20. 33 34. with 1 Cor. 4. 11 12 14. 9. 11 12. Eph. 4. 28 32. 5. 1 2 3 5 6. 4. And to add no more when pride is not hidden from the people of God but they retain high thoughts of themselves by their wisdom knowledge gifts and attaiments c. and go on serving their pride and bringing forth the fruits thereof in envyings strifes contentions divisions for only by pride cometh contention Prov. 13. 10. 28. 25. and are not with all lowliness indeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace this deprives their souls of good it hinders them from partaking of one anothers grace and of that delightful and profitable fellowship in the Gospel of Christ they might have
know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1. 7 8. Somewhat of this was typically injoyed by Solomon before he departed from the Lord according as God promised the Lord gave him rest on every side so that there was neither adversary nor evil occurrent 1 Chron. 22. 9. 1 King 5. 4. But behold a greater than Solomon is here There were then enemies in being but now there shall be no more a pricking bryar unto the house of Israel nor a grieving thorn c. Ezek. 28. 24. Psal 72. Violence shall no more be heard in the Land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt câ—ll thy walls salvation c. and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended he will then destroy them that have destroyed the earth and precious shall be the blood of his Saints for he will take vengeaence on those that have slain them and been enemies to them Isa 60. 12 20. 63. 1 4. with the assurance of this he strengthens the weak hands and feeble knees viz. that he their God wiâ—l come with vengeance God with a recompence for the Lord God of recompences will surely requite all the injuries done to his Saints he will come and save them Isa 35. 3 4. Jer. 50. 27 28. 51. 56. He will then bind their Kings in chains and their Nobles in fetters of iron and his people shall have an hand with him therein to execute upon them the vengeance written this honour have all his Saints Psal 149. 4 9. Those righteous ones that are taken away by death do enter into peace and are freâ—d from oppression but yet their blood is not avenged but they cry with a loud voice how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth for this they wait it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season c. Rev. 6. 9 11. but then he will thoroughly plead their cause shall not God avenge his own elect which cry unto him day and night I tell you he will avenge them speedily Luke 18. 7 8. vengeance is his and he will repay Rom. 12. 19. Rev. 11. 18. their eye shall then see their desire upon their enemies Psal 92. 11. 112. 8 10. in righteousness shall they then be established they shall be far from oppression for they shall not fear and from terror for it shall not come near them Isa 54 7 8 13 14. then he will compleatly and gloriously bless his people with peace and they shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace Psal 29. 11. 37. 11. 3. They when thus raised and freed from all evil shall be ever with the Lord in companionship with him the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord 1 Thes 4. 15 17. he will then come and receive them to himself that where he is they may be also Joh. 14. 1 3. This is his will concerning them that those the father hath given unto him should be with him where he is Joh. 17. 14. The tabernacle of God even Jesus Christ in his personal body shall then be with them and he wiâ—l dwell with them Rev. 21. 3. indeed now he dwells in their hearts by faith but faith is the evidence of things not seen but then they shall have a personal and-glorious injoyment of him according to that Zeph. 3. 14 17. Sing O daughter of Zion shout O Israel be glad and rejoyce with all the heart O daughter of Jerusalem the Lord hath taken away thy judgment he hath cast out thine enemy the King of Israel the Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evil any more the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save thee The name of the City from that day shall be The Lord is there Ezek. 48. 35. and then there will be a gathering together of the righteous as unto him so one unto and with another and his coming and their being gathered together unto him are put together 2 Thes 2. 1. Now in a spiriâ—ual and invisible consideration they meet together they are all one in Jesus Christ and all in heaven and earth are one family one house and instruction given to them here to indeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace but yet they are severed and scattered as to personal society and so at a distance one from another and many of them unknown one to another yea some of them not owning one another to be of the same body whom yet Jesus Christ hath received they are now scattered and separated one from another Sometimes by contentions judgings and dâ—spisings one of another and this is matter of great lamentation and when they fall out they are hardly reconciled it being the work of Satan and his instruments to dig up evil and in their lips is a burning fire they are set on fire of hell and would set all on fire they sow strife and indeavour further to separate and make the breach wider by whispering and secretly fomenting jealousies and so are separating even chief friends Prov. 16. 27 28. Hâ—nce they are admonished to be angry and not sin not to let the Sun go down upon their wrath neither give place to the devil Eph. 4. 26 27. the devil is watching for such an advantage and therefore needful to be warned that we be slow to anger and quick from it seeing a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong City and their contentions are like the bars of a Castle Prov. 18. 19. How oft now are they separated in their affections and delightful fellowships through that sin that dwells in them and policy of Satan the weak envying and judging the strong and the strong instead of bearing the infirmities of the weak pleasing themselves and despising and setting at nought those that have not what they have Rom. 14. Act. 15. 39. But then the envy of Ephraim shall depart Ephraim that had less shall not envy Judah and Judah that was preferred before and lifted up above their brethren shall not vex Ephraim Isa 11. 13. with 1 Sam. 1. 6. Now also they are scattered by the wise and gracious disposition of the housholder the Son of man he sows them abroad in the field of the world for the good of the world that they might be instruments of his praise according to their capacity that men seeing their good works may glorifie their father which is in heaven and so that his way may be known on the earth his saving health among all Nations Mat. 13. 24 37. Psal 67. 1 2. But then his elect shall be gathered together from the four winds from one end
