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cause_n witness_v word_n world_n 103 3 4.0733 3 false
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A77686 Concerning the judgements of God; for and against what they are decreed, and what judgement is in it self. : And also what is the eternal judgement of God against the wicked and ungodly. R. B. (Richard Baker) 1660-1669 (1669) Wing B514A; ESTC R170429 6,726 6

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secret of thy own heart that the judgement of God is against thou art so fiercely powring out against others and well thou mayest raise a Divel in that mind and strengthen the evil thou wouldest seeme to judge when out of the Authority of God but cast him out or alay him thou canst not in that mind blinded with self conceit because that is first to be removed at home and the judgement of God kept thereon there against what defileth Gods way and manner of ministring judgement to the world er'e the healing vertue of the spring of life can give forth to the necessity of the creature of God and that arise which is felt in God and thou received in the Authority of Judgement against evil but well thou mayest beat the Ayre and sowe wind never will a true subjection attend that Ministry that at best can but make subject for wrath while the conscionable principle and that which makes subject therefore is not come into and dwelt in but a mind continued in would have fire come down from Heaven and consume such they are not in charity with and secretly wisheth and desireth evill in their hearts may befall their Adversary as was seen of old and yet this once was a Prophets and Disciples state as remember Jonah that rather pityed a Gourd that came up in one night and to morrow was not than six score thousand persons and the reason because of a state of Prophesie he was come to and to have a word from the Lord and therein was strengthned in the judgement of what God had shewn him but not in the life of pity of that he was convinced by a weaker means well verily this is the greatest sign can be given to this Generation even the repentings of the people at the preachings of a Prophet and of God in judgements against them were this read through it would preach much in this Age. For it is commonly said They hate not the persons but the evil in the persons and yet many would have the persons of men destroyed rather than they loose the honour of a Prophet yea and sorely strike at the whole man and yet say it is for Conscience sake and the Cause is Gods they are so zealous for and wherein doth it appear canst thou then feed thy enemy canst lay down thy life for him canst stoop to be reconciled to him to the abasing self to the death to the crossing thy own will to the utmost this will try thy Cause or Zeal whoever thou art ●or I am no respecter of persons in this work or rather art thou backbiting and persecuting and smiting with tongue or hand or both and yet is thy Cause God's But such are Hereticks saith the world they are enemies to truth and such are Gods enemies and not ours and we cannot forgive them Well then Are ye Christians Such that are Gods enemies are Christs and such that were his he layed down his life for and prayed the Fa●her to forgive and the Cause was Gods he came about and in the name of that he could have revenged himself in on his enemies for He could have prayed the Father and have had more than twelve Legions of Angels to deliver him So this is to make an Argument to hold but then thou mayest say this life of forgiveness is on conditions of repentance then indeed not onely till seavan times but seaventy times thou canst be content to forgive or as oft as thy brother may offend thee But hast thou used a means therefore to take one or two with thee if he will not hear thee and reason of the thing between ye in love Or is it really an evill thou art offended at else the occasion is in t●ee that takest it so before it be justly given for he must be convinced of an evil therein before he can truly and rightly leave it and if the practise or thing thou takest occasion at be not absolutely an evill in its selfe nor the practiser seeth no evill therein to him in the use or practise thereof he must needs be a hypocrite to leave it for anothers words and at best but a man-pleaser and time-server unlesse for Conscience sake it be a thing may be yielded to and there be a spirit fitted thereto of God And the God of peace and love perswade the upright hearted herein Besides Thou art to consider against whom and what the offence is and if it be against God onely may be there hath been and is come up the life of repentance which is more than words that hath been brought forth from what hath been wrought in secret in the hidden r●tired life of converse with God and then what matters it where a testimony be given to man or men in words seeing it may be a matter of Conscience to the convert to come under the censure of men against whom he is not convinced of any just occasion of offence but seeth the ground to be one in them that took occasion at what was an offence to the Spirit of God with himself that gave it And then what took occasion through an evil eye that hath watched for haultings to magnifie and exalt self in the selfish creaturely Judgment concerning what is spyed out of the creatures weakness he well knows will be further strengthened by such submissions of men and to men that his converse with God hath altered his conversation toward for which only he desires to be believed in that the offence was only and chiefly against God though accidentally the creature hath been or may be or probably will make it self concerned therein and the life of repentance from evill is that which God looks at only Yea