which you are to follow in losing and finding in being humbled and exalted and with them to bear the same testimony to the same truth to see the fulness of Christ and the emptiness of your selves and all things that are beneath him and with the prophets and apostles of Christ suffer a reproof of the Lord when you shall in the behalf of your selves contend for any of our own innocency integrity and uprightness and seek to justifie your selves in any thing of your selves or in vindication of your selves to boast and declare unto men as Samuel did 1 Sam. 12.3 saying Whose oxe have I taken or whom have I done any wrong unto or whom have I hurt or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith and I will restore it to you But in this though a man be never so just as a man ought to be in all his actions wayes and works notwithstanding yet he is not to boast himself of that 2 Cor. â— 30 nor to glory in it nor yet to know it no not in any thing of his owne righteousness but onely in his own infirmities lest hee should be proud of it and contend with God for it more then for righteousness in God as sometimes David Job and others did for which God reproved them and brought them to judgement and so saved them but though a man were never so innocent just and righteous before men after the righteousness of the Law yet as a man he is not to know himself so but to account all loss for Christ and to know none but him Gal. 6.3 for if a man thinke himself somthing when he is nothing he deceiveth himself and the greatest perfection of innocency wisdom righteousness of God with man is for man to be innocent in the knowledge of himselfe 1 Cor. 4.4 or any thing which hee knows he knows besides God and to know that he knows nothing of himself nor by himself as Paul did not and then doth he know most of God because mans weakness is Gods strength and his ignorance is Gods wisdome for he that knows he knows any thing which is the greatest desire of man to do 1 Cor. 8.1 2 3 to know something of himself he knoweth nothing in righteousness as hee ought to know but is proud in what he thinks he knows because he knoweth it with distinction to something which he knoweth not and all that a man knows of any thing without knowing all things is but his owne thoughted knowledge which a man is to be crucified unto and to know that God who is onely to be known is hee onely that knows all things and that no man hath ever seen nor known him but onely God himself in the Son hath known and seen himself in the Father and he that with God in the Sonship of God knoweth God he knows that the knowledge of all things is in God and that there is none other to know any thing but God who knoweth all things as he knows himselfe and then cannot hate or despise any thing which he so knows and till man know it a god and good he knows it not as he ought And God which is a spirit can be high and lowe rich and poor strong and weak full and empty the best and worst one and all where he please and when he please without contradiction in himself For the Spirit bloweth where and when it listeth as the winde to save and to destroy to gather together and scatter abroad and this Spirit is the Spirit of Truth which Christ saith we shal receive of him to bring all things to our remembrance whereby we may know all things even him in the state of the new birth which no man knows but the Spirit it selfe 1 Ioh. 2.20 And John saith That having the annoynting of the Holy One we shall know all things and hee that hath Christ hath all things even Christ who is all of the Father and then cannot but know it in him and wee need not that any man teach us 1 Iohn 2.27 bur as the annoynting which wee have received of him and is in us teacheth us all things and is truth and is no lye and even as we be taught by him so we shall abide in him And he that by the Spirit of God is taught all things to know all things in the Spirit hee by God is taught God and knoweth God and can then know no other besides God nor after any other manner but as God and so with him is in charity with all men and then knows that he knoweth nothing of himself that he should boast in nor be proud of 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6 7 8. neither vaunt himself above for hee knows both the highest and the lowest and God in them all which makes them all one unto him as unto God even unity in variety and variety in unity as all one God and so knows nothing better nor worse then himself nor any thing better nor worse then the other for he sees the sin of all to be ended and also his owne righteousness which is the same with his sins to bee ended from having any thing of good in it more then unto men and therefore cannot boast in nor be proud of any thing of his own which is not to tarry with him but to perish in the using and so not in one thing more then another of humane things and where contrarities of things are not known there pride and boasting