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
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
them that is their iniquity which is now imputed to them according to the rule of the glorious Gospel Men were not capable of adding rebellion to their sin if God were not thus preventing them with his goodness for this is that which renders them rebellious when they are disobedient to God who is stretching forth his hands to them that is who is even beseeching them to be reconciled and giving them some light and power of his Spirit that they might turn and when also they are gainsaying and contradicting and so rebelling against the light extended Compare Isa 65. 2. with Rom. 10. 21. Men are therefore said to be a rebellious people because they have eyes to see and see not and ears to hear and hear not Ezek. 12. 3. Jer. 5. 21 23. Mat. 13. 15. This is the condemnation viz. the cause of condemnation the condemning sin and that which makes all sins condemnable according to the rule of Gospel that light is come into the world some discovery and manifestation of God's goodness afforded and some capacity to behold it given and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil so discovered to be by the light Joh. 3. 17 19. And certainly no man shall be condemned to a second death but for refusing the grace of God that brings salvation to save them in due time and persisting therein As our Saviour saith to the Jews If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak or excuse for their sin Joh. 15. 22. And this is great consolation to us that Jesus Christ is appointed to be and is the light of the world for he is good and upright any man is unmeet for this though he were never so willing yet he is unable to speak to all men yea the spirit is not put upon them to give forth or dispense to others this glory he will not give to another besides Jesus Christ nor his praise to graven images Isa 42. 6 8. It is true they are instruments in his hand and though they have no sufficiency of themselves as of themselves to do any good yet their sufficiency is of God and Jesus Christ hath promised to be alwayes with his people in their faithful ministration even to the end of the world Mat. 28. 18 20. But however unable men are yet seeing God hath given him to be a light of the Gentiles that he should be for salvation to the ends of the earth he will not fail nor be discouraged and this grace of his and of the Father in him is discovered to us in this word of his grace 2. He is also the Mediator between God and men making intercession for transgressors Isa 53. 12. that is to say when men after some manifestation of God's goodness afforded leading to repentance and some capacity given to behold it and men strengthned to turn from darkness to light yet they are found rebelling against the light and grace of God vouchsafed and provoke new wrath now that men might not be presently cut off and bound over to the wrath to come according to their deserts he is appearing in heaven for them that God may be still patient toward them and not deal with them according to their sins It is generally found with men that they are sinning against the grace of God bringing salvation to them the Lord after means used and mercies afforded looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside they are together become filthy there is none that doth good no not one Psal 14. 2 3. they are not believing God in what he is testifying to them of his goodness in and through Jesus Christ or however not in what he is therewith testifying of them their works wayes and idols And he that believeth not the Son is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God that is not so believed as to love the light more than darkness Joh. 3. 18 19. And this is generally the reason of mens refusing and rebelling against the light not simply because it discovers good of God and declares his graciousness and desire of mens good but because it testifies of the world that the works thereof are evil Joh. 7. 7. even their best works as well as their worst works He that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved and discovered Joh. 3. 20. Job 23. 13 17. and for this men are condemned they do deserve and are under the sentence of the wrath to come this is the sin of the world and for which it shall be condemned so persisting Now Jesus Christ in his present work is presenting himself in the vertues of his sacrifice once offered and alwayes acceptable before the Father for such as these during his good pleasure that judgment may not speedily be executed upon them but patience and forbearance may be exercised further means used and spirit sent forth in the means to open their eyes and to turn them from their disobedience to the wisdom of the just he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world even their sin of unbelief for this is the sin of the world Joh. 1. 29. with Chap. 16. 8 9. that is he in his present Mediation so takes it away that God's wrath may not presently break forth to cut men off in their sins and so in a lower sense he procures forgiveness for them not such as they receive who come unto God by Christ for their sins are blotted out in heaven but the sins of these are retained in heaven against them while they conâ—inue in them and the wrath of God abides on them Joh. 3. 18 36. but he procures sparing and further space of repentance Luk. 13. 34. Rev. 2. 21. and is also giving unto them grace of repentance and to such an end he is said to be and is the propitiation not only for their sins who have him as their Advocate with the Father but also for the sins of the whole world who lye in wickednes 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. with Chap. 5. 19. Hence it is that God is so slow to anger and that he saith to men to day after so long a time if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts yea that he waits so long on such as love their simplicity delight in scorning and hate knowledge Prov. 1. 22. Isa 43. 14. 2 Pet. 3. 15. A type of whom was Moses who was the Mediator of the first Testament When that people had greatly sinned so as God threatned to destroyed them then Moses his chosen stood in the breach before him to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them Psal 106. 23. Heb. 3. and so prevalent is he in his Mediation that God alwayes gives to him his