You High and Mighty of the earth that are in the hard Judgments of the worldly spirit and in the fault-finding nature of what takes occasion against the innocent search what spirit ye are of that would make a man offendour for a word or lay a snare for him that reproves sin in the Gates and would pervert the just for a thing of nought Consider your way before the Lord whether ye are doing as ye would be done by that so readily pass judgment against the creature of God for and about outward things and outward Worships and Service and yet pretend your zeal to be for God that looks inward and at the heart and seeks and requires such worship and such to worship him that worship him in Spirit and in Truth will your imprisonments and cruel censures think ye about such things as these give ye ease when Gods witness is awakened for himself in all the world as I am assured it shall you are verily those that give just occasion to God against you and are in the just cause of offence to his Spirit and Spirits work and workings though in the same mind ye take offence against him that many are offended in for the day hath dawned and the day light doth manifest the fulfilling
of the words of Christ that said Me they hate speaking of the world because I bear witness against the deeds thereof that they are evil and it was not so much them that followed him as for his sake that came into the world to bear witness against the deeds thereof that was the cause and ground of the worlds hatred and offence they take at and against them that he called blind-guides that would seem to strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel and to find fault with a moat in their brothers eye and could not see the beam in their own which is the most dangerous estate in the world And Therefore was these sayings given forth of old that we might not be offended in what cometh to passe but that self the offendour against the Spirit and Life of God that first appeared in the world and still doth appear to be the offended may be judged in all hearts in reference to what is given or taken in the wrong part and God over all may be exalted for evermore I say that first appeared in the offence or enmity against the Spirit of God and was offended thereat for the Devil was a Lyar from the beginning and by the Spirit of the world even lies and falshood bewitched and deceived and betrayed the creature of God from its first and true guide that abode not in the truth but when he told a lye spoke of himself and out of co●●●●t in and with that condition God first placed and stated his creature in into offence against the Spirit of God was that first man lead and his sense charmed asleep with and in the worlds beauty and alurements where things hath been falsely spelled to him and therein he first brought forth the offendour against Gods Spirit yet one that first took the occasion of offence that was angry and full of wrath with his brother about outward sacrifice of the worldly spirits worship and rose up against him to slay him because of sin that lay at his door whereby was caused non acceptance with God wherefore he was not nor is not accounted and reckoned of the Seed of Adam as him that was begotten in his own Image but was and is the Seed of the envious one where ever he reigns and rules end bears Dominion And this Seed is that Cham that delights to be uncovering the nakedness of that which is by nature its father and rejoyceth in discovering and discoursing the creaturely weaknesse where it is not in charity with the creature of God and in the upbraiding insulting mind over its brother and on it is the fathers curse it was begotten by that is awakened out of the sleep his son had mocked him in and therefore hath caused him to be a servant of servants that in their omission of duty to God have therein neglected to do unto Christ whether sick or in prison in his members c. as he hath required and commanded as that which they have done unto them by imprisonments and cru●l usage c. he taketh done unto himself and so causeth them to be brought before him that would not he should reig● over them that he might slay ●hem with the edge of the Sword of Justice and so they never come to be eased of their servitude and to come to the year of Jubilee that sets free the captivated and enbondaged Seed and Prisoner of hope but stick in the birth by the way and sit down in the worldly Judgments and Confessions and Repentings and think they are heard for their much speaking and large Professions and protestations all which stands in the enmity against the Spirit of God and well-being of his Creature for he hath been wearied out with words and with the Confessions and Repentings of the world either to those called their ghostly Fathers in private once or twice a year or in publick every week to profess to come before God and tell him they have erred and strayed from his wayes like lost Sheep and done those things they ought not to have done and left undone those things they ought to have done c. and that no soundness is in them from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot and thus to continue all their life-time in the unsoundness and unwholness and unwholsomness of life and spirit and judgment and conversation and yet to sit as Judges over their fellow-creatures in cases of Conscience and to give sentence for the execution of justice for that they themselves are ready to confess is but a sp●t in respect to that pollution the body of nature in the ●all and transgression against God is stained and corrupted with needs must be to look at a meat in their brothers eye not discerning the beam in their own and this must be concluded hard measure and the same must they expect from God in this day of judgment R. B.