Truth Held Forth and Maintained, Part 1 · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. Concerneng the State of all men, and of Gods Judgments, and alſo of Gods calling the Jews, and manner of their Return to the Light of the Goſpel.
THe Light of the Goſpel is of God by Jeſus, who is the Power of God to Salvation, in all them that believe, and the Power of God for Condemnation in them that be…ieve not, John 1.11, 12 for the Lord ſearcheth the heart and trye…h the R…ms, even to give every man according to the fruit of his doings; for the Light of Gods gift of divine Life, by Jeſus Chriſt, makes maniteſt what fruit God requires of the Sons and Daughters of men, who through Faith and Obedience, do not anſwer his holy Will, for which cauſe the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven, againſt all Ungodlineſs and Unrighteouſneſs of men, becauſe their Life of Diſobedience is knowingly againſt the gift of Gods divine Light, which is their Condemnation for their evil Deeds, John 3.19, 20. for that which may be known of God is manifeſted in them, for God hath ſhewed it unto them, Rom. 1.18, 19 For the Lord ſheweth unto Man what is his Thoughts, Amos 4.13. Which if through Faith and Obedience to what the Lord makes manifeſt, then the Thoughts of the Heart and Intents of the Mind are juſtified before him; but if their Works are of Unbelief, through Diſobedience, then the Thoughts of their Heart and Intents of the Mind are for Condemnation; for every Obedient Child of God bringeth his Deeds to the Light, by which they are manifeſt to be wrought in God; but they who are Lovers of their own unrighteous Ways, more than they are Lovers of Gods holy Truth, they hate the Gift of Gods divine Light, becauſe by it their evil Deeds are reproved So that the ſtate of all men is either of Obedience or Diſobedience to the known Will & Mind of God, made manifeſt by the Light of his Spirit, in and through the Lord Jeſus …hriſt, whoſe Light is not hid to them that are faithful, but through Diſobedience, the Wicked, that ſin away the Day of Grace, their Candle hath been often lighted, and through their Diſobedience goeth out again, Job 21.17. & 8.5, 6. Prov. 2.20. So that if the Light of the Goſpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loſt, in whom the godd of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not, lest the Light of the glorious Goſpel of Chriſt, who is the Image of God, ſhould ſh…ne unto them, 2 Cor. 4.3, 4. So that it is th…ough continued Diſobedience by which men periſh; for the Light of the Lord is not hid under a Bed, nor under a Buſhel; for there is nothing hid that ſhall not be made manifeſt, neither was any thing kept ſecret, but that it ſhall come abroad, Mat. 5.15. Mark 4.21, 22, 23. Luke 11.33. By which it is clearly manifeſted, that Gods Wrath and Indignation in his juſt Judgments upon the Unrighteous, is becauſe of their Unbelief and Rebellious living, which is as the ſin of Witch craft before him, and in his ſight. Now as the ſtate of the faithful witneſs Salvation by Grace, through Faith and Obedience, ſo alſo do the unfaithful witneſs Condemnation & Deſtruction, through Diſobedience and Unbelief, begotten by the Father of all Unrighteouſneſs. So that the ſtate of all men are either in Servitude to the Power of Gods gift by Jeſus Chriſt, or in Servitude to the Power of the Devil, who is the Father of all Unrighteouſneſs, which the Diſobedient live in, and in that ſtate of Diſobedience the Wicked periſh for evermore; more; but unto the Righteous hath God regard, whoſe Portion is of his heavenly Riches, which ſhall for evermore endure with his People in the World to come. But the Day ſhall come, and now is, that the Lord ſhall ſuffer his Judgments to make way for the Righteous to inhabit the Earth, in which the Wicked have, of long time been ſuffered (through the permiſſion of God) by the Enemy of Maus Peace, to lay waſte the Lives and Eſtates of the Righteous, who ſhall inhabit the Earth with Peace and Quietneſs, when the Lords Judgments have deſtroyed all the Thornes and Thiſtles, with all other the Combuſtible high and lofty Trees, which have long incumbered the Lords Earth▪ without bringing forth Fruit unto him, through whoſe Judgments of Famine, Sword and Peſtilence, with other Judgments of the like Nature, by which the Potſherds ſhall daſh one againſt another, till the Earth ſhall become plain and ſmothe, from the crooked Nature of unrighteous men; For every Valley ſhall be exalted, and every Mountain and Hill ſhall be made low, and the crooked ſhall be made ſtraight, and the rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord ſhall be revealed, and all Fleſh ſhall ſee it together, for the Mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it, Iſa. 40.4, 5. Luke 3.5. And all Fleſh ſhall ſee the Salvation of God in that Day, in which all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved; for there ſhall come out of Zion a Deliverer, and ſhall turn away Ʋngodlineſs from Jacob which is his Covenant to them, when he