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
Interpreters in the Protestant Church upon a like place is occasioned by an argument urged by Cardinall Bellarmine and other poplings against the Protestants on this wise If saith he the Protestants have pardon of all their sinnes in such wise as they say they have why doe they yet pray forgive us our trespasses if they be already forgiven The Protestants answer with one consent that they doe beg at the hands of God greater certainty and assurance of his grace towards them the Petition forgive us our trespasses may well stand with assurance of pardon The condemned person that is upon the ladder having received the pardon of a gracious Prince heares it read is assured of it and rejoyceth in it yet this person being called into the presence of the King if he should fall downe and say Pardon mee my Lord the King who could lay folly to his charge So we having received the free pardon of sinne at his hand already yet as oft as wee come into his presence wee cry to the glory of his grace forgive us our trespasses for while we beg at the hands of God that which we have before received we doe magnisie his grace that hath freely given it Againe who so sure and certain of pardon but that he either needeth a greater assurance or at least that assurance to be by Gods mercy continued Thus much for the second objection The third followeth If God love us in bloud and pollution as well before conversion as after conversion then to what purpose serve our faith and good workes First I answer this objection indirectly by propounding one question whether thou thinkest that thy faith and good workes can obtaine or procure the love and favour of God If thou sayest no then why doest thou make this objection If thou sayest yea then I demand who shall give thee faith and good workes Shouldst thou expect them from any other then from the hand of a loving God Secondly I answer directly by shewing thee the true office of faith Although faith do not procure Gods love and favour yet is it to very good purpose and exceeding precious That you may know the love of God and be sealed with the holy Spirit of promise In whom after yee beleeved ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance unto the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory Eph. 1.13 14. The Originall reades it In whom beleeving ye were sealed so that beleeving is sealing and an earnest of the inheritance Secondly that beleeving you who were under darknesse and in the shadow of death and saw no light yet I say beleeving yee might rejoyce with ioy unspeakable and full of glory receiving the end of your faith 1 Pet. 1.8 Rom. 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all ioy and peace in beleeving Thus you see your faith is to very good purpose and yet not to that purpose to obtaine the love and favour of God Thus much for the office of faith yet doe I not undertake to set out unto you the whole office of that most precious gift but on 〈◊〉 so much as may serve to answer the present obiection But secondly to what purpose serve our good workes I answer to very good purpose also namely to expresse our thankfulnes to God and our Lord Iesus Christ who hath delivered us from our enemies That we being delivered might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1.74 75. We doe not serve God to obtaine deliverance by serving of him But of his free grace obtaining deliverance wee serve him Wee doe not serve God to obtaine salvation but obtaining salvation freely by Iesus Christ we offer up our souls and bodies a living sacrifice of thanksgiving I answer further Thy good workes may bee profitable unto men Tit. 3.8 but not unto God who is of absolute perfection and needeth not any thing which thou canst doe Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable unto himselfe Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous or is it any gaine to him that thou makest thy wayes perfect Iob 22.2.3 Thus you see the office of your faith and workes Because we say that God loves us as well before conversion as after doe wee therefore make faith and workes void God forbid Must I needs put out my fire because I will not set it on the top of the house No I will keepe it within the chimney which is the proper place Woe be to that Citie where the sire shall overtop the houses fire is precious in the chimney bur dangerous elsewhere Precious is the gift of faith if kept within his own sphere but if we shall begin to lift it up and place it in the throne of Christ what rock more dangerous to the soul The Brasen Serpent was a great blessing so long as Israel looked at it by Gods appointment to be healed of the bitings of the fiery Serpents But when once Israel shall burne incense unto it let it be Nehushtan a peece of old cankred brasse 2 Kin. 18.4 Thus for the third obiection the fourth follows If God love us with as great a love before conversion as after then what need we take care what we doe If we repent and beleeve the Lord will love us never the better If we neither repent nor beleeve the Lord will love us never the worse Answer I can hardly vouchsafe to give an answer to this obiection because the wise man adviseth Pro. 26.4 Answer not a Foole according to his folly lest thou bee like unto him And yet I must give an answer because the wise man commandeth verse 5. Answer