said and so he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding Joh. 14. 27. 16. 13. Dan. 2. 21. And by his thus giving the Spirit to them and opening the testimony of Jesus and therein glorifying Christ he is still and further baptizing them by this holy Spirit making them clean and washing them with the washing of water by the Word from the errors and pollutions of the world into Jesus Christ Joh. 15. 3. Mat. 3. 11. Eph 5. 25 26. 1 Cor. 6. 10 11. strengthening them there through to mortifie the deeds of the body Rom. 8. 13. giving this as a spirit of adoption into their hearts a spirit of grace and supplication Zech. 12. 10. a spirit of boldness and confidence to come unto God as their Father and cry Abba to draw nigh to him by the blood of Jesus through that new and living way consecrated through the veil the flesh of Christ he being also the great High Priest over the house of God and so to come with boldness to the throne of grace that they may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 10. 19 22. Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 6. Heb. 4. 16. and to teach them what to pray for as they ought both what things to desire and so what to pray for first and especially namely the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and things more directly thereto appertaining and other things with submission to his will and upon what account and in what incouragement and to what end to seek them to wit in the name of Christ and that God in all things may be glorified Rom 8. 26 27. to fulfil in them the righteousness of the Law and fill them with the fruits of righteousness and so to conform them to Christ that their soul may be as a watered garden Rom. 8 4. Gal. 5. 16 22. Eph. 5. 9 10. Isa 58. 11. to teach them to answer adversaries and opposers and that they may contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints Luk. 12. 11 12. 21. 14 15. to anoint them and give grace to them even some gracious gift for the good of men and growth of the Church that they may grow up together by that which every joint supplieth Eph. 4. 7. 1 Cor. 12. 7. and so makes them a royal Priesthood to shew forth his praises 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. yea strengthens them through his Spirit to wait for the hope of his righteousness by faith in purging away their transgressions subduing their iniquities fighting their battels he being the Captain of their salvation perfecting all their works and even to look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus to eternal life Gal. 5. 5. Psal 138. 7 8. Isa 26. 12. He is their Advocate with the Father to plead their cause to receive their suits to make their spiritual sacrifices acceptable taking away the iniquity of their holy things that they may come with acceptance upon his Altar and so to give answers of peace and gracious returns He is the High Priest of their profession and so he is not of others their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God Rock Mediator High-Priest their drink-offerings of blood will he not offer but he offers their sacrifices that come to God by him and perfumes them with the vertues and odours of his sacrifice Psal 16. 4. Joh. 14. 13. 1 Pet. 2 5. 1 Joh. 2. 1. Rev. 8. 3 5. Heb. 13. 15 16. His eyes unto whom all things are naked and opened are alwayes upon them to preserve them from evil to preserve their souls 2 Thes 3. 3. they are always upon the righteous to order his providences as may be good and to deliver them from the will of their enemies and he is caring for them and will preserve them that none shall pluck them out of his hand Joh. 10. 27 28. Psal 33. 18. 1 Pet. 5. 5 6 7. Such is his grace to them that when need is he is chastening them for their profit that they may be more partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 9 11. The Lord tryeth the righteous out of love to them and faithfulness to Christ Jesus Psal 89. 28 33. But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth and therefore he is not so trying them Psal 11. 5. And oh that none of them whom he is so chastening may forget that consolation in Christ which speaks to them as to children that they may not despise his chastenings nor faint when rebuked of him Heb. 12. 5 8. Prov. 3 11 12. And in those chastenings they have a merciful and faithful High-Priest to consider who himself hath suffered being tempted and therefore is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 17 18. 3. 1. 4. 15 16. one who pities them as a father pities his children and therefore chastens them as a man chasteneth his Son Psal 103. 13. Deut. 8. 5. with great tenderness and in measure he debateth with them and with the temptation will make a way of escape that they may be able to bear Isa 27. 8 9. 1 Cor. 10. 13. and though he cause grief he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies Lam. 3. 31 32. and cause all things to work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8. 28. and all these tempâ—ations and trials of their faith shall appear to praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 6 7 they shall see and acknowledge his grace and faithfulness in nurtuâ—ing them in this day to so gracious an end that they might not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 32. Prov. 23. 14. yea now while walking in the light of the Lord they are acknowledging his faithfulness in correcting and giving thâ—nks to him because of his righteous judgments Psal 119. 62 68 75. Yea he will in their seeking first the kingdom of God and unto that add unto them all other things and so what they shall eat and what they shall drink and wherewith they shall be cloathed he will give unto them food and raiment such provision hath he made in his great and precious promises for their incauragement that their conversation may be without covetousness and carefulness and he is faithful who hath promised as is wonderfully manifested in the Cross of Christ Mat. 6. 33. Heb. 13. 5 6. Psal 34. 9 10. yea he is a Sun and a shield and will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly and therefore O Lord of hosts blessed is the man that trusteth in thee Psal 84. 11 12. 3. This word of his grace discovers his grace to us in what he will do and that 1. To those righteous ones whom he gathers to himself now by death and before he appears 2. And to all of them hereafter when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven 1. To those righteous ones