in one thing above another cannot be but in that state a man is most like unto God as Adam was before his fall wherein he knows no distinction and Adam fell not till he sought to know his own innocency and the state iâ— which he stood which God sorbad him to know for thereby did Adam come to the knowledge of good and evil to know righteousness and sin joy and sorrow in himself and hee that with Adam shall see any good in himself in opposition to an evil he glorieth in that good so often as he doth it and when he doth it not he fears and is offended as Adam was when in truth there is none good but one even God nor none that doth good but one even him who knoweth no evil and therefore neither feares nor is offended And no man but the Lord onely who is himselfe the God and the innocent the Iustness Vprightness and the righteousness that can know it and who is not neither can be proud lofty 1 Cor. 13. nor high-minded in the knowledg of any thing because he knows nothing more nor nothing less then himselfe and all knowledge of all things is himselfe therefore the greatest perfection of mans knowledg is to know that he knows nothing till he knoweth God who is no one thing distinct but all things in one as his greatest exaltation is when he is most humbled and that knowledg by which a man doth
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
contented vvith in the Lord that I still am dear Friends and Brethren a very loving Friend and Brother in Christ to all men friends and enemies so called vvhile I am and the truth is in me Richard Coppin A TABLE of the Contents 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 and brethren husband wife and chidren house lands and all things therein to be forsaken for Christ what they are with the time when and the manner how Chap. II. How the cross of Christ is accompanied with the crosses of the world fiery tryals and persecutions for the truth the clouds of Christs coming and the way of his peâ—ple in which he leads them and walks with them to save them how and from what Chap. III. Of the afflictions of Ioseph his being sold into Egypt by his brethren his being falsly accused and imprisoned how God thereby exalted him and Judged his brethren that sold him how the same was with Christ and is with us to this day Chap. IV. How Pharoah and the Aegyptians and all that with them to this day do betray and persecute accuse judge and condemn any for conscience towards God are acted by the Devil hardened and commanded to it by God how with Cain Judas and the Devil they are all Gods servants doing their devillish dark and black work and whose spirit in them shall with the Devil Death Hel and false Prophet and the Beast which was and is not gone into perdition be damned and dye the second death when and how Chap. V. A definition of the rightous 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 and their conditions in life and death and of the dog licking Lazarus soars Chap. VI. That the more purer innocent and faithful men are in the truth the more do men plot and devise evil of them to destroy them as against the Lords Prophets Christ and his Apostles how God by his presence with them delivers them as he did Israel the three Children Daniel Jonah ond Jeremiah and destroyed their enemies Ch. VII How by persecution truth is increased and the more advanced and they that suffer for it to the terror of them that persecute it that truth is rewarded and witnessed by sufferings how the reward of suffrings is a crown of glory manifest in men and when Chap. VIII How the way to find our life is to lose it that no man is to know any thing of himself but to be innocent in knowing his own innocency and righteousness also what the true knowkledge of God is who hath it and how it s obtained Chap. IX How all men are alike to God to whom light and darkness is all one that no man is better nor worse then another and how what it is to be bâ—th best and worst in one person to be punished and exalted and the way unto it how we are to serve one another and of the state of Christ as God and man and how with him we are to love all men Chap. X. Of Gods appearing in Judgment in man against all things of man and this world that all outward duties worship and obedâ—ence by men professed is a lye without the inward work of truth within how according to the inward work is the outward practice that the more by Christ any man is refined pâ—rged and saved within in his conscience the more by men is he falsly accused judged and condemned without in his practice Chap. XI Nothing which opposes God can stand against him how he will pull down and get above Towers Churches worships religions and all things of men that is not in Christ also to whom the Lords Judgements are a day of joy and delight and to whom they are a day of darksnes and trouble t trust in God under them is a sure refuge of the good that comes by them and when Chap XII Incouragemâ—nts to wait with