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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91075	The prophets Malachy and Isaiah prophecying to the saints and professors of this generation of the great things the Lord will doe in this their day and time. Shewing (amongst other things) the nature and quality of the apostachy. The judgement of the Lord upon the leaders of the apostacy. How the Lord will deale with, and carry himself towards, others guilty of the apostacy. The certainty of deliverance at hand for the true seed. / By a wel-wisher to the kingdome of our Lord Jesus. To which is prefixed two very useful epistles, by Christopher Feak, and John Pendarves, ministers of the Gospel.	Wel-wisher to the kingdome of our Lord Jesus.; Pendarves, John, 1622-1656.; Feake, Christopher, fl. 1645-1660.	1656 (1656)	Wing P3687; Thomason E888_2; ESTC R207362	83,871	109

But to hasten to the second Question What were those EVILL WORKS which our Lord did testifie against or for which he did bear witness against the world and for doing whereof he was hated of the world I answer Without Controversie THOSE EVILL WORKS may be reduced to two or three generall Heads Either such as were wrought by them in the way of an ECCLESIASTICALL BODY or such as were brought forth in the Manner and Method of a CIVILL STATE or else such as were done by the confusion and mixture of ALL together as the Holy Spirit in that notable Prayer of Peter intimates where all sorts of Interests Civill Ecclesiasticall Military are declared to Combine together against our Lord. Acts 4.27 Of a truth against thy holy Servant Jesus whom thou hast anointed both HEROD and PONTIVS PILATE with the GENTILES and the PEOPLE of Israel were gathered together Here is a Combination in the Church in the Court in the CAMP against the Saviour of the world And upon examination of the works and workings of all these parties we shall find cause to say they were to be testified against as Evill But more particularly to reckon up some of them as we find them occasionally recorded by the foure Evangelists and as we goe along to compare them with those evill works which are now carried on in these parts of the earth as done by the High Priest by Herod by Pontius Pilate by the Gentlemen of the long Robe of both professions c. First let us begin with their Counsells against Christ those works of darknesse they are evill works within doores Mat. 12.14 The Pharisees went out and held a Counsel privately how they might destroy him Here were consultations held against the life of Christ So Mat. 27.1 All the chief Priests and Elders of the people tooke counsel against Jesus to put him to death We shall have an exact account of all their wicked murtherous Consultations against the Person the Doctrine the Honour of the Lord Jesus in that day when he shall Judge the secrets of all men according to his Gospel But in the mean time we know that these Deeds of Darknesse were some of those evill workes which our Lord did testifie against And in like manner at this day we know in that light of truth which will not faile us that there are many close cunning consultations to destroy that Cause of Christ which not long since was in shew highly honoured and contended for by him who is known by the name of his Highness the Lord Protector c. but who gave him that Name I leave to him to Answer when he shall be called to a strict account for all the evil counsel given against the Lord and his followers because of their righteous reproofs of the Army and their Generall for the Hypocrisie Apostacy Oppression and Persecutions whereof they are guilty in the sight of the Sun Another kind of evill works was their watching of the Lord Jesus and sending forth Spies which should feign themselves just men that they might take hold of his words that so they might deliver him to the power and Authority of the Governour Luke 20.20 And the Scribes and Pharisees Luke 11.53 urged him vehemently and provoked him to speak of many Things laying wait for him and seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him Certainly every man who loves the Lord Jesus will easily grant these were very wicked workes But are not such practises frequently used by the Spies which are Imployed from the Court and Council at White Hall I am sure before our Imprisonment Many who came to catch our words feigned themselves to be Just men to be good men whereby they were capeable to intangle us in our talke The same Spirit which wrought effectually in those children of disobedience doth work in these as effectually and we doubt not but we shall prove these Spies to be guilty of the same evill workes with those Spies which watched Christ and their Masters to be of the same conspiracy with the Pharisees and Herodians namely at that Day when his Highnesse shall stand before the Judgement seat of Jesus Christ without either his Clergy or his Lawyers to plead his Cause We shall then understand what Instructions they were which he or his Secretaries gave his Catch poles when he imployed them and what conference he had with them when they read our Sermon Notes in his hearing and all those works of darknesse and secrecy shall be brought to light and Our Lord Himselfe shall second our Testimony That their Deeds were evill Again Other evill workes of the world and the men of the world which the Lord Jesus