LIGHT IN DARKNESS OR A CONSIDERATION OF A Comfortable and Instructive Resignation OF THE Church of God By an Eminent and Faithful Watchman upon his Departure OCCASIONED By the sad loss of that Faithful and painful Labourer in the Lord Mr. Thomas Moor Junior By C. P. Look away from me I will weep bitterly labour not to comfort me because of the spoyling of the daughter of my people For it is a day of trouble and of treading down and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of Vision breaking down the Walls thereof c. Isa 22. 4 5. Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy When I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he plead my cause and execute judgment for me he shall bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousness Then she that is mine enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me Where is the Lord thy God c Mica 7. 8 9 10. London Printed in the Year 1669. To the Reader Christian Reader WHAT the occasion of the following Discourse is thou mayest see before viz. the death of one that laboured abundantly in the Work of the Lord yet not he but the grace of God that was with him whom the Lord in testimony of high displeasure to the survivers took away to himself in the midst of his dayes and Work and thereby hath occasioned and increased mourning and lamentation in the daughter of his Judah Oh! that while he is thus lifting up his hand we may see wherefore he is thus contending with us that we may turn to him that smiteth and seek the Lord of hosts lest his wrath further break forth as fire and devour and there be none to quench it He was one that was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for he knew that it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth and therefore he determined to know nothing else in and unto all things save Jesus Christ and him crucified as he is evidently therein set before us and pourtrayed unto us and did not preach himself but Jesus Christ the Lord nor was his zeal exercised about indifferent things or lighter matters for he was well assured that the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink and so not dayes and times and places and gestures and circumstances and such things as perish with the using but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost and therefore did in these great things of God's Law serve Christ and so was acceptable to God and profitable to men he was even set for the defence and confirmation of the Gospel and that was to him the joy and rejoycing of his heart and he had all his confidence begun and strengthned from the kindness and love of God our Saviour to mankind and his feeding upon the flesh of Christ that was given for the life of the World and the grace of God therein commended by which Jesus Christ tasted death for every man and in the vertue of his blood is raised again in that same body in which he bare our sins on the Tree this was the beginning of his confidence and not some secret thing with him or peculiar manner of love to him the reason of his hope the answer of his good conscience towards God the foundation of his faith and hope the argument by which he was reconciled to God and strengthned to look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life and where-through his heart was purified and principled to the unfeigned love of the brethren and to the love of all men yea of his enemies from hence his hearts desire and prayer to God for them was that they might be saved The love of Christ did constrain him to perswade men and pray them to be reconciled to God and receive his grace to purpose whether he were looked upon as one besides himself or as a sober man because he thus judged that if one died for all then were all dead and he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again In preaching the word he was instant in season and out of season and was to that end that Christ might be magnified and therein mens good indeavoured and especially the profit of the houshold of faith pursued in journeying often in weariness and painfulness in watchings often c. Who was weak and he was not weak Who was offended and he burned not And in preaching Christ he did warn every man as he had opportunity and teach every man in all wisdom that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Whereunto he did also labour striving according to his working which wrought in him mightily He hath fought the good fight he hath finished his course he hath kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for him a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give to him at that day and not to him only but also to all them that love his appearing Doubtless God in such strokes is signifying his great displeasedness with us in removing so untimely one so much framed to a like mindedness with himself in Christ whose heart was fixed to indeavour the good of all men especially of them that believe sutable to the mind of the living God who is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe 1 Tim. 4. 10. As if he were hereby beginning to rise up out of his wonted place of mercy and to for sake us and wo will be to us when he depart eth from us Oh! that we may consider his work and the operation of his hands lest he destroy us and not build us up In this day suâ—ely the Lord God of hosts is calling to mourning and to weeping and to baldness and to girding with sackcloath Oh! that there may not be beheld among us joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine But O daughter of Zion let tears run down like a River day and night give thy self no rest let not the apple of thine eyes cease Arise cry out in the night in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord lift up thine hands towards him He hath trodden under foot thy mighty men for this thou hast cause to weep that thou shouldst procure such testimonies of displeasure to thy self and that thine eye thine eye should run down with water because the Comforter that should relieve thy soul is far from thee Oh! that we may yet turn again to the Lord. We have still a Lord to turn to when the servants are removed the great shepherd to direct our eyes and hearts to when under-shepherds are taken away And to
the word of his grace 3. His grace still further appears to be great in this word of his grace if we consider the persons for whom he was thus greatly abased and that both as to their condition and as to their number 1. As to their condition in which they were we have it declared Rom. 5. 6 8 10. While we were yet without strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly God commendeth his love towarâ—â—â—s in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us when we were enemies we were reconciled by the death of his Son And so when without strength to help our selves sick and sick to death as water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again 2 Sam. 14. 14. when none could by any means redeem his brother by any thing he could do suffer or offer to God Psal 49. 7. Gal. 2. 21. then he commended his love to us yea this great weakness and helplessness we had contracted to and brought upon our selves by out voluntary departure from God God made man upright in a condition to have had communion with his Creator but they sought out many inventions Eccl. 7. 29. Adam transgressed the Covenant and there dealt treacherously against God even as a Wife treacherously departeth from her Husband Hos 6. 7. and not for want but through wantonness listened to the lye of the tempter and so brought death and misery into the world Rom. 5. 12. Our comeliness was turned into corruption and we retained no strength and now to lay hold on us when we had voluntarily disabled our selves this was great love indeed Amongst men this shuts up the bowels of their pitty when any one doth willingly and wilâ—ully lame or disable himself who will bemoaâ— such an one or turn aside to ask how he doth But in such a state God pityed us yea when we were ungodly and sinners ungodly such as did not worship him or desire and much less deserve any favour yea acknowledged not our fault but sought to hide and cover it Job 31. 33. and to throw it from one to another yea the man as it were secretly to cast it upon God The woman thou gavest to be with me she gave me and I did eat yet now he manifested his love to them that asked not after him yea that hid themselves first from the presence of the Lord and afterward sought to cover their transgression by hiding it in their bosom And sinners such as had mist their mark and were greatly deceived they in their pride not content with their state God created them in but listening to the temptation of Satan aspired to an equality with God and to be as God's Oh high presumption to have a self-sufficiency in themselves but they missed miserably what they in hearkning to the seducer proposed to themselves and so became transgressorâ— and broke his Law and thereby became such as God hears not though they had cryed Joh. 9. 