patience under the Lords Judgments and not to oppâ—se them Of the works of the Lord Jesus what thâ—y are and how we bear them about in our bodies when 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 men as witnesses shall suffâ—r fâ—r the rest of one life how some professing the same life for fear of suffering will deny them that suffer for them rather then suffer with them as the Disciples of Christ did Chap. XIIII That the true sufferer w ll God inable with joy to bear his burthen to follow Christ and deny himself to trust in God and rejoyce in all things how with Christ he is humbled to the lowest with men and exalted to the highest with God as the fruit and effect of Gods Judgements the state of perfection ERRATA In the Title page line 23. read comparandis next read Epistle for Epitlâ— in p. 2. of the Epistle l. 34. r. the for ye p. 3 l. 19 r. with for which Book p. 5. l. 16. read Iohn for Rom. l. 18. r. to for so p. 6. l. 22. r. nurses for snuffâ— p. 7. l. 1. r. with for which p. 9 l. 17. r. whom for when l. 20. r. few for some p. 10. l. 1. r. follow for slow p. 12. l. 3. r. pleased p. 20. l. 24 25. r. he for the Devil p. â—4 l. 21. r. lofty p. 25. l. 9. r. purified p. 29. l. 27. r knawed l. 28. r. with p. 32. l. 1. r. know p. 35. l. 3. r. against p. 39. l. 32. r. see p. 41. l. 15. r. good l. 28. r. and l 31. r. every p. 42. l. 3. r. might l. 4 r. might l. 23. r. the p. 47. l 9 r. desired not l 16 r. of p 49. l. 13 r. good l 30 r. humbled himself p 52 l. 32 r made p 57 l. 2 dele that l 8 r. comfort p 58 l 19. r. set up p 59 l 17 r. which p. 62 l 27 r marks p 65 l 16 add are p 66 l 29 read knowing p 68 l 3 thy men p 69 l. 2 r. injoyed it l 30. r. they must continue maintaining p 70 l 24. r. with A new and spiritual Song of Sion and the Lamb Written by the Author in the Holy Land And also in his sufferings wherein God did him try And unto him revealed life light and liberty Psal 98. 1 Psal 101.1 O sing unto the Lord a new Song for he hath done marvelous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory I will sing unto the Lord of mercy and judgement unto thee O Lord will I sing 1. THE Lamb of God our King is come In righteousness to reign Ioh. 1.29 Isa 32.1 Heb. 2.9 Rev.
not he able to deliver thee from the Lyons then said Daniel O King live for ever my god hath sent his Angel and he have shut the Lyons mouthes that they have not hurt me for my innocency was found out before God and against thee have I done no hurt and then was the King glad that he had no wrong and commanded Daniel to be taken out of the den he had no hurt because he believed in his God then the King commanded all that were against Daniel both they and their families to be cast into the den among the Lyons where they had before cast Daniel and the Lyons tore them in pieces for they believed not in the God of Daniel and then did K. Darius write unto all people nations Languages in the world to worship honor the God of Daniel for said the King he is the living God and remaineth for ever and his Kingdom is everlasting who dilvered Daniel from the mouthes of the Lyons and so say I that this is my God and hath hitherto delivered me from those that would have devoured me Thus was Daniel also saved in his affliction and his enemies were destroyed and the Lord his God was the more honoured and his kingdome the more increased as is to this day in the affliction of his people Isa 63.6 who in all their afflictions is himselfe afflicted with them and the Angel of his presence saves them and will cast off none that trust in him and come to him by Jesus nor is he ever wanting with any that know him wait upon him but wil deliver them out of all their troubles which they shall suffer for his cause and which he for his honours sake in delivering of them will bring upon them Iohah chab 1.2 And it was not without the Lord that Jonah was in the ship and that for him being in it the ship was tossed and the people therein troubled with fear and Jonah by them cast into the sea he to be three days three nights in the VVhales belley preserved alive and at the Lords command was by the fish cast out to dry land in safety so was Jeremiah Ier. 38 34 39.11.12 c. who for declaring the word of the Lord was by the King Zedekiah left to the cruelty of the Princes who cast Jeremiah into the dungeon contrary to the Kings knowledge but Jeremiah for trusting in the Lord was in the destruction of Jerusalem delivered and the Princes that cast him in were destroyed by the Caldeans so all that in their troubles shall trust in God that he will deliver them they shall in the worst of troubles be preserved and safely restored into rest and peace with the Lord and not that any thing shall be done without the Lord Christ himself though by the hands of men yet by the Lord was he delivered up unto men to be slain and by him was he with Ionah raysed the third day to life againe and all the prophets and apostles of Christ who