did testifie against was Their devouring widdowes houses while for a pretence they made long prayers Mat. 23.14 Surely this was a double evill worke and therefore He tells them they shall receive greater Damnation Not only widdowes Houses have been devoured by the new Rulers but whole Families in pressing and forcing or else inticing men to the ends of the earth for Gold and Silver thousands having perished in the Enterprize but while these Families were devoured by Sea and Land what frequent fastings and long prayers were made at White-Hall The Lord beholds this Hypocrisie and it will one day appear how abominable this project was in the sight of God as it doth in part already not withstanding all their long prayers to colour it over as a Designe against Antichrist and his Kingdome Besides these evill works before Mentioned the Lord declares against them because of their extortion and excesse as it is in Matthew because of their ravening and wickednesse as it is in Luke yea he speaks of their Binding of heavy Burthens and grievous to be borne and laying them on mens shoulders but they will not move them with one of their fingers For my part I am verily perswaded that the same evill workes are Done to the Innocent people by this present Sword power and their cryes enter into the ears of the Lord of Hoasts though they pity them not who Doe thus oppresse them Many more might be added which in the Judgement of all the true Disciples of Christ will be accounted evill workes but I must not inlarge a Preface beyond its proportion this therefore shall sufface for the second Point what kind of evill workes they were which Christ testified against and how like unto them the evill workes of this present Generation of Rulers will be found to be when they are examined by the Righteous Judge of all the world Now as for the Nature of the Testimony given by Christ concerning the evill works of that world or worldly Church which hated both him his doctrine and his followers which is the third generall Head to be spoken to it 's plain that it is no lesse then a Divine Testimony As saith the Apostle If we receive the WITNES of men THE WITNES OF GOD is greater Now

They are so heartily and throughly sensible of the sufferings of the name and honour of their God that their care for that swalloweth up all other cares they minde not so much their own sufferings under the oppressions of these workers of wickedness as the sufferings of the name and interest of their dear Lord under that dishonour and shame these wicked tho refined hypocrites throw upon it their careful thoughts are solely taken up about the concernments of the name of their God They thought upon his name yet notwithstanding these excellencies they are not per-sect But 3 They are subject to many insirmities for they stand in need of the sparing mercy of their God and Father and I wil spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him 2 The work it self which these sincere hearts exercise themselves in as the great duty incumbent upon them in this their day is Consultation about the concernments of the great name and cause of the Lord at this time They think and they speak both parts of counsel they thought upon his name they consult in their own own hearts and thoughts about the name and interest of God and they speak often one to another about it they are often enquiring of and communicating their light to each other that if possible by such communications they may be able to find out something of the mind of their God and Father they could not by their more private consultations in their hearts and thoughts the subject of these their so serious consultations is the name of their God they thought upon his name their care is not how shal we get from under the unsupportable oppressions of these workers of wickedness that are set up nor how shall we free our selves and our Posterity from the bondage and slavery of these sons of violence nor so much how shal we bring down these proud and lofty men that speak such proud and stout words against the Lord his name and honour though possibly that may be more remotely in their thoughts too but all their cares are dissolved into a godly and holy carefulness for the name and honour of their dear Lord they thought upon his name how that was dishonoured the Lord had gotten himself a great name by delivering his people out of Babilon rearing up the glorious structure of his Temple and building up the ruined wals of Jerusalem setting up his true Worship again there in despight of all those great oppositions of his enemies round about and these backsliders dispise and dishonour this great name of the Lord of hosts doing what in them lies to bury it in Oblivion now these lovers of the Name of God think on this are very solicitous what they should do at this juncture of time to wipe off that dishonour is cast upon this great and glorious name in the view of the whole world O say they what shall we do for the name of our God wherewith shall we honour it what course shal we take to exalt and magnifie it in the eyes of the world before whom it hath been thus dishinored here 's the Center of all their thoughts and consultations They thought upon his Name 3 Let us see how exceeding kindly the Lord takes this at their hands 1 The Lord by two eminent acts manifests his great acceptance of them how is the heart