when my sufferings should end Which I shouldhere endure Exod 3 9 10 19 20 A Moses to me he would send My freedom to procure And those that should it then withstand His wrath he would make see And overthrow them by that hand Isa 41 10 11 Which gives me liberti. 24. But some like Pharoah still did plot My bodie to keep here Evod 8 28 32 Though they would say We hinder not But rather would him clear Yet God their hearts made hard again My freedom to denie Until that I Gods time had laine to have my liberty 25. Therefore in this I am content His time here for to stay Phil. 4.11 Heb 13 5 Psal 119.50 2 Cor 1 4 Psal 84 11. He having to me comforts lent The time to pass away He makes his sun on me to shine My soul to satisfie And promiseth in his due time To give me libertie Col. 3.16 17. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and whatsoever ye do in word or deed do alâ— in the Name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him As is the Exhortation of Richard Coppin Return into thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Christ Crucified AND Judgement Executed CHAP. I. The cross of Christ set up in men and their dyings upon it of the life which is lost and to be found the father mother â—nd brethren husband wife and children house lands and all things therein to be forsaken for Christ what they are with the time when and the manner how YOU that with Christ and with those that are Christs wil desire to live in the same spiritual freedom fellowship 1 Coâ— 1 1â— and communion of Saints in light must by him be armed with the same spiritual mind of Christ and them to know Christ crucified in you and you to all things of flesh and this world besides God and so with him to have peace joy and comfort in all your desires wayes 1 Pet. 4.1 2. and actions and with patience and delight to follow him and to take up his cross daylie and carry it with you after him suffering it to be placed in you as the Lords standard lifted up against the enemy sin the devil and all iniquitie Rev. â—â— 1â— 1â—â—7 which is a flood out of the devils mouth rushing out upon you to devour you till Christ the wisdome and power of God as the cross be set up in you to overcome it for you and restore you into perfect health and safety in the Lord Jesus Heb. 〈…〉 through the manifestation of his second comming without sin unto salvation in the perfecting of which work by the same cross walking through the paths of the Lords judgements where the natural man is to give up the ghost with the loss of life you are to abide upon this cross not for a day a month not a year and in some things and not in others but in all things all wayes and continually ever bearing about in you bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus after the flesh that the life also of Jesus after the spirit may be made manifest in your mortal bodies and you in him to live without the knowledâ— of sin and of the fear of death hell and the devil therefore you which live in the body and would know Christ cruâ—ified in you 〈…〉 â—are alwayes to be delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the liâ—â—â—lso of Jesus may be made manifest in you mâ—tâ—◠〈…〉 and 〈…〉 sin â—eath hell and 〈◊〉 man with all his corrupâ— deâ—dâ— of the flesâ— wisedom interest and knowlâ—â—g and to planâ— in you the new 〈◊〉 which in Christ Jesus 〈…〉 â—ousness 〈…〉 holinâ—sâ— and so 〈…〉 that in dying you 〈…〉 that life which y◠〈…〉 before the â—aâ— of Adam so 〈…〉 â—â—eth judgement to destroy in man the knâ—◠〈…〉 by which came death and so by 〈…〉 again to a new life â—ith 〈…〉 which he shall know himself 〈◊〉 live 〈…〉 not unto himself 〈…〉 and in dying and lâ—â—â—g 〈…〉 from which he shall never dye so saith Christ he that believes in me Joh 5.15 16 though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in â—â—e shal neâ—â—â— dyâ—â— believe you this saith Christ as sufficient 〈…〉 eternal salvation And the way to this 〈…〉 dye dayly till you be dead to all things but Goâ— to 〈◊〉 only iâ— God for as you dye the dâ—â—d of oâ—e life which you must dye and â—annot live to you livâ— aâ—othâ—r 〈◊〉 whiâ—h is for everâ—aâ—â—ing and can nevâ—â— dye whereby Câ—â—ist himself is magâ—â—fied 〈…〉 set up and exâ—â—â—â—d in your bâ—â—â—y to be youâ— and you his both in death in life 〈…〉 to you in both and you 〈◊〉 in you 〈…〉 dâ—ath that you might oâ— truâ—t 〈…〉 â—â—fore this dying 〈…〉 â—peaks of when he saâ—tâ— â—I am 〈…〉 yet nevertheless I live ye◠〈◊〉 â—â—ow 〈…〉 lives mine â—al 2 1â— â—â— and the life that 〈…〉 the faith of the son oâ— God 〈…〉 gave himself for me and noâ— only 〈…〉 â—uâ—â—or aâ—â— men whatsoever that 〈…〉 as he shâ—l be manifest in them may b◠〈◊〉 with him 〈…〉 unto themselves 〈…〉 dyed for thâ—â— and now lives in â—â—â—m 〈…〉 that wâ—ether they live oâ— dye 〈…〉 〈…〉 who â—â—s that was dead iâ— alive 〈…〉 Aâ—d 〈◊〉 Christ said unto you all thaâ— woâ—â—d 〈◊〉 any thing in your selves besides the â—ord of for any othâ—â— but th◠〈◊〉 that â—f you will come after 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 deâ—y your 〈◊〉 and take up â—â—s cross â—ayâ—y and 〈…〉 that you may be noth ng 〈◊〉 your â—â—lâ—â—â— know 〈…〉 any thing of 〈…〉 all by 〈…〉 joy 〈◊〉 things of the Lord who is made all things unto you that you haveing nothing yet injoying all things as injoying all things Luk. 9.23.24 yet having nothing for he that wil seek to save his life shall lose it and he that will lose his life for my sake shall find it And now my brethren that you may dye to live lose all to find all you are commanded by Christ to hang upon the cross of Christ till you are crucified with Christ and become dead to all things but Christ which is not an outward cross of any visible thing without you no nor altogether outward afflictions but it is Christ the wisdom of God and Christ the power of God within you and which you are to take up and hang upon to the slaying of all your own wisdome and strength righteousness and life and all things of man and the world and whatsoever is contrary to this cross even Christ in you which you are to take up and hang upon even you and all that is yours yea all of yours even all is to be fastned to him and slain by him in your