31. such as he could not delight in or have fellowship with yet now he had compassion on us This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Christ hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3. 18. yea when we were enemies enemies to him as well as to our selves haters of him God was in Christ reconciling us to himself David's kindness toward Saul wonderfully wrought upon him and it even broke his heart because he killed him not but spared his life when it was in the power of his hand to have destroyed him If a man find his enemy saith he will he let him go well away wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day 1 Sam. â—4 19. But alas David's love herein though very rare amongst men is not to be compared with this we are speaking of for Saul whom he spared was God's Anointed and King and therefore David could not put forth his hand against him and be innocent 1 Sam. 24. 10. 26. 9. But now on the contrary he that so testified love toward us was the Lord and heir of all things it is Christ the Lord 's anointed that dyed and we were his creatures and servants that had rebelled against him Again David parted with nothing that was dear to him much less laid down his life to shew kindness to Saul only spared him and forbore to touch him but Christ dyed for our sins that he might bring us back to God Is this the manner of man Oh Lord God Greater love than this hath no man than to lay down his life for his friends but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners and enemies Christ dyed for us Joh. 15. 13. with Rom. 5. 6. 8. Great reason have we to break forth into admiration with the Psalmist and say How excellent and precious is thy loving kindness O God! Psal 36. 7. 2. The persons as to the number for whom he so humbled himself were all of them whose nature he took and in which he vvas made a little lovver than the Angels he vvas crovvned vvith glory and honour that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man Heb. 2. 9. It vvas a light thing too mean for and belovv him that he should be God's servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob c. but God hath given him also that he should be for salvation to the ends of the earth Isa 49 6. And this began to be preached by the Lord himself God so loved the world saith he that he gave his only begotten Son c. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world thrâ—ugh him might be saved Ioh. 3. 16 17. This he spake to one man even to Nicodemuâ— that he might be born again We are apt to think that a particular application of God's love as men call it might have been more proper in this case vvhen our Saviour vvas applying himself to one person yet vve see the course our Saviour the Wisdom of God takes vvhen he is declaring the necessity of the Nevv-birth and directing to the means by vvhich a man may be born again And indeed herein he shevvs vvhat is the vvater of vvhich a man may be begotten again namely the pity and kindness of God to man-vvard and not some particular or peculiar love to this or that man And from his mouth the Samaritans received and learnt this lesson Now say they to the vvoman we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world Joh. 4. 42. So Joh. 6. 51. And this was also confirmed unto us by them that heard him We thus judge saith the Apostle that if oâ—e dyed for all then were all dead and he dyed for all 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Yea this
Lord though their spirits are made perfect as before yet there is some fruit of sin upon them but then he will cast all their sins into the depth of the Sea their sins and their iniquities he will remember no more Act. 3. 19. Heb. 10. 16 17. Mic. 7. 19. Jer. 50. 19 20. And this further appears in that they shall be raised out of and delivered for ever From death and all its fruits this was the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23. By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin Rom. 5. 12 14. And now the body is dead because of sin Rom. 8. 10. And it is appointed to man the whole kind once to dye though all shall not sleep in death yea the bodies of those just men generally whose spirits are made perfect sleep in the dust they are prisoners though prisoners of hope and so they are in the graves But he will open their graves and cause them to come ouâ— of their graves and their bodies shall be fashioned into the likeness of Christ's glorious body Phil. 3. 20. Now they are corruptible have the seeds of corruption and principles of mortality they are perishing decaying bodies and we may with him say to corruption Thou art my father and to the worm thou art my mother and my sister Job 17. 14. We must needs all dye and those that sleep in death their bodies return to dust but they shall be raised incorruptible no more to return to corruption this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mottal immortality That which is now dishonourable and of which we are ashamed for sin brought in shame and therefore need cloathing and covering that the shame of our nakedness appear not and which is sown in dishonour a vile loathsom carcass shall be raised in glory even with the glory of the Lord upon it Mat. 13. 43. They shall no more need this vile cloathing but they shall then be cloathed with the garments of salvation and covered with the robe of righteousness That which is now weak at best and subject to many infirmities weaknesses and sicknesses destitute of that health and strength at first created in and so sown in weakness no life no strength in it to move it self and even like the beasts for that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dyeth so dyeth the other c. Eccl. 3. 19. shall be raised in power be strong and freed from all weakness and diseases That which is now a natural body which we received by natural propagation and was here nourished with natural meat and drink by the word of God and is sown a natural body shall be raised a spiritual body they shall be the sons of God then as to their bodies being the children of the resurrection and then they shall hunger no more nor thirst any more they shall be so spiritualized that they shall be like to and equal with the Angels not hindered by any obstacles they shall bear the image of the heavenly and so they will be more excellent than man in his first creation and now freed from all sickness pain and grief these inhabitants shall no more say they are sick for their sins shall be forgiven them 1 Cor. 15. 43 49. Luk. 20. 35 36. Isa 49. 10. 33. 24. Rev. 21. 3. Christ shall then present them to himself a glorious Church not having wrinkle no fruit or remembrance of affliction or grief upon them Eph. 5. 27. Job 16. 8. but the glory of the Lord shall be seen upon them then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15. 53 55. they shall be freed and delivered for ever from the first death and shall be freed and delivered for ever from the first death and shall not go into the second blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power Rev. 20. 6. they shall not be condemned with the world in that everlasting fire which was not at first prepared for mankind but for the Devil and his angels into which all that have been incensed against and continued disobedient to Jesus Christ shall be cast he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Rev. 2. 11. Then they shall be delivered and saved from all their enemies and from all their deceits and troubles God shall redeem their souls from deceit and violence Psal 72. 14. From deceit God shall then bruise Satan under their feet as he is already bruised under the feet of the Captain of our salvation for during the thousand years reign of Christ and his Saints he shall be bound so as not to deceive the Nations all that time and when the thousand years are expired he shall be loosed a little season out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the Nations he shall not then have liberty given him to deceive the Camp of the Saints much less the beloved City and presently after he shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone Rev. 20. 1 3 7 10. into the holy City new Jerusalem shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or a lye Rev. 21. 