a Foole according to his folly lest hee bee wise in his owne conceit Lest if I should passe by this obiection thou shouldest triumph as if thou hadst gotten the victory I answer therfore with the Apostle Shall we sin that grace may abound and shall we sin because wee are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid Ron 6.15 This obiection was moved by cavelling spirits even in the Apostles time well nigh 1600 years agoe and you see the answer And now the same spirit rageth in thee But I thought what a customer vvee should have of thee Thou vvouldest make men beleeve that thou art no Iusticiary no Papist not one that seekes to bee iustified by thy workes And yet if thy workes cannot obtain Gods favour if they cannot procure an increase of his love thou will presently cast off all and give liberty to thy flesh Give me leave to speak plain Thou art hee that turnest the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ into wantonnes whose end is destruction whose God is thy belly whose glory is thy shame who mindest earthly things Philip. 3.19 But bee it known unto thee that the grace of God teacheth other things namely to deny alungodlines
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
Christ in the second I say he speaketh of our Actuall reconciliation wherein our consciences become reconciled to God through the apprehension of the reconciliation which Christ hath wrought for us First of all I must speak of our Originall reconciliation And there I lay downe this proposition that we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne without any previous conditions in us or performed by us You see it is the act of Christ upon the Crosse it was done by his death The Lord Christ being a common person taking our nature upon him we are said to doe that which he did and to have that done upon us which was done upon him As in the first Adam we all sinned before we were or bad committed any Actuall transgression so in the second Adam we were reconciled As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5.19 I say we are said to doe that which he did as to be buried with Christ by baptisme into death Rom. 6.4 We are said to be crucified with Christ as our old man is crucified with him Rom. 6.6 to be dead and alive with him Reckon yee also your selves to be dead indeed unto sinne but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.11 We are said to be risen with him Coloss 3.1 which is elegantly set forth by the Prophet Hosea speaking of the resurrection of Christ He speaketh on this wise After two dayes he will revive us and the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight Hose 6.2 Yet more we are said to be placed together in heavenly places with him Eph. 2.5.6 This is that which I call Originall reconciliation Whereby we see that not onely God was reconciled unto us but also that our nature was reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne without any condition or qualification wrought in us Thus much for our Originall reconciliation Now followes our Actuall reconciliation to wit the manifestation of Gods reconciliation to us and of the reconciliation of our nature to God in Jesus Christ Here I lay downe this proposition Mans Actuall reconciliation to God requireth previous conditions and qualifications to be wrought in man by the spirit of God before man can be Actually reconciled to God or Gods reconciliation manifested unto him Althogh this proposition need no proofe in regard that the world so far doteth on conditions that they will hardly admit God to be reconciled to man without performances in man Surely much lesse will they thinke it possible that Man should be reconciled unto God without something wrought in man yet for our better understanding I will shew you the proofe of this by certaine texts As Except a man be borne of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Iohn 3.5 Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God vers 3. To enter into and to see the kingdome of God is that which I call reconciliation to God to know the favour and love of God towards us in Christ requires you see the condition of being borne againe of water and of the spirit which is not to be baptized as the Papists would have it but to have such fruits and effects of Gods spirit wrought in us as purifie the heart as water doth the body Secondly except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you have no life in you Iohn 6.53 Marke I pray you he doth not say that except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee have no life in God or in Christ but yee have no life in you Now you see we must eat the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud or else we can have no life in us To eate his flesh and to drink his bloud is to beleeve in him to have life in you is to know Gods favour in Iesus Christ as much as if he should say except yee beleeve yee cannot know Gods favour to you in Iesus Christ Vnto this we may adde in the third place Except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish Luke 13.3 And to this place we may also referre that place of which we had occasion to speake somewhat before without holinesse no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 not onely that holinesse is concomitant or companion of our seeing of God but that faith being a part of yea the first fruits