of God taken with this blessed work The Lord hearkned and heard it as it implie the lowness weakness of the voice of these holy consultations that the Lord must hearken and listen to speak after the manner of men before he can hear it so it also implies great intensness of spirit with delight he hearkned the Lord is so wel-pleased with these blessed consultations that rather than miss hearing their voice he will hearken and listen with the greatest intenseness of minde the Lord hearkned as if the Lord had said stand aside Sathan cease thy accusing clamours in mine ears silence you exalters of wicked workers You are of your Father the devil and the lusts of your Father ye w ll do he was a lyar from the beginning and so are ye wrongfully charging the innocent with things they know nor peace ye waiward froward children through the noise and din of your peevish wranglings nothing can be heard be stil all I wil hear what these my Beloved ones say that stand up for my name and honour in such a day as this what though they discover much weakness and infirmity in the management of their work yet I delight in them and love to hear their voice The Lord hearkned and heard it he hearkens til he hears all and he takes special notice of what he hears let 's nothing slip and so delightful and pleasing to him is that he hears that as if he were distrustful of his memory A book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name here is the Lambs book wherein he sets down all the service his servants do for him that he may give them a suitable and ful reward when he comes into his Kingdom that possession his Father hath decreed to give him the Lord is so taken with what he hears that he wil book it all down set it all upon Record not a thought nor an expression not a word nor a sillable wil he loose the heart of God is so taken with these breathings that he writes a Book of Remembrance that when those Heavenly Records are read he may remember to do them honour then who thus honour him now by their loyalty and faithfulness cloathing them with his own Robes his own glory Thus shal it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour 2 The Lords acceptation of the work of these blessed souls appears by those rich promises he makes to them which are 1 Such as concern reward for work done As 1 They shal be mine saith the Lord of hosts this is a note of special peculiarity for as it hath relation to other persons it s put in opposition unto my Jewels in the next words saith the Lord of hosts there is a day a coming wherein I wil make up my jewels gather up my treasure and in that day they shal be mine mine in a more special and peculiar way and manner than my Jewels shal be as at the first when the children of Israel were in Egypt there were two Mines my people and my first born as as the first-born in whose stead the Tribe of Levi was chosen were Gods in a more special and peculiar manner then the rest of Gods people of Israel they were those whom he chose to be alwaies in his presence to serve before him continually his favorites to whom he manifested his glory and by whom he revealed his mind and Wil to the rest of their Brethren so here are TWO MINES too mine and my Jewels and this mine being put in opposition to my Jewels

sits as a Refiner in and through those discoveries of soule-searehing truths Jer. 23.29 which he brings to light daily His word that goeth forth out of the mouth of his witnesses is like fire refining the precious Sons of Sion Rev. 11.5 who are compared to Gold but consuming Lam. 4.2 or threatning to consume the wicked who are like stubble The Sword that proceedeth out of the mouth of Christ Rev. 2.12 is sharp and two-edged if it doe not convert from sin it will condemne for continuing in sin Such as are disobedient to his word are inexcusable fitted for ruine as stubble fully dry And have not some cause to fear that if after many reproofs Exod. 23.28 they goe on hardning their necks their fall will be sudden 1 Pet. 2.7 8. and their sad condition remedilesse Prov. 29. 1. Isa 30.10 11 12 13. Yea and then shall the Lords people who have testified against them rebuking in the Gate Jer. 7.16 and exhorting to repentance keep silence in that day Jer. 11.14 ceasing to plead with them or with God for them Amos 5.13 thereby justifying the hand of God in bringing his judgements on them And whoso is wise let him observe That when those backsliders spoken of Isa 29.20 21. proceeded to that degree of imimpiety to watch for iniquity to make a man an offendor for a word and lay a snare for him that reproved in the Gate by such acts as these they perfected their iniquity and filled up the measure thereof The following Discourse sets forth in a Type by comparing together many remarkable words in the Prophecy of Malachy and Isaiah A most refined Apostacy of a professing people after a Reformation begun Their words though first spoken to others are declared to light on us the Saints and Professors in this Generation who having greatly sinned num 32.23 may justly say Our sins have found us out Now as relating to this Apostacy or Backsliding with the cause and cure thereof I shall offer these things to be considered As this backsliding is either totall and finall in those who perish or partiall in the Saints so also is the cause thereof two-fold First Hypocrites who fall away in time of temptation