Gods rich grace even in this one branch of the Gospel his beginning the work of Reconciliation Vse 2. And then Another Use of it may be this To teach us not to think much but to begin to seek peace even with our inferiors learn we by the example of God that if there be falling out between one neighbor and another or between one friend and another not to think much to begin the work of peace We think it would be a dishonor for us to yeild so far we say what is he not my inferior shal I send to him Why it is Gods glory to do it God doth not only do it to us but he accounts it his glory so to do It is a great part of the glory of God that he is willing to yeild to us and to send to us about tearms of Reconciliation And shal that which makes God to be glorious be accounted a dishonor to thee shal it make thee unglorious when it makes God to be glorious If it be an excellency in God suerly it is no baseness no dishonour in thee What a proud heart hast thou that thou shouldest think that that doth debase thee too much which makes God to be a glorious God that that which doth set so much glory upon God should in thy thoughts put dishonor upon thee as if thy honor were to be higher than the honor of God himself Certainly those men that are of such implacable dispositions at least they wil never yeild to begin to make up their peace with others but they wil stand it out to the uttermost though their consciences tell them that they themselves have done a great deal of wrong and that they could be willing there were a peace only they wil not begin This proud and stout spirit in men is an argument that they have not been accquainted with Gods reconciling of himself unto them for Gods beginning to be reconciled unto thee wil make thee to begin reconciliation with thy inferior You wil say why should not he begin first It is true why should he not it is his duty indeed and so it is our duty to begin with God but suppose he doth not begin thou shouldest rather pitty him and look upon him in so much the more miserable Condition and know that though thou hast the advantage of him yet thou art to be like unto God in this particular USE 3. Thirdly A third Use of Gods beginning the work of Reconciliation with us is the Use that the Apostle himself makes in Rom. 5.10 If when we were enimies to God we were reconciled unto him by the death of his Son how much more being reconciled we shal be saved by his life here you see the Apostles inference upon Gods gratiousness in himself he being willing to be reconciled when we were enimies much more being reconciled we shal be saved as if he should have said al the goodness of God towards poor wretched sinful Creatures when we were desperate enemes to him and never thought of coming in to be reconciled unto him yet the Lord himself finds out a way and begins the work of making peace between him and our souls surely then being reconciled unto him we shal be saved What shal God when we were a going on in a desperate way of enmity against him shal this God come then to us and have thoughts of peace and Love and mercy to us surely when we are reconciled when we have hearts in some measure to love this God and to serve and fear him he wil not cast us off certainly no it is better with us now than before When we were enemies unto him and desperate enemies it had been then no wonder if God had cast us off and sent us to our own places to lie for ever under the infinite burden of his wrath but the Lord had then thoughts of peace towards us it is therefore now far otherwise with us though it is true we have many corruptions in us but we can appeal unto God that our Souls love him and that the desire of our hearts are to fear and serve him we can in some measure be able to say Lord thou that knowest al things knowest that there is nothing in the world our Souls desire more than to overcome these Corruptions there is no burden in al the world like unto the burden of sin there is nothing so grievous to us as this that we have such vile hearts and natures that can serve him no better than we do and if God should ask us what we would have from him we can say in the sincerity of our souls Lord thou knowest we would not ask Riches or Honors to be Kings and Princes in the world but Oh that we might be delivered from the remayner of the corruption that is in our hearts from such and such distempers of our Souls whereby we dishonor thy name continually Certainly if the hearts of men be in this disposition they may gather a comfortable argument to themselves and conclude thus There was a time that I went on as a dsperate enemy unto God and I lived without God in the world and never minded the power and the majesty and the Dominion of God over me but as if I were born to nothing else but to sin against God I followed my own lusts with al manner of greediness but behold then even at that time the Lord had thoughts of mercy towards me and he took me perhaps when I came to the hearing of the word with a purpose to contemne and despise it and to ieer at it yet at that very time he took me and spake to my heart and shewed me Jesus Christ and his mercy and then he broke my heart now the Lord knows though when I come to the word I profit not as I should yet I come with a heart desiring to profit and I would fain know the mind of God in it and before I come I go to God and desire him to shew me some part of his wil Wil God now cast me off when being a disperate enemy to him he had thoughts of mercy towards me wil he cast me off for those infirmities that I have now I know I have not a heart opposite to that Grace though I have a heartful of distempers I am not an enemy unto God as I was before and an enemy to his people and ordinances No my heart is towards him my heart is towards his people and towards his Ordinances and was God reconciled to me then even whil'st I was an enemy and wil he now cast me off for weaknesses and infirmities Certainly it cannot be O make much of that place of the Apostle If when we were enemies unto God we were reconciled unto him much more saith he certainly now God wil not cast us off but we shal be saved That is a third use that we may make of Gods begining the work of Reconciliation USE 4. A Fourth is this