the sons of God but the flames of a wounded conscience of the one who can indure the bitter burning of it so the joyes of a healed saved conscience in the other how sweet is it and both these manifest in flesh under the law and gospel-dispensation where the discontent and torment of one mans conscience wounded by the Law is manifest and the joy and comfort of anothers healed by the gospel and both living together on the earth in the body and having the glory of this world and the other the same but Dives dyed and was buried First his death was the coming of the Law to him to revive sin in him whereby sin was made exceeding sinful and thereby slew him as it did Paul and as is the death of all after which comes judgement before which Paul as Dives was rich and righteous in himself Rom. 7.9 10 11 12 13 14. till the Law was set home to him and revived sin in him and so slew him after which the gospel came and gave life unto him But Dives also was buried and in hell tormented hee was with David laid into the lowermost pit in darkness Psal 88.6 7. in the deep where the wrath of God lay hard upon him that he could not come forth where he was scorched with fire and burned his tongue for pain under the four and five vial and which David he cryed out Luk. 16.23 24. Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame as David said Wilt thou shew wonders in the grave where thy fierce wrath goeth over me Psa 88.12.16 Psa 43.2 3. and thy terrors have cut me off Why dost thou cut me off Why go I mourning because of the oppression and the enemy Psa 51.8.12 send Lazarus thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy hill make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit so is the cryings of a wounded soul that looketh up unto God for mercy as is said Dives did who was also a son of God as Lazarus was for he called Abraham father and Abraham called Dives his son and so is every unbeliever the son of God though so long he bringeth forth fruit to himself and not unto God and thereby destroys himself Rom. 11.32 yet in God is his help and the help of every unbeliever for he hath concluded all under sin and unbelief that he might have mercy upon all and therefore Dives said Father Abraham have mercy on me Now Lazarus he dyed that is he dyed unto sin and lived unto righteousness and was not buried as Dives was Rom. 6.11 but was carryed by the angels into Abrahams bosom he was dead in Christ as every believer is while he lives by whom he was crucified and slain to sin and the worlds glory 2 Cor. 1.9 10. having received in himself the sentence of death that he should not trust in himself but in God which raiseth the dead and delivered him from so great a death from which he had not delivered Dives and all thus dead in Christ riseth first with Christ into the life of Christ which is the first resurrection but the rest of the dead to wit they of Dives the righteous and the wicked that are so in themselves and do worship the Beast and his Image and follow the whore they rise not till they are so become dead in Christ from sin and the world which yet they live in are dead from Christ buryed in the grave of destruction â—ev 14.9 i0 11. where is weeping and gnashing of teeth and where the worm dyeth not and the fire is not quenched to all that are in it but blessed are ehe dead which dye in the Lord Rev. 14.15 from the whore and her worship from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them for dying and rising in Christ they do enter into rest with Christ resting from all their own works as God did from his who also have received in themselves the sentence of death that they should not trust in themselves but in God that raiseth the dead and delivered them from so great a death which others lye groaning under and so by the angels or ministring spirits of Christ in them are carryed out of themselves into Abrahams bosom swallowed up into the life of God free from the wrath and curse as believers still living in the body having Christ their life manifest in their mortal flesh 2 Cor. 4 11. Matt. 5.8 9. by which their consciences are at peace and rest with Christ in God as the pure in heart which is blessed with God receiving possessing and injoying the reward of their works of humility meekness and love which is rest for evermore and unto whom the impure and unbeliever cannot come nor be blessed with the same spiritual blessing of Christ in them but do with Dives the righteous and the wicked still hate and persecute them that are blessed above them and like roaring Lyons they will go about seeking to devour them till the Lyon of the tribe of Judah meets them as he did Paul and destroys in them the righteous and the wicked Acts 9.3 4 5. the Pharisee and all his works the good and the evil knowledge with men turning their evil into good their darkness into light their death into life and their hatred into love and so translate them out of the kingdome of the evil and of darkness into the Kingdom of light and the Lord Jesus And these two parts Righteousness and sin good and evil so known by men which is to be destroyed every man for a time while he believes not known to be more or less in him the one opposing the other which is the righteousness of man against the sin of man do both joyne together against the third part of man which is refined and draw out from the other to be pure in Christ and by the pure even Christ is the righteous and the wicked purged forth and destroyed together for works of gold and works of dross the best and worst of man is all but vanitie 1 Cor. 5.12 13. and must be destroyed for as the wicked part which is sin is compared to bryars and thorns wood hey and stubble so the other part which is the righteous so called is compared to gold and precious stone and all but as one Dives even the two parts of three righteousness and wickedness which must be burnt up man therein shall suffer loss Gen. 18.23 Job 9.22 Eccle. 3.16 17. for God will destroy both the righteous and the wicked which is of man but man himself or that third
they shal rejoyce and be glad for it is the Lords day wherein he wil have taken away their Judgements and cast out their enemies Sin Death Hel and the Devil and all fe r and the King of Israe even the Lord of Hosts shal be in the midst of them and they shal not see evil any more Zeph. 3 13. to the end neither shal they any more live in fear of any thing nor yet sorrow any more but sorrow and sighing shal flie away and they shaâ— rejoyâ—e always with joy unspeakable and ful of glory Rev. 21.34 and the Lord himself wil be seen amongst them to dwel with them and delight in them and rejoyce â—ver them with Joy and wil turn back their captivity even before their own eyes and they shal see it and know that the Lord who hath done it is for ever with them in it For the tabernacle of God is with men and he wil dwel with them and they shal be his people and God himselfe shal be with them and be their God CHAP. XII Incouragements to wait with p tience under the Lords Judgements and not to oppose them Of the works of the Lord Jesus what they are and how we bear them about in our bodies and when ANd now seeing that so much good is wrought in men by the Lords judgments spiritual and temporal though acted unjustly by men as the rod that afflicts them outwardly yet let no man seek by any outward means or lawes of men to put them by for it is the Lords way though it is incident with all men so to do that know not the Lord with them in it who would seek to escape the Iudgment thereof to save their own honor and credit with men and to avoid the punishment of the flesh as did David Iob yea Christ and his Apostles who had the same infirmities of the flesh as we have when Christ said Lord if it be possible let this cup pass from me and sought means to avoid it for indeed no afflictions with any seems joyous for the present though afterwards it yeelds a peaceable