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
what God hath been putting into their hands Ezek. 33. 31 33. The love of money is the root of all evil not only of the evil of sin but also of judgment and affliction and it appears that the Apostle doth include that also in the evil of which covetousness is the root for he saith which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith this is a great iniquity and that which leads to many other iniquities and pierced themselves with many sorrows caused much grief and procured many judgments to themselves 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. So when the Prophet had been saying The righteous perisheth c. and merciful men are taken away the Lord as I conceive shews that this was the cause of this judgment For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth c. Isa 57. 1 17. This iniquity followed after causeth men to hate faithful reprovers and so provokes God to take them away Mic. 2. 2 6. yea this being inclined unto and persisted in and suffered to bring forth its fruits will even procure that great judgment of depriving such of or of the usefulness of all faithful helpers or such as have the words of wisdom fitted in their lips for speaking profitably unto others so for this the Lord threatens Amos 8. 3 13. The songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day saith the Lord God c. Hear this ye that swallow up the needy even to make the poor of the Land to fail saying when will the new Moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat when will those appointed days and meetings be over that we may follow and seek after our profit that we may buy aâ—d sell and get gain making the Ephah small namely the measure and so we may say the weight or any thing they sell and the shekel great getting as much money as they can though to the defrauding and over-reaching another and think this honesty too and falsifying the ballances by deceit that they may wrong others as follows the Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their works shall not the Land tremble for this I will turn your feasts into mourning and your songs into lamentation And Behold the dayes come that I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of bread or a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord and they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it Yea this and its direct fruits provokes God to shut out mens cryes even the oppressions of those upon whom God's name is called and their want of pity and mercy their with-holding more then is meet tendeth to poverty even to poverty in spiritual things it provokes God to take away or with-hold such faithful helps for their growth as they might have had and such betrusting with the true riches as might have been committed to them If therefore saith our Saviour to his Disciples ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches and if ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans who shall give you that which is your own This is anothers given to them for the good of others and especially that they might communicate to those that teach them in all good things if they have reaped their spiritual things their duty is also to Minister unto them in carnal things Luk 16. 9 12. Gal. 6. 6. Rom. 15. 27. And as I was saying it causeth God to hide his face that he will not hear To this purpose is that of the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah The new Moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity or grief even the solemn Meetings c. And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood And what he means by blood he afterwards explicates and shews to be their oppression and not shewing mercy to the oppressed and helpless for he adds Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgment relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widow Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow c. Isa 1. 10 23. Like whereto is that Isa 58. 3. 12. Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not c. Behold in the day of your fast ye exact all your labours Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh then shall thy light break forth as the morning Then thou shalt call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am c. Add hereto also that of the Lord by the Prophet Zechariah Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying execute true judgment and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother and oppress not the widow nor the fatherless the stranger nor the poor c. but they refused to hearken yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone therefore it is come to pass that as he cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not hear saith the Lord Zech. 7. 9 13. He shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Jam. 2. 12 16. And truly there might be some intimate reproof of these to whom the Apostle speaks for being so much inclined to this evil in that he appeals to them and saith Your selves know that these hands have ministred to my necessities and those that were with me it had been a small thing for him or those with him to have reaped of their carnal things who sowed unto them spiritual things Act. 20. 33 34. with 1 Cor. 4. 11 12 14. 9. 11 12. Eph. 4. 28 32. 5. 1 2 3 5 6. 4. And to add no more when pride is not hidden from the people of God but they retain high thoughts of themselves by their wisdom knowledge gifts and attaiments c. and go on serving their pride and bringing forth the fruits thereof in envyings strifes contentions divisions for only by pride cometh contention Prov. 13. 10. 28. 25. and are not with all lowliness indeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace this deprives their souls of good it hinders them from partaking of one anothers grace and of that delightful and profitable fellowship in the Gospel of Christ they might have
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
