Lord though their spirits are made perfect as before yet there is some fruit of sin upon them but then he will cast all their sins into the depth of the Sea their sins and their iniquities he will remember no more Act. 3. 19. Heb. 10. 16 17. Mic. 7. 19. Jer. 50. 19 20. And this further appears in that they shall be raised out of and delivered for ever From death and all its fruits this was the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23. By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin Rom. 5. 12 14. And now the body is dead because of sin Rom. 8. 10. And it is appointed to man the whole kind once to dye though all shall not sleep in death yea the bodies of those just men generally whose spirits are made perfect sleep in the dust they are prisoners though prisoners of hope and so they are in the graves But he will open their graves and cause them to come ouâ— of their graves and their bodies shall be fashioned into the likeness of Christ's glorious body Phil. 3. 20. Now they are corruptible have the seeds of corruption and principles of mortality they are perishing decaying bodies and we may with him say to corruption Thou art my father and to the worm thou art my mother and my sister Job 17. 14. We must needs all dye and those that sleep in death their bodies return to dust but they shall be raised incorruptible no more to return to corruption this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mottal immortality That which is now dishonourable and of which we are ashamed for sin brought in shame and therefore need cloathing and covering that the shame of our nakedness appear not and which is sown in dishonour a vile loathsom carcass shall be raised in glory even with the glory of the Lord upon it Mat. 13. 43. They shall no more need this vile cloathing but they shall then be cloathed with the garments of salvation and covered with the robe of righteousness That which is now weak at best and subject to many infirmities weaknesses and sicknesses destitute of that health and strength at first created in and so sown in weakness no life no strength in it to move it self and even like the beasts for that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dyeth so dyeth the other c. Eccl. 3. 19. shall be raised in power be strong and freed from all weakness and diseases That which is now a natural body which we received by natural propagation and was here nourished with natural meat and drink by the word of God and is sown a natural body shall be raised a spiritual body they shall be the sons of God then as to their bodies being the children of the resurrection and then they shall hunger no more nor thirst any more they shall be so spiritualized that they shall be like to and equal with the Angels not hindered by any obstacles they shall bear the image of the heavenly and so they will be more excellent than man in his first creation and now freed from all sickness pain and grief these inhabitants shall no more say they are sick for their sins shall be forgiven them 1 Cor. 15. 43 49. Luk. 20. 35 36. Isa 49. 10. 33. 24. Rev. 21. 3. Christ shall then present them to himself a glorious Church not having wrinkle no fruit or remembrance of affliction or grief upon them Eph. 5. 27. Job 16. 8. but the glory of the Lord shall be seen upon them then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15. 53 55. they shall be freed and delivered for ever from the first death and shall be freed and delivered for ever from the first death and shall not go into the second blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power Rev. 20. 6. they shall not be condemned with the world in that everlasting fire which was not at first prepared for mankind but for the Devil and his angels into which all that have been incensed against and continued disobedient to Jesus Christ shall be cast he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Rev. 2. 11. Then they shall be delivered and saved from all their enemies and from all their deceits and troubles God shall redeem their souls from deceit and violence Psal 72. 14. From deceit God shall then bruise Satan under their feet as he is already bruised under the feet of the Captain of our salvation for during the thousand years reign of Christ and his Saints he shall be bound so as not to deceive the Nations all that time and when the thousand years are expired he shall be loosed a little season out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the Nations he shall not then have liberty given him to deceive the Camp of the Saints much less the beloved City and presently after he shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone Rev. 20. 1 3 7 10. into the holy City new Jerusalem shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or a lye Rev. 21. 27. 22. 15. Now they have temptations from Satan and men though yet in hearing Christ's voice and following him none shall pluck them out of his hands neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers not things present nor things to come c. shall be able to separate them that love God from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Joh. 10. 27 29. Rom. 8. 38 39. but yet Satan is trying and indeavouring all means to corrupt from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus and by â—etting slip the things heard and listening to Satan it 's possible that a man may be intangled and overcome there being sin in believers also that is alwayes working deceitfully as appears by the many admonitions given to believers and jealeusies of the Apostles concerning them and some instances in Scripture recorded c. 1 Thess 3. 5. Gal. 1. 6 7. 5. 3 5. 6. 1. 2 Cor. 11. 1 3. Heb. 2. 1 3. 4. 1. 10. 23 29. but then as they have no sin within them so none without them that shall tempt them any more And herein their condition is more excellent than was Adam's and mankind's in him in the first Creation for though then God made man upright yet there was a tempter permitted to tempt him and through his subtilty did beguil him he not keeping in believing mindfulness the word of God but listening to the lye of the serpent And then they shall be delivered from violence also he will give to them then rest from all their troubles when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flâ—ming fire taking vengeance on them that
