Christian Reconcilement OR GOD AT PEACE with MAN IN CHRIST Delivered in a Sermon at St Mary's in Oxford By JOHN WALL Dr in Divinity and PRAEBENDARY Of CHRIST-CHURCH in OXFORD Psalm 37. 4. Delight thou in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire OXFORD Printed by H. Hall for R. Davis 1658. To the Honourable and truly noble Lady the Lady SARAH HOGHTON Wife to Sr RICHARD HOGHTON Knight and Daughter of PHILIP Lord STANHOPE late Earle of CHESTER-FIELD Grace and Peace be daily multiplied Noble MADAM PArdon my Confidence that I make use of your Name and place so rare a Frontispice before so meane a Piece My desire hath been to honour your Lady-ship some kind of way for those many favours derived to me not only from the Root and Stemm but also from the severall branches of that your noble Generation and Parentage Yet in this I must needs Confesse I honour my selfe while the eminency of your graces casts a lustre upon my Services and the high esteem of those magnetique virtues draws greater acceptance to these endeavours However be pleased to receive this manuall give it some place in your Closet among the Saints of God departed this life with whom you have beene used to Converse frequently in their writings It will not take up much roome and though it Containe little that you may learne yet doth it somewhat that you may remēber the incōparable blessing of Christian atonement which is the very foundation of all our Comfort This I Commend to your pious thoughts and the religious exercise of your diviner Meditations that you may joy in God and be strengthened daily in the Spirituall Vnion which you have with him in Christ Jesus For I well know when the Scriptur's were a delight unto you and you had as Saint Ierome writeth of Marcella a Roman Lady ardorem incredibilem c an incredible desire to read understand the pretious Mysteries of those saving Oracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words of the Apostle from a Child wherein I have late evidence that you persevere Constantly to the honour of God and the rejoycing of your Spirit with the Continuall feast of a Good Conscience Sure I am it was the practise of that Honorable Lady your dear Mother now with God blessed for ever whose Goodnesse like an Oyntment poured out left a Sweet Savour in the parts where she lived round about whose paths you tread and seeme to enlarge or make plaine in a Pious aemulation and zealous Imitation of Her choicest Graces But I will not make an Elogie of an Epistle or a Panegyrick of a presentment though you well deserve it least I seeme to dipp my Pen in Oyle and mingle Hony with my Oblation Contrary to the direction given to Moses by God himselfe in those Leviticall instructions The Lord poure a blessing upon you all from the top and head to the severall branches of your Noble Family Irest MADAM Your most Humble Servant in him that took upon him the forme of a Servant our Lord Jesus Christ JOHN WALL CHRISTIAN RECONCILEMENT Rom. 5. 11. Wee joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom wee have now received the atonement WHEN St. Paul wrote to the Saints at Rome there was a ball of contention as t' were throwen betwixt the Iewe and the Gentile And howsoever they were converted as true proselytes to the Doctrine of Christ yet did they burne with jealousy one towards another and receive the gospell with strife and envy and sharpe contests of mutuall reproach and fervent emulation a fault to much used in these our Dayes both in the expressions and impressions of many Christians though interdicted by St. Paul to the Ephesians and condemned by St. James in the very brethren with a note and character of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is meer bitternesse the gaul and wormewood of crabbed Zeale and corrupt affections The Iew boasted of his stock the Gentile of his Wisedome the Iew of his priviledges the Gentile of his Endowments the Iew despised the Gentile as a wild olive the Gentile despised the Iew as a withered branch cut off from the right olive the Iew despised the Gentile as a stranger from the Covenant the Gentile despised the Iew as one despised of God and rejected of him for murdering his only Son and crucifying the Lord of glory But as it is said of Nestor an antient Counsellor of the Grecians Nestor Componere lites Inter Peliden festinat inter Atriden So doth the Apostle use all diligence to represse the animosity of their carnall spirits and to reduce both to love and unity patience and humility shewing plainly that all were debters unto God and that none had cause to boast of themselves first by reason of their naturall condition they were subject unto wrath then by reason of their spirituall renovation they were justified by faith not of merit but of grace free grace rich grace the grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus All which is copiously delivered in the precedent Chapters and compendiously gathered in the latter verses whereof my Text is a briefe Synopsis Wee joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom wee have now received the atonement Wee joy in tribulation because it tends unto hope wee joy in hope because it ends in glory as the precedent Words doe rightly insinuate But the top of our joy and the crown of our rejoycing is God