if thou thinkest that this is an argument of Reconciliation No the bottom of Reconciliation is non imputation Hast thou an evidence to thy Soul that God hath revealed Christ to thee and that in his Son he hath imputed thy sin to thee and do'st thou build thy peace upon that This wil hold Many build their peace upon this that their sins are not so and so great as others are What of that if it be but one sin that thou art guilty of though it be of the least nature yet if it be imputed to thee it is enough to make thy Soul and God eternally enemies Others there are whose sins were committed a great while ago and they have worne out the trouble of them now they are quiet and at peace But O! let them know there is stil the debt remaining upon the score it is not taken of And as a man that may stay a long while before he cals for his debt may cal for it when he pleaseth and first or last wil do it So thou hast gotten thy selfe into a kind of peace and worne out the trouble of thy conscience yet know that so long as thy sins are upon the score and are not wiped off God wil cal for payment sooner or latter therefore pleace not thy self in any things in the world as the ground of thy peace but thy being reconciled unto God in Christ he not imputing thy sins unto thee CHAP. 39 The Ministers Commission to Preach Reconciliation to the World We now pass on to the next thing And that is the Commission for declaration of this Doctine of Reconciliation with God in Chrst in the last words of the 19. verse And hath committed unto us the word of Reconcilation God hath committed unto us I find the words in the Original different from that they are read in your English Bibles the word Committed is and put into us so the words are put in this word of Reconciliation so if you read it word for word according to the Original Text it is thus And he hath put in us the word of Reconciliation But because this kind of reading would seem to be somthing harsh in our English phrase therefore the Translators have translated it thus And hath committed to us but the Original exprsses it in this manner to shew what it is that is needful to a Minister of the Gospel that he should have the Doctrine of Reconciliation to sink deep into his own heart first that so when he comes to speak to the hearts of other men he may speak from the heart and so to the heart the word that comes from heart we say goes to the heart therefore it is of great use that one that is a Minister of the Gospel should have the word of Reconciliation the mysteries of the Gospel deeply rooted in his heart that when he comes to speak to the people he may speak it not meerly from his tongue and head but from his heart eâ—perimentally that his heart may be in his ministry that so it may be more effectuall to go to the heart of the people to whom he speaks and that expression is somwhat like to this 1. Gal. 16. verse in the 15. verse it is said But when it pleased God who seperated me from my Mothers Womb and called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me To reveal his Son in me he doth not say to reveal his Son to me but in me so the words are so that indeed it doth befit a Minister of the Gospel to be a profitable Minister when Jesus Christ comes to be revealed in him And so much for the expression hath committed unto us that is put in us the word of reconciliation As if the Apastle should say whereas the Lord hath been from al eternity plotting as it were the great work of reconciling the world unto himself in that great mistery of godliness doing of it in Christ and this is the work that above al things concerns the glory of God and the good of Soules and the Lord hath been pleased to appoint some select messengers for to carry this his name about the world and to shew unto the world what those glorious counsels of his wil hath been from al eternity concerning the Children of men this great Doctrine of reconciling the world unto himself in Christ is the very buisness that we are sent about the world for and are as the Embassadors of Christ to come and in his name to treat with the world about Reconciliation with God about making up their peace with God so that here you have the work of the Ministers of the Gospel what great things are committed to the Ministers of the Gospel He hath committed unto us the ministery of Reconciliation that is the work so that from hence the point is this according to the words of the text Doct That the Ministery of Reconciliation with God is committed unto the Ministers of God to preach unto the World The Ministers of God have a comission both from the Father Son and Holy Spirit to preach the Doctrine of Reconciliation to the people for here we have it in the very words which follow We are Embassadors of Christ as if God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be you Reconciled to God for Father Son and Holy Spirit is likewise in the commission of Gods Ministers when they come to preach in the name of God and that you have in Nehem. 9.20 Thou gavest thy good spirit It was the Prophet that came to instruct them it was the Spirit of God in the Prophet that did instruct them So that the Ministers of God have their commission from the Father from the Son and from the Holy Spirit to come to the people and to reveale the great counsels of God unto them they are sent by the whole Trinity unto the people here is their commission you have it clearly But the commission is more imediately from Christ though there is the Father Son and Holy Spirit in it yet it is more imediatly from Christ because Christ is the great Prophet of the Church it is part of the prophetical office of Christ to have the great counsel of God his Father in the mistery of our Reconcilliation to be opened to the people Christ was first annointed and then he doth as it were annoint other officers to this great work in Isa 61. There you shal find the great Prophet he is first annointed The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath annointed me To what To Preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken heart to proclaim liberty to captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable yeare of the Lord and the day of Vengence of our God to comfort all that mourne to appoint unto them that mourne in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes
are entreated to be reconciled to deliver your Souls from that depth of misery and to be brought unto happiness and glory Secondly Consider who you are that are intreated Were there any great worth in you Then you might expect to be entreated as men that are of great estates they must be entreated But who are you wretched Caitiffes in your selves damned Dust and Ashes fire-brands of hel such as have made your selves fuel for the everlasting wrath of the eternal God to burne upon such as deserve to be cast out as an everlasting curse enemies to God you are intreated And by whom are you intreated Even by God himself and Christ that is God blessed for ever Even that infinite glory before whom Angels adore before whom they cover their faces even him who by one word of his mouth is able to send you al presently down to Hell even this God commeth to entreat and that Christ whom Angels do Adore even that Christ comes to entreate For the Servant to entreate his Master for the subject to entreate the prince is not so much but for the Maister to entreate the Servant for the prince to entreate the subject this is that that should fil our Souls with a spirit of admiration at the unspeakable condescentions of the most blessed Majesty Thirdly what need hath God of you though you should perish and die eternally it is no great matter to him God might have his glory out of your eternal ruine But to that end that he might break your Hearts therefore he doth entreate and beseech Oh admire at the riches of his Grace and give him the glory that is due unto him begin to do that here that you must do to al eternities when you come into his glorious presence in Heaven CHAP. 80. VSE 2. And 3. SEcondly The more God doth manifest this his grace the more desperatly wicked is the heart of man to stand out against God Oh! wretched cursed heart that can stand out against God that can stand out against the the offer of grace in the Gospel I say this is a cursed heart to stand out against the offer of grace though it were no more If this should be but declared that Christ is come into the world to save sinners God expects that al those to whom Christ is so revealed that they should come flocking unto him and cry mightily unto God for mercy in Christ but when God doth not only offer his son but comes by the Ministry of his word and by the work of his spirit to draw your hearts unto him and ye thou dost stand out against God against al these gracious beginings drawings and melting expressions of God thou dost stand out Oh! Cursed stubborn hard heart that should stand out against al these Thou canst not now pleade Oh! tentation was strong to draw my heart from God to such and such sinful waies Was tentation strong Why did ever tentation draw more alluringly than God hath drawn alluringly by his gospel It is impossible that the Devil and al the world should draw more alluringly to any sin than God doth draw unto him Oh! these entreatings of God this gratious way toward sinners is that that wil be the greatest aggravation of the sins of men that ever was or can be imagined Only for the present know thus much that the mercies of God that shal be the subject of the Saints rejoycing and blessing of his name to al eternity that mercy wil be thy greatest misery and that is a sad thing for any sinner to think on that that mercy that the Saints shal be eternally admiring and blessing God for that that should be my misery and secret wound and my greatest terror and that is the second thing VSE 3. Oh! rebuke thine own wretched heart that hath stood out so long against God as thou hast done al thy daies Certainly the consideration of this of standing out against any command of God when God comes to enlighten a mans Conscience and the Soul doth come to understand with whom he hath to deal it hath a mighty power to break the heart of man That when I come to see that I have stood out against al those loving drawings al those woings of the Gospel it is that that wil rent your hearts Rent your hearts and not your garments for the Lord is merciful that is not only a breaking of the heart but a rending of the heart when the Grace of God doth appear to it CHAP. 81. Use 4. To strengthen our Faith if God were reconciled when we were enemies he wil not cast us off for every infirmity Objections Answered FOurthly The Consideration of this may be a mighty strength to the Faith of those sinners that have in some measure been wrought upon by the Grace of God Thus if the Lord hath manifested such abundance of strength of Spirit in seeking to sinners to be reconciled then certainly when sinners are reconciled the heart of God wil forever be with them he wil not lose the fruit of such Grace as this if once he hath brought in and that in such a way of mercy Christ having brought it it cannot be any easie thing that shal take off Gods heart from thee there was the goodness of God towards Adam in Paradice I but it was not so much goodness of God unto him as could not admit of any breach beween God and him But the heart of God is so much in this work in bringing sinners to be reconciled unto him as it is impossible that ever there should be such a breach between them and him again that ever they should prove to be enemies Therefore let this strengthen thy heart when at any time thou begin'st to have jelous thoughts of God have recourse to thy first calling to God I went on not many years ago in a wreatched sinful way but God came to me and shewed me my evil way and shewed me his Grace Yea when I stood out against his Grace he followed me and would not let me be at quiet but manifested it more and more and hath overcome my heart unto himself How can I think that God that hath done so before that now he should take advantage upon every infirmity that now every sin that he sees in me should make such breaches between him and my soul that he should cast me from him Can I think it Certainly it is a wrong to the Grace of God in the Gospel Object I but you wil say here is the evil That upon my loose walking I cannot think that ever things were in truth that I was truly converted Answ To that I answer but these two things First that if thou canst but be able to say thus in the presence of God the Lord knows that there is no weapon of enmity in my heart that is against God that God reveals unto me to be a sin but I know my heart is against it I can appeal to God so and