reward of righteousness to all that are exercised therein as it did to Christ himself who after he had suffered entred into glory with his Father so shal all that with Christ overcome and indure to the end yet this glorious reward of righteousnesse with men may somtimes be hid under afflictions as the Sun when the clouds are before it that men may not for the present see the end of God in it nor the good that is to be brought unto them by it till the clouds are passed and their Judgments ended as before you have heard for clouds and darknesse is round about him Psa 18. as about the Sun when you see it not yet the darknesse of these clouds wil he expell by the brightnesse of his comming and by his light he wil shine gloriously through them even upon him who with the eye of faith shall see Christ comming to him and he will therein cheer and comfort him incourage and support him from the evil that men have invented against him as the spirit of the Lord with my spirit bear witness unto me which concerning my selfe in all my sufferings and persecutions for the truth to this day 1 Pet. 2 21. unto which I was cald by the Lord he hath done for me that bonds and afflictions through which a soul enters into the kingdome of God have been good unto mee Acts 14.22 it being sanctified unto me by his spirit by which I was comforted and the Angel of his presence with me in it by which I was saved concerning which I with Paul can speak the truth in Christ and lye not and which another for me cannot know but for themselves that hath seen it for to him that overcometh it is hidden Manna and a white stone and in it a new name written which no man knows but he that hath it Rev. 2.17 And now that you may with Christ indure to the end for this new name which is a pearl of great price and a name above every name that is named amongst men be you perswaded by the spirit of the Lord within you to watch for the comming of the Lord to give it to you and be ye armed with the same mind and patience in the Lord to suffer with Christ in the flesh 1 Pet. 1.4 for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin and so be ye ready prepared in all things to meet the Lord both in his birth death resurrection and ascension and to embrace him in the worst condition as well as in the best as well to suffer with him as to regin with him to dye with him as to live with him and to be reviled and reproached scoffed and mocked derided and falsly accused by men more vile then the earth Christ was and his prophets and Apostles were so were all his Saints and so must all that will live godly in Christ Jesus Isa 64 6. and not after the godliness of men which is filthyness with the Lord Ye filthy rags saith the Prophet and by the Lord shal be cast out therefore be ye armed with the saints patience in tribulations that vvith Christ you may beare his reproach without the campe of your own righteousness and religion Heb. 13.12.13 as he did without the gate of the honour and glory of the world and with him be willing to dye to all things of men and with him to live to all things of God Gal. 6.17 and so with Paul ever bear about in your body the marks of the Lord Iesus both in dying and in living in dying the unjust persecutions mockings revilings and scourgings of men groanings sighings and mournings in the suffering of the flesh as did Christ whose visage was more ma6rr'd then any mans Esa 52.14 and his person more desormed then the sons of men and who in his pangs cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me These are the dying marks of Christ which you are to bear about in your body for the truths sake and the living marks is peace comfort and consolation joy of heart content of minde quietness of conscience and a soul at rest in the Lord full of all humility meekness and love these are the living marks of Iesus which you are to bear about in your bodies 1 Cor. 4.6 7 8 9 10.11 that while you live delivered unto death for Iesus sake so the life also of Iesus shal be manifest in your mortal flesh yea in these your mortal bodies when with Christ you have been crucified to see an end of sin CHAP. XIII How men of the greatest light witnessing to truth under Judgments do suffer most unjustly by false accusations with the loss of all things below God that not all but some mâ—n as witnesses shall suffer for the rest af one life how some professing the
did men that persecute others for their judgement and endeavours to destroy their knowledge know that it vvould be thereby the more encreased they would not do it for when they send them to Prison they do but send them as to a School vvhere they shal learn more of God and be the more confirmed in the truth they before knew for Christ wil never leave them that he hath once taught but wil be alwaies with them more to teach them that they may more knovv him and be setled and grounded in him And in all my sufferings and imprisonment for the truth to this day I have had with me the company of that one School-Master the Lord Jesus who at first taught me the knowledge of himself in the spiritual School of divine learning the Spirit of himself set up in my heart by vvhich I vvas made a Schollar fit to take my Degrees to bear the burden and undergo the reproaches by men laid upon me in the school of my imprisonment sufferings for the truths sake that I might not fear nor be discouraged by them as I have not bin hitherto praised be God but in six troubles the Lord delivered me and in the seventh which is this I am now under no evil is yet come unto me Job 5 17 18 19 which hath been seven trials and persecutions that I have had for the vvitness of Jesus and by vvhich the Lord hath also tryed and proved me vvhether the Lesson he at first taught me To trust in him and deny my self for him vvere stil ovvned and not forgotten nor denyed by me in which through him I have been hitherto faithful shall so continue unto death if the Lord wil and am not vvithout my revvard vvhich is a Crovvn of Life The fruit of which Life of God manifest in flesh as fast as it vvas ripened in me vvas by the Lord and keeper of the Vinyard in which it grew gathered and sent by me to be distributed among you Acts 20.20 of vvhich with Paul I kept nothing back from you that vvas profitable to you during the time I vvas vvith you nor from the rest of my Brethren in the flesh vvhere I have at any time been but vvith Paul I have taught publikely and from house to house vvhat the Lord hath taught me vvhich I did not do for price nor revvard of men as some Parish-Ministers do that as so many Merchant-men through covetousness make merchandise of the people and seek not the Lord Jesus Christ but themselves but what I do and have done as my conscience bears me vvitness hath been really with heart and soul according to my power for the glory of God and the comfort of his people in the Lord Jesus that as freely I have received so freely have I given for the Vinyard was the Lords and he himself as the Husbandman of the Vinyard did by his spirit in me plow it sow