were most clearest in the knowledge of the truth of Christ were persecuted and put to death for their Judgements and were not without the Lords company with them in it neither was any thing don unto them without him and he was with them in all their sufferings that they should not feare nor deny him nor that which they knew of him but still hold fast their integrity and faithfulness in the truth before him to live and dye in his cause and will not worship the Beast nor his Image Rev. 15.15 so shal al whom the lord hath set a work not man to contend against the Beast his Image thogh they suffer much by men that have the Image of the beast upon them and the glory of the whore about them yet they shal deny to own them Psal 110.3 for in the day of his power they shall be a willing people for the Lord willing to receive his message and declare it willing to be persecuted and to suffer for it this honour have all his Saints CHAP. VII How by persecution truth is increased and the more advanced and they that suffer for it to the terror of them that persecute it that truth is rewarded and witnessed by sufferings how the reward of suffrings is a crown of glory manifest in men and when ANd suffering for the truth is the ready way to advance it when men are most humbled for the truth then are they in the way to be most exalted with the truth and these things saith Paul which have come unto me in my sufferings Bands Imprisomments have proved all to the furtherance of the Gosple Phil. 1.12 13 14. for the discovery of truths enemies by my bonds saith he other brethren have been the more incouraged to preach the truth and suffer for the truth and in the time of persecutions the saints that were scattered went every where preaching the word Act. 8 3 4. and the more men sought to stop and prevent them the more did they increase and were incouraged and the truth was the more confirmed amongst them as it is to this day where persecutions are manifest and whosoever it is that do persecute another for his Judgement he doth manifest himselfe to be ignorant of God and the truth and lives not in the truth but in the lye which is enmitie to it yet will the truth advance it selfe above it and the more for being persecuted And did men know before hand that what they persecute is thereby advanced and themselves thereby abased and they would not so much act against themselves and the truth which they know not but God will have it so for the wrath of man shall turne to his prayse and the remainder thereof will he restrain Psa 76.10 and will suffer nothing to be done but what he will gloryfie himselfe by and therefore when the kingdoms of the world are most divided one against another 1 Thess 5.1.2 then the kingdome of God cometh in as a thief in the night upon them and that which men in their dayes set themselves most against that wil God in his day most exalt And therefore you my brethren that would in all things love the appearing of the Lord Jesus then meet him in his comming though it be to kill and crucifie you and though Clouds of thick darknesse be round about him that you see him not for the present yet know that it is but for a moment he hides himselfe and that he will againe break through these cloulds and shine Gloriously upon you to the inlightning of your soules for though sorrow hath continued for a night yet joy cometh in the morning and therefore though persecutions and tribulations may be amoung you to try you and out of which the Lord will redeem you Isa 41.10 yet let not your hearts be troubled and be not afraid of men nor of their
part he is gloryfied and therefore blessed are ye when men shall hate you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil sayings against you for the son of mans sake and shal seperate you from their company and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evill why reioyce in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in heaven Luke 6.222 3. for so did their fathers unto the prophets but he that indures unto the end shall be saved And this blessed reward of salvation for suffering for the truth to be manifest in this mortall flesh 2 Cor. 4.10 10 and his prophets and apostles had for they received it and bear witness to it and all that since have suffred with them doe bear the same testimony and unto which my self with many others at this day shall set my seal who have hitherto suffered for the truth which I first received 1 Cor. 8.5.6 that there is but one God and father of all who is above all through all and in all Eph. 4.6 and one Lord Jesus Christ manifesting this unto men by the spirit of himselfe and his own presence dwelling in them by whose presence manifesting this unto me to be declared by me I have also been inabled and with patience made to indure to this day even to the end of what for the truth have yet been inflicted upon me and in which I had my reward being therein satisfied and contented and haveing a perfect