rich men and Rulers of the people see at large Micha 6. declaring the procuring cause of that Judgement of the good man perishing out of the earth such they were as that the good man being perished or taken away from among them the best of them was a Bryar and the most upright as a Thorn-hedge see Chap. 7. 3. 4 5. yea in Ezekiels time many of them did shew much love and respect to the Prophet while hee was among them and he was to them as a pleasant Song yet they would not regard his words to doe them or to suffer their saving operation in them for their heart went after their covetousnes and that is there given as the reason of the Judgement threatned in which they should know that a Prophet had been among them Ezek. 33. 30 33. 3 Others there are that through the knowledge of God in Christ have made some escape from them that live in errour and from the pollutions that are in the world through Lust and some of them have stood against many strong temptations and have tried those that say they are Apostles and are not and found them Lyars and yet after all this turn again with the Dogge to his vomit and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire leaving their first love to that person and to the excellent knowledge of him Some with a more high hand then others turn from the holy Commandement after knowledge of the truth received and turning away their ears from the truth are turned aside to Fables even to such damnable Heresies as in which privily under pretence of magnifying him the Lord that bought them is denied by them others cleaving to and embracing this present world not continuing in but forsaking the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship not discerning or considering and remembring the excellency grace and vertue of the Lords Body that was broken for us and for such like iniquity God threatens the removing of their Candlestick Revel 2. 1 5. Now if yet we would judge our selves we should not be further judged of the Lord if when his hand is lifted up even to destroy and make an utter desolation yet if any take notice of it and say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited mee not then he is gracious and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransome If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and the bloud of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin but he that hideth his sin shall not prosper hee that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly fall and that without remedy and this leads us to the next Branch of instruction namely 2 That when God so strikes and yet none lay to heart or consider it it s an evidence of great hardnesse and wilful blindnesse in such a people and a sign and fore-runner of greater judgements The truth of this is evidenced in the fore-mentioned Scriptures yet for farther and more particular demonstration of it See also Isa 26. 9. Oh Lord when thine hand is lifted up they will not see it but they shall see and be ashamed c. Jer. 5. When God hath threatned and begun to make desolations as chap. â— Then he saith Run to and fro through the streets and broad places And see now if yee can finde a man if there be any that executeth judgement that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it And though they say The Lord liveth and swear by his Name surely they swear falsly O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder than a rock they have refused to return and in this also the poor and rich did agree to break the yoke and burst the bands as Psal 2. Therefore a Lion out of the Forrest shall slay them A Wolf of the Evenings that comes privily to devour like that spirit of Antichrist and ministers of Satan Prophesied of to abound in the last days that come with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish privily bringing in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them such an enemy shall spoyl and destroy them God shall send them strong delusions by giving permissive commission to Satan aâ— in the case of Ahah 1 King 22. 19 22. that they should beleeve a lye that they all might bee damned who beleeved not the truth but bad pleasure in unrighteousnesse Surely his soul shall be avenged on such a Nation as this See also Psal 78 64 65 c. What then shall wee say when in stead of laying it to heart and considering it and being grieved many rejoyce and sport themselves at such judgements as Micah 7. 8. Isa 57. 3 4. imagining they shall now have their desire and that the Righteous being taken away their name even the good name of God that was upon them shall perish as Psal 41. 5 6 7. and therefore encourage themselves in their evil wayes doctrines and practises faithful reprovers that were a terrour to them being ceased from them now they say as Psal 12. our tongues are our own who is Lord over us And now aâ— men delivered to do such abominations they speak vanity every one with his neighbour with a flattering lip and double heart thinking to prevail with their lip or doctrine now to root out the lip of knowledge encouraging themselves as if the foundations of the righteous were destroyed and therefore reproachfully saying to the poor that hath no helper but God and yet puts his trust in him where is now thy God thy hope thy confidence what can the righteous do Mic. 7. 10. Psal 11. But our God who is our rock and foundation is in his holy Temple in his Son our very present help and strong Tower of defence to save us The Lords throne is in Heaven from whence his eyes behold his eye lids trye the children of men hee is a God by whom actions are weighed in an even ballance and though hee do not speedily execute judgement against evil works because hee delights in mercy and would not that any should perish but that all should come to repentance such his gracious affection towards sinners even rebellious ones in this day of his grace and patience yet all these things are laid up in store with him sealed up among his treasures and shall be brought forth when every secret thing shall bee brought to light and God shall manifest the counsels of the heart then no more patience or forbearance to bee exercised towards rebels the Lord shall laugh then at their calamity and mock when their fear commeth yea the Lord himself shall come and ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed
releeve Yet for our selves we have cause to lament Yea sure the Judgement is of large extent And larger than to them that lay 't to heart Nor is' t the less because few feele the smart Yet still our cause of lamentation's more To ses the Children of the Spiritual Whore Against the Heavens themselves with sport rejoyce Not doubting to prevail with their strange voyce Reproaching now the poor that trusts in God Because afflicted with their Fathers Rod But in due time God will arise and then No place will be for these proud wicked men In the great Judgement then they shall not stand But shall be broken with a mighty hand A little while and then he will not stay But come with all his Saints O come away Is it not yet the time to judge thy Flock When as to outward means their powers do slack Is there yet any left shut up or hid Cause them t' appear thy flock to help and rid Make them more wise and strong to doe exploits Through thy good name to shew the deep deceits So manifold of him whose name is Legion That with us may remaine the pure Religion And haste the coming of that blessed day In which thou wilt wipe all our tears away In mean time teach us to account and mind Thy patience is Salvation to th' unkind A pleasure in their death thou now hast none While yet thy grace brings them Salvation Of thy mind make us more as reading well i th' greatness of thy love thy terror sell Thence instantly with meekness praying them Now to be reconciled unto him That was made Sin and Curse for 's all that we The righteousness of God in him might be T. M. Junior A Lamentation over the dead in Christ with Instruction Admonition and encouragement to the Survivers in some explication of the words of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 57. 1. as compared with other Scriptures Isaiah 57. 1. The Righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come THe words present us with a Two-fold matter of Lamentation or cause of grief doubled in the expression of each part to note the greatness of the Judgement and to awake us to the more diligence to learn righteousness by it 1 That the Righteous perisheth merciful men or men of kindness and godliness are taken away 2 That no man laies it to heart none considers that the righteous is taken away from the evil We read to come but those two words being added by the Translators as appears by their different Character may be left out in our reading and the text without them not only as fully takes in the truth expressed by but is more signified viz. That he is taken away from the evil as well that present as that to come The Instructions fully signified and set before us in the words of this Lamentation are 1 That the perishing of the righteous the taking away of men of kindness and godliness is a sad correction to the survivers which God would have so laid to heart and considered by them 2 That when God so strikes and yet none lay to heart or consider it it is an evidence of wilful blindness and great hardness in such a people and a sign and fore-runner of greater Judgements 3 That even in these sad Judgements there is special mercy and choyse blessedness to those so taken away and that to be considered also they are taken away from the evil Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yèa saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works follow them I That the perishing of the Righteous is a sad correction to the survivers which God would have so laid to heart and considered by them for our understanding and usefulness of this wee shall propound to consideration 1. Who are the Righteous 2. In what sence they may be said to perish and when they so doe and then shall further demonstrate and explicate the Position I Who are the Righteous and merciful men or men of kindness or godliness truly if men be considered as they are by Nature and first birth as descended from Adam or as they are in and of themselves or in what they may attain to by the will of flesh or will-wisdome and strength of man in whatever exercised There is none righteous or doth good no not one of all the naturall Children of Adam they have all sinned and are come short of the glory of God they are become wholly sinful weak and corrupt they are dead in sins and trespasses and children of wrath as so considered one as well as another Psal 14. Rom. 3. 19-23 Ephes 2. 1 2. By the Law is the knowledge of sin in the best as well as in the worst works of men yea it discovers his whole nature over-spread with it and therefore by the deeds of it shall no man be justified in the sight of God Rom. 3. 20. Gal. 3. 11. Psal 143. 2. There is only one man of all the Nature even the man Christ Jesus that is in a proper and strict sence Good or Righteous in and of himself and for us and he is none of the natural Children nor naturally of man but of God Mark 12. 18. who also prepared for him a Body in our Nature and of a Woman by the secret and wonderful efficacy of his holy Spirit and did in that Body deliver him to Death for our Offences and raise him again for our Justification and gave him glory that our faith and hope might be in God And he is expresly called the Righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1. the Just Jam. 5. 6. even the righteous or just one and justly too for 1 He is perfectly so in and of himself being the Natural and only begotten Son of God so that he is of the Father the same that the Father is Righteousness Justice Truth Holiness and Goodness it self yea in that Body prepared for him in mans Nature though he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh subject to all our infirmities that came by sin yet without sin He knew no sin And this rendred him a meet and worthy Person to undertake for Sinners to prepare and give a Ransome to God and bee a Mediator for them for Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one therefore no meer man can redeeme his Brother or give to God a ransome for him for such a High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled c. 2 He is perfectly so in what he hath undertaken and done for men in that Body prepared for him in mans Nature he hath perfectly and voluntarily fulfilled that will of the Father he came to doe as to the works to be finished in his own Body on the earth Psal 40. 6 9. Hebr. 10 5 12. Joh. 17. 4. He humbled himself and became obedient to death