the Minister of them the High-Priest over the house of God who is passed into the heavens and entred within the veil for them â—specially to appear as their Advocate who is also the propitiation for their sins to forgive their iniquities to plead their cause manage their matters fight their battels subduâ— their iniquities sanctifie and cleanse them with the washing of water by the Word teach them and lead them into all truth send from above and save them from the reproach of those who would swallow them up and cause all things to work together for good to them Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people because there is none like unto thy God the God of Jesurun who rideth upon the heaven for thy help and in his excellency on the skie the eternal God is thy refuge c. Deut. 33. 26 29. Oh therefore cry unto him and say Thâ—u art my refuge from mine oppressors those grievous wolves that come to devour and my portion in the Land of the living when refuge failes and no man cares for thy soul commit thy self thy way and works unto him trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass and though thou now walkest in darkness he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noon-day Psal 142 4 5. 37. 4 7. Though now the Lord calls thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and hath ordered to thee cause of lamentation in taking away the pleasant teats at which thou hast sucked and through which he hath conveyed the sincere milk of the word yet thy maker is thy huâ—band the Lord is thy Shepherd thou shalt not want He will make thee to lye down in green pastures and lead thee besides the still waters c. Oh trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is the rock of ages everlasting strength Isa 54. 5 7. 26. 4. Yea and in that they were come unto Jesus Christ the foundation and head of the corner and so made a spiritual house and from the head fitly joyned together and compacted it was for instruction to them and is for instruction to those of the same body to love one another with a pure heart servently as those whose hearts are purified and principled in obeyed the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren Jesus Christ is the corner stone that câ—uples the building together and in coming unto him they are baptized into one body and made to drink into one spirit called in one hope of their calling c. that they should indeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and that they may do so the way is to indeavour it with all lowliness and meekness c. All lowliness is the first thing instructed to unto this indeavour namely lowliness of mind suffering our pride and high thoughts of our selves by occasion of our learning knowledge gifts utterance attainments riches c. to be purged out and hidden from us and lowliness in our words demeanours and looks having low eyes for only by pride cometh contention that so brotherly love may be continued and preserved amongst us This is the use the Apostle makes of this instruction to this Church for after he had been saying ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles c. and are builded together even those that are taught and those that teach the teachers not being the Church alone nor made of the true tabernacle at all because chosen by men but both together in coming to Christ are made an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2. 20 22. He having begun to come to the usefulness hereof in Chap. 3. 1. digresses all that Chapter and Chap. 4. 1 6. he shews them what ingagement this put upon them to love as brethren and as a prisoner of the Lord beseeches them not first to relieve him in his bonds but to indeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and directs them to that firstly asa main thing in which they might walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called they were called to the foundation and corner stone and made members one of another aâ—d what more sutable hereto than to cleave to the Lord with full purpose and one to another in the fear of the Lord. And so â—rom the like ground and motive the Apostle Peter instructs the believers to love one another with a pure heart servently and to that end to lay apart all evil and bitter roots Sec 1 Pet. 1. 22 25. 2. 1 5. And oh how good and pleasant a thing is it for brethren to dwell together in unity and especially then when he is removing those that have been useâ—ul helpers of them in the Lord. Hence the Apostle when he takes his leave of the Corinthians powerfully presses this exhortation on them Finally brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you 2 Cor. 13. 11. 2. In that he saith which is able to build you up he doth therin intimate that though they were built upon the foundation of God and so made framed into an habitation of God through the spirit yet they needed still to be further built up and to grow up more into Jesus Christ in all things into the knowledge of him union and fellowship with him and conformity unto him even those amongst them who might have attained most those who were overseers over the rest to whom he directly speaks needed still and further to be built up and to go on unto perfection they were not yet perfect as to attainment Though they might be perfect sincere and undefiled in the way and fixed herein to walk and to seek all wisdom righteousness and strength all washing and cleansing by an exercise of faith in Christ and so were blessed yet they were not come to their journeys end but were yet to run with patience the race set before them laying aside every weight and that sin that so easily besets Psal 119. 1 2. Heb. 12. 1. So the Apostle Paul saith concerning himself that he had not already attained neither was already perfect though he had suffered the loss of all things for Christ and did count them as dung that he might win him and be found in him but did follow after if that he might apprehend that for which also he was apprehended of Christ Jesus and instructs others who were perfect to be like minded with him namely to count that they had not attained either were already perfect Phil. 3. 12 15. yea indeed he signifies that he should not attain or be perfect as to attainment till the resurrection of the dead for though the spirits of just men that dye in the Lord are perfect yet they wait for the adoption the redemption of the body and so it