This may serve to be some prop to support and keep up any troubled Conscience from dispair even the very reading of this though still they are afraid of Gods willingnesse to make up the peace but it is possible thou may'st have it No Angel in Heaven Nor man in the world do or can know to the contrary but that it is possible for thee and thee for such a sinner as thou art or such as thou art to come to be reconciled And doth this begin a little to stir thy heart but to read that the Condition of man is not desperate but there is a possibility of his being Reconciled do'st thou believe because of this then as Christ said unto Nathaniel thou shalt see greater things than these So if thy heart begin to be affected by this thou shalt before we have done with this subject read greater things of the councel of God about his willingness to be reconciled unto the Children of men Only before I pass let me speak this one Word about this point Let us take heed that we do not turne this grace of God that we hear of this day to the increase of our more fearful condemnation or make our condemnation far more dreadful then the condemnation of the Devils is because we have more means afforded us for our delivery than ever they had for if we look not to it it may prove so that our condemnation may be more dreadful then the condemnation of the Devils and therefore you had need when you hear anything of this Decoctine of Reconciliation or of a possibillity of being reconciled unto God to lift up your hearts unto God and desire that the reading of this blessed Doctrine may not prove to the increase of your condemnation There is not such a thing preached to the Devils therefore if I come not in and accept of the terms of Reconciliation I shal be in worse case than the Devils It can never be charged upon them that God was willing to be reconciled and they would not but it may be thus said of al wicked and ungodly men that live under the sound of the Gospel and so Continue in their wickedness and die in it this wil be the charge that wil lie upon them another day and God wil saie unto them you did indeed hear that you were naturally enemies to me yet I manifestd in my Gospell that I would enter into terms of peace with you but you refused it and slighted it and scorned it What can possibly provoke the heart of a man so much as this that when he hath his enemy who hath deeply offended him at an advantage should yet offer tearms of peace to him and yet his enemy goes away scorning slighting and contemning him Truly thus do wicked men that live under the light of the Gospel when the Ministers of the Gospel come and preach peace and Reconciliation to them tel them that God is willing to be at peace with them that he is willing to treat and to parly with them about the business of salvation they go away and the language of their actions is this wel we wil shift as wel as we can for our selves we are resolved to have our waies of sin and to have our Satisfaction in this and the other lust Now God forbid that this should be in the heart of any one that casts his eyes on this book CHAP. 4. Reconciliation Opened 1 By it Gods enmity is taken away 2 The enmity on the souls part is taken away 3 God taketh into intire Love 4 By it thou comest to be in League and Covenant with God 5. The soul is perfectly Reconciled 6. This Reconciliation its everlasting 7 It continues notwithstanding all thy sins 8. The Devills Accusations shall never make God thy Enemy again III. Therefore I am in the third place to open a little further this grace of God the doctrine of Reconciliation and it is a most blessed and sweet doctrine especially in these times wherein there are so many Cumbustions abroad in the world wherein we heare of Warrs and rumors of Wars yea of Wars neer to us even in our own land our bowels what can be more acceptable in such times as these than to hearof Reconciliation Now when things are growen to such a height when there is such a deadly hatred for let me tel you there was never such a deadly hatred in a Nation between one party and another as there is now it is boyled up to the highest as poyson may be boyled up to such a height as that it may be death to touch it so the poyson and rage of our adversaries is boyled up to the greatest height But though we are not able to Conceive that there can be a Reconciliation between them and us yet there may be a possibility of a Reconciliation between God and us and the hearing of the Doctrine of Reconciliation may quiet and support our hearts against the feare and truoble that we have in these times wherein we have nothing but rumors of wars round about us yea in the midest of al these miseries which we hear of as the effect of these unnatural broyles that are amongst us Now the Doctrine it may be opened in these several particulars The first is this That enmity which we have heard of before when once God comes to be Reconciled to a soul is al done away al that enmity is then so removed as that the wayes of the Lord to a man are turned quite contrary to that they have formerly been which I shal afterwards discover in the effect of this Reconciliation more fully But this is the first thing the doing away of all that wrath and displeasure that was in the heart of God against the sinner so that if it were possible that you could but look into the heart of God you should not see any remainder of that wrath and displeasure that was in him because of sin It is true if we do consider of God in al his workings together from Election to glorification it wil be hard to affirme that ever God should be in a way of enmity against his Elect ones because he did alwaies love them for the truth is though we conceive Gods works by peeces yet they are al one in him but if we would understand God aright we must understand him in releation to his Creature and in releation unto himself for as God is in himself it is impossible for us to understand him but we must understand him in reference to his Creatures there we find that one excellency of God is cut into several peeces and parts and that one act of God which is his own being is discovered in several waies of acting There are a great many mistakes about God when as men do draw Consequences from what God is in himself to bring them to what God is in relation to his Creature and because they cannot reconcile these two namely what God is