alone pacified by his Sonne in the wood of his Crosse the blood of his Crosse who indeed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Theophylact speakes the author of joy the author of rest the author of glory the author of righteousnesse Have our conflicts abounded and have not our Comforts abounded Have our tryals abounded and have not our triumphs abounded Yea doubtlesse as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so doth our consolation abound through Christ Jesus And wee never had more Cause to rejoyce than now wee have in the Day of our peace the blessed re-union of God with us the heavenly redintegration of his infinite love and mercifull Kindnesse Wee joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom wee have now received the atonement These words are exceeding jubilar and not unsuitable with the present time which is dies palmarum or as wee terme it Palme-Sunday a Day of spreading garments unfolding graces discovering holynesse singing praises and crying Hosanna in the highest blessed is hee that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest not with green bowes of Pagan wildnesse but with palme branches of faith and godlynesse which St. John will have to be most flourishing and victorious with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the victory which overcometh the World even your faith the 5th and the 4th of his 1. Ep. You may compare them to the Song of Mary when she cryed My Soul doth magnify
the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour There seemes at once to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Lords part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on our part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Lords part grace on our part glory on the Lords part goodnesse on our part gladnesse with a sober kind of ravishment and spirituall Extasy Wee joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom wee have now received the atonement 1. That which I shall first observe is the grace and benefit of humane reconcilement Wee have received the atonement Secondly the meanes or conveyance and that is our Lord Jesus Christ Last of all the result or extraction which is delight and glory exultation and jucundity together with the circumstance of time or rather indeed the instance of time not future but present not in expectation but fruition now wee are reconciled and now wee are comforted since the death of Christ and the power of his rising Wee joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom wee have now received the atonement All these have their implicite theses and may be easily resolved into enuntiative positions one That man is reconciled unto God Another Christ is the author of this reconcilement A third Wee ought to joy in God alone through Christ our Mediator and Advocate But I proceed after the method I have delivered and shall begin with my first observation which is the grace and benefit of humane reconcilement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee have received the atonement Man is an empty thing and hath nought in himselfe but what he doth receive nec quid nec quale nec quantum as the Logicians speak of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather indeed like that antient chaos which Moses would have to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first of Genesis without forme and beauty a meer solitude and vacuity in so much that a Heathen could say as well in respect of men as of their actions O Curas hominum quantum est in rebus inane St. John tells us wee have received Grace for grace or grace upon grace one grace brings in another and one grace brings in another and one grace drawes in another neither is it mans wisedome but Gods bounty that leadeth to repentance charity meekenesse humility and whatsoever is praise worthy most agreable to that of Bernard Quaevis scintillula in corde accensa c. The least sparke of holy fire kindled in the breast of any Creature must needs arise from the love of God and the infinite grace of his eternall providence Wee receive life in our creation strength in our being knowledge in study comfort in misery patience in trouble help in adversity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same hand that framed us must preserve us neither can wee any more releive our selves then wee could at first make our selves as Justin Martyr has observed in his Apology for Christians Formation conservation reformation consummation are glorious acts but from the Lord as fruits of the divine goodnesse not branches of humane impotence which the Apostle has comprised in a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our sufficiency is from God in the 2d to the Corinthians But among all the favours that have been bestowed upon us that of reconcilement is most pretious whereby wee are made friends unto God stronger then our enemyes Lords over the Creature and aequall with the Angells that warte on his throne stand in his presence delight in his worship and rejoyce to doe him service St. Origen is so charitable as to extend his mercy to the Divells and would have them to be saved after a thousand Years compleatly ended howbeit we know the worme dyeth not and their fire never goeth out as wee gather from the words of our Saviour in that finall doome and fatall sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depart from mee yee cursed into everlasting fire provided for the Divell and his Angels Mat. 25. 