is said of those that died in the faith that these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promises God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect Phil. 3. 11 12. Heb. 12. 39 40. Though believers are complâ—at in Christ who by the one offering of his personal body once for all hath perfected for ever in himself and that provision he hath made and Covenant he hath sealed them that are sanctified so as there needs no more offering for sin yet in themselves they are not compleat nor compleatly in him and are therefore instructed to walk in Christ as they have received him rooted and built up in him and to have their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and their bodies washed with pure water Col. 2 10. with ver 2 7. Heb. 10. 14 22 their being built up is by degrees they go from strength to strength Psal 84 7. and are changed from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. And hence they are said to grow like a Cedar Psal 92. 12. to grow up Eph. 4. 15. to increase 1 Thes 4. 10. Col. 2. 19. to abound more and more 1 Thes 4. 1. to press toward the mark Phil. 3. 14. to run the race Heb. 12. 1. All which expressions signifie that the believers while here in mortal bodies have not yet attained to compleatness in themselves or to a compleat iâ—joyment of what is to be possessed and which while here they seek and wait for Here though he that is perfect in knowledge is with them abiding in Christ yet they are not perfect in knowledge but are instructed to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savâ—our Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. And the Apâ—stle prayes for these Ephesians who were sealed with the holy spirit of promise that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of glory would give unto them the spirit of wisdom and revelation c. The eyes of their understandings being inlightnâ—d that they might further know what is the hope of his calling c. Eph. 1. 13 20. and that they might know the love of Christ Chap. 3. 14 19. And hence that holy man so oftentimes prayes that God would open his eyes make him understand teach him the way of his statutes give him understanding teach him knowledge c. Psal 119. 18 19 27 33 34 64 66. yea the Apostle Paul who as a wise Master-builder laid the foundation and preached the Gospel according to the revelation of the mystery affirms of himself and other believers that now they knew in part and not perfectly 1 Cor. 13. 9 12. And so they are not perfect in their faith in their hearty perswasion and imbracement of what God hath testified of his Son and dependance on him according thereto so as to live the life they now live in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us and to walk by faith but many weaknesses and mixtures are found with them and much shortness according to what the Apostle signifies concerning the Thessalâ—nians where he saith night and day praying exceedingly that we might perfect that which is lacking in your faith 〈◊〉 â—â—â— 3. 10. and thanks God because thâ—â—â—â—iâ—â—â—iâ— grow c. 2. Thes 1. 3. and tells the Corinthians thaâ— he had hope that when thâ—ir â—aith was increased they should be iâ—arged â—y them 2 Cor. 10. 15. and surely this appears when God is ordering â—â—ptâ—â—ions and tryals of the faith to them by their weakâ—ess and readiness to faint â—â—d be wâ—aâ—y that they baâ—e nâ—t yet attained unto a most â—ull assurance of â—â—iâ—h what douâ—â—ings and aptness to be calling into question God's love and â—aithfulness what jealousies and â—ears concerning him as if he would leave and forsake them what readiness to be looking or vain hâ—lp and turning the eyes this way and that way is found with such the Scriptures testifie and the experiences of such confirm Psal 31. 22. 77. 7 10. 116. 11. How oft our Saviour reprehends his Disciples on this account may be seen mat 6. 30. 8. 26. 14. 31. 16. 8. Mark 4. 4â— Luk. 8. 25. yea when they said We believe that thou camest forth from God Jesus answered them Do ye now believe Behold the hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scattered every one to his own c. Joh. 16. 30 32. That hour that came upon him made discovery of them that there was yet somewhat lacking in their faith how confident soever they were of themselves yea it may seem there was sometime some shortness found with Abraham the father of the faithful though not imputed of whom it was said he staggered not at the promise through unbelief but was strong in faith for when God promised that Sarah should be a Mother of Nations c. Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said unto God O that Ishmael may live before thee Gen. 17. 17 19. and surely believers have need to pray Lord help our unbelief as he Mark 9. 24. or however as the Disciples Lord increase our faith Luâ— 17. 7. Nor are they yet perfectly conformed to Christ and filled with the fruits of righteousness there is yet sin dwelling in them and in many â—â—iâ—gs they offend all and need therefore to be still sanctified and washed with the washing of water by the word to which end Christ gives himself to them for them Eph. 5. 25 26. 1 Thes 5. 23. their love to Christ and God in him may yet abound in all knowledge and judgment and though they love one another and all men yet they may increase and abound therein Hence they are instructed to add to their faith vertue c. Phil. 1. 9 11. 1 Thes 3. 12 13. 4. 1 9 10. 2 Pet. 1. 4 8. And as this instruction is useful to preserve us from the error of those wicked and Antichristian spirits who boast that they are sinless and perfect and injoy the fulness of all blessing and that they have need of nothing while yet they are poor and miserable and blind who though they are pure in their own eyes yet are not washed from their filthiness Wo unto them for they have received their consolation And also from their swelling words of vanity who being pufâ— up with their fleshly mind and not holding the head boast of their merits and works of superâ—rrogation c. seeing it shews our shortness and incompleatness in our selves while here that pride may be hidden from us and no flesh may glory in his presence but that even unfeigned believers may confess that when they have done all that is commanded them they are unprofitable servants So also it is proper as viewed in the glorious Gospel to move us continually to come unto Jesus Christ and to give more earnest heed to the things we have heard that with open face