ſhall take away their ſins, Rom. 11.26, 27. for the Lord will finiſh the Work, and cut it ſhort in Righteouſneſs, becauſe a ſhort work will the Lord make upon the Earth; and for that end hath the Lord begun in his Judgments among the Wicked, that he may make way for his Seed in the Remnants of the Nations which ſhall be ſaved, of which there is a Number already gathered, unto which ſmall Number of deſpiſed People, the Lord …s daily adding unto his choſen Heritage and elect Seed, unto whom the Promiſe doth belong which is to all them that fear the Lord and work Righteouſneſs, unto them is the gathering of the Nations which ſhall be ſaved, and for their ſakes hath the Lord begun his righteous Work againſt the Adverſaries of his Truth, whom he will overthrow and bring to nought, for out of Heaven will the Lord thunder of his Judgments upon them; and will judge the ends of the Earth; for God hath given ſtrength to the Righteous, and will exalt the Horn of his anointed, and he ſhall only and alone rule, unto whom the Government doth belong; for when his Judgments are in the Earth, the Inhabitants thereof will learn Righteouſneſs; for God ſhall ariſe in Judgment to ſave the weak of the Earch, and the Wrath of man ſhall praiſe him, and the remainder of W…ath ſhall the Lord reſtrain, Pſal. 7.6, 9, 10. And the Lord will return to Jacob, and have Mercy upon the Houſe of Iſrael, after they have born the Shame of their Treſpaſſes, whereby they have treſpaſſed againſt the Lord, Ezek. 39. Then will the Lord gather them from among the Heathen, and they ſhall know him whom their Fathers ſlew, to be the Lord of Life, then ſhall they ſing Praiſes acceptable to God, giving Glory due unto his holy Name, and their Offerings unto him ſhall be in the Beauty of Holineſs; for they ſhall know the Lord, and him the only true God ſhall they worſhip in the Spirit and in the Truth; the… ſhall the Earth fear before the Lord, and the World alſo ſhall be ſtable, that it be not moved; then the Heavens will be glad, and the Nations will ſing Praiſes to the holy One of Iſrael, whom they ſhall know to rule and reign in the hearts of the Out caſts of Iſrael; for if the caſting away of them have been the reconciling of the World, what ſhall the receiving of them be, but Life from the Dead? Rom. 11.15. Then let the S…a roar, and the fullneſs thereof, let the Fields rejoyce, and all that is therein; then ſhall the Trees of the Wood ſing out at the preſence of the Lord, for he cometh to judge the Earth, Chron. 16. And unto them that fear his Name ſhall the Sun of Righteouſneſs ariſe with healing in his Wings; and they ſhall grow up in Truth and Righteouſneſs before the Lord, and the Wicked ſhall be as Aſhes under the ſol…s of their feet, in the Day that I ſhall do this, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts; for the Lord will pour out of his Spirit upon the Fathers and the Children, and the hearts of the one ſhall be turned towards the other; for Truth and Righteouſn…ſs ſhall reign in all the Earth, and there ſhall be no more Norſe of the Horſes ruſhing into the Battle; for all carnal Weapons of War ſhall be done a way, and all the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdoms of God and his Chriſt, and the Lord of Life shall rule and reign in his People for evermore; and happy is it with that ſmall Number of deſpiſed Ones among men in this day, who witneſs the beginning of theſe things in themſelves; for having ſet their hand to the Plow, & not looking back, they ſhall be made fit for the Kingdom of Heaven, into which no unclean thing ſhall ever enter; for it is prepared of God by Jeſus Chriſt, for them that have kept his Commandments in this Life, and not for them that plead for a Body of ſin all their days, in which ſinning ſtate they know no end of Diſobedience againſt Gods holy Truth; for ſin brings Death, and Death brings Judgment, which is for Wrath to come upon all the Ungodly, which fear not God, to keep his Commands; for which cauſe the Wicked live in a …ell upon Earth, which by the Wrath of Gods juſt Judgment, will be enlarged to all the Wicked after this Life; for for when the Righteous dye, they dye to live in the Lords Reſt, where they enjoy Pleaſure at the right hand of God for evermore; but the Wicked (who have diſregarded the Commands of the Lord in this Life) they dye to live in Everlaſting Torment of the fiery Flames of Gods Wrath and Indignation, which is the Reward of all the Wicked and Ungodly of this Life whoſe Life is far worſe than the Life of a Dog or a Toad, for when they dye, all their Miſery is ended, but when the Wicked dye their great Miſery then beginneth and will encreaſe forever and ever. Which things are too little regarded by many in this Life; but the Day will come, in which they ſhall wiſh, that others might have warning, but if they will not hear Moſes and the Prophets, neither have they regarded the Lord from Heaven; for which cauſe is their Miſery, which will come upon all the Ungodly that call not (as they ought to do) upon the Name of the Lord.