it plant and dress it and caused it to grow by the sweet and powerful dew of himself falling from heaven upon it as the former and later rain upon the earth and being ripe in me he gathered it and made it ready for me and through the power of his spirit working in me sent it abroad among you to be by me declared unto you for your souls comfort did himself whose Messenger I was reward me for it not onely with spiritual comforts to my soul and with food and raiment to my body but also vvith the reproaches of Christ vvhich I count greater riches then the pleasures of Aegypt or the riches and glory of this World in vvhich I also rejoyced as my portion vvith the Lord seeing the Lord in it and vvith Paul learned to be content in all things and vvith him returns you all thanks that have in any measure and freely participated vvith me and ministred to me in my sufferings And novv the same Lord vvhich caused to grovv in me that Gospel-fruit vvhich I declared to you must also cause it to grovv in you before it can bring forth fruit to you that you all vvith me and I vvith you and vve both vvith Ephraim may be like a green Firre-tree in vvhom fruit is found for you had it from me but in vvords vvho only can plant or speak to the ear but it is the Lord that must speak to the heart to teach plant and cause to grovv in you the great Mysterie of godliness for Paul may plant and Apollo may vvater but God must give the encrease vvhich as I have said unto you is That you should knovv God manifest in flesh Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and for ever born crucified dead buryed risen and ascended and coming to you the second time in spirit and truth without sin unto salvation bringing all things of him unto your remembrance and by which spirit of him in me manifesting the same to me I have published it to you beseeching you all in Christ Jesus to be reconciled to God for that God in Christ from all eternity was himself reconciled to you and all mankind and that vvhile you and all men vvere yet sinners sent his Son to dye for us according to the Scriptures to reconcile you to himself and in mercy to you he pardoned you and by his spirit within you frees you and which Message of him for the reconciliation of all men to God so far as to me was made known by him I have been am and shall be through him ever faithful who through his mercy hath preserved me in it And now the increase of the Fruit of this Vinyard of Christ for the increase of his body taught me by him in the School of my imprisonment and sufferings for the truth and ripened and gathered by him in the Harvest thereof I shall present you with from the Lord and not as from my self without him who first vvrit in my heart and after by my hand in several Treatises of several subjects while I have been a prisoner among you to be in order presented to you shortly agreeable to what I have before in vvords declared amongst you and which if you have an ear to hear vvhat the spirit saith may be more opened in you by the Lord of that spirit in the reading thereof and in vvhich reading I desire you all to vvait upon the Lord to be taught by him vvho only can give you an appetite to it and make you detest it that can make you vvilling and able to receive it vvhich is the mysterie of Christ crucified and you that cannot receive all for the present vvhy rest your selves satisfied vvith what you can and judge nothing before the time until the Lord shall come and open it to you vvith an injoyment of it in you 1 Coâ— 4.5 as he hath done to me in the mean time take this herevvith sent you as a preparative to that vvhich is coming and he that can receive it let him receive
their coming to their kingdom and with which beast or beastial power acting in men to take the kingdom from the saints the kings rulers of the earth as enemies to Christ and his kingdom Rev. 14.9 10 do receive power and authority with and from the beast to act one hour with the beast and by him they do reign over the people of all Nations Rev. 17.11 12 13 14. and with him they shall suffer and go into perdition together and they give their power and authority to the beast and prince of darkness that ruâ—eâ— in the children of disobedience yeelding themselves his servants and sons as the god and father which they worship and fall down before Rom. 6.16 For his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto life and yeelding to the Beast they with him who with Gog and Magog do joyn in battle together to make war against the Saints of the Most High until Christ the Lamb of God and Prince of Light by his innocent life and light in the Saints shall overcome the Beast or beastial power by the bright fiery appearing of his presence amongst them in the Saints and shall give the victory to the Saints Rev. 15.2 3. and until Christ and the ancient of days shall sit in judgement upon the white throne of innocency Rev. 20.11 12 Deut. 7.9 10 11 19 20 21 22. light and life in God from whose face the heaven and the earth and all things therein of mans inventions shal flye away and before whom all books shal then be opened and every mans conscience shal bear witness either for or against himselfe and their thought the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Rom. 2.16 17. for then do God appear to judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to his Gospel and then doth he give the Kingdom to the Saints of the Most High to possess it even to them that know themselves in him and he in them and then will the beast devil and sin even Gog and Magog warred against the Saints in the time of their deliverance from sin and resurrection from death by Christ as the Aegyptians did against Israel in Israels coming out of Aegypt be quickly slain and devoured with fire from Heaven as the Aegyptians were by water drowned in the red-sea and that body of sin and death the old man which is the body of the beast in which he appears to live and act shall be destroyed and given to the burning fire in the lake which quencheth not where the devil death hell Rev. 20.8 9 10 14. and the false Prophet is to be damned to a perpetual end for ever and ever which is the second death and these men with whom the beast and prince of darkness have so acted and ruled Rev. 12.12 shall themselves go in his destruction who will then be in great wrath in them because he knows his time is short with them be shut out from the injoyment of love and peace in God and have punnishment greater then they bear but the Heavens shall laugh and they that dwell in them shall rejoyce and be at peace and rest in the Lord. CHAP. V. A definition of the righteous and the wicked as two parts of three in man to be destroyed and how the third part neither righteous nor wicked is brought through the fire and saved with a distinction of Dives and Lazaras â—nd their conditions in life and death and of the dog licking Lazaras â—aâ—es ANd into this consumnig fire where Gog and Magog is destroyed for persecuting the Saints thither went Adam after he eat the forbidden