assurance of Gods uncangeable love in Christ Jesus towards me never to be taken from me nor I to be seperated from that by principalities nor powers Rom. 8.34 35 39. things present nor things to come heighth nor depth nor any other creature whatsoever though I have been persecuted despised and reiected and as one counted for the slaughter yet in all these things Christ hath been a conquerer for me and hath kept me that I have not denyed him who himselfe all along hath been my reward even my portion my lot and eternal inheritance in his kingdome of eternal Glory 1 Pet. 5.10 unto which he hath caled me by Jesus Christ and unto which after ye have suffered awhile he will also call you make you perfect strengthen settle and establish you And is not this a reward yea a double reward as the apostle saith that the sufferings of this life are not to be compared with the Glory that shall follow and there is no man saith Christ that have denyed himselfe of the Glory of this world for the glory of God but he shall have a thousand fold in the world to come wherein God appears without sin unto salvation and whosoever hath followed Christ in the steps of regeneration in the state of grace Mat. 9.28 29. shall sitt with him upon twelve thrones Judgeing the twelve Tribes of Israel even the throne where Christ sitteth and overcometh all things Rev. 3.21 shall he sit that overcometh the world with Christ and with him his glory shall be doubled from the throne of grace as of twelve degrees of the 12 apostles to the Throne of glory of the four and twenty Elders clothed in white rayment from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot Rev. 4.4 and shall wear on their heads crowns of gold which they shall ascribe to him that sits on the throne with them Ver. 14 15. and gave it to them as still being his though with them and unto whom all Honour glory and Power of all things belongeth for God is judge of all the earth This is the perfect state the throne of God and fulness of glory where Christ his prophets and apostles and Saints and all that are in Christ do with him sit and and reigne together with God on the same throne of his glory rejoycing and singing Halaluiahs unto him for ever and ever and where is heard by them to sing and praise the Lord all creatures both which are in Heaven and which are on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that are in them saying Praise and Honour and glory Rev. 5.13 and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for evermore And all men of the same Lamb like nature of Christ have the same honour and glory with him as due belonging to them CHAP. VIII How the way to find our life is to lose it that no man is to know any thing of himself but to be innocent in knowing his own innocecy and righteousness also what the true knowledge of God is who hath it and how it s obtained ANd Paul to comfort and incourage us in the way of suffrings to this Throne of glory wherein to lose our lives that we may find it and so to know God aright he bids us look unto Iesus the author and finsher of our faith who himselfe by malitious men Heb. 12.2.3 as he was a man himself in the flesh suffered such reproaches whipings scourgings and revileings of men and yet for the joy that was set before him indured the cross and despised the shame and set him down at the right hand of the throne of God which he that overcometh and indureth to the end shall inherit with him and Christ was made perfect through sufferings so shall all that will be made perfect as he is perfect Luk. 24.26 for ought not he first to suffer and then to enter into his glory and if thou wilt be perfect saith he thou must sell all that thou hast and take up thy cross and follow me Mat. 19.21 and be content with joy to suffer the spoyling of your goods your own wisdome and knowledge your righteousness and your glory knowing in your selves how that you have in Heaven a better and a more during substance Heb. 10.33 34 and therefore in knowing this you will not regard the sufferings of this life but wil know that after you have received the light knowledge of the truth in any measure you must come under persecutions and afflictions for it and be made a gazing stock and a reproach unto men by the Lord for your Good 1 Cor. 4.9 that you maybe humbled emptied of all that you call your own and be exalted and filled of all that is Christ and so with him to lose your life that you may find it even all that you lived to in the world and thought your selves happie besides Christ must you lose and sufer to come to Iudgement for he that will seek to save his life shall lose it but he that will lose his life for Christ the same shall find it wherefore as Peter saith humble your selves yea in the Lord under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time casting all your care upon him for he careth for you And these are the steps of Christ and his apostles and prophets 1 Pet. 5.6 7.