have no root in themselves Luke 8.13 They are not partakers of the Divine nature neither are they regenerate wherefore such Professors notwithstanding for a time they may appear with clean outsides are fitly compared by the Spirit of the Lord to the Sow which being washed turns again to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2.22 Secondly That Backsliding which is not totall ordinarily springs from Saints forgetfullnesse of Gods great love in Christ revealed to them and his wonderful works done in them and for them as also the love of their espousalls their first love to God their relations vowes and engagements to him Of this Backsliding both of sinners and Saints and the judgements thereunto belonging doe these Prophets treat The Saints themselves Gods Children and his Jewells shall not escape a trying refining day which will be terrible to them yea and as they are or may be found in unbelieving earthly sensuall forms of Spirit consulting with flesh and blood unsufferable Who shall stand when he appeareth Mal. 3.2 3. His presence to the carrying on of this work of reforning will be to some who may be judged good men no lesse grievous but rather more then fire is the flesh of a man As for Hypocrites and Sinners in Syon their dreadfull doom and just sentence that goeth forth out of the mouth of those two Witnesses is that they shall be consumed Isa 1.28 Mal. 4.1 The fiery day shall burn them up that it shall leave them neither root nor branch According to that word of God to Jer. 15.19 If thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth This Prophet Malachi speaking as the mouth of God puts a difference as also doth the Prophets and Apostles generally between the two Seeds The Seed of the Woman and of the Serpent between whom God did by his own mouth first put the difference Gen. 3.15 To all which agrees that clear distinction between the Son of the bond woman and of the free Gal. 4.22 23 which things saith the Apostle v. 24. are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants viz. The one of Works the other of Grace The two grand Characters whereby the two Seeds are here distinguished are 1 A true filiall fear of God 2 A sincere love and respect unto the name of God above all things These two choyce effects of a lively faith are such things as Hypocrites are strangers to such singular things as doe infallibly accompany salvation In these things the carnal seed under the Law and the formall Professor under the Gospel come short of the Israelite in deed and being weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary are found wanting And although such may be in a Pallace with King Belshazzar if they look narrowly into this Prophecy of Malachy as here explained and presented to their view it may be with them if they be not miserably hardned no better than with him when beholding the writing on the wall his countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his loines were loosed and his knees smote one against another Dan. 5.6 As for the former of these viz. A filiall fear of God upon the account of their lack of this one thing the Prophet Malachy reproves the people saying Chap. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine honour And if I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hoste whereas on the contrary he commends his beloved Remnant for their fear of him Chap. 3.16 and of his Name Chap. 4.2 Yea Christ himself the everlasting father of that chosen Generation is extoll'd and found worthy to be entrusted with the greatest of Gods work on the account of this blessed qualification viz. the fear of God Chap. 2.5 My Covenant was with him of life and peace and I gave them to him saith God for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my Name These things well weighed may through the blessing of the Lord give some check to that unseemly lightness which often appears in the shamelesse foreheads of many noted Professors Oh! where will such appear if they repent not seeing God hath not entred them on his Book of Remembrance which is written for those only who fear the Lord Chap. 3.16 and tremble at his word How shall they escape that dreadfull day mentioned Chap. 4.1 Seeing then our God is a consuming fire let us then take hold of his grace in Christ Jesus whereby to serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear He who is risen up to shake hereby the Earth and also the Heavens will certainly ere long shake off and cast out as it were out of his lap a Generation of light and

not merit or desert but pure love vvil teach them another and a better lesson Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils the Lord alone shal be exalted in that day a thing which never yet was done in any of the dayes this old World ever saw 12 Behold somewhat of the way and course the Lord wil take to do this great and marvellous work he wil cause the fire to break out from among themselves that shal consume them this Earthquake arises from the rending vvind pent up vvithin the concavities of its own earth as the scope and tendency of the Third Chap intimates and herein consists somewhat of the Wonder that a State defended vvith such a Force Cedars and Oaks Mountains and Hils Towers and fenced wals Ships and pleasant things even the mighty man and the man of War the Judge and the Prophet the Prudent and the Antient