give them a mouth and wisdom which all their â—dversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist Luk. 21. â—4 15. Yea what shall I say for the time would fail he will be abundantly nigh unto them in this â—ime of trouble For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears open to their cry 1 Pet. 3. 12. he will fulfil their desires Psal 145. 18 19. Purge away their transgressions Psal 65. 3. Subdue their iniquities Mic. 7. 19. Fight their battels 2 Chron. 32. 8. Renew their inward man 2 Cor. 4. 16. Revive them in the midst of trouble Psal 138. 7. Supply all their wants according to his riches in glory Phil. 4. 19. Perform all things for them Psal 57. 2. And perfect whatever concerns them Psal 138. 8. And so sanctifie them throughout that their whole spirit soul and body shall be pâ—eserved blamelâ—ss unto the coming of the Lord Jesus 1 Thes 5. 23. In short he will never leave them nor forsake them so that they may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man can do unto me Heb. 13. 5 6. And he is faithful that hath promised Oh! let us then hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering Heb. 10. 23. and not be afraid of men or their fear nor say a confederacy with them that say a confederacy but sanctifie the Lord of hosts in our hearts and make him our fear and our dread and he shall be a sanctuary unto us Isa 8. 12 14. Consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession who was faithful to him that appointed him in that hard and difficult work he hath been wonderfully tryed and did not fail therein nor was discouraged but for the joy set before him indured the Cross despising the shame He set his face like a flint and patiently indured the judgment of the world and waited for the Lord till he brought him out of the horrible pit miry clay and set his feet upon a rock He was for this purpose manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin and therein may we so behold his faithfulness as to be strengthned to rest in him and wait patiently for the performance of what yet remains for faithful is he that hath promised who also will do it And he is the Mediator of the New Testament which he hath confirmed by his blood He it is who liveth and was dead and is alive for evermore to make intercession for them that come to God by him that their iniquities might not with-hold good things from them make them know God's breach of promise Rev. 1. 18. Heb. 7. 25. Numb 14. 34. He mediates the New Covenant and appears in the presence of God in the vertues of his sacrifice once offered as the propitiation for their sins to take them away and cover them and in their confessing them he is faithful and just to forgive them their sins and his blood cleanseth them from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1. 7 9. 2. 2. and he lives to perform and execute this Testament of his own and to dispense to them all things that pertain to life and godliness that the called may obtain the promise of the eternal inheritance Heb. 7. 25 28. 8. 6. 9. 15. 3. Yea and he hath set a blessed hope before them that those that suffer here with him shall reign with him and be glorified together And he that hath this hope in Christ purifieth hemself from desires of present manifestation as he is pure 2 Tim. 2. 12. Rom. 8. 17 18. 1 Joh. 3. 2 3. which hope is now powerful as declared in the word of the truth of the Gospel to save them from their sins and idols and from being afraid with any fear of amazement Rom. 8. 24 25. and it is so confirmed that they might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them which they have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the vail whether the fore-runner is for us entred Jesus made an High-Priest after the order of Melchisedeck Heb. 6. 18 20. He will then give compleat rest to them who are now troubled avenge them of their adversaries and save them with an everlasting salvation And this is now reported to us in the Gospel that looking to the end from the beginning we might be strengthned with strength in our soul according to that Isa 35. 3 10. Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees say to them that are of a fearful heart be strong fear not behold your God will come with vengeance God with a recompence he will come and save you and then no Lyon shall be there to afflict them nor any ravenous beâ—st and so no grievous Wolf c Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away There will be an end of all these troubles and afflictions to those that live godly in Christ Jesus and their expectation shall not be cut off yea now it is but a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry and will redeem them out of all adversity and they shall then obtain that salvation in Câ—rist Jesus with eternal glory and therefore they have cause and are instructed to rejoyce in as much as they are partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed they also may be glad with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4. 13. Jam. 1. 12. Rev. 2. 7 10 11 13 17. Surely there is that contained in God and the word of his grace which may strengthen us to all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness so as we need not fear any of those things we may suffer but rather rejoyce that we are counted worthy to suffer for his sake who so willingly indured so great sufferings for us 2. To God and the Word of his grace he commits them for their preservation from grievous wolves as taken in the second sense before mentioned viz. for false Prophets and seducers to the end that committing themselves thereto they might not be led away with the error of the wicked and so fall from their own stedfastness but be preserved from hearing and receiving those instructions which cause to err from the words of knowledge and great need we have to commit our selves to him and his word on this account that we mâ—y go from the presence of such foolish ones in whom we perceive not the lips of knowledg for these or many of them are very powerful to deceive For 1. The Ministers which Satan imploys as his instruments in sowing tares they are such many times as are very specious in their outward apperance they come unto you in sheeps cloathing saith our Saviour Mat. 7. 15. namely appear in their outward conversation as if they were of the sheep of Christ