of old did in the sufferings of the Apostles they stil owned them the like which hath been to this day amongst men of all judgements which anie that have suffered for conscience tovvards God as the truth hath been manifest in all ages so shal we of one life one for another bear a part in the same sufferings of him that shal suffer for us to witness the life of God manifest in us that he is God and there is none besides him which sufferings some must alwaies expect to have that so witness him Isa 43.10 11. for God never left himself without witnesses neither wil. CHAP. XIIII That the true sufferer will God â—nable with joy to bear his burthen to follow Christ and deny himselfe to trust in God and rejoyce in all things how with Christ he is humbled to the lowest with men and eâ—alted to the highest with â—od as the fruit and effect of Gods Judgements the state of perfection ANd therefore whosoever God shall appoint to stand in this lot of outward sufferings by men for the truth as many hath done to this day him will God inable with strength and patience to undergoe it and passe tâ—rough it to the end though with the losse of a life and all that have been accounted neare and dear unto him which must freely be offered up and sacrificed as an onely son Jsaac when the Lord shall cal for it and he shall not stand to plead with God for any thing of his own goodnesse to justifie himselfe or to save himselfe from the aspersions and reproaches falsly cast upon him as many of the Lords Prophets and Saints have indevoured to do when they have been falsly accused for which the Lord reproved and pleaded against them but without contending for to save any thing that must be sacrificed mantaining and vindicating of the truth he whom God will have to do it must freely submit to the yoke of Christ and to bear the burden of Christ which God will have put upon him as upon Christ and whom he will make able to bear it as he did Christ and therefore saith Christ take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am humble lowly and meek you shall find rest for your souls Mat. ii 29.30 for my yoke is easie and my burden is light and Christ will lay no more upon any then they shall be able to bear and he will lead them in a way that they shall be able to go and that in following him they lose themselves their own wisdome and glory yet they shall find Christ therefore saith he deny y ur selves come and follow me and you shall have treasure in Heaven and there is no man that hath forsaken himselfe and the glory of this world for Christ but he hath the glory of God even the father given to him by Christ wherefore value not your honour with men to receive honour with God which is greater riches and account it your greatest happiness when by men you are tryed and falsly accused and that God hath chosen you to bear witnesse of the truth through suffrings and when men through hatred to you for the lifes sake in you which they persecute shal seperate you from their company and shall revile you Luk. 6.21 22 23 24 35 26. and cast out your name as evil for the son of mans sake why rejoyce in that day and be glad for behold your reward is great in Heaven for so did their fathers unto the Prophets but woe be to them that are rich and wise and full in themselves as being with child with the wisdome of this world and shall delight therein for they shall weep and lament when that day of Christ shall come upon them and then they seeking to save their own lives which is enmitie in the life of God they lose that life even Christ by which they live in peace with God and so the saying of Christ is made good that it is hard for a rich man to enter into heaven and the righteous are hardly saved or it is with much ado because the righteous man while he thinks he is righteous in himself he wil contend for his righteousness and count it his greatest happiness to save it and therefore he will contend against that life which is manifest to destroy it which wil at last come upon him as a thief in the night and take it from him and such a one so contending shal have wo when he that can freely part with all for Christ shal have peace and therefore saith Christ In me you shal have peace in the world you shal have tribulation John i6 33 but be of good cheer I have overcome the world And such a one who with Christ hath overcome the world he is a conqueror over his own life can with Christ lay down his life and take it up again at his pleasure he can descend to the lowest and ascend to the highest he can become the worst and the best without contradiction between them he knows how to be ful and how to be emptie how to be bound and how to be free and have peace in all things and then though tribulations bonds imprisonments come yet is it all the way of God to him he sees in the midst of Gods judgments mercie with God appearing to save him resrore peace com ort to him and God himself to be his refuge that though the earth be moved round about him Psa 46.1 2 3. and the mountains fal into the midst of the sea and be drowned yet wil he not fear and though the waters to wit people Nations tongues and the glorie of this world on which the Whore sitteth and men glory in it do roar be troubled the powers of the earth shake and fal with the swelling thereof yet wil he not fear but rather rejoyce for when the refuge of men and the world fall then wil God be a refuge and strength and a very present help in time of trouble to all that wait upon him and they with David wil then say The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer Psa 18.1 my God and m strength in whom I wil trust my buckler and the horn of mâ— salvation and my high tower which shal stand and not fal and mercy hath God built up for ev r as the throne on which he wil sit in judgment with man to do justice judgment and mercie Psa 139. i. 14. which shal all come together with God unto judgment as unseperable companions to be all given unto man in which man is taught three things For when ods Judgements are on the earth Isaâ— 26.8 9. Mâ—c 6 6 7 8 9. then wil the Inhabitants of the earth learn riâ—hteousness that is for man not to come before God with any thing of his own but to do justly to have mercy and to vvalk