of holines is that whereby the soule is brought to the sight of God in Jesus Christ But I am not willing to spend time in larger proofe though you cannot but perceive I might be very large herein but I will for your better understanding confine my selfe and goe on to shew you in particular what Conditions are required in us before we can be reconciled to God And here I have occasion for the better explaining of this to commend unto you three sorts of conditions 1. Antecedent 2. Present 3. Consequent Antecedent Conditions I call those which are necessarily presupposed in us before we can submit unto God or be reconciled unto him They are such conditions as may be seperated from reconciliation in time yea they are such conditions as are and may be in them which are not reconciled nor yet ever shall be so that they are proper Omnibus sed non solis electis to all the elect but not onely to the elect 2. Present conditions I call them that goe before reconciliation as the cause before the effect yet are never seperated from reconciliation in time but are indeed the very thing whereby the holy spirit of God doth reconcile man to God 3. Consequent conditions I call them which doe alwayes follow reconciliation as the effect the cause although they are inseperable in respect of time And I therefore undertake to speake of these although the curious may thinke me blame-worthy for transgressing the rules of method that we might be warned of a rock and shelfe namely that we doe not confound these conditions together and to take those for antecedent which are onely consequent which to my knowledge hath made some souls to make shipwrack for a time when as they would have in them before they beleeve such conditions as are onely consequents and not antecedents of faith First to speake of Antecedent conditions which necessarily goe before our reconciliation to God They shall be referred unto two heads the first is the knowledge of sinne with whatsoever is requisite unto the knoweledge of sinne The second is the knowledge of the depth of misery by sinne to be such as we can neither help our selves neither is it in the power of any other creature for to helpe us but that we are undone for ever in respect of whatsoever we can doe or any other for us for untill the soule be brought to this there is no hope of reconciling it unto God for you
GRACE MERCY AND PEACE CONTEINING 1 Gods Reconciliation to Man 2 Mans Reconciliation to God By Henry Denne An unworthy servant of the Church Not by Arms nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Zach 4.5 LONDON Printed for the Benefit of the City of Rochester A Prayer O Lord God Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hast given commandement unto thy Apostles and Ministers to preach the Gospell to every Creature Bel old O Lord the oppositions and threatnings which the enemyes of thy Grace have breathed forth against thy truth and thy seruants for thy truths sake How they gnaw their toungs for paine and blaspheme the God of 〈◊〉 not repenting them of their deeds Behold the troopes that are assembled together against the Lord and against his anointed sonne Iesus Christ for to to doe whatsoever thy hand and thy counsell hath determined before to be done Now let the Lord grant unto his seruants that with all boldnesse they may speake thy word being nothing terrified by the Adversarie That the light of the Grace of God may shine in the hearts of his people that the man of sin and sonne of perdition may be destroyed by the brightnesse of thy comming Amen Acts 10.36 Preaching Peace by Iesus Christ IT was our Saviours Commandement unto his Apostles Luke 10 into whatsoever City ye come say vnto them the Kingdome of God is come nigh unto you verse 9. And into whatsoever house ye enter first say peace be unto this house And if the sonne of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall turne to you againe verse 5.6 I am this day by the providence of the Almighty comea stranger to your City And now what fitter subiect can I thinke of for a stranger to speake unto strangers than the glad tidings of Peace by Iesus Christ Cornelius the centurion with his kinsmen and neere Friends are the Auditors Peter is the preacher And this text a part of that sermon at the preaching whereof the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word verse 44. O that the Lord would vouchsafe that the like effect may this day follow the preaching of the word of this life That as many as heare me this day may goe away filled with the fullnesse of God Peter doth seem to say in effect thus much you are heere met together to attend unto the word of salvation delivered from my mouth I can preachto you no other gospel then that which was before by the Prophets declared unto the children of Israell in due time to be revealed that is to say Peace by Iesus Christ he is the Lord of all The Proposition from these words is that the Gospell is a Doctrine of Peace by Iesus Christ This Doctrine propounded needeth not soe much proofe as explication namely to shew unto you what manner of Peace this is which is holden forth unto you by the tender of the glorious Gospell I hope you doe not expect that I should this day declare unto you any outward temporall or worldly Peace in the middest of these distempers I would I might and be yet a true Prophet The Peace which is the subiect of