hearts this Angel shall pass away from us This is another fruit of our Peace with God namely protection from the wrath of God when it spreads abroad as Lightning in the world The twelfth Consequence 12. Again Hence all that is in Gods word speaks Peace to us both the Law and the Gospel the very Law it self comes to speak Peace to us because it is now fully satisfied there is nothing in the word of God but is at Peace with those that are at Peace with him The threats that are in the word of God bring no evill at all to him that is reconciled to God every part of Gods word doth do good to them that walk uprightly according to that in Mic. 2.7 Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly When thou readest any part of the word of God though never so terrible if thou art Reconciled to God thou mayest read it with comfort Many people dare not read somwhat of Gods word they scarce dare come to hear somwhat of Gods word but if thou beest at peace with God thou needest not fear the reading or the hearing of any part of Gods word What is the Reason that many people when there is an argument preached that hath any terror in it they will come no more to hear it It is whatsoevever their pretences be a sign that there is some guilt in their hearts they look upon the word of God as if it were their enemy and it is a sad thing for a man to look upon any part of Gods word as his enemy Certainly if any part of Gods word be thy enemy God is thy enemy for there is no part of the word of God but there is Gods mind and Gods heart in it and therefore if thou beest at peace with God there is nothing in that word of God which is thine enemy Indeed a man that is on the Sea if storms and Tempests arise he may peradventure be afraid to look out he may not dare to stir out of his Cabbin But if he be on shore he can stand and look upon all the waves of the Sea and upon all the boysterousnesse of it without any trouble to him So when men are in their natural Condition when they are not converted unto God then when they come to hear of the terrors of the Law alas they cannot enter into Consideration of that wrath of God which the Law threatneth and which they apprehend is due unto them because of sin but their very hearts shake they do even shut their eyes against those truths But when they are once got upon the shore when there is a Peace made between God and them then they may look upon al the terrors of the Law and upon al that wrath that is threatned therein with joy and Comfort and bless the name of God for ever that they are freed and delivered from them These are the blessed and happy fruits of our Peace and Reconciliation with God And now before we go any further we must abide a while in the Application of what hath been thus far opened unto you concerning the excellencies and glorious fruits of this Peace and Reconciliation CAHP. 6. VSE 1. Wherefore in the first Place From hence it must needs follow that if there be such a blessed peace between God and a true Christian as hath been opened Then he must needs be very peaceable in the world he must needs be of a very peaceable disposition before men You wil say How doth this follow Thus. There is so much sweeteness in this Peace with God that it must needs so quiet the spirit of that man in whom it is that whatsoever is without shal never be able to make any great disturbance in his Spirit so great and so excellent is the sweetness of this Peace A Merchant that hath al his estate in one Bottom he is upon every stirring of the winds or upon the hearing of any storme afraid that all is cast away But if he hear news that the Ship is safe and that al is come securely into the Haven his Spirit that was afraid before wil be now so quieted and sattisfied with this newes that it wil not be a very easie matter at such a time to anger such a man There is nothing that is more able to keep the heart of a man from passion and frowardness and disturbance than a ful sattisfaction within ones own spirit Now if there be any thing in the world that is able to sattisfy the spirit of a man surely it is the Peace with God it is Reconciliation which is made between a man and God The Scripture saith that a good man shal be satisfied from himself Prov. 14.14 Ex sese at Mercerus expresseth it i. e. from himself Although he meeteth with those without that are troublesome and wil not sattisfy him that he hath so much within that he sattisfies and quieteth his own spirit Therefore a Christian needs not be beholding to the world for Peace for he hath Peace enough within his own bosome That which is the greatest Jewel in the world a Christian hath the ful pofession of within his own heart Al the Storms and tempests that are abroad in the world can never make an Earthquake if there be not some vapors within to do it So that which doth shake the hearts of men and make a Combustion in their Spirits it is more the inward disturbances that are there than any thing from without We may Complaine of outward things and of this matter and of this occasion and the like But the truth is if al be examined and the true ground of our disquietness searched into we shal find that the Cause of al our disturbance is rather from within than from without and if al were wel within we should never be troubled with any thing which doth befal us from without Now then if any thing in the world wil make al quiet within if any thing in the world wil beget a serenity and Calmness in the spirits of men it is this Reconciliation with God No marvel then that the Gospel speakes so much of the peaceable disposition of those that entertaine it that it tells us of the Wolses dwelling with the Lamb of the Lyons eating straw with the Oxe that is though men were formerly of such Wolfish and Lyon-like natures yet having received the Gospel and accepted of the tearmes of Reconciliation with God they shal be as Lambs they shal agree one with another And the reason is because there is so much in the Peace of the Gospel as wil quiet the heart so that a man may wonder when he Considers of the excellency of the Peace that is between God and man how it is possible for a Christian to be put into a passion You Complaine of the troubles you meet withal in your world that your Husband is froward or that the Wife is froward that you have perverse Neighbours but