and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Then the Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaketh proud things c. for to him belongeth vengeance their foot shall slide in due time c. Deut. 32. 34 35 c. Jude 14 15. In the mean time therefore let us look to him for counsel and see what use hee instructs us to make of this consideration when we shall see the daies so evil and iniquity thus abounding and evil men and deceivers waxing worse and worse by every warning and judgement Truly then 1 Let them alone withdraw from them reprove not a scorner lest hee hate thee for hee that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot though still as grace instructs wee may yet mourn in secret for their pride as Jer. 13. 17. And not bee hasty in desiring the woful day but let our prayer bee for them if yet there may bee hope even when God appears to bee rising up as one that will no more be intreated See Jer. 14 15. 2 If there be any that will hear be diligent and earnest in season and out of season in instructing and admonishing them while it is to day not to harden their hearts rebuke a wife man and hee will love thee and be yet wiser and with meeknesse instruct them that ignorantly oppose themselves c. 3 And let us together be admonished 1 In the way of his judgements to wait for the Lord quietly to bear his indignation because we have sinned and reverently listening to him and standing in awe before him under such testimonies of displeasure knowing that he is righteous and faithful as well as infinite in wisdome and power as hee hath manifested himself in that faithful witnesse setled for ever in Heaven and in due time hee will bring us forth and wee shall behold his righteousnesse Then she that is mine enemy shall bee ashamed Micah 7. 6. 10. And fret not our selves because of evil doers wait patiently on the Lord commit our way to him and hee shall bring it to passe despise not his chastisement neither faint when rebuked of him seeing it is the Lord The helpers taken from us were no otherwise helpers but in the Lord and hee hath not taken himself from us in whom is our help 2 When wee see how the reproaches and blasphemies of men are increased against him and do set themselves against the heavena let the consideration of it make us more willing to bear them seeing they are the reproaches of them that reproach him that fall on us and commit vengeance to him 3 Bee wee stirred up to cry mightily to God for help Help Lord for the godly man ceaseth the faithful fail from among the children of men they speak vanity every one with his neighbour with a flattering lip and double heart do they speak cry therefore with more earnestnesse to God in Christ 1 For pardon of our iniquities and healing of our distempers Psal 41. 4 5 and 38. 12 16 17 19. 2 For wisdome in the knowledge of him and those great things of his Law that may guide us in a plain path because of our enemies that watch for our halting Psal 27. 8 11 c. And to this purpose also 4 Let us redeem the present time yet left us and bee admonished by his judgements to awake to righteousnesse and not sin against him for it is a shame for us that wee are yet found so much without the knowledge of him what the summer past the harvest ended and yet wee not saved Jer. 8. 20. Oh that at least in this day before it bee wholly past wee did wisely consider our latter end yea the rather because the dayes are evil redeem the time and be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is and to that purpose take heed to our selves lest â—â— any time our hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse or cares of this life and so the day of death and of judgement come on us unawares Be not drunk with Wine of earthly pleasures and cares wherein is excesse but be we filled with the Spirit speaking to our selves and one another in Psalms Hymns and spiritual songs c. not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some it but exhorting one another and so much the more as wee see the day approaching and for our encouragement herein that we be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience do already in Spirit inherit the promises Mark the perfect man and behold the upright look upon him in the light of Gods testimonie there you shall see That the end of that man is peace And this brings us to the last instruction 3 That even in these sad judgements to the survivers there is special mercy and choice blessednesse to those so taken away and that to be considered also They are taken away from the evil or as we read it from the evil to come 1 They are then taken away from and do depart out of the flesh in its weak and corruptible state out of a vile or wretched body that had sin in it to be striven against as well as death upon it A law in the members warring against the law of the minde And shall not again return to it until it shall be renewed or given them in a new glorious and incorruptible state in the first resurrection 2 They are then taken from an evil generation that was continually vexing their righteous souls with their unlawful and ungodly doctrines and practises and so from all Satans temptations and batteries the accuser of our brethren is cast down from Heaven hee cannot reach the spirits of just men made perfect which are with Jesus and have finished their warfare their end is peace 3 They are taken from the evil and judgements to come as Lot was pluckt out of Sodome that they may bee out of danger of being defiled with the sins procuring such judgements that so they may not partake with them of their plagues yea that they may no longer plead for sparing and diverting such judgements Oh heavy judgement to the survivers yet therein the dead are blessed Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours combates and dangers and their works follow them Vse 1 This consideration instructs us that while they are in these mortal bodies they are not taken away from the evil though through grace delivered kept and daily getting escape from the pollutions and intanglements of it and victory in the continual combate yet they have sin in them as a Law in the members to strive against even unto blood to death and that continual leading them captive though they minding the things of the Spirit in the light and power of the grace vouchsafed are