fruit Gen. 4.13 and Cain after he had slew his brother Abel where Cain said my punishment is greater then I can bear and where rich Dives whose kingdom is of this world and that to this day despises Lazarus Iames 3.15 is tormented in the flame of a burning conscience being that dark black devilish part which is earthy sensual and devilish opposing hating and loathing that part which is light bright and Heavenly Gen. 18.23 Iob 9.22 Isa 64.6 and who is both the righteous and the wicked with men that must be destroyed for both the righteousness and wickedness of men is all as filthiness and so shall perish together for as they are one in pollution so they shall be one in destruction so was Dives with all his glory he and that destroyed together But to more explain this Dives is the pharisaical principle of righteousness under a law dispensation where sin is manifest representing of men in the state of unbelief and which so far as any man liveth in it he is as Dives was righteous and wicked for in opposition to his own wickedness he forms to himselfe a righteousness in which he is proud and lusty rich and mighty boasting himselfe in himselfe against the poor publican as Dives did against Lazarus yet this publican shall enter into Heaven before the proud Pharisee Matt. 21.31 so shall Lazarus without Dives even as humillity without pride and then Lazarus is the gospel principle of righteousness under a gospel dispensation representing all men in the state of believing which so far as any man liveth in it he is as Lazarus was poor and humble meek and lowly even as a poor despised publican having no righteousness of his own but is cloathed with poor beggerly rayment to the worlds view that wear it not and waiting to be cloathed with change of rayment from Heaven and justified only in the righteousness of Christ Againe this Dives the righteous and the wicked in a mistery is two parts of three in the whole creation with man that cannot stand in the presence of Gods consumâ—ng fire to be tryed and saved but is for destruction to be damned and cast into hell to be burned for two parts therein shall be cut off and dye but the third part shall remaine and be brought through the fire as refined silver and as tryed gold Zach. 13.9 this third part is poor Lazarus tryed and punished for salvation having all his own works good and bad burned but himselfe saved for none of the third part can be lost being of God having past the tryal through the fire and overcome the righteous and the wicked that warred against it and could not escape the fire for they that are both righteous and wicked seeing righteousness and sin of their own do persecute the innocent that sees and know nothing of their own which the righteous and the wicked even Gog and Magog incampeth about to destroy and thereby destroyeth it selfe yet is the inocent sanctified nature of men that is neither righteous nor wicked exalted with Christ into the throne of God into Abrahams bosom where no evil of sin nor sorrow can come neer it to hurt it and where there is no curse but the eternal blessedness of God And so
CRUX CHRISTI AND Iudgement Executed OR DIVINE WISDOM CRUCIFYING The humane carnal devillish malicious mad raging Wlsdom of the World By his righteous Judgements drawing nearer to its full and perfect manifestation Then shall Josephs and Daniels afflictions end and their Imprisonments be no more heard of And also bondaged Israel reâ—urn be brought from their captivity both of men and from that malicious spirit of ignorance and darkness into perfect liberty peace and everlasting rest So shall poor Lazarus and the Publican be carryed into Abrahams bosom and rich Dives with all the traditions both of the righteous and wicked appear as a menstruous Clout or as filthy Rags that all cleansed ones shall loath to handle touch look on or come within the smell thereof Whereunto is added a Comparatis Compraudis of the Judgements of God with the unequal wayes and judgements of that malicious one in man Written and experienced by Richard Coppin in his sufferings for the Truth 1 Cor. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Gal. 6.14 17. From henceforth let no man trouble me for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus LONDON Printed for VVilliam Larner and are to be sold at the Black-Moore neer Fleet-Bridge 1657. The AVTHORS EPITLE To all the beloved of the Lord that love the appearing of Jesus Christ in spirit and truth in and about the City of Rochester in Kent aad whereever they may be scattered to whom Grace and Peace be multiplyed from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. FRiends and Brethren in the friendship and brother-hood of the Lord Jesus with whom and for whom we all in the spiritual union of Christ and him crucified have suffered together for the witness of Jesus and the truth of the Gospel which hath been taught us by him that our joy might be together in him Wherefore know ye 1 Cor. 8.6 that there is in you and ruleth over you one true and living God the Father of whom are all things and you in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and you by him Rom. â— 5 Ephes 4.6.7 and who is over all through all and in you all God blessed for ever and that hath given to every one of you that believeth Grace Câ—â— 2 9. according to the measure of the gift of Christ in whom dwells all the fulness of the God-head bodylie and of whose fulness all that believe and trust in the living God the Saviour of all men have received grace for grace 1 Tim. 4.9 10. the glory of whom with the eye of divine beauty you may behold as the glory of the onely begotten Son of the Father ful of grace and truth for you for the Law came by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ whose coming is to reveal in you Ioh. 1.14 Joh. 16.25 and shew unto you the Father plainly even the mysterie of the History which lieth hid in the Letter til Christ shall unfold it unto you in the spirit and therefore God hath given unto Christ all power in Heaven and on Earth Matth. 