grace Lord increase my faith and make my love and obedience my joy and peace to abound more and more through the spirit of our God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ And thus have I now done with the Antecedent the present and consequent conditions of our reconciliation to God The next thing that I intend is to make Application It hath been hitherto mine endeavour to declare unto you the misterie of salvation and to imitate the skilfull Limbner to give unto every Limbe and part not onely his due proportion but also his due place and not to set the head where the foot should be or the foot where the head I may peradventure to many seem guilty of that crime which was laid against the Apostle to turne the world upside downe and to place that in the bottome which others make the top of the building and to set that upon the roofe which others lay for a foundation But I submit my selfe to the judgement of the word Consider we what hath been spoken of Gods reconciliation to us without all conditions of our reconciliation to God originall and actuall and now let us see if these dstinctions be founded as it is before proved upon the holy Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles whether they bee not blame-worthy that make no difference at all between these two but confounding heaven and earth together the Creature with the Creator doe most absurdly apply those things which are antecedents or causes of our reconciliation unto God to be causes of Gods reconciliation unto us drawing a vaile before the free grace of God and keeping the soule from setling upon a sure foundation The Lord complained of the Prophets of old the false Prophets that they pudled the waters with their feet When water is pudled it is not water but water and dirt mingled together In a puddle no man can discern whether it be deep or shallow water is Doctrine pudling is confounding of things together without division or separation O that our dayes were free from this complaint O yee Pastours of the Lords flock that feed his heritage Be you contented to beare the word of admonition from the meanest of the servants of God Look back upon the waters that yee have made the heritage of the Lord to drink Consider the pastures which you have set before them have you not made the LORDS sheep become a prey sometimes to presumption sometimes to despaire by your Doctrine Have you not made the soules of the righteous sad and the soule of the wicked to rejoyce Consider your wayes I pray you Have you not many a time confounded the conditions of our reconciliation to God making that to be the case which is the effect and that to be the effect which is the cause Let me beseech you to weigh these things and to endeavour that your Doctrine may be the light of the World that it may be cleare as the Christall proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb Rev. 22.1 You sheep of the pasture of the Lord the God of his inheritance know it your duty aptly to distinguish these things in your owne Consciences that you may enjoy the brightnesse of the glory of the grace of God set up in your soules if you search into the reason of your many years bondage of your miserable doubting you shall finde your disease in that which hath been spoken and I hope the remedy also The Lord give you understanding The second Application may shew unto us the difference between the reconciled and the not reconciled Although both may bee objects of the grace of God both beloved of the everlasting Father yet shall you finde a vast difference if you look either upon their Conversations or their Consciences The difference of Conscience is the not reconciled have a defiled and polluted Conscience A Conscience that is either seared and fitted with Atheisticall carelesnesse or at the best sitting in darknesse and the shadow of death seeing no light Matth. 4.16 when as the consciences of the reconciled doe enjoy the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Secondly the conversation of the people not reconciled is either a conversation polluted with Pharisaicall righteousnesse and blind zeale for all zealous persons are not reconciled to God seeking to establish its owne righteousnesse in the sight of God or else a conversation according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the ayre the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience A conversation in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Eph. 2.2 3. The third Application sheweth us an open doore for the easie understanding and plaine reconciliation of many places of Scripture which seem so exceeding different as if no way of reconciling could be found Let us learne to distinguish when God speaketh of his reconciliation to us and when hee speaketh of our reconciliation to him Let us learn to distinguish between the thing and the manifestation of the thing the want of which distinction breedeth an horrible confusion in the interpretation of holy Scripture To give an instance it is written Galat. 