27. 22. 15. Now they have temptations from Satan and men though yet in hearing Christ's voice and following him none shall pluck them out of his hands neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers not things present nor things to come c. shall be able to separate them that love God from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Joh. 10. 27 29. Rom. 8. 38 39. but yet Satan is trying and indeavouring all means to corrupt from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus and by â—etting slip the things heard and listening to Satan it 's possible that a man may be intangled and overcome there being sin in believers also that is alwayes working deceitfully as appears by the many admonitions given to believers and jealeusies of the Apostles concerning them and some instances in Scripture recorded c. 1 Thess 3. 5. Gal. 1. 6 7. 5. 3 5. 6. 1. 2 Cor. 11. 1 3. Heb. 2. 1 3. 4. 1. 10. 23 29. but then as they have no sin within them so none without them that shall tempt them any more And herein their condition is more excellent than was Adam's and mankind's in him in the first Creation for though then God made man upright yet there was a tempter permitted to tempt him and through his subtilty did beguil him he not keeping in believing mindfulness the word of God but listening to the lye of the serpent And then they shall be delivered from violence also he will give to them then rest from all their troubles when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flâ—ming fire taking vengeance on them that
us in the word of the Lord had too much cause to say to some Now ye are full now ye are rich ye have reigned as Kings without us ye are honourable but we are despised we hunger and thirst and labour working with our own hands and too little cause to say of any their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality Oh that there were not cause generally to say from the least to the greatest Every one is given to covetousness How few are there that have been willing to promote the Gospel of Christ to their power and have been faithful in the least things Yea and how much have we been walking in pride and high thoughts of our selves and in those fruits of it such as anger wrath divisions contentions debates whisperings c. Lord be merciful unto me heal my soul for I have sinned Doubtless the thus examining our selves in the light of the Lord is a more meet exercise for us to be exercised unto than to cry out of the affliction simply Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin it is the punishment of his sin that he suffers why doth he comcomplain for the punishment and mean time too much forget that which procures it Let us search and try our wayes this is a more meet exercise for us Lam. 3. 39 40. Why cryest thou for thine affliction thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity because thy sins were increased I have done these things to thee saith the Lord Jer. 30. 15. See what God saith to Joshua when he rent his cloaths fell to the earth upon his face and said Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us What wilt thou do unto thy great name and the Lord said unto Joshua get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face complaining of the affliction Israel hath sinned and they have transgressed up sanctifie the people c. As if he should say is there not a cause for what I have done am I not provoked hereto up and be doing in searching and diligently inquiring what that is that hath procured these things unto you and sanctifie your selves Josh 7. 7 10 15. So the Lord saith to his people when he was judging of them because his house lay waste and they run every man to his own house or as now â—inâ—â— grace and truth came by Jesus Christ all sough own and not the things which are Jesus Christ's Thus saith the Lord of hosts consider your wayes ye have sown much and bring in little ye eat but ye have not enough Thus saith the Lord of hosts consider your wayes Hag. 1. 5 7 9. Phil. 2. 21. And in and with our searching and trying our wayes let us turn again unto the Lord whom we have revolted Lam. 3. 40. Let us not listen unto the deceitfulness of sin in us which is the indeavouring to slay us so as to harden our hearts and say there is no hope the case is desperate we have loved strangers and after them we will go Jer. 2. 25. though we have done all this wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart and turn ye not aside for then should ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver for they are vain 1 Sam. 12. 20 25. even turn unto him from our iniquities acknowledging and confessing them as reproved and discovered and lay them apart in the light and strength of his grace And to move hereto Remember how great things he hath done for us when we were dead in sins and trespasses and justly banished from his presence in the righteous sentence of his Law he then remembred us in our low estate for his mercy indureth for ever and devised a blessed means that his banished might not be utterly and for ever expelled from him hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end Behold he hath given his Son for a witness to the people of the greatness and sincerity of his love to us let us then remember that Jesus Christ who was delivered for us all was raised from the dead according to the Gospel and let us â—eed upon that bread even his flesh that was given for the life of the world This will incourage us to search and try our wayes and to turn to him against whom he have sinned And herewith also consider that there is mercy with the Lord and with him is plenteous redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of God's grace Eph. 1. 7. there is forgiveness with him not that we should continue in sin that grace may abound but that he may be feared Psal 130. 3 4 7. even forgiveness of the sins reproved and washing and cleansing from them Oh let us then turn unto him and say take away all iniquity and receive us graciously heal our backslidings and love us freely he is merciful and will not keep anger for ever only let us acknowledge our iniquity that we have transgressed against him This is powerful to purge guile out of our spirits and preserve us from it which leads us to keep silence and to hide that we may hold fast the things reproved that he is a God ready to pardon and for this cause shall every one that is godly pray unto him in a time of finding Psal 32. 2. 6. Neh. 9. 17. In this incouragement let us yet look again toward his holy Temple Jonah 2. 2 7. Yea consider that the end of the Lord is gracious in ordering such great judgments while it is called to day and so much the Apostle particularly signifies when he had been saying For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep He adds But when we are judged namely with such judgments and that because we have not timely judged our selves we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 30 32. His end herein is good that he might awaken us to his righteousness and cause us to arise from the dead that Christ may give us light that he may keep back our souls from the pit and we may be inlightned with the light of the living And it is infinitely better to be now judged and to submit to him therein and bear patiently his indignation than to be condemned hereafter and sentenced to and punished in that lake where their worm dyeth not and their fire is not quenched Yea in thus searching and trying our wayes and turning unto him in the incouragement of the multitude of his mercies humbling our selves before him and confessing our vileness and sinfulness hereby we shall ascribe righteousness to our Maker and give glory to him My son said Joshua give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession
pretend to a great deal of meekness self-denial mortification righteousness in their dealings amongst men holiness and have a shew of wisdom in will-worship and humility and neglecting of the body not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh Col. 2. 18 23. they appear very righteous unto men while yet within they are ravening wolves and full of hypocrisie and iniquity as Mat. 23. 25 28. and have a form of godliness upon them and so are deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apâ—stles of Christ And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers be transformed as the Ministers of righteousness c. 2 Tim. 3. 5. 2 Cor. 11. 13 15. there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and say to others stand further off for I am holier than thou though yet they are not washed from their filthiness There is a generation Oh how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids lifted up Isa 65. 5. Prov. 30. 12 13. they are like unto the Pharisees of old who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others and even accounted themselves more pure than the Lord Jesus condemning him and faulting his Disciples Luk. 18. 9 11. 15. 1 2. Joh. 9. 16. and therefore they are the more dangerous were they such as were walking in the gross lusts of the flesh they would be more readily abstained from but being like graves that appear not yea appearing as the Disciples of Christ in their outward conversation And also boasting of themselves and their own mouths praising themselves as if they were the only Saints and mean time despising and condemning others they are the more powerful to deceive considering that we are naturally prone and apt to sâ—ffer gladly such fools as exalt themselves and proclaim their own goodness 2 Cor. 11. 19 20. We have therefore great need to watch unto God and the word of his grace 2. The mâ—ssâ—ge also which they bring is such as the flesh savours and finds sweetness in it is such as is suitable to our natural spirit lust and desire namely such as leads men to have their rest and rejoycing in something that was not crucified for them as in some work or priviledge of the flesh some manner of observing such or such an Ordinance some tradition of the Elders some light spirit or operation in men some marks frames qualifications changes or alterations in them some sign that is not the sign of the Prophet Jonas In short as is before said the voice of their divers and strange doctrines is stollen waters are sweet and bread of secrecies is pleasant Prov 9. 17. to wit the matter of feeding they direct unto and commend and approve it is somewhat else than the flesh of Christ which was given for the liâ—e of the worâ—d Joh. 6. 51. that which wisdom calls to and commends it is that feast of fat things prepared in Christ for all Nations and those consolations of Christ wherewith the God of all comfort doth comfort the believers in all their tribulations are such as are proper to comfort others that are in any trouble Prov. 9. 1 6. Isa 25. 6. Mat. 23. 4. 2 Cor. 1. 3 5. But now these consolations of God are small with them because there is some secret thing with them Job 15. 11. and they direct men to have the beginning of their confidence and consolation not in Christ as declared in the Testimony but in themselves which is very savoury to the flesh Hence the Apostle when he had been exhorting the believers as the sum and end of all he had been speaking to them to rejoyce in the Lord even in Christ Jesus as preached in the Gospel he adds beware of dogs beware of evil workers Phil. 3. 1 3. As who should say those evil workers will direct you to rejoyce in something besides the Lord and indeed as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilâ—y so they come to corrupt from the simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11. 3. viz. by promising others that in listening to them they shall be as Gods and have a self-sufficiency in themselves and shall have their life in their own hands Oh how pleasing is this to us ever since we drank in the poyson of Satans temptations How doth this fill us with evil thoughts and jealousies of God and of that rest and refreshing he hath prepared for us in Christ and leads us to seek to have our portion in our own hands How doth this lead us to say Our soul loatheth this Manna this light bread and to seek after some other beginning of confidence some other witness and sign of God's love some other matter of feeding than the flesh of Christ or to feed on it after some other manner than as given for the life of the world and to have the ground and bottom matter of our rejoycing and confidence in our selves or in something in which we are preferred before others or dâ—fferenced from others and to this these ravening wolves lead yea and they pretend a great deal of love and kindness to others and use flattering words promissing them liberty in listening to them and that they shall have their fill of love boasting of their freedom from sin their attainments experiments c. many times while they though privily are the servants of corruption Prov. 7. 13 21. Gal. 4. 17. Col. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 2. 18 19. and therefore we need to beware of them in the light and strength of God's grace 3. They are such also as are very forward impudent and diligent in promoting their evil design they will enter in amongst you saith the Apostle ver 29. they come unto you saith our Saviour Mat. 7. 15. So 2 Joh. 10. their feet abide not in their houâ—e but now they are without now in the streets and lye in wait at every corner to call passengers who go right on their wayes Prov. 7. 8 12. 9. 13 16. They sleep not except they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall they compass Sea and Laâ—d to make a proselyte as our Saviour saith of the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23. 15. they watch for all opportunities that with good words and fair speeches they may deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 18. who believe every word Prov. 14. 15. and trouble and unsettle believers and if they can but find Câ—rist's servants asleep the enemy then will have a fit season to sow his tares Mat. 13. 25 this is the day they look for and through their importunity and watchfulness to beguil others they do much mischief Needfulâ— herefore also it is to betake our selves to God and the word of his grace and watch thereto and therein that we may not be turned aside by them 4. Yea they are very reserved and subtil of heart Prov. 7. 10. and use a great
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
and large dominion than over the works of God's hands here below yea that nothing no person or thing is exempted from being under his Lordship except him who hath put all things under him though this be not so gloriously manifested now as it shall be in due time Thou hast set him over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet sor in that he put all in subjection under him he left nothing that is not put under him Heb. 2. 7 9. Oh great grace toward mankind and especially for the good of those that shall be heirs of salvation Hence that admiration What is man that thou art mindful of him Psal 8. 4. Heb. 2. 6. 1. 14. This is that grace in Christ as to the first branch of the testimony even that he by vertue of his blood hath delivered us in himself from the guilt of our sins which occasioned the first breach and from that so great a death and hath obtained forgiveness of all our sins all grace and truth into himself and a great and glorious Lordship and authority And by vertue of what he hath done and hath received he is become the one and only foundation the living stone and chief corner stone the head of the corner 1 Cor. 3. 11. 1 Pet. 2. 4 6. yea to the disobedient the head of the corner 1 Pet. 2. 7. the Saviour of the world Joh. 4. 42. 1 Joh. 4. 14. the way the truth and the life Joh. 14. 6. the only door â—f approach to God by whom only we may come to the Fâ—ther Ioh. 10. 7 9. the true light the light of the world Ioh. 1. 9. 8. 12. the bread of life and water of life Ioh. 6. 35. the true vine Ioh. 15. 1. he is beauty and glory excellency and comeliness for our escape Isa 4. 2. the Lord and Christ Act. 2. 36. a Prince and Saviour Act. 5. 31. yea in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and in him we are compleat who is the head of all principality and power Col. 2. 9 10. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord who can shew forth all his praise Psal 106. 2 3. his love is that which passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 19. And great cause and good ground have we to pray for our selves and one another that God would strengthen us with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith in what he hath done and is become that we being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height even of his grace Eph. 3. 16 18. where the excellency of this love and grace is set forth in like expressions as is the unsearchableness of the Almighty for God is love See Iob 11. 7 9. there we have these several dimensions spoken of though in a contrary order The breadth of this grace is such as that it is broader than the Sea though that be famous for its breadth and therefore called the great and wide Sea Psal 104. 