28.18 Col. 2.15 Col. 1.18 19. that he might overcome all Principalities and Powers for you that hindered the revelation of Christ to you and he in all things to have the preheminence with you for it pleased the Father that in him should â—ll fulness dwell that of his fulness he might fill all things both in heaven and earth of things high and low of what sort or degree soever they be and all being ful of him there is then no room in any thing to contain any thing but him nor to be contained besides him where himself containeth all things for he is all in all and this is he that wil in due time free me you and all men from all that doth oppress us and oppose us in the truth And when the Lord Jesus shall become your all in all places persons and things to fil all in your apprehensions then is hel as wel as heaven with you ful of him and he rules in them both so saith David who saw it and knew it If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there Psal â—39 8â— If I go down into Hell behold thou art there And if I dwell in the uttermost parts of the Earth thou art there also Heaven and Earth is ful of his glory Psal 103.19 and his Kâ—ngdom ruâ—eth over all and the presence of God in deaâ—h and hel with â—is people in which any thing of God hath been shut up or hid is that which makes death Rev. 20.13 Isa 26. and hel and the sea of sin and miseâ—y to give up the dead that is in them and no more to cover their slain and a new death and hel or eternal fire as wel as a new life and a new heaven and earth will God prepare to swallow up ye old where the old Name and Nature of Hel and Death and Heaven 〈◊〉 7.32 〈◊〉 21.4 5. and Earth even Tophet shall be changed and their place no more found after which there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away Isa 6. and all things will God make new in the new Heaven and in the new Earth where all things that are is contained and in which change all the things of the first Creation as all old things are ended and made new in the second Creation yea even death and hel else how is it said Behold I make all things new if that be not Isa 62.22 And as the new Heaven wh ch the Lord shall make shall remain before him and have in it a new life and felicity which should end the old so the new Earth which he shall make shall also remain and have in it a new death and hel which changeth the old and into which hel or Lake of fire all things of the old which belongeth to the old man in us even that death and hel which swallowed us up Rev. 20.14 Isa 28 18. and tormented us shall be cast into it to be ended by it and the covenant agreement of men with death hel disannulled all the enemies of mankinde to be destroyed with it when Christ himself who makes all things new shall appear in hel to change the property of it Isa 63.1 2.3 Rev. 14.19 20. and thereby tread the Wine-press of the Wrath of â—od even Satan under foot for the redemption of his people and then shall all the Enemies of God and of them which all sin and transgression and all that is not found written in the Book of Life he cast into that Wine-press or Lake of Fire to be there killed and ended This is the second death Râ—v 20.14 15. and
our second life and resurrection from the dead And that you may see this death taking place upon all that which is enmitie with God Christ your selves and the truth and you thereby come to a resurrection of life in him let me encourage you to trust in God who only can save you and raise you to a newness of life Isa 26.4 for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting streâ—gth who wil bring down under foot Col. 2.14.15 and nayle to his cross all that which is against you and contrary to you therefore you that would see the one to enjoy the other wait upon him in the way which he doth it which is by the obedience of Christ to the cross for he is said to drink of the Brook in the way Hâ—b 2.9 Psal 110.6 7. tasting death for every man by which he is in us and for us woundeth the head of the Dragon and thereby lifteth up his own head as you shall find more of hereafter in what I have written to you that the way of Gods justice judgement and mercy in which he destroyes all his our Enemies is that by which you shal receive comfort and consolation from the Lord as the way of God in which his Prophets Apostles and Saints all waited for him to be taught by him Isa 26 â— as hath been also manifest to be the way of God with me since I knew the Lord and was taught by him and by him made to bear witness of the truth which I received in judgement with him who my self hath been comforted refreshed and restored therewith in all my sufferings and undertakings for him unto this day and who wil also comfort you with the same consolation and restore you with the same restoration into safety with himself for he that hath kept you wil keep you stil and wil cast off none that wait upon him but saith the Prophet Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace and safety whose minde is stayed on thee Isa 26.3 because he trusteth in thee And as far as any of you shal with any in the sufferings of any that suffer for the truth be a sufferer with them who together suffer with Christ so know that as you are partakers with them in the same sufferings of Christ so you are partakers with them in the same glory of Christ though you may not all suffer the outward Bonds and afflictions of the body as others do and as Christ did for us all yet to be sensible of their sufferings as when one member suffers 1 Cor. 12.26 all suffer with it and if one rejoice all rejoice with it and so if we suffer with Christ we shall also reign with him in which the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glo y by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while 1 Pet 5.6 7 8 9 11. make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you to whom and to none else be glory and dominion for ever and ever And now you my Brethren and partakers in the same Soâ—-ship and spiritual union of Christ that which I desire and alwaies desired to know among you since I knew you and that I would you should also know among your selves to bear witness to the truth is 1 Cor. 2. â— Jesus Christ and him crucified by which the world is crucified unto you and you unto the world and that whether we are present one with another or absent one from another yet that the truth as it is in Jesus and which maketh you free may abide with you Gal. 6.14 Joh. 8 32 36. chap. 14.16 Phil. 2 5. Rom. 12.16 be perfected in you you thereby to know it by it may be united into one mind and one spirit with the Lord Jesus and one another walking together in one fellowship of the spirit and spiritual union in all humility meekness gentleness and long-suffering Eph. 4.1 2 3. forbearing and forgiving one another in love according to the example of Christ the first and true pattern of all our walkings sufferings undertakings and rejoicings in the Lord even then do you witness the true Christ and light of the World in whom is light and no darkness truth and no error good and no evil and that if you walâ— in the light as he is in the light then you have fellowship one with another with those that have fellowship with Christ 1 Joh. 1.5 6. and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son which is his Life shed abroad in your hearts cleanseth you from all sin which fellowship those that are ignorant of God and of the pardon of their sins by Christ knoweth not but are in darkness and under the bondage of corruption until now and have not known Christ nor him crucified and so long cannot bear witness unto him Then that you may be tryed and proved to farther learn this Lesson of Christ and be made able and wiling to bear his cross and witness to it you are to mind God in his judgements the way in which you are called before him to learn all the obedience of Christ to the cross who after you have entered into spiritual judgement with the Lord do cause you to enter into temporal judgement with men as companions with his