the Gospell is like the Kingdom of Christ being indeed a part of it not of this world Iohn 18.46 The Peace which came by Iesus Christ is not an earthly Peace our blessed Saviour will not that you should entertaine or harbour such a thought as this Thinke not that I am come to send Peace on earth I came not to send Peace but the sword for I am come to set the daughter in law against her mother in law and a man 〈◊〉 shall be they of his owne houshould Math. 10.34 If any one then shall preach unto you that if you will imbrace the Gospell you shall have outward Peace and prosperity Is not this the presuptious man speaking His owne words Is not this the prophet prophesying in his own name whom the Lord hath not sent If any christian shall embrace the Gospell in hope to attain outward felicity and prosperity let me tell him his thoughts wander from the truth and he erreth not knowing the Scriptures for if any man will come after me let him deny himself take up his crosse and follow me Mat. 16.24 And all that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Heare we also what Paule saith 2. Cor. 11.23.24.25 verses In stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft of the Iews five times received I fourty stripes save one that is in all 195. stripes thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and a day have I been in the deep in iorneying often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils by mine owne countrymen in perils by the heathen in perils in the city in perils in the wildernesse in perils in the sea in perils amongst false brethren In wearines and painfullnesse in watchings often In hunger and thirst In fastings often In cold and nakednesse what a catalogue of evils what an inventory of afflictions have we here And yet all this and more is the portion of a laborious Apostle And if we will seek for a true and sincere Minister of the Gospel we shall assoon find him in poverty and nakednesse as jetting up and down the streets with attendants at his heels we shall assoon find him in the universitie of Newgate or some other prison as in great mens houses we shall assoon him in a cloud of reproach as in a fat benefice or Cathedrall dignity we shall assoon finde him at the Bar accused of heresie condemned for blasphemy as in the Courts of Kings or Princes for to the instruction and consolation of the people of God be it spoken they shall put you art of their Synagouges yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service John 16. Seing then that it is clear that it is no worldy peace it remaineth yet to shew you what peace this is which the Gospel preacheth It is not an externall peace but it is internall yea eternall It is a lasting yea an everlasting peace A peace which no tounge is sufficient to expresse nor heart to conceive it is even the love of Christ that passeth knowledge Eph. 3.19 It is even the peace of God which passeth al. yea angelicall understanding If some great and 〈◊〉 angell should undertake to declare this peace to you am consident he would confesse his abilities too weak how much more I that am but dust and ashes Surely when I shall have told you all that I am able I shall not tell you one hundredth part when you shall understand and believe all that you are able you shall not attain unto the least part of that glory which shall hereafter be revealed though I am not able to speak what you desire or the thing it self deserveth
yet I will endevout to speak what I am able And I shall commend unto you a twofold Peace the first Descending The second ascending The first is the tidings of the love and reconciliation of the everliving God unto the sonnes of men The second declares the reconciliation of the sonnes of men to the everliving and everloving God To speak plain first I will shew how God comes to be reconciled unto men Beare with the term reconciled although improperly spoken of him that was never an euemy Secondly I will shew you how we come to be reconciled unto God For the first How doth God come to be reconciled to men I conceive now the drooping conscience that sits in darknesse under the cloudy apprelhension of an angry Iudge under the fearfull expectation of a terrible account to be given unto the consuming fire wil be very attentive to heare that which his heart so thirsteth after How God may be reconciled Oh what shal I doe saith the soule to obtain the favour of God What shall I doe to turn away his wrathfull displeasure from me wherewith shall I come before him or how shall I appease him Attend therefore and I shall declare that which thou wilt hardly believe when it is told unto thee for Lord who hath believed out report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Isa 53.1 And yet that which I shall declare if thou canst believe it will fill thy mouth with laughter and thy longue with singing Psal 126.2 Take this proposition God is freely and fully reconciled to the elect and loveth them in Iesus Christ without any previous dispositions without any qualifications without any performances of conditions on their parts unlesse to be polluted and finful be a previous condition or qualification This is a bold proposition will the pharisee say this is too good newes to be true will the distressed soul say But I say the Lord break your stony harts give you an heart of flesh that you may submit to his righteousnes