25. yet he hath given to it its decree that the waters should not pass his commandment Prov. 8. 29. there is an end of that but his love is exceeding broad and his commandment his Gospel in which it is declared this is more capacious infinitely exceedingly wide who there-through hath in our nature obtained dominion now and shall exercise it gloriously from Sea to Sea he is that place of broad rivers and streams and shall be so gloriously manifested Isa 33. 21. and they that from the excellency of his loving kindness put their trust under the shadow of his wings shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house and he will make them drink of the river of his pleasures now in a first fruits of the Spirit and hereafter in a full injoyment for with him is the fountain of life Psal 36. 7 9. 46. 4. As to its length it is longer than the earth as to its duration and continuance for it is everlasting Jer. 31. 3. And he hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace 2 Thes 2. 16. and it is by vertue thereof that the earth and all the inhabitants thereof which were dissolved by the sin of man are upheld he bears up the pillars thereof upholds all things by the word of his power Psal 75. 3. Heb. 1. 3. whereby all the inhabitants of the earth are in him redeemed from the curse of the Law and whereby there is peace on earth good will towards men and which extends in the vertue and fruit of it to all the inhabitants of the earth in every age and generation and that to a gracious end Hence all the earth called upon to make a joyful noise to be thankful unto him and bless his name c. Psl 100. to look to him and be saved Isa 45. 21 22. The depth of it is deeper than hell even that wherethrough he hath destroyed Satan in his first work and is fitted and impowered to destroy him in his second and will do it in due time he hath spoiled principalities and powers Destruction and death say we have heard the fame thereof with our ears Job 28. 22. Satan had laid his plot very deep and by his subtlety having beguiâ—ed our first Parents and drawn them into the transgression and so into the desert of curse and death thought to have made them for ever necessarily alike miserable with himself and indeed the condition into which he brought them and they by listening to him brought themselves was such as they could never suffer this death so as to overcome in suffering no man could redeem his brother c. and yet the death must be suffered and overcome or no mercy could be shewn to mankind but now our God and the Father in him the man Christ Jesus hath counterplotted and underuinâ—d him and in what he thought to have dealt proudly he was aâ—ove him in that very destruction in which he though to have destroyed us for ever is he taken and fallen our Jesus hath through death destroyed him that had the power of death even the Devil and hath obtained the victory and his triumphing Song is Oh death where is thy sting Oh hell where is thy victory Death in him is swallowed up into victory and abolished and he hath overcome hell and out-witted Satan in the net which he laid for us and into which we were fallen is he himself taken Oh infinite pity and love to man-ward and through Christ God gives us the victory that we may rejoyce in his salvation and in the name of our God list up the banner 1 Cor. 15. 55 58. Psal 20. 5. 98. 1. 47. The height of it is the height of heaven for there-through and by vertue of what he hath done thereby he being raised from the dead hath offered himself a
the Lamb that was flain to enjoy it yet then gloriously of his fulness shall they receive and grace for grace They shall not then need those Mediums for their help that now they do whether they be Prophecies they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away for we know in part c. 1 Cor. 13. 8 9. All those gifts of Apostles Prophets c. shall then cease for they are given from on high to continue till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4. 8 13. they shall not then â—each every man his neighbour and every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know him from the least to the greatest Jer. 31. 27 34. Heb. 8. 11. and it appears this perfect knowledge they shall have through the sight of him Now in looking to him they are lightned Psal 34. 5. But Oh! how shall they then be inlightned when they shall see him as he is Hence their knowing now and hereafter is put as the effect and consequent of their seeing 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known signifying that according to the sight of him whether darkly or clearly such is and will be our knowledge And from this sight and knowledge of him they shall be filled with love to him and God in him and with love and charity one to another for charity never faileth 1 Cor. 13. 8. their hearts shall then be ravished with him from that clear and open discovery of his love and loveliness their love now to him which is in part is begotten and increased through the understanding of his we love him because he first loved us every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God for God is love in this was manifested the love of God towards us because he sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him whom having not seen ye love 1 Pet. 1. 8. but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away and they shall compleatly love him and delight themselves in and be abundantly satisfied with his love 1 Joh. 4. 7 10 19. 1 Cor. 13. 10. and shall be filled with divine love one to another yea and with all heavenly vertues when they perfectly know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge even all discovery and manifestation of it vouchsafed for it is greater than is contained in any revelation of it and therefore it exceeds all our knowledge and perception of it they shall be filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3. 19. and so they shall be like to the Angels that do his commandments hearkening to the voice of his word Luk. 20. 36. with Psal 103. 20. his will shall then be done on earth as it is in heaven Mat. 6. 10. And in seeing and beholding him they shall appear with him in glory then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the kingdom of their Father Mat. 13. 43. When Moses was in the Mount seeing and beholding the similitude of the Lord his face shone that the children of Israel were afraid Exod. 34. 29 30. with Numb 12. 8. yet he could not see his face or glorious appearance so no man hath seen him nor can see him but then they shall see his face and his name glory and dignity shall be upon their foreheads the Lord shall arise upon them and his glory shall be seen upon them Rev. 22. 4. Mat. 5. 8. Isa 60. 1 2. 35. 2. 6. In this glorious condition they shall then together keep an everlasting Sabbath in that rest or keeping of Sabbath which remains for the people of God Heb. 4. 9. and together shall they then sing for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion Isa 52. 8 9. they shall then sing Hallelujah salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God Rev. 19. 1 7. they shall sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb Rev. 15. 3. in which they shall with thankfulness and rejoycing remember the infinite grace of the Son and of the Father in him in what he hath done and is become in what he is now doing and in what he will then do all summed up in that new song of the four Beasts and four and twenty Elders mentioned in Rev. 5 9 10. to wit That the Lamb was not is slain and is raised again in that same body in which he bare our sins on the Tree and hath destroyed all our enemies by himself in the name and authority of the Father his own right hand and his holy arm hath gotten himself the victory he hath purged away our sins overcome and abolished death destroyed the devil and obtained all glory into himself in our nature and for us this is the song of Moses in the type The Lord hath triumphed gloriously thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power thy right hand O Lord hath dashed the enemy in pieces Exod. 15. 1 12. God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a trumpet sing praises to our God sing praises sing praises to our King sing praises Psal 98. 1. 47. 1 6. and this the song of the Lamb that God hath brought him out of the horrible pit out of the miry clay and set his feet upon a rock c. And put a new song into his mouth praise to our God who hath so delivered him and made him triumph over all our enemies sin death hell Devil c. Psal 40. 1 3. 22. 19 25. This is the Psalm or song for the Sabbath day I hat God hath made Christ glad through his work in delivering him and us in him from all our enemies and exalting his horn like that of an Unicorn and anointing him with fresh oyl with the oyl of gladness above his fellows this is the day which the Lord hath made they shall then for ever be glad and rejoyce in and for it Psal 92. 1 4 10. 118. 21 24. And that he hath redeemed them unto God by his bloud in discovering the preciousness of it in his testimony and testimonies of his goodness out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation when they were sometimes of them and so of the world children of wrath by nature even as others yet then God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he loved them when dead in sins quickned them together with Christ as Eph. 2. 1 5. for this they are now instructed to sing Allelujah Psal 135. 1 4. Praise ye the Lord c. for the