Act. 26. 17 18 22 yea any man in having and declaring it faithfully doth minister grace to the hearers Eph. 4. 28. with Col. 4. 6. It is true men have no knowledge of or will to any thing that is spiritually good yea they are naturally inclined to all evil lusting after vain things but he giveth more grace grace abounding and exceeding their natural corruption pulling down their strong holds casting down their imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God it presents more excellent and glorious arguments and gives more strength where ore he saith God resisâ—â—th the proud such as still refuse to humble themselves and turn at his reproofs Jam. 4. 5 6. the grace of God saving to all men hath now appeared Tit. 2. 11. and therefore mens sin is rendred hereby to be exceeding sinful because they either receive not this grace or receive it in vain because they receive not the love of the truth so as to be saved thereby 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. But no more to this because it hath been in part spoken to already 3. This Gospel of Christ is called the word of his grace because it is that whereby he gives grace more abundantly to them that hear in hearing he rejecteth the proud that scorn to receive his grace but he giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4. 6. He so gives testimony to the Word of his grace as that in receiving this men receive the Spirit even through this hearing of faith and not by the works of the Law even that spirit of faith whereby they have the faith of the operation of God wrought in them and so they are said to have believed through grace Gal. 3. 2. Act. 14. 1 3. 18. 27. Hence this is called the Word of faith both because it testifies Christ to be the foundation and object of faith and because by it he is working faith in those that hear it yea and doth work it in all those that in hearing hear Rom. 10. 8 17. and so chuses them out of the world from the state and fellowship thereof saves them from their ignorance of God and enmity unto God Rom. 11. 5 6. Tit. 3. 3 5. it is that means whereby he makes them partakers of the forgiveness of their sins in their minds and consciences they are justified by grace justified by faith by this word of faith believed even from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Tit. 3. 7. Rom. 5. 1 Act. 13 39. he makes the opening of his name in his testimony the very declaration of that justification and forgiveness he hath received powerful to wash them from the guilt of their sins and so speaks peace to them Act. 26. 18. the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus doth make them free from the Law of sin and death and so from the a cusation of sin by the Law in opening this arâ—ument unto thâ—m that what the Law could no dâ— in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the â—â—eness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Rom. 8. â— 3. It washes their heart from an evil conscience namely from a conscience that chargeth and condemns it self as held under wrath because our first Father hath sinned and we in him and come forth frâ—m him naturally and necessarily polluted for this is not now the condemnation and from an evil conscience that seeks by dead works to wash it self and speak peace to it self from some works of righteousness of ours This truâ—h known makes free and so the Son hereby Heb. 10. 22. Joh. 8. 31 32 36. yea and hereby they receive remission of those sins in which they sin after the similitude of Adam's transgression To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive forgiveness of sins Act. 10. 43. And so being justified by faith they have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ freedom from the fear of his wrath and that in believing this Word he fills with joy and peace in believing and multiplies grace and peace to them through the knowâ—dge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord even â—â—rough the doctrine of him known and received by them Rom. 5. 1. 15. 13. 2 Pet. 1. 2. and so begers them again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the deaâ— as discovered in the Gospel for it is his word that quickens them 1 Pet. 1. 3. Psal 119. â—0 93. yea hereby he washes them â—rom the dominion and service of sin in their members that henceforth they should not serve sin and walking in the Spirit in minding the things of the Spirit and yielding up to its operations sin shall not have dâ—minion over them nor shall they fulfil the lusts of the flesh Joh. 15. 3. 8 32. Rom. 6. 14. Gal. 5. 16. Psal 17. 4. 119. 9 11. through this knowledge of Christ and God's grace in him he gives unto them still and further the spirit of wisdom and revelation to glorifie Christ and enamour their hearts on him and so to redeem them from their vain conversation Eph. 1. 17 18. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Tit. 2. 14. And hereby he gives unto every one of this body grace even some gracious giâ—t whereby they may speak to God and pour out their hearts unto him and some useful gift to speak to men as this testimony of Christ is received by them and confirmed in them Rom. 8. 26. 1 Cor. 1. 5 6. Joh. 7. 38 39. yea in and with this he doth establish them and save them from the error of the wicked and from divers and strange doctrines that they may not be as children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine Heb. 13. 7 9. Eph. 4. 11 14. 1 Cor. 15 1 2. Psal 17. 4. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son to preserve and keep him from those deceivers that are entred into the world and to make him strong that the wicked one shall not touch him so as to corrupt him from that simplicity in Christ 2 Joh. 7 9. 1 Joh. 2. 13 14 4. 4. 5. 18. yea hereby he gives grace to them to strengthen them with might unto all long-suffering and patience with joyfulness in those afflictions and tribulations which he is ordering unto them this is their comfort in their affliction for his word quickens them and it is unto them the joy and rejoycing of their hearts Col. 1. 11. Psal 119. 49 50 78 82. Jer. 15. 15 16 17. he creates the fruit of his lips unto them in his testimoâ—y peace peace and so heals them that are broken in heart and binds up their griefs Psal 147. 2. with Psal 107. 20. Isa 57. 15 19. with Chap. 61. 1 3. and so causeth them to know and prove
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
2. They are free from alâ— pâ—â—secutions in words gestures or actions they are hid in the secret of God's presence from the pride of man and kâ—pâ— secretly in a pavillion from the strife of tongues Psal 31 19. after the body is dead their enemies have no more that they can do Luk. 12. 4. there the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary are at rest there the prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the opprâ—ssor Job 3. 17 19. The reproaches laughâ—ers scorns and persecutions that here they met with did seem to be grievous to them as to what they themselves thereby indured Psal 69. 20. as well as also as to their enemies it caused great grief to them rivers of waters run down their eyes and they were troubled in spirit because men kept not God's Laws but persecuted them wrongfully and were enemies to them for following the thing that was good Joh. 13. 21. this caused heaviness to them to consider the greatness of their iniquity and severity of the judgment they were pulling upon their heads by such iniquities They are now out of the danger of miscarrying and from henceforth there is laid up for them a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give unto them in that day 2 Tim. 4. 8. there is now a great gulf fixed and no passing from one place to another no altering of their condition no not for ever Luk. 16. 26. Eccl. 11. 3. Now abiding in Christ they are safe he that abideth in him sinneth not transgresseth not and misseth not the mark but if a man abide not in him he is cast forth its possible that such as have begun to run well may turn aside from him that called them into the grace of Christ 1 Joh. 3. 6. Gal. 1. 6. 5. 7. but then no change of their state and their works follow them all their work of faith and labour of love and patience in tribulation these shall not be forgotten but be recompensed in the resurrection of the just Luk. 14. 14. And now they are present with the Lord as here they were not when at home in the body seeing and beholding in their spirits the glorified and glorious body of our Lord Jesus and then walking by sight as now they do not for they are more excellent and therefore sorrow not for them as those that have no hope Isa 57. 2. 2 Cor. 5. 6 7 8. Phil. 1. 23 24. 2. It discovers his grace to all of this body both in soul and body when Jesus Christ shall appear the second time without sin to salvation Heb. 9. 28. in which his Israel shall be saved with an everlasting salvation they shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end Isa 45. 17. this is that which Peter exhorts the believers to hope for Gird up saith he the lions of your minds be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 13. and this he calls the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. and indeed that eternal life they shall then inherit gloriously it is not wages as death is of sin buâ— a gift of grace Rom. 6. 23. Zech. 4. 6. And this grace that shall then be brought to them is so exceeding great as none here fully knows Hence that admiration Oh! how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men Psal 31. 19. since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear by any thing they have heard in any declaration vouchsafed neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Isa 64. 4 These things were indeed revealed to the Apostles by the Spirit as in formâ—r times they were not and so they have declared them and yet they did but see in part and therefore Prophesie in part 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. with Chap. 13. 9. This grace is inexprâ—ssiâ—ly yea inconceivably great it hath not entred into the heart of man and much less can I declare it in order who have seen so little of it in the testimony but yet as I may be helped I shall speak a little of it 1. They that sleep in Jesus shall be raised and the living changed when Christ shall descend from heaven and so before the rest of the dead 1 Thes 4. 16. 1 Cor. 15. 51 52. As in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made alive but every man in his own order not all at once Christ the first fruits he is risen from the dead already and is become the foundation of the resurrection from and of the dead for if he be not raised there could be no resurrection and he shall be the effecter of it and is become the first fruits of them that are fallen a sleep in him especially like to whom shall be that lump Rom. 11. 16. afterward they that are Christ's at his coming then or afterward as ver 5. the end namely after the end of the thousand yeaâ—s of Christ's and his Saints reigning on the earth there will be the second and general resurrection when the dead small and great shall be raised and stand before God Rev. 20. 7 12 13 15. 1 Cor. 15. 22 24. So the Apostle John saith I saw to wit in vision the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshipped the beast neither his image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished Rev 20. 4 6. Isa 26. 19. 2. In their being raised they shall be saved wholly from all sin death and other enemies And so From sin he shall present them to himself a glorious Church not having spot Eph. 5. 27. they shall then be sanctified wholly in spirit soul and body and be presented blameless before the throne of his glory 1 Thes 5. 23 24. 3. 13. Jude 24. No sin in them but as the first fruits Jesus Christ is holy so will be the lump then compleatly nor any imputation of sin to them or remembrance of sin upon them their sins shall then be compleatly blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and he shall send us Jesus who now is preached to us There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit but yet there is sin in them and if any of them say they have no sin they deceive themselves and the truth is not in them yea and there is some remembrance of sin upon them And as to those that dye in the