meer accidental thing or as an act of providence only But know that this very work of God towards thee is no other then the fruit of the promise that God made to his Son before the world began God promised his Son that it should be so ordered that at such a time there should be such a Text and such a Sermon preached and that it should so fall out that thou should'st be there And so likewise any peace of Conscience any work of grace whatsoever is a fruit of this promise and therefore rejoyce in this that Gods heart is broken open unto thee and that which was in his bosom from al eternity is made known unto thee Those men that are not converted til they be old have cause to be sorrowful and to be troubled for that It is true I have cause to bless God that at length God is pleased to open his heart unto me But what a misery is it to me that I lived so long before I came to know God the Fathers purpose to my heart had I embraced the Gospel first I had then been made acquainted with the councel of God from al eternity concerning me And a mighty encouragement it is to yong people to bless God for this that God begins with them betimes it is a sign that Gods heart is ful when he begins with one so early For the truth is Gods heart was towards thee from everlasting and the business was transacting from everlasting Some though the heart of God be towards them yet he keeps it a long time from breaking open til they grow to their middle age til old age it may be and then he discloseth himself As Joseph would not open his heart to his Brethren for many daies together So there are many people that God lets them go on a long while in waies of sin he withdraws himself and denies himself to open his heart to them but at lengh he doth But then how much better is it when God shal open his heart betimes unto a man Would not Josephs Brethren have been glad that he should have discovered himself unto them and opened his heart unto them at the first coming So you that do begin now to have the day of grace dawn into your understandings and God begins betimes to open himself and those things that were in his heart before the beginning of the world discovers them to thee and God cannot as we may speak with reverence stay any longer but as soon as thou art able to receive in those thoughts of the heart of God he lets them out unto thee O! bless God for it And this will prevent abundance of sin and sorrow and make thee go on with comfort al thy daies This point also should be a marvelous Comfort to the people of God That their peace with God doth not so much depend upon the Covenant God hath made with them but it depends upon the Covenant God hath made with Jesus Christ from al eternity and that is the roote and bottom of their peace and Reconciliation with God Alas were it a dependance upon a Covenant between us and God and what he requires of us we could not have firm peace But when we know this that the root and ground of our peace and happiness dependeth upon that transaction that there was between the Father and the Son from al eternity and upon the Covenant that was between them O! this is that which should reioyce the hearts of the Saints and be a mighty foundation of their Faith and inable them to go through the world and al difficulties with Comfort CHAP. 31 The work of our Reconciliation with God in Christ hath been a doing from al eternity IN the last Chapter we came to the sixt point that formerly hath been propounded in the first Chapter and that is this That God Was reconcileing himselfe to the world in Christ Was and when was he Even from all eternity he was reconcileing himselfe to the world That point I did then name and shal now a little inlarge it and so proceed to some other The point is this Doct. That the worke of our Reconciliation with God in Christ it is not a work of yesterday it is a work that hath been doing from al eternity it is not a thing that fals out as it were accidentally but a plotted thing a thing that hath been plotted from al eternity I gave you then but only one scripture for it I shal ad some more now and open it more fully That scripture I gave in the 1 Tit. 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Now to whom did God promise it before the world began The first promise that was made and that we read of was to Adam in paradice the seed of the woman shal break the Serpents head O! but there was a promise beyond that promise a promise made before Adam was or before the Angells were or before the world began a promise of eternal life which is the accomplishment of our reconciliation with God this promise could be made to no other but to the Son of God that was with the Father and the delight of the Father not only the delight of the Father as he is the Son eternally begotten of the Father but the delight of the Father as he undertooke the greaâ— work of Reconciliation between God and us and this promise was made to him from the Father the promise of Reconciliation and eternal life before the world began So that by that scripture it appeares that there was from al eternity not onely a purpose or a determination in God to reconcile us to himself but there was an agreement a transaction between the Father and the Son about it and a Covenant passed between them God the Father promiseth somwhat and the Son promiseth somwhat and so they make up the agreement one with another from al eternity First There was a transaction of this great work of Reconciliation between God the Father and the Son from all eternity and for this I shal give you a scripture or two more 2 Timo. 1.9 Who hath saved and called us with an holy calling not according to our works But according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Jesus Christ before the world began Here is not onely a purpose but here is grace besides purpose there was not onely a purpose in God before the world began but there was somwhat more here is purpose and grace and this is given to us too it is not only intended for us that is observeable but it was given us and given us before the world began how given us could God give any thing to us before the world began could God give any thing to us before we were It is therefore added it was his purpose and grace and given to us in Christ before the world began As it is possible for an Inheritance