Chaâ— 13 1 15. 12. and threatens it as a judgment that when men hate him that rebuketh in the gate and abhor him that â—peaks uprightly that then the prudent shall keep silence in that time for it is an evil time Amos 5. 10 13. Surely the reproofs of instruction are the way of life and a wise and faithful reprover is to be obediently heard and highly prizâ—d open rebuke is better than secret love Prov. 6. 24. 25. 12. 27. 5. Psal 141. 5. Now therefore when men cannot indure reproof but hatâ— the light and come not thereto lest their deeds should be reproved this greatly incen eth God and will cause him to remove faithful reprovers To this agrees that of the Prophet Mic. 2. 6. with Isa 30. 10 11. Prophesie ye not say they to them that prophesie namely prophesie not unto us right things speak to us smooth things prophesie deceits get ye out of the way â— â—hey shall not prophesie that they shall not take shame that is God hereby threatens that either they shall not so prophesie as to cause thâ—se haters of reproof to take shame but they should while continued cease to be reprovers of them 〈◊〉 â—e would remove those Prophets in testimony o high displeasure because they to whom they prophesied despised â—â—roof that they shâ—uld have no more opportunity to prophesi unto thâ—m no not forâ—ever that they should not take shame Thiâ— provokes God to take away the speech of the trusty or lip of the faithful and to make men desolate of their glory This was also containâ—d in the iniquity of that people that heard the words of the Prophet delightfully and frequently they were still talking against him by the walls and in the doors of the houses viz. privately secretly and so as he knew not of it until the Lord gave him knowledge and so he knew and he shewed him their doings as Jer 11. 18 19 and therefore he would deprive them of such a faithful watchman and reprâ—ver Ezek. 33. 30 33. So much also may be signified in that Hos 4. 4 5. where after the Lord had been declaring the great iniquity of Israel and therefore threatning that the Land should mourn c. he adds yet let no man strive or reprove another for thy people are as they that strive with the Priest they cannot indure to be reproved therefore the Prophet shall fall in the night This hating reproof is an iniquity of such a nature as in which men do even declare some stiff purpose and resolvedness to continue in the things reproved not a wandring simply but a loving to wander it is a sure evidence that a man is out of and forsakes the way while correction is grievous unto him while he loves not one that reproveth him Prov. 15. 10 12. it keeps such an one from going unto or abiding amongst the wise the company of such as are wise reprovers is a burden to them Prov. 15. 12 31. 32. and therefore this persisted in will at last provoke God to say as he did concerning Ephraim Let them alone yea and because their heart is set on their iniquity and they will not be made clean give them such teachers as will sooth them up such as are Prophets of the deceit of their own heare that will cry peace peace unto them and flatter them telling them they are the temple of the Lord and no evil shall come unto them So he threatens that when his people were come to that bad condition that they would not be reproved but their heart was set on their iniquity he would so order it in his judgments that there should be like people like Priests and that he would herein punish them for their wayes and reward them their doings and even chose their delusions as they could not indure those that spake uprightly but rather desired and spoke well of those that daubed them up with untempered mortar so he would take away the faithful ones from amongst them or give them charge to let them alone and set such over them as would be like unto themselves and strengthen them in or not pull them out of their evil way Hos 4. 4 8 9 17. So also when the house of Jacob were come to that pass that they said to them that prophesie prophesie not unto us right things as before he then threatens this as a judgment to them If a man walking in the spirit and falshood do lye saying I will prophesie unto thee of wine and strong drink he shall even be the Prophet of this people Mic. 2. 6 11. Oh heavy judgment ordered for a great and heinous iniquity because men love to be well spoken of and to whatever crooked path they are walking in and what will this come to in the issue as Jer. 5. 30 31. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land the Prophets prophesie fasely and my people love to have it so and what will ye do in the end thereof Yea and this causeth God to shut out mens prayers because they hate his reproofs and his faithful reprovers and when they cry he will not hear them but will even hide his face from them at that time as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings Mic. 2. 6 11. with Chap. 3. 4. So the Lord threatens They shall call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me for that they hated knowledge and did not chuse the fear of the Lord they would none of my counsel they despised all my reproof therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way c. Prov. 1. 28 30. So much also may be contained in that Proverb Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction viz. that regards not reproof as appears by the latter part of the verse that is poverty in spiritual things shall be to such an one God will put an end to the Harvest and he shall beg in Winter and have nothing poverty shall come upon him as an armed man and want as one that travelleth And shame God will put such to shame to wit hide himself from them and cast them off and be as one that is asleep he will lightly esteem them and though they cry and shout yet he will shut out their prayers but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured God will honour such an one he will inrich him with durable riches and righteousness he shall get understanding and his ear shall be alwayes opened to his cry Prov. 13. 18. with Psal 44. 9 23 24. 89 45 46. Prov. 15. 32. 3. More particularly this provokes God to take away the righteous and faithful ones because their heart goeth after its covetousness who are hearers of the Word because such as these love the world and the things of this world and go on in pursuing this evil inclination in oppression or unmercifulness in not doing good to others with
to God and the word of his grace we may be helped to become fools and so to be crucified to the world and not matter though we be accounted unlearned ignorant men and such as have never learned which is part of the Cross of Christ that is to be taken up and born by us Joh. 7. 15. Act. 4. 13. This wisdom is part of the goodliness of the flesh the glory of man which the spirit in the testimony is withering Oh! that he might be suffered to have his perfect work in us And oh that this were considered by them that are taught that that manner of preaching the Gospâ—l which is with wisdom of words makes the Cross of Christ of none â—ffect when men receive the word of God as the word of men and their faith stands in the wisdom of man that is they hear it with delight and credit it because such as bring it to them are furnished and come with excellency of speech or of wisdom though it is the word of God that is received yet it works not effectually in them 1 Thess 2. 13. 1 Cor. 2. 5. And truly we all need to be admonished of this evil for men naturally love and admire the wisdom of this world and oh that there were not too much cause to say that many of God's people are too much polluted with this iniquity If a man be made willing to become a fool for Christ's sake in declaring the testimony how ready is he to be despised and lightly esteemed Whereas if another be wise in Christ and exalt himself this they can suffer gladly and love to have it so and stâ—engthen those that so teach thâ—m in this evil way while they weaken the hands of others 1 Cor. 4. 