And I make no question but the glorious grace of the father of our Lord Jesus Christ shal abundantly be manifested The method I intend is 1 To prove the truth of this proposition 2 To answer six obiections 3 To make application 1 For the proof When Eve and Adam in whose loins we all sinned had eaten the forbidden fruit and were now become guilty of condemnation They hear the voice of God walking in the garden which voice was this thou haste at en and thou shalt dy they hide thmselves from the presence of God amongst the trees of the garden when man had sinn'd was in a despairing condition having not so much wit as to think of a saviour much lesse the boldnes to ask one at the hands of an offended God Now in this case behold the exceed-Love of God towards man in giving and manifesting the promised seed aswell to the terrour of Satan as to the consolation of mankind And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed and it shall bruise his head and thou shalt bruise his heel Gen. 3.15 See if I may compare the Creator with the creature how the Lords bowells doe yern upon man And he cannot refraine himself but that least man should have been swallowed up with sorrow the blessing of the promised seed shall be first declared before the Lord pronounce the least curse against man Father Abraham receiveth the promise in the uncircumcision of his flesh And unto Adam is the promise revealed in the uncircumcision of his heart but lest you should think that some qualification in Adam did forerun the manifestation of the promise I will referre you unto that place of Scripture which I am resolved shall never slip out of my remembrance and I hope the like of you 2 Tim. 1.9 VVho hath saved us 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 Christ Iesus before the world began What 〈◊〉 there that is not comprehended in this word grace here you see that grace was given before the world began Now what conditions or qualifictions were there in us before the world began We may safely therefore say that the grace of our God was before all conditions c unto this we will adde in the next place one text that like a diamond casteth his lustre in the dark and ministreth a great measure of the spirit Eph. 2.4.5 God who is rich in mercie for his great love wherewith the loved us even when we were dead in trespasses and sinnes hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved What if I shall now prove so bold as to make such a stop at sinnes as shall shew that that part of the sentence is referred to that which went before so that we may say in plain terms that God loved us with his great Love even when we were dead in trespasses and sins If I shall read it thus the text will bear it either in the originall or in other translations But if any froward person shall say that I doe iniurie in reading it thus and that this clause dead in trespasses sins ought rather to be referred to quickened which followes after then to the verb loved which goeth before Let this man know that the sence will be one and the same for when God quickened us then he loved us with his great love His love being the cause of quickening the effect of his Love But thou sayst we were quickened when we were dead in trespasses and sins Therefore we conclude we were loved with his graet love when we were dead in trespasses and sins For further confirmation I must intreat you to consider what is written by the Apostle Rom. 9.11.12.13 verses For the children being not yet born neither having done good or evill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth It was said unto her the elder shall serve the yonger as it is written Iacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Now you see Gods love set upon Iacob where were Iacobs qualifications he had neither done good nor evill Therefore it is plain that God loved him before any qualification But some may confesse that the Lord loved him indeed before he had done good or evil And yet may perchance ask a question upon a supposition saying suppose that after Iacob was born he should have led a wicked and perverse life suppose that for some yeares he should have been a notorious and prophane person would or could the Lord have continued his love to such a person as this I answer boldly yea for Gods love and mercy are mercies of eternity the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him Psal 103 17 not only to everlasting as eternall in respect of time
to come but also from everlasting age etnall in respect of that which is past Gods mercies are not onely without beginning but also without ending as it is so often repeated even 26 times Psal 136. his mercy endureth for ever This is it that is written by the prophet I the Lord I change not Therefore yee sonnes of Iacob are not consumed Mal. 3.6 Would you know the true reason why the sons of Iacob are nor consumed it is this I change not should the Lord change as often as we change should his love increase and decrease towards us as often as our love to him and obedience to his Maiesty ebbeth and floweth the Lord should be more variable then the wind more changeable then the Moon that the Lords love altereth not although it hath beene sufficiently proved by that which hath been spoken yet to the praise of the glory of his grace I will proceed to shew you by more restimonies that the Lord loveth all his elect