spiritual as he did Christ his Prophets Apostles and Saints who learned obedience by the things which they suffered and through sufferings they were made perfect Heb. 2.10 therefore are the prisons and sufferings of the Prophets and Apostles of the Lord Jesus into which they were cast by men for the truth said to be their Schools where they both learned and witnessed Christ and him crucified and which by experience I have found to be mine where I have learned and witnessed with them unto the same truth that against me false witnesses have risen up and laid to my charge things which I knew not as they did against them Psal 35. â— and all that witness the truth to this day in the time of their witnessing in which sufferings of the Prophets Apostles the truth was the more manifest both to them and the world as it was with Jeremiah vvho vvas taught in the Dungeon of the Prison Jer. 32.1 2. chap. 29â— soâ—â— and from thence sent forth Wrâ—tings of his Visions and Revelations of vvhat God had made knovvn unto him as also did the rest of the Prophets in their sufferings and as did the Apostles and John the Divine Rev. 1.9 Col. 4.18 Phil. 1.12 13 who wrote the Evangelist and the Epistles and when he was persecuted into the I le of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus then was the revelations of Jesus Christ revealed to him and written by him and Paul writ his Epistles in his times of suffering and saith he My Bonds proves all to the furtherance of the Gospel and times of persecution are the times of Gods farther teaching his people and
it and judge not that you know not and despise not that you enjoy not lest you should speak evil of the truth unawares but vvait the Lords time vvith patience and confidence until he that shall come vvill come and make truth appear truth to you and then you vvil not judge at all Heb. 10.35 36 37. the vvhich I doubt not but vvith you that knovv the Lord truth as truth will be received by you as from the Lord who himself vvith all his own Messages cometh vvith the Messengers to open the understandings of them vvhich he hath appointed receivers and the rest must tarry till he come vvho vvas not only the Author of it in me for you but vvill also be the Finisher of it to you at his coming wherefore receive you it the Lord and me together in one Spirit else you vvill not receive it as truth nor to your souls comfort but as Paul saith It will be unto them that do not believe but are reprobated as the savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2 15 16. and to them vvhich do believe and are saved as the savour of life unto life for some in love to the Message of Christ vvill rejoice in it and others in hatred to it will be terrified by it however the Will of God be done in it And as I have sometime said unto you vvhen I was at first forced to leave you to go to prison for the truth and your sakes that when I was absent from you my spirit should be present with you so in the absence of now my person you may in this my Writing read my spirit vvhich is alvvayes vvith you in the Lord and as you have said you vvere comforted with my presence be ye also comforted still in my absence of which I doubt not but through the Lord you are comforted yea and in the absence of any man that may have been as a Messenger of the Lord to you let your comfort be in the Lord who onely is able to make you stand And the God of all comfort and patience fill you with all joy and peace in believing and the God of peace be with you 2 Cor. 1.3 and the peace of God which passeth all understanding keep you and rule in you and thereby make you able and willing to follow peace with all men Phil. 4 7. in which rest ye all together with me where I also rest with you and seeing first our peace with God in Jesus Christ our Lord we are therefore at peace with men and do forgive them as God in Christ hath forgiven us and is at peace with us And as I have not been forgotten by you that know my spirit in the Lord so I forget not you in him but ever remain the Lords faithful steward and your faithful friend servant in the brotherly Message of the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus for the glory of God and comfort of all those that shal love his appearing And lastly My friends and brethren who all know of the proceedings against me you have also known how my life and Doctrine hath been among you and how by false accusations I have suffered for the truth and a good conscience but I rejoyce in it and still say The Lords Will be done and his Kingdom come even to my Enemies and reconcile them and those present differences with men that having peace in themselves they may live in love and peace one with another and no longer seek the destruction one of another In the mean time with the Prophets and Apostles of the Lord Jesus I shall rest and say as David and Christ did Psal 35.11 That though false Witnesses have rose up and laid to my charge things which I knew not yet they could not prevail against me to hurt me nor prevent the truth revealed in me but the things that have happend to me have prov'd rather to the further encrease of it with me wherefore better is it if the Will of God be that we suffer for well doing rather then for evil Phil. 1.12 13. and wrongfully rather then justlie â— Pet. 2.19 for this is thank-worthy saith Peter if a man for conscience towards God endure grief wrongfully as my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Ghost I do and have done to this day endured cheerfully that which I have been wrongfully accused for owning the Name of Jesus yet they cannot pull me out of his hand nor blot my Name out of the Book of his Remembrance but though men interested in the World that are lifted up with worldly pride and honor Luke 6.22 â—â— may hate me and blot my name out of their Books and cast it out as evil for the Son of Mans sake yet the Lord who saith I am blessed therein owns me and doth still love me and never will nor can forsake me because in Christ the Book of Life I am alwayes in remembrance before him in whom my new Name is written and no man can take it from me â—sa 19.14 15. for can a Woman forget her sucking-child saith the Lord that she should not have compassion on the son of her Womb yea she may forget but I will never forget thee saith the Lord Such is my faith and confidence in the Lord who having loved his own will love them to the end and is tender of them as the Apple of his eye And that as he hath freed my soul from the snares of death sin and devils so he will in his time free my body from the snares of men that with hatred to the life of God in me lye in wait daylie to devour me and that when my liberty hath been several times like to come have suggested false things against me to prevent it and hinder the truth from appearing as the Princes Dan. 6. Jâ—r 38 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 37.7 8 9 10. 39. 11 12. Gen. 41.14 Dan 6.23 Priests and false Prophets of old did against the true Prophets to keep them in prison but the Lord hath his time for me as he had for them to free me and I shall with patience wait for it who works and none can let and who made Zedekiah free Jerâ—miah from the Dungeon of the Prison upon the request of Ebedmeleck one of the Kings House and who also made Pharoah King of Aegypt free Joseph from Prison upon the motion of Pharoahs chief Butler and did also make King Darius to command Daniel from the lyons Den without an hurt to him who no doubt in his due time will by what means he pleaseth free me and none shall hinder till when I shall rest in him with my prayers in the spirit for you all that God vvill keep you and me and also for my enemies that he vvill not lay to their charge the things they have acted against me vvhich he hath hitherto made me able to bear to rest