the Honourable man and the Counsellor the cunning Artificer and the Eloquent Oratour should be brought down and laid in the dust the Lord so impoverishes those of the excellent gifts and qualities they once had that being enfatuated they become as Children Babes and Women this alteration in the superior orbs begets another as dangerous in the lower regions the Lord stops the fountains of this professing earth and for want of those cooling waters that had vvont to keep things in some tolerable poise the fiery element prevails and breaking out of the earth begets its own likeness a fiery blaze in the fountains also as of old fire came out from Abimelech and devoured the men of Shechem fire came out from Shechem devoured Abimelech so here is fire against fire which continues burning til c Isai 3. ● Jerusalem be ruined and Judah be fallen in this fire wil the Lord avenge himself on his friend-like enemies those to whom the professing world give the right hand of fellowship as true Cittizens of Zion free denizens of the holy City in the management of this fiery work causing one fire to overcome the other consuming its own nature and over-ruling it to the carrying on his own design and work wil the Lord manifest such an exceeding glory above all former manifestations that the best of men shal enter into the rock and hide themselves in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty and he alone shal be exalted in that day 13 That the Prophets Isaiah and Malachy do not give us any ground as I can perceive to think the Lord wil make use of that beloved remnant of his that fear his name and speak often one to another about his name and honour at this day in this great work of his judging professing Zion in the manner treated of Malachy tels us The Lord wil spare them in that day and Isai saith it shal be well with them in that day but not a word do we read of any active condition they are in any otherwise than by the word of their testimony at that day I rather conceive that the state and condition of the remnant mentioned Isaiah 26.20 21. Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over past for behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity the earth also shal disclose her blood and shal no more cover her slain 14 That none are under the saving influences of those rich promises made to the blessed remnant at this day but those who not only speak often one to another against the apostacies and evils of the times but think on the name of God have this as the moving cause in all their motions a holy carefulness for the interest and name of God for them and for them only is there a Book of remembrance written and they and they only shal be mine saith the Lord in that day and they and they only wil the Lord spare in that day when he makes up his Jewels and then shal they return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not 15 Here is a holy directory to guide and an unerring touchstone to try all our waies and actions by at this day that in all our motions against the apostacies and evils of the times the honour and interest of the great name of God move us if that be not our frame and temper of Spirit we are none of the number in whom the Lord so much delights and our work of counsel is not that which the Lord so earnestly lissens and hearkens after til he hears all noting it down in his book of remembrance and we have nothing to do with those high expressions of the Lords matchless love in his promises no if the name of God be not solely in our eye and the exalting the Lord alone be not all our aime and end in what we do in stead of Gods peculiars in that day of the Lord it wil be unto us d Amos 5.18 19. darkness and not light as if a man fled from a Lyon and a Bear met him or went into a house and leaned his hand on the wal and a Serpent bit him 16 That he high attainments the graces and excellencies the remnant have attained to at this day is far short of the glory of the Lord is about to reveal when it comes forth they wil be glad to run to their shelter the sparing love of their Father they themselves shal then be laid in the dust before the Lord and the glorious Lord alone shal be exalted and magnified 17 That the great designe of God upon professing Zion at this day is to purge and purifie wash and cleanse it from all its filth dross and tin that they may become a holy Generation a peculiar people formed for himself to shew forth his praise able to offer up an Offering in righteousness pleasant unto the Lord. 18 Behold the way and course the Lord wil take to purge and purifie his Zion at this day he wil do it by the spirit of Judgement and the spirit of burning by such a trying dispensation of fiery judgement as shal not only burn up their dross but their tin also that which now looks so like and goes for good silver for that which is acceptable in the sight of God 19 Syon thus purged and purified shal have the creating power of God to assist her as her defence upon all this glory the Lord hath now cloathed her with shal be a desence it is not poluted and impure Zion the Lord wil thus defend but it is that glory of holiness the counterpaine or image of Gods own holiness vvhich wil be upon Zion when the Lord shal have washed away the filth from the daughter of Zion and shal have purged away the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof then