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
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
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
know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1. 7 8. Somewhat of this was typically injoyed by Solomon before he departed from the Lord according as God promised the Lord gave him rest on every side so that there was neither adversary nor evil occurrent 1 Chron. 22. 9. 1 King 5. 4. But behold a greater than Solomon is here There were then enemies in being but now there shall be no more a pricking bryar unto the house of Israel nor a grieving thorn c. Ezek. 28. 24. Psal 72. Violence shall no more be heard in the Land wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt câ—ll thy walls salvation c. and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended he will then destroy them that have destroyed the earth and precious shall be the blood of his Saints for he will take vengeaence on those that have slain them and been enemies to them Isa 60. 12 20. 63. 1 4. with the assurance of this he strengthens the weak hands and feeble knees viz. that he their God wiâ—l come with vengeance God with a recompence for the Lord God of recompences will surely requite all the injuries done to his Saints he will come and save them Isa 35. 3 4. Jer. 50. 27 28. 51. 56. He will then bind their Kings in chains and their Nobles in fetters of iron and his people shall have an hand with him therein to execute upon them the vengeance written this honour have all his Saints Psal 149. 4 9. Those righteous ones that are taken away by death do enter into peace and are freâ—d from oppression but yet their blood is not avenged but they cry with a loud voice how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth for this they wait it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season c. Rev. 6. 9 11. but then he will thoroughly plead their cause shall not God avenge his own elect which cry unto him day and night I tell you he will avenge them speedily Luke 18. 7 8. vengeance is his and he will repay Rom. 12. 19. Rev. 11. 18. their eye shall then see their desire upon their enemies Psal 92. 11. 112. 8 10. in righteousness shall they then be established they shall be far from oppression for they shall not fear and from terror for it shall not come near them Isa 54 7 8 13 14. then he will compleatly and gloriously bless his people with peace and they shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace Psal 29. 11. 37. 11. 3. They when thus raised and freed from all evil shall be ever with the Lord in companionship with him the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord 1 Thes 4. 15 17. he will then come and receive them to himself that where he is they may be also Joh. 14. 1 3. This is his will concerning them that those the father hath given unto him should be with him where he is Joh. 17. 14. The tabernacle of God even Jesus Christ in his personal body shall then be with them and he wiâ—l dwell with them Rev. 21. 3. indeed now he dwells in their hearts by faith but faith is the evidence of things not seen but then they shall have a personal and-glorious injoyment of him according to that Zeph. 3. 14 17. Sing O daughter of Zion shout O Israel be glad and rejoyce with all the heart O daughter of Jerusalem the Lord hath taken away thy judgment he hath cast out thine enemy the King of Israel the Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evil any more the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save thee The name of the City from that day shall be The Lord is there Ezek. 48. 35. and then there will be a gathering together of the righteous as unto him so one unto and with another and his coming and their being gathered together unto him are put together 2 Thes 2. 1. Now in a spiriâ—ual and invisible consideration they meet together they are all one in Jesus Christ and all in heaven and earth are one family one house and instruction given to them here to indeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace but yet they are severed and scattered as to personal society and so at a distance one from another and many of them unknown one to another yea some of them not owning one another to be of the same body whom yet Jesus Christ hath received they are now scattered and separated one from another Sometimes by contentions judgings and dâ—spisings one of another and this is matter of great lamentation and when they fall out they are hardly reconciled it being the work of Satan and his instruments to dig up evil and in their lips is a burning fire they are set on fire of hell and would set all on fire they sow strife and indeavour further to separate and make the breach wider by whispering and secretly fomenting jealousies and so are separating even chief friends Prov. 16. 27 28. Hâ—nce they are admonished to be angry and not sin not to let the Sun go down upon their wrath neither give place to the devil Eph. 4. 26 27. the devil is watching for such an advantage and therefore needful to be warned that we be slow to anger and quick from it seeing a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong City and their contentions are like the bars of a Castle Prov. 18. 19. How oft now are they separated in their affections and delightful fellowships through that sin that dwells in them and policy of Satan the weak envying and judging the strong and the strong instead of bearing the infirmities of the weak pleasing themselves and despising and setting at nought those that have not what they have Rom. 14. Act. 15. 39. But then the envy of Ephraim shall depart Ephraim that had less shall not envy Judah and Judah that was preferred before and lifted up above their brethren shall not vex Ephraim Isa 11. 13. with 1 Sam. 1. 6. Now also they are scattered by the wise and gracious disposition of the housholder the Son of man he sows them abroad in the field of the world for the good of the world that they might be instruments of his praise according to their capacity that men seeing their good works may glorifie their father which is in heaven and so that his way may be known on the earth his saving health among all Nations Mat. 13. 24 37. Psal 67. 1 2. But then his elect shall be gathered together from the four winds from one end
41. 17. And yet in committing themselves to God and the word of his grace they should be directed to give to every one their due and not to neglect though they could not put such confidence in thâ—sâ— left behind but to consider their word and the end of their conversation 3. Wherefore the Apostle now especially commends and resigns them to God and the word of his grace to the end they should commit themselves unto and leave themselves with him This hath been signified in part before and is also intimated afterward in the verse yet I shall add somewhat further and say in general he doth commit them to him with instruction to them to commit themselves to God and leave themselves with him and the word of his grace 1. For his help Psal 10. 14. 2. For his preservation of them Psal 12. 7. as referring to the scope of the Apostle in the former verses 1. For his help of them and assistance to be graciously vouchsafed to them and expected by them and that both 1. Upon the account of his being taken away and so for our instruction when God removes faithful and eminent watchmen 2. And that they might feed the flock of God and so for believers edifying one another more generally 1. As with respect to his being taken away and so for instruction to us when God removes faithful and eminent watchmen in the midst of their dayes what I shall speak under this head will be of more direct respect to our selves to whom God hath been ordering such an occasion of mourning and lamentation and so let us now commit our selves to God as with respect to them so taken away and as with respect to our selves that yet are preserved in the Land of the living 1. As with respect to them so taken away let us betake our selves to God and to the word of his grace that we sorrow not for them as those that have no hope it is far better with them as is before said they sleep in Jesus and are delivered from those sorrows troubles and disquietments that here they were exposed to Hence the Prophet when he had been saying The righteous perisheth and merciful men are taken away adds from the evil and He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds c. as that which was proper to comfort the contrite one and his mourners Isa 57. 1 2. And though the Apostle John had given him in charge at first to write the things which he had seen and the things which are c. Rev. 1. 11 19. yet also he had a voice from heaven particularly and expresly commanding him to write that it might be preserved for and considered in the time to come blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord c. Rev. 14. 13. And so the Apostle on like account saith If we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again then them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him c. Wherefore comfort one another with these words 1 Thes 4. 14 18. And oh that the consolations of God may not be small with us on this account 2. As with respect to our selves who are yet preserved in the Land of the living let us on such an occasion commit and betake our selves to him for his gracious teaching us out of his Law what we see not by any light that is in us as of us or what we have forgotten or let slip that we may know wherefore he is ordering such great and heavy testimonies of displeasure that we may be contrite and humble our selves before him and be broken off from what he hath been reproving us for doubtless in acquainting our selves with him and the word of his grace and its instructions we may know wherefore he is thus pleading with us thereby he is teaching us what we see not that we might not be unwise but unstand what the will of the Lord is Job 34. 31 32. Prov. 6 24. In general it appears the cause of his so lifting up his hand amongst us is because of our great provocations of him for he who is the God of all grace doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men and much less doth he till he be highly provoked smiâ—e with such heavy stroaks as these are such judgments are of such a nature as in which he shews his people very hard things and gives them the wine of astonishment to drink especially when he smoaks against the prayers of his people Such as in which he begins to give to his Jerusalem the cup of his fury to drink yea the dregs of the cup wâ—ung out as Isa 51. 17 18. hereby threatning to take away his Kingdom from them therefore surely we may in the light of the Lord see that when he so judges us there hath been lewdness found in our filthiness so much they acknowledge and bewail when God's hand was turned against them Lam. 3. 42 44. we have transgressed as a wife treacherously departs from her Husband we have gone a whoring from under our God and have rebelled viz. gone on and continued in our transgression against light and admonition rebelled against the light thou hast not pardoned thou hast covered with anger and persecuted us thou hast slain thou hast not pitied thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayer should not pass thorow Not only did God shut out the Prophets prayer when he cryed and shouted even prayed very earnestly as ver 8. but he covered himself with a cloud that prayer should not pass thorow when they assembled together and there was some joint agreement of them in their praying as it may seem The reasons then of God's proceeding on in such judgments in removing such faithful instruments untimely and not withstanding his people have been crying and praying for sparing mercies yet he hath not given such gracious returns as they have begged for are as far as I am helped to understand 1. More generally because those that are hearers of the word are heaâ—â—râ— only receiving his grace in vain and not suffering it to have its efficacy upon them so as to redeem them from their iniquities and purifie them unto God a peculiar people zealous of good works this even provokes God to remove his servants from us when men are hearers of the word and not doers so much the Apostle signifies I know saith he that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith c. only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ implying that the want of this would be the only cause of their being deprived of such a mercy Phil. 1. 25 27. So the Lord by the Prophet Ezekiel threatens that he would make them desolate of their glory and make them know that a Prophet had been among them by his removing him from them because they sate before him as his people and heard his words but they would not do