same life for fear of suffering will deny them that suffer for them rather then suffer with them as the Disciples of Christ did CHrist and his Prophets and Apostles for conscience towards God suffered uniustly 1 Pet. 2.19 20 21. and dyed uniustly by the hands of men though it was just with God that they should suffer yea and to suffer by men unjustly as being not guilty of the crimes for which they were accused but false witnesses did arise Psa 31.11 and laid many things to their charge which they knew not as my self with many others at this day can witness hath been also laid against us by false witnesses since we with them have born witness to the Truth in which notwithstanding I abundantly rejoyce and my joy in this is fulfilled that the Lord Iesus for conscience towards God hath joyned me with himself in his worst condition to suffer with him and in his best condition to reign with him yea and to suffer unjustly by men as he hath done before me and now in this my sufferings to suffer with me els my peace in it would not have been so great nor I so cheerfully to have past it through that I cannot but rejoyce that he hath made me willing and able with cheerfulness to bear his cross after him and that in it he hath so far honoured me as to have all manner of evil said of me falsly for his Names sake as a blasphemer a seducer and what not by those that knew me not and which by the world and them that know not God may be counted a shame and dishonor yet to me and all that know the Lord it is a crown of honor rejoycing through him who hath been my example and pattern by whom I have been made to endure the cross and despise the shame who himself for the honor which is of God regarded not the honor of men but suffered it all to be laid in the dust and himself to be reckoned with the worst of men yea with Christ we have many more Examples to wit his Prophets and Apostles who counted it their greatest honor to suffer unjustly by men in the Lords cause 1 Cor. 4.9 12 13. and for his sake to be made as the Filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things know it to be their portion lot and inheritance with men which with Christ for Christ they must receive by the hands of men that know not the Lord nor the people the Lords inheritance for had they known Christ they would not â—ave crucified him nor aâ—y that lived his life but because they knovv not Christ nor the life of him vvhich any live therefore they rise up against it and condemn it And God wil have those that suffer for him and his cause to suffer unjustly by men that they may the more hate the ways of men to declare against them and know that there is nothing just amongst men nor none that is good no not one and so hee wil wean them from the milk and draw them from the brest of all fleshly confidence and human excellencies below himselfe that they may depart from all things but God Isa 28.9 and love none but him in the world whom they are to know above all things and no more to contend for the wisdom knowledge and excellency of men nor any thing of moral righteousness to glory in but though you may be as righteous as others and have as much as any to boast your selves in yet rather then you shall keep it to be thought the more righteous for it and exalted by it to glory in it God will take it from you though by false accusation for you shal be accused by men of the things you are not gulilty that you may bee tryed and brought to Iudgment and know that there is no respect of persons with God nor none that doth righteousness but him that no flesh might glory in his presence 1 Cor. i 2 â— and that he that standeth might not stand in the wisdome of men but of God and glory onely in the Lord. Now every single person of one and the same life may not all suffer alike in outward bonds and afflictions nor be alike accused but only that life they live with Christ in God for the same life which many men live and injoys may be but in some accused and suffer even in them where it is most manifest and injoyed and where it most appears in opposition to the world and he that is most perfect before God as Christ Job 2 3 4 â— Iob and David was even against it in them and in such as against Christ the manchilde Rev. 4.12 5. wil the Dragon most vomit up his malice and act it men with endeavours to devour it in all men that live it and that with Christ do inherit it of whom they said Come this is the heir let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours but shal not be able to overcome the life as they always sought to do against Christ but could not prevail to destroy the life though by Herod and the Iewes he was persecuted to death that they which lived the same life might deny it and fly from it as many in these times have done when some of their own judgment have suffred which they seemed to own before and as did some of Christs own Disciples they owned him followed him while he â—ad his liberty was in prosperity amongst them but it was for the loaves and the warm themselves at his Fire Iohn 6.65 66 67. Mark 14.67 68. but when he was accused and in custody likely to suffer being as he was betrayed by a Disciple that followed him then his Disciples denyed him saying I know not the man and because he in his preaching to them said that no man could come to him except it be given unto him of the Father they left him walked no more with him because with him they were unwilling to suffer yet he continued faithful unto death in maintaining his spiritual life which they could not prevaile against for though they destroyed his body yet his life they could not but it was the more manifest as it is to this Day And some one person or other in â—ll Ages under all Dispensations whom God shal most enlighten make able willing him shal suffer for the rest to try prove the rest of the same life to vindicate and maintain it And though Christ as a man in the flesh had temptations tribulations as wel as others yet they that truly loved him stil continued their love to him and hee gave unto them a Kingdome Luk. 22.28 29 so all of the same life of Christ that have truly injoyed beyond a bare profession shal participate with them that suffer for it as the Disciples of Christ did in the sufferings of him and as the Saints