10. 2 Cor. 11. 20. Oh let us all beware of the inâ—icing words of mans wisdom and so of Philosophy c. for in Christ dwelâ—s all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and in him we are compleat Col. 2. 2 4 8 10. 3. And in this to which the Apostle commits them there is contained motive for feeding that which is powerful to strengthen to seek the good of men generally and especially the good of the flock of Christ As to say 1. Herein they may behold the infinite grace of Jesus Christ and God in him toward every sinful soul of mankind and that he is not willing any man should perish but that all should come to repentance as is wonderfully evidenced in this that Christ by the grace of God tasted death for every man Oh how will this constrain to indeavour the good of men and especial good of believers The love of Christ constrains us saith the Apostle because we thus jâ—dge that if one died for all then were all dead and he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again This judgment received by them did powerfully move them to perswade men and they could not but speak the things they had seen and heard 2 Cor. 5. 11 15. Act. 4. 19 20. This love of God known and believed with the heart effects in them that so receive it an hearty desire and prayer to God that they may be saved who are ignorant of and enemâ—es to the righteousness of God it framâ—s them to some like mindedness with their heavenly fatâ—er and causeth their hearts to burn within them in an ardent affection to and desire of the good of those that are ignorant and out of the way 1 Joh. 4. 14 16. Luke 24. 26 27 32. Jer. 20. 9. Whereas others that have not received thâ—s judgment that one died for all and rose again what appearance of zeal and devotion soever they have yet the love of Christ doth not constrain hereto but either they do what they do that they may have praise of men or out of a desire of filthy lucre or to establish a righteousness to themselves yea and this judgment received and believed is the bottom ground and motive to move them that have it to feed the flock of Christ to pray them to be further reconciled to God and not to receive his grace in vain 2 Cor. 5. 14 19 21. 6. 1. their hearts are purified in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto the unfeigned love of the brethren 1 Pet. 1. 22. And so 2. They have this further motive to move them to feed the Church that they are Christ's flock the Church of God which he hath purchaâ—ed with hâ—s own blood not only hath he given himself a ransom to God for them as he hath done for all but he so evidenced the preciousness of his blood to them in the peace and atonement which he thereby made in the victory thereby obtained in the righteousness thereby compleated in the fulness of grace and truth thereby received in the New Testament and everlasting Covenant thereby confirmed as that they not being disobedient to the heavenly call were hereby redeemed unto God and what things were formerly gain to them these they counted loss for Christ and so were made of the chosen generation and of his flock in a peculiar consideration being all baptized into one body and made to drink into one spirit called in one hope of their calling c. such as Christ loves with peculiar manner of love and frames those that receive his grace to the same mind even to do good to all but especially to the houshold of faith Gal. 6. 10. to love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Pet. 1. 22. and so to be followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ hath loved them Eph. 5. 1 2. This is a great moâ—ive for a servant to love and seek the good oâ— such as are his Lord's children and such as he delights in So Peter from this motive exhorts the Elders Feed the flock of God that is among you 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. yea and in that they are his flock there is contained in it this further incouragement that he will bless and assist their helpers and be with them in the faithful declaration of the Gospel unto the end of the world Mat. 28. 18 20. For who goeth a warfare at any timâ— at his own charges yea these had some oversight of the flock committed to them and it is required of Stewards that a man be found faithful and the shepherd will require the flock at their hands Ezek. 34. 10. Oh let such take heed therefore to themselves and to all the flock that they may be pure from the blood of all men Nay surely in their places and according to their capacity all the holy brethren are partakers of the heavenly calling though not all chosen into office and the grace of God doth instruct them and God their Shepherd doth furnish them that they may edifie one another on their most holy faith Jude 20 21. 1 Thes 5. 11. Rom. 15. 14. The manifestation
for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord namely when the godly man ceaseth and when the tongue of the wicked speaks proud things as if now they should prevail I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him and this he would do by his words which are pure words Psal 12. 1. 6. As to speak a little particularly â— The person to whom he commends them as is declared in the word of his grace is one that hath triumphed gloriously who having had the judgment of this world executed upon him hath indured and overcome it and hath cast out the Prince of the world and so hath drawn all men unto him he hath purged our sins from before the presence of God abolished death and destroyed him that had the power of death even the devil and overcome the world his own right hand and his holy arm hath gotten himself the victory Psal 98. 1. and hath obtained all power both in heaven and in earth and all fulness of grace and truth into himself for us The Father hath not given the Spirit by measure unto him but hath so loved him that he hath given all things unto him Joh. 3. 34 35. The consideration hereof is powerful to strengthen us not to fear any of those things we may suffer and to preserve us from evil and from the fear of evil this is our victory even our faith Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God even accepted to all the ends of his undertaking and so raised from the dead c. 1 Joh. 5. 4 5. In this we see that He hath trodden down strength and delivered us in himself from the hand of our enemies so that neither Satan nor his instruments can set on us to harm us till he give permissive commission thereto because all judgment is committed to him of the Father he hath bound the strong man and the kingdom of God by him is brought unto us and reigns over us graciously Mat. 12. 28 29. And this is made known to us in the Gospel that we might rejoyce in his salvation and in the name of our God we might set up the banner as they profess to do Psal 20. 5. Forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood he likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them through the knowledge hereof who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. See in our types how Moses incourages the hearts of the people If thou shalt say in thine heart these Nations are more than I c. thou shalt not be afraid of them but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh and unto all Egypt c. Deut. 7. 17 18 21. As if he should say consider how great things he hath done how gloriously he hath triumphed and in that thing wherein they thought to deal proudly he was above them and this will be bread to you for their strength is departed Numb 14. 9. Psal 74. 13 14. And now grace and truth is come by Jesus Christ we have this deliverance and victory obtained by the Captain of our salvation set before us to incourage us to serve God without fear seeing in and by him we are delivered out of the hands of our enemies Luke 1. 71 75. and to be of good comfort for he hath overcome the world Joh. 16. 33. He hath spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himself Col. 2. 15. Eph. 4. 8. Psal 68. 18. He hath obtain'd in himself a compleat conquest over Satan the true Levâ—athan and crooked Serpent and his instruments and is gone up with a shout in token of victory the Lord with the â—ound of a trumpet Sing praises to our God sing praises 〈◊〉 praises to our King sing praises Psal 47. 