not so capable of conversing with Angels as men we are not able to stand before them when an Angel hath somtimes appeared to a gratious Servant of God he hath not been able to bear the glory of it but to fal down and when the Angels came in the 2 of Luk. and said Glory to God on high c. The Angels struck the Shephards with amazment And in the second place the Ministrey of the Angels could not be so effectual Angels do not so fully understand the windings turnings of the hearts of men so as men do A Man is more conscious to the turnings and windings of his own heart then any Angel can be he may know his own heart more then Angels can and by knowing his own heart he may be able to speak more suitable we do not in read the word that Angels knew the thoughts of the heart of men any further then they are some way exprest nor the Devils That is made to be the property of God to be the searcher of the heart but a Man may search his own heart in a great measure furthen the Angels and so they may the better speak unto the hearts of others and so God in Wisdome rather commits the Ministery of Reconciliation to men then Angels But a third is this and that is a special one that the power of God may the more appeare in the conversion of souls unto Jesus Christ and in this one thing the power of God doth appear a great deal more then in making Heaven and Earth First The Doctrine of Reconciliation is the most high supernatural thing that is in the world it is above the reach of a creature Secondly It is that that doth beat down mans nature as much as can be But now that a few poor fisher men at first to whom was committed the word of Reconciliation and a few of the Apostles that were in a poore meane contemptible condition that sometimes had scarce raggs to hang upon them were whipt up down put in the stocks as if they had been the vilest Rogues that had been in all the world and yet that God should subdue so many nations upon the face of the earth and in time should bring the whole world in general to receive this Doctrine by such poor and weak meanes O! the infinite power and glory of God that doth appeare In this God uses weak meanes to shew the greatness of his power and for that you have a cleare text in 2 Cor. 4 7. But we have this treasure in Earthen Vessels that is the Ministery of Reconciliation O! it is a treasure indeed in earthen vessels the word is in the greek in vessels of shells there were some rich shells that had on the outside a plaine shel that when you came to the Sea-shore you should look upon them and they looked meanly as if they had not been worth a farthing but within the shel there was a pretious Pearle that was worth many thousands of pounds so saith he we have this treasure in a shel that is in a poor weak fraile vessel man a contemptible vessel we have this pearle And why so the Apostle gives the reason that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us There is a mighty power of God that goes together with the Ministery of Reconciliation Whensoever any soul is brought home to be reconciled unto God certainly there goes a mighty power yea there goes an hyperbolical power together with it Object But how wil this appeare that there is such a mighty power of God that goes with the Ministery of Reconciliation It appeares in this that there is such mighty things done by such poor weak and contemptible means that men should be willing to part with any thing in the world yea their very lives and beare the greatest torments of the most cruel Tyrants and that for the witness of this truth Now this appeares to be the mighty power of God and this seemes to be a secret answer to any objection in 3 Cor. Is it so that the Ministers of the Gospel are far more Glorious then the Ministers of the Law What is the reason that the Ministers of the Gospel are in such a meane condition so much meaner then the Ministers of the Law There was an high Priest and he had glorious Robes and had pretious stones upon his brest and shoulders now we have no such things Here is a company of poor Fisher-men weak meane men that the world regards not suerly the Ministers of the Law were more Glorious then these Ministers of the Gospel No saith the Apostle for al this we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power of God might appeare and not of man and we are willing as if the Apostle should say that the power of God may appeare more that the glory of God may shine bright we are willing to be Earthen Vessels Another Reason may be this why God committs this Ministery to poor Men rather than to Angels surely God hath a further end then wee imagine it is in just judgment to be a stumbling block to wicked and ungodly men whose hearts are opposite unto the Glorious Gospel that as we know Christ said he preached in parables that in seeing they might not see and in hearing they might not understand as a just judgment of God against the Pharisees and others whose hearts were wicked and unclean and opposite unto Christ that the glorious things of the Gospel might be hid under those parables So I make no question but the means of the Ministery of the Gospel which the world counts Foolishness and the mean condition of the professors of the Gospel is made by God as a stumbling block to ungodly men who God intends should perish eternally because their hearts are wicked and perverse I hate them saith God therefore wil hide this rich treasure from them But those that I love I wil open the inside unto them but others shal have nothing but the outside they shal only have the visible part But now there are others whom God intends to save and they come and the Lord together with their outward Ministery speaks to their hearts and opens the inward treasure to them and they se the Glory of it and admire at it and they come to tast the sweet promises of the Gospel and they adore God in receiving such things as these are so that God fetches about his ends this way but in his just judgment hides his Gospel from some and reveales it to others and therefore saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost the ministery of the Gospel it is hid to some but it is to those that are lost he hides it from them by this outward meanes the outside Thus you see why God doth commit the Ministery of Reconciliation unto men rather then unto Angells CAP.