48. As for the host of blessed Angels that kept their station they are not said to be truly reconciled because they never departed from their obedience yet are they confirmed by the mediation of Christ and seem to have a two fold advancement one in respect of their knowledge because they look into the mystery of our salvation another in respect of their joy because they delight in the worke of our Conversion That which makes the Scruple touching their reconcilement is taken from St Paul in the I st Chapt. of his Ep to the Colossians where he notes of Christ that he sate at peace with the blood of his Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things on Earth and things on Heaven All which is most unquestionable ought to be understood of the holy Angells not in relation to God but in relation to man not as they are reconciled unto him but as they are reconciled unto us and united more firmely with us under one head which is Christ Jesus And therefore if you consider the words of the Text it is not said they but we not all but some We the Saints of God wee the Sonns of God Queis meliore luto finxit praecordia Titan. Chosen freely drawen sweetly renewed by his word quickned by his Spirit WEE have received the grace of divine love and heavenly atonement Before the Apostacy of our father Adam there was a sweet harmony betwixt God and man but as soon as hee fell and had transgressed he ran away and was cast forth of Paradise at what time there was a breach made and wee became as the Apostle notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only strangers and aliens but foes enemies to the Lord of glory such as despise his grace and despight his goodnesse with the infinite provocations of enormous impieties We grieve him and hee forsakes us We resist him hee abandons us from the brightnesse of his face and the glory of his presence For Sin is abominable to God neither can his pure eyes endure to behold the filthinesse of our Corruptions whereupon saith Isaiah Your iniquities have separated betwixt God and you Hee did so love us that nothing could take him of and make him leave us but our sins Hee did so hate Sinne that nothing could bring him on and make him love us againe but his Son his dear Sonne his only Sonne the death of his Sonne the oblation of his Sonne who gave himselfe for us an offering and a sacrifice unto God of a sweet smell and pleasant odour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Your iniquities have made a separation betwixt God and you in the 59th of his prophecy It was for sinne that hee left Israel and it was for sin that he cast the Angells down from Heaven It was for sinne that he drowned the old World and it was for sinne that hee destroyed the workes of his creation Though at first hee took pleasure in
them and said of every thing which hee made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was good very good the first and the last of Genesis This was our Condition in the sad times of humane defection and thus wee stood at a distance I will not say a defiance with the Lord of hosts and the God of spirits But since the partition wall is broken down and there is an entrance made into the holy place wee have obtained mercy and are received into favour The heat is of the fire is quencht wrath is alaid the strife is ended and he that was most wrong'd is most desirous to bee reconciled Whilst the Angels of God are made the Embassadors of peace and do openly proclaime tidings of good will unto men upon earth As James said of Abraham that hee was termed the friend of God so wee may say of all beleivers the Sonns of Abraham the generations of his Children They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovers of God and beloved of him God is their freind and they are Gods freinds by the new Covenant of eternall righteousnesse in the dispensation of Christ and merit of his obedience For as when two men fall out a third coming between makes them freinds and brings them to an amicable condition so Christ being in the nature of God and man hath united both and made them one as well in love as in person by the sweet interposition of his mediatory function If any shall desire to be further satisfyed concerning the nature of this atonement and shall say to me of this spirituall Manna as the Israelites did of their corporall Manna which fell in the Wildernesse full of pleasure and delectable sweetnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is this or how doe you Conceive it to be understood Wee are ready to pronounce with learned Zanchius that it is renovatio c. a reinvesting of man with pristine holynesse or a reducing of man to that former interest wee had with God in Christ Jesus from the state of wrath to the state of peace from the state of bondage to the state of liberty from the state of fear to the state of assurance from the state of misery to the state of mercy that we may draw neer with boldnesse to that heavenly throne and having received that spirit of adoption cry Abba father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. as Sonnes and heirs