3.26 Yee are all the Children of God by faith in Jesus Christ It is written again Gal. 4.6 Because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father In this last place the Holy ghost declares son-ship to be the cause of giving the Spirit as also he declareth it to bee an eternall grace of God communicated unto his people Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of sonnes by Iesus Christ Eph. 1.5 But then if this be so how are we said to be sons of God by faith c I answer the one speaketh of the thing it selfe or of Gods reconciliation to us The other of the manifestation of the thing or our reconciliation to God Againe if the grace of adoption be an eternall grace how is it said wee are borne againe by the Word 1 Pet. 1.23 and begotten by the Word Iames 1.18 I answer these places are to be understood of the manifestation of Adoption not of the act of Adoption it selfe And that this is so is plaine God hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 1.3 A lively hope is the thing unto which we are begotten And that it is ordinary in Scripture to call the manifestation of things by the names of the things themselves will be plaine by two places I might bring two hundred the first is Ierem. 1.10 I have this day set thee over the nations and over the Kingdomes to root out to put downe and to destroy and to throw downe and to build and to plant How doth poore Jeremy destroy Nations Even by declaring the judgements of God in the overthrow of Nations And thus doth he plant by declaring the mercifull promises of God in the restauration of Nations The second place is Ioh. 20.23 Whose sins ye remit they are remitted and whose sins ye retaine they are retained How do the Apostles remit and retaine sinnes but by declaring Gods gracious remission to every one that beleeveth c. But some may object and say why doth not the Lord speak in plain terms I answer who art thou that wilt correct the Lord and teach him to speak I answer againe in our Saviours words when his Disciples ask the question Why speakest thou unto them in Parables Mat. 13.10 His answer is Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God but to them it is not given As if he should have said in respect of you that are my people I need not to speak more plaine for you being taught of God are able to understand the misteries of the kingdom In respect of others I will not speak more plaine because to them it is not given to understand the mysteries of the kingdome Thus far for the application I now draw to an end only I will give you the Skeleto or Map of that which hath beene delivered in a few words Consider we the causes of Gods reconciliation as it stands manifested to us in Christ Secondly the causes of our reconciliation to God Gods reconciliation to us 1 Efficient Gods love 2 Materiall Christs righteousnesse 3 Formall Imputation of righteousnesse 4 Finall Gods glory mans salvation Our recodciliation to God Efficient Principall H. Ghost instrumen tall faith Materiall Christs righteousnesse Formal Apprehension of Christs righteousness by faith Finall Gods glory mans consolation Consider we the difference of these two in their causes The finall cause of Gods reconciliation to us is salvation the finall cause of our reconciliation to God is consolation The Lord fill you with his Spirit that the apprehension of Gods salvation may fill you with eternall consolation Amen FINIS
and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world But I perceive by this objection that thou accountedst this a doctrine of libertie to declare the free love of God in Iesus Christ and thou thinkest it were better to hide this from the people and to terrifie them with Hell fire with wrath and iudgement and with the fierie flashings of Mount Sinai and to keepe them in bondage I can hardly refraine from giving thee very evill language that art thus presumptuous and audacious to contradict the Lord Iesus who hath given commandement that the Gospel of peace should bee preached to all Nations I will spare to speake what I think and commend unto thy consideration the iudgment of one of our owne Countrimen whose learning was by his adversaries commended whose constancie and patience in his martyrdome was admired it was Iohn Fryth who writeth to this effect Thou maist preach hell and damnation and the rendring of a terrible account to a severe Iudge c. seven yeares together and yet not make one good Christian man Hee that would make a good Christian let the love of God be the first stone which he layeth for the foundation Thus hee speaketh And indeed what motive to obedience so strong as love Many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drowne it Cant. 8.7 What greater feare then that which proceedeth from love If wee have an enemy whom we hate wee sheath a sword it his bowels or cleave his head with a Polax and cry him no mercy but how carefull are we not to do the least iniury to a friend if we tread on his singer we are sory at the heart What greater aggravation of sinne then to sin against love Were not he an ungracious and rebellious sonne amongst men who should reason thus I have an indulgent Father who loveth me exceedingly deemeth nothing too good for me who hath given mee assurance and possession of his whole inheritance therefore I will surely neglect him I will shew my selfe undutifull against him I will no more regard his commands or attend unto his precepts but whatsoever will grieve him that will I doe What heart could not afford to cast a stone at the head of such a sonne of Belial as this to dash out his brains For shame let the mover of this obiection blush and hide his head let him consider his folly The case is thine thou art the man because God aboundeth in free love mercy