there is no duty that God requires of me but I know my heart is with it if the Lord wil but reveal to me Now in this case having before felt the work of God drawing thee to Christ and if thy heart be thus kept to God this is one good Argument that certainly God and thou are not enemies Secondly if thou canst but say thus there is no Argument that is so prevalent with me to make me not sin as this for fear of breaking peace between God and me this is the thing that makes my sin sting my Soul indeed because by that I come to lose some of that sweeness of the assurance of my peace with God Canst thou say so keep thy heart but in such a frame though thou hast many weaknesses that thou canst say whatsoever sin the Lord reveals to me yet my heart is against it and whatsoever duty the Lord requires of me yet I know my heart is with it and if there be any thing that I do not know Oh! that I knew it more and more and there is nothing that I fear sin for so much as this because that I see it breaks the peace between God and my Soul Is it so with thy poor soul I pronounce in the name of God Peace be unto thee Though thy heart be not as thou would'st have it thou maist conclude this certainly God that hath manifested such Grace in drawing thy heart unto himself at the first wil not cast thee off Certainly God had some greater end in working so wonderfully towards thee than to throw thee off except the Lord had some great thoughts of heart in glorifying himself in thee and to do thee good he would never have wrought so upon thy heart as he hath done There are others that live under the light of the Gospel but the Lord doth never come to their hearts to speak to them as inwardly to draw their hearts and that by his own Spirit as he hath done to thee the Lord hath not had so great thoughts of heart to glorifie his name upon them in the day of his Grace as towards thee in the working of his Grace So certainly to thee the Lord is about to do great things that grace of his that hath been so strong upon thee as it hath been it wil carry thee through al difficulties Certainly the Grace of God hath been strong and it wil be strong and therefore build upon it If thou hast an hard heart do not say thou hast an hard heart and therefore Gods heart is not towards thee No but rather say thou hast an hard heart and therefore thou wilt look towards God to break thy hard heart and bring thy frozen and cold heart to these Beams of Gods Grace and stand under these Heavenly influences If thou beest sensible of the hardness of thy heart and then to sit down sullenly and heavily and think because of this God wil reject thee this is not the way to get thy heart softened but rather cal to mind what the grace of God hath been towards thee and how the heart of God is towards sinners to be reconciled unto them and what he hath done for the like such sinners as thou art and so keep thy heart under the warme beams of the Gospel and thereby thou wilt gain a great deal more than sitting down in a sullen way Those kind of Herbs that grow under the warm Sun grow the better and the Fruit ripens better than those that grow out of the Sunne So the Heart that can keep it self continually in the Sunne of this mercy and goodness of God thus expressing himself in the Gospel willing to be reconciled to sinners this heart wil thrive more abundantly than those that shal ly down sullenly and discontentedly This is a mighty encouragement for al sinners to come to be reconciled a mighty strong encouragement to them the Lord invites and beseeches in the Gospel and sends his ministers to do it and requires them that they should do it in his name What should hinder them but that any sinner none excepted should come and be reconciled We cannot tel who they are that shal not be reconciled and therefore we may say concerning any particular sinner What should hinder thee but that thou shouldest come in to be reconciled And if God entreates and Christ entreates and Ministers entreate and thou entreatest What letts thee but that thou maist be reconciled As the Eunuch said Here is Water enough why may I not be baptised So here is mercy enough why maist thou not be reconciled Hast thou such thoughts as these are See that God is willing to be reconciled to sinners wel when I get home I am resolved to throw my self before the Lord Christ and I am able to cry to him for reconciliation for I am damned and undone for ever else and and I heare that there is a way to be reconciled to him wel this shal be my work now I wil set upon it presently I wil never leave crying to God til I have found Gods Grace comming to me Art thou resolved upon this Wel go on and fal down in thy crying to God for mercy make this point part of thy petition Lord I have heard that thou art willing to be reconciled now Lord here is a wretched sinner comes in to be reconciled to thee what hinders now when both shal entreate Suppose two were fallen out one with the other but now when both sides are wrought upon and one he professes himself not only willing but earnestly desirous to be reconciled and the other he comes and expresses himself so too surely both these wil agree Now it is true many times between man and man their expressions are but very slight and there is not that at the bottom of their hearts that they express with their mouthes When two are fallen out and one comes to them and saith why wil you not be at peace with such a man Oh! yes saith he I am willing So come to the other and he saies the same he is willing and yet their hearts are not right perhapps one to the other But now in this case between God and thy poor soul be confident that on Gods side it is most real and do thou but make it out that thy heart is real in desiring after peace with God and fully understand what thou dost when thou dost desire peace with God So that thou wilt not be at peace with any sin and desire it fully and then when thou shalt get it then thy heart shal be praising God and say I shal live to the praise of God for ever and that shal be my endeavor I would faine have at but wil God be at peace Yes God shal get as much as thou shalt by it he shal thereby get that that he did especially intend and aime at in making the world The great designe that God had in making the world was to magnify the