sanctified and made meet for the inheritance 1. What it is to sanctifie and who they are that are sanctified To sanctifie and to be sanctified in Scripture signifies these two things 1. To separate a person or thing from common and profane use and so from uncleanness and filthiness as it usually signifies in our types of old So Hezekiah commanded the Levites to sanctifie themselves and to sanctifie the house of the Lord and to carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place and accordingly they sanctified it by carrying out the uncleanness out of it as is signified 2 Chron. 29. 5 15 18. and so the sanctifying the people it was a separating them from those things that we e provâ—king in the eyes of God or forbidden by him Lev. 20. 2 8 a severing them from the pollutions and manners of the Nations whom the Lord cast out Levit. 20. 23 26. 2. To set aparâ— forthâ— Lord and for his pâ—culiar use and service any thing or person a devoting or dedicating it to the Lord that it may be his aâ—d unto him as were the Priests and Levites and â—emple c. So setting apart unto the Lord answers to and is the same with sanctifying unto him Exod. 13. 2 12. So here They are said to be sanctified who are cleansed from the errors and polluâ—ions of this world and devoted to the Lord separated from uncleanness and set apart for the Lord such as come out from among men and are separated and touch no unclean thing Such as in the light and strength of God's promises do cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 6. 16 18. 7. 1. and so the sanctified are such as are daily turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Act. 26. 18. 2 Tim. 2. 21. such as so receive the grace of God as to redeem them from all iniquity and to purifie them unto him a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 11 12 14. 2. The means whereby God in Christ by his Spirit doth sanctifie as to persons I mean that are come to years of capacity are 1. The chief and principal medium is the word of his grace in which is declared and commended to us the free grace of God in the blood of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is said to sanctifie with the washing of water by the word even with the kindness and love of God our Saviour Eph. 5. 26. and so he is said to wash in his blood in which the love of God is commended and men are said to be sanctified with the blood of the Covenant Rev. 1. 5. Heb. 10. â—9 that is the blood of sprinkling whereby the heart is sprinkled from an evil conscience and the conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 10. 22. 9. 14. and so they are said to be sanctified by the Spirit in the testimony and so by the Word 2 Thes 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Joh. 17. 17 19. Act. 26 18. and these three agree in one 1 Joh. 5. 6 8. And indeed the principal means whereby men may be sanctified born again and saved now it is by discovering and commending the love of God to mankind in lifting up the Son of man by the Spirit in the testimony So our Saviour signifies in answer to Nicodemâ—s when he asks How can these things be namely that a man can be born again in answer thereto he tells him As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of man be lifted up c. For God so loved the world of mankind that he gave his only begotten Son Joh. 3 5 9 14 17. So that which the Apostle preached in order to the sanctifying of the Corinthians who were unholy and prophane the first thing he delivered to them was that Christ died for their sins according to the Scriptures and was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and tells them they were washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus even in and by that good report of him in which the Father's love was manifested and by the Spirit of our God Compare 1. Cor. 15. 1 4. with Chap. 6. 10 11. So the Apostle signifies that the means whereby he and other believers were saved from their ignorance disobedience and serving divers lusts it was by the appearance of the kindness and love of God our Saviour to man-ward which is the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 3 6. It is not the Law as a Law of works or any observance thereof by men or indeavouring to frame their hearts thereby to love God and men and to avoid the evils forbidden that is the way or means whereby God doth sanctifie nor is the Law first to be preached to the effecting this sanctification though men may seek to sanctifie themselves and purifie themselves thereby and in so doing account themselves Saints and be so accounted by others yet these are none of God's Saints or sanctified ones but these shall be consumed together Isa 66. 17 nor is it any peculiar manner of love to mens persons in a personal consideration first discovered to or working in men before they believe that is the means for effecting this sanctification but it is done by the Spirit in glorifying Christ and therein commending God's love to the world sinners and ungodly ones Act. 26. 18 23. this is the supream means 2. And in subsâ—rviency and â—ubordination to the former he doth also cleanse and wâ—sh with afflictions even with the manifold trials and temptations which he is ordering to men while it is called to day in which he is also purging and causing the scum to swim aloft that by this men might be purged and that the iniquity of his Jacob might be purged Isa 27. 9. that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from him Job 33. 17 19. then he sheweth men their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded he openeth also their ears to discipline and commandeth them to depart from iniquity Job 36. 8 10. and sheweth unto men the vanity of their idols in which they have been trusting and by which they have been lifting up themselves according to that When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth surelâ— every man is vanity Psal 39. 11. He then sheweth that all flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the field even all their wisdom strength goodness c. and so is cleansing and purging them from their sins and idols that they may live to him and bring forth more fruit Joh. 15. 2. So the Apostle saith he chastens us for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. that we may be delivered from our filthiness for stripes
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