5 6. so as that they have no power except it be given them from above And he hath abolished death and taken out the sting thereof and so out of all afflictions and lesser deaths so as there is nothing in them simply to separate us from the love of God in Christ he hath delivered us in himself from that so great a death into which we were fallen and in which we must have perished for ever had he not remembred us in our â—â—w estate for his mercy indures for ever yea he hath turned our curses into blessings he is ascended far above all heavens into heaven it self that he might fill all things and so all afflictions and death with the vertuâ—s and influences of his sacrifice yea he hath the keys of hell and of death 2 Cor. 1. 10. 2 Tim. 1. 8 10. Rom. 8. 39. Eph. 4. 10. 2. Consider he who hath thus obtained the victory and whose it is he is the Shepherd of his flock the High Priest of their profession who hold fast the beginning of the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm to the end Heb. 3. 1 2 6 14. And so He is one who hath offered up an acceptable sacrifice unto the Father even the offering of his own body once for all both for his own sins which were imputed to him and accepted by him and for the sins of the people and hath so taken away the guilt of the former that the wrath of God from him remains not on any one for that sin and sinfulness simply and obtained power to make reconciliation for the latter and to forgive them that through his name believe in him Act. 10. 43. 13. 39. Oh what incouragement is there in this to strengthen us to run with patience the race set before us and not to fear in the dayes of evil when the iniquity of our heels compass us about Psal 49. 5 15. See how this even compleats the consolation of believers in a day of adversity and causeth them to triumph always in Christ It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us that our iniquities may not be imputed but graciously forgiven and healed who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that hath loved us Rom 8. 34 39. Oh consider what a merciful and faithful High-Priest we have in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people and who is therefore able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them for such an high Priest became us c. Heb. 2. 17 3. 1. 7. 25 26. If our sins were lest upon us and no deliverance there from obtained
sanctified and made meet for the inheritance 1. What it is to sanctifie and who they are that are sanctified To sanctifie and to be sanctified in Scripture signifies these two things 1. To separate a person or thing from common and profane use and so from uncleanness and filthiness as it usually signifies in our types of old So Hezekiah commanded the Levites to sanctifie themselves and to sanctifie the house of the Lord and to carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place and accordingly they sanctified it by carrying out the uncleanness out of it as is signified 2 Chron. 29. 5 15 18. and so the sanctifying the people it was a separating them from those things that we e provâ—king in the eyes of God or forbidden by him Lev. 20. 2 8 a severing them from the pollutions and manners of the Nations whom the Lord cast out Levit. 20. 23 26. 2. To set aparâ— forthâ— Lord and for his pâ—culiar use and service any thing or person a devoting or dedicating it to the Lord that it may be his aâ—d unto him as were the Priests and Levites and â—emple c. So setting apart unto the Lord answers to and is the same with sanctifying unto him Exod. 13. 2 12. So here They are said to be sanctified who are cleansed from the errors and polluâ—ions of this world and devoted to the Lord separated from uncleanness and set apart for the Lord such as come out from among men and are separated and touch no unclean thing Such as in the light and strength of God's promises do cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 6. 16 18. 7. 1. and so the sanctified are such as are daily turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Act. 26. 18. 2 Tim. 2. 21. such as so receive the grace of God as to redeem them from all iniquity and to purifie them unto him a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 11 12 14. 2. The means whereby God in Christ by his Spirit doth sanctifie as to persons I mean that are come to years of capacity are 1. The chief and principal medium is the word of his grace in which is declared and commended to us the free grace of God in the blood of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is said to sanctifie with the washing of water by the word even with the kindness and love of God our Saviour Eph. 5. 26. and so he is said to wash in his blood in which the love of God is commended and men are said to be sanctified with the blood of the Covenant Rev. 1. 5. Heb. 10. â—9 that is the blood of sprinkling whereby the heart is sprinkled from an evil conscience and the conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 10. 22. 9. 14. and so they are said to be sanctified by the Spirit in the testimony and so by the Word 2 Thes 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Joh. 17. 17 19. Act. 26 18. and these three agree in one 1 Joh. 5. 6 8. And indeed the principal means whereby men may be sanctified born again and saved now it is by discovering and commending the love of God to mankind in lifting up the Son of man by the Spirit in the testimony So our Saviour signifies in answer to Nicodemâ—s when he asks How can these things be namely that a man can be born again in answer thereto he tells him As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of man be lifted up c. For God so loved the world of mankind that he gave his only begotten Son Joh. 3 5 9 14 17. So that which the Apostle preached in order to the sanctifying of the Corinthians who were unholy and prophane the first thing he delivered to them was that Christ died for their sins according to the Scriptures and was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and tells them they were washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus even in and by that good report of him in which the Father's love was manifested and by the Spirit of our God Compare 1. Cor. 15. 1 4. with Chap. 6. 10 11. So the Apostle signifies that the means whereby he and other believers were saved from their ignorance disobedience and serving divers lusts it was by the appearance of the kindness and love of God our Saviour to man-ward which is the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 3 6. It is not the Law as a Law of works or any observance thereof by men or indeavouring to frame their hearts thereby to love God and men and to avoid the evils forbidden that is the way or means whereby God doth sanctifie nor is the Law first to be preached to the effecting this sanctification though men may seek to sanctifie themselves and purifie themselves thereby and in so doing account themselves Saints and be so accounted by others yet these are none of God's Saints or sanctified ones but these shall be consumed together Isa 66. 17 nor is it any peculiar manner of love to mens persons in a personal consideration first discovered to or working in men before they believe that is the means for effecting this sanctification but it is done by the Spirit in glorifying Christ and therein commending God's love to the world sinners and ungodly ones Act. 26. 18 23. this is the supream means 2. And in subsâ—rviency and â—ubordination to the former he doth also cleanse and wâ—sh with afflictions even with the manifold trials and temptations which he is ordering to men while it is called to day in which he is also purging and causing the scum to swim aloft that by this men might be purged and that the iniquity of his Jacob might be purged Isa 27. 9. that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from him Job 33. 17 19. then he sheweth men their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded he openeth also their ears to discipline and commandeth them to depart from iniquity Job 36. 8 10. and sheweth unto men the vanity of their idols in which they have been trusting and by which they have been lifting up themselves according to that When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth surelâ— every man is vanity Psal 39. 11. He then sheweth that all flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the field even all their wisdom strength goodness c. and so is cleansing and purging them from their sins and idols that they may live to him and bring forth more fruit Joh. 15. 2. So the Apostle saith he chastens us for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. that we may be delivered from our filthiness for stripes