with his great love even then when as they lie weltring in their sinnes transgressions Vnto this the Holy Ghost bears witnesse Rom. 5. verse 6. When we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly For whó Christ died them the Father the Son loved but Christ died for the ungodly that were without strength Therefore such were undoubtedly beloved of God Lest wee should think the first of these propositions to be weake it is confirmed verse 8. God commendeth his love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us And very worthy of observation is that which is spoken verse 10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Here we have more proved than I have yet undertaken for my task is to prove that God was reconciled to us whilst we were enemyes This text saith not onely so but that we were recontiled to God when we were enemies But of this more shall be spoken hereafter only for the present we disire to have it granted that when we were reconciled to God he was without all doubt reconciled to us for our reconciliation to him is not the cause of his reconciliation to us but contrary his reconciliation to us is the cause of our reconciliation to him Now let us see the argument once againe For whom Christ died those he loved But Christ died for vngodly for sinners for enemies Therefore hee loved ememies sinners ungodly And with such a love as is not onely verball but reall not in word but in deed in truth as doth already appeare by his death and will yet more plainly appeare those acts of love communicated unto us even when wee were in the state of vngodlinesse in the worst estate and condition Let us consider that place so full of the glory of God which is writen Ezek. 16.2.3 verses unto the 15. verse Thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy Person in the day that thou wast born And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee in thy blood yea I said unto thee in thy blood â—ive Why doth the Lord use this Insemination In thy blood In thy blood 〈◊〉 it not because he knoweth how hardly we are drawne to beleeve the glory of his grace and how ready we are to rob him of the honour of his infinite mercy The Lord doth as it were say I know you will wonder at this that I should say Live before you were washed salted or swadled while you were in your blood But I remember the act of my grace which passed upon you even in blood I he Lord loved us not because we were washed and cleansed but therefore he washed and cleansed us because he loved us See the freenes of Gods love God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten sonne that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 This place is wel known unto you it may be here lies hid something which many of you never discovered namely that Christ given is the effect of Gods love not the cause And that the love of God goes before the gift of his son as the cause goeth before the effect He therefore gave his sonne because he loved If this seem strange that Gods love should be more ancient in order of causes then the gift of his sonne Because that in him God doth communicate all things unto us I answer that Christ is God manifested to him in the flesh 1 Tim 3.16 And that all the blessings of that love wherewith the Lord loved us eternally are manifested onely in Christ Iesus And in him they are fully manifested to have been for ever in the bosome of the Father So that for us to say or think that Christ purchased the love of the Father for us is that which I am confident the redeemer of the world will not chalenge unto himself But say as in another case it is not mine to give but it was given to them to whom it is given before the foundation of the world was laid This is all that I am able to speak unlesse it should be lawfull for me in so reverend a mystery to use a distinction and to consider in the love of God the original of his love and the continuation thereof and to say that the original of his love was before the gift of his sonne as the cause before the effect But that the continuation of love is to be referred unto the propriation of the redeemer as the effect of that sacrifice which he offered To speak plain Gods love was before the gift of his son as the cause before the effect But the continuation of that love that he should loveus for ever requires a foregoing propitiation satisfaction But when we shal say thus we fall into a depth unsearchable when we shall ask why the continuation of his love should rather require a foregoing propitiation then the originall setting of his love upon us I confesse I cannot tell what to say for to cleare this but tremble to speak of this glerious mystery And desire to refer my self to the iudgement of the spirituall who are able to iudge all things and to be instructed by them whether it be not safer to rest in that which was said before then with subtilty of distinctions to wade into the depth unsearchable We see the great love of God to us in our bloud how that he so loved us that he gave us his sonne I will now be bold to step a step higher if higher may be and to shew you that God did not onely love us in our bloud with his great love But that his love to us in our broud was as great as ever afterwards He loved us I say with as great love when we were in bloud and polltion as he did afterward when we were cleansed I know the Pharisee