and kindnesse therefore thou wilt abound in wretchednesse I cease to speak any farther of this to thy greater shame The fifth obiection followes which is indeed more mannerly than the former Object 5. If God love us bee reconciled unto us before our faith and our conversion then a man may possibly dye without faith and yet be saved I answer This followeth not because God hath ingaged himselfe to the contrary which if he had not dore much might have beene said But wee see hee that cannot lye hath ingaged himselfe unto his people I will put my Law into their hearts in their minds will I write them Heb. 10.6 And all shall know me from the least to the greatest Heb. 8.11 All thy children shall bee taught of God Iohn 6.54 Isaiah 54.13 So that we say He that beleeveth not shall bee damned Not because his believing doth alter or change his estate before God but because the God of truth hath promised that hee will not onely give us remission but that he wil also give faith for our consolation and so faith becommeth a note and mark of life everlasting and finall infidelity a sure 〈◊〉 of eternall condemnation that whosoever or whatsoever he be in life or conversation yet hee that beleeveth not shall be damned Thus much for the fifth Object 6. The sixth obiection If God love us as you say why doth he suffer us to live in 20.50 or 60. yeares I answer What art thou that repliest against God How unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 Againe let us aske Paul why the Lord suffered him being an elect and chosen vessell to persecute his Saints unto death and bonds and to cause many to blaspheme and hee will tell us that in him first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a patterne to them which should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting 1 Tim. 1.16 Thirdly thou mayest as well obiect seeing that God is of infinite power why doth he suffer sinne in the world if thou shouldest the Lord will give answer My grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 Thus farre for the obiections now wee come to the third thing propounded The application of what hath been spoken Applicat 1. In the first place we will observe the difference betweene the true Religion and the false from that which hath been spoken There are many religions in the world And it fareth with diversities of Religions as with diversities of opinions there is a possibility that they may be all false but it is altogether impossible that they should be all true There is but one true Religion but there are many false the false Religions seeming to differ exceedingly amongst themselves in very many things even in the obiect of worship and in the matter and manner yet be they never so different there is one common foundation wherein they doe all agree and wherein they differ from the true The true Religion propoundeth unto us a God in chiefe reconciled pacified pleased a justice already satisfied a propitiation made sinnes taken away and we have not one jote not one apex in all the new Covenant to be found of reconciling God to us but of our reconciliation to God The new Covenant manifesteth unto us a God already reconciled to us and the whole ministery of reconciliation propoundeth our reconciliation to God Now this is the common character of all false religions of what sort soever Iews Turks Papists pharisaicall Protestants Heathen all propound in some degree or other an angry God a deity not reconciled and then prescribe certain means and services whereby to appease his wrath and to quench his displeasure and to obtaine his love and favour Man doth not oftner seeke after salvation but hee naturally stumbleth upon this principle What shall I doe to be saved The world would bee saved by doing Martin Luther speaking of this difference doth more than once compare the false religions unto Sampsons foxes Iudg. 15.4 their heads looking divers wayes but they were fastned together by the tayles This comparison wee doe imbrace yet I had rather compare them to Gentlemens Spaniels which are fastned together by the necks but loose at the tayles They differ indeed in some circumstances but in the main substance they agree in one Doe wee not see some men contending with the Papist with wonderfull eagernesse doe we not see others tugging and haling one one way the other another one for
of the place is that Christ will not only purge the conscience but the conversation also of al such as come to him that is beleeve in his name and that a reformed conversation shall though not goe before yet accompany a cleare apprehension of the grace of God in Christ lesus And thus wee give an answer unto that other portion of holy Scripture Fornicators shall not inherit the Kingdome of GOD not that it is to bee thought that men must first mortifie their sinnes before they can come to the Kingdome of God but that entring into the Kingdome of God the Lord would vouchsafe unto them power to reforme their lives And that this is the true sense of the place is plaine by the eleventh verse Such were some of you but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God They were such untill they were washt and how were they washt even in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God When the buyers and sellers had prophaned the Temple the Lord doth not stay while some body had cast them out and then goe into the Temple afterwards but he enters into the Temple first and making a scourge of small cords he drove them all out of the Temple Iohn 2.15 So fareth it with the Temple of thy body that is prophaned with sin and thy conscience that is defiled with iniquity Thou must not thinke that thy conscience must bee washed first and then the Lord to enter afterwards but the Lord must first entor and wash thee and purge thee by his blood which purgeth the conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 Therefore thou complainest thou canst not leave thy sinnes I say thou hadst the more need to beleeve in Christ that thou mightest have power to forsake them But poore soule thou dost obiect further and say I have beene an extortioner a grinder of the faces of the poore a theefe a purloyner and what shal I venture to beleeve in Christ before I have made restitution and satisfaction to them whom I have wronged Are we not taught out of the Father Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur oblatum without restitution no remission I answer first there are many things that are well spoken by the Fathers in one sense which are perversly applyed in another This sentence is true in respect of reconciliation of man to man but not true in respect of God to man or man to God As when a man shall by a lawfull Church bee for extortion excommunicated the Church ought not to receive him againe untill restitution bee made And thus may wee in good sense understand other passages of the Fathers which are otherwise perversly applyed by themselves others Wilt thou deserve pardon saith Ambrose wash away thy sinnes by teares This is good in my first sence of reconciliation of man to man as when the Church shall excommunicate an offendor and hee shall humble himselfe with teares in his eyes he ought again to be received But to apply this as a meares to reconcile God to man there can be nothing more abominable 〈…〉 by the way to give thee warning of the grost applications which are made 〈…〉 the Fathers by 〈…〉 nor what they 〈…〉 doubt Thou 〈…〉 use thou hast not 〈…〉 say beleeve first 〈…〉 forward for this 〈…〉 beyond all except 〈…〉 stood forth and said unto the Lord Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I give to the poore and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation I restore him fourefold If wee looke backe to the sixth verse there wee see that Zacheus received Christ ioyfully Zacheus was an arch-publican verse 2. a man that was a sinner verse 7. yet this sinner this arch-publican received Christ first not into his house onely but into his heart also and then he makes restitution afterward goe and doe likewise thou seest the abundant grace of God bove and beyond all obstacles if thou canst beleeve thou needest not feare though thou hast beene never so sinfull Thus much for the fourth Application Applicat 5. The fifth If God be so freely reconciled to us how ought we to be easie to be intreated to be reconciled one to another The Lord slow to wrath and full of compassion and loving kindnesse Take we heed that we bee not full of wrath and slow to compassion God is reconciled to us before wee aske how much more ought wee to bee reconciled to those that have offended us and say forgive us Oh that we had so much charitie in us as to beare one with another the stronger with the weaker that unhappy differences might have an end Secondly is God thus freely reconciled to us Oh let us be intreated to bee reconciled unto him which is the second generall I have to shew unto you What it is for man to bee reconciled to God FINIS RECONCILIATION OF MAN to GOD. By HENRY DENNE BEfore I enter to speake of Mans reconciliation to God It is necessary that I premise a distinction and shew you a two-fold reconciliation set out unto us in the Scriptures 1. Originall 2. Actuall Beare with the termes I confesse they are not altogether so fit as I could wish But I therefore thought fit to use these termes that I might paralell this distinction unto another used by Divines of Originall and Actuall sinne Originall reconciliation is wrought without us by another person yet for us you may call it the reconciliation of our nature Actual reconciliation is wrought within us although not by our owne power This you may call the reconciliation of our persons or consciences the one being the reconciliation of our nature to God the other the manifestation of that and the premised reconciliation to our soules That this is not an unnecessary distinction you shall find by comparing some Scriptures together the first is Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Againe Eph. 2.16 That he might reconcile both unto God into one body by the Crosse having slaine the enmity thereby Col. 1.21.12 Thirdly consider what is written 2 Cor. 5.18 19. All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himselfe by Iesus Christ and hath given unto us the ministery of reconciliation To wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them Now compare wee these three places forementioned with that which we find 2 Cor. 5 20. We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be yee reconciled unto God In the former places the Apostle told us wee were reconciled and in this place he beseecheth us to be reconciled For to take up this difference I say that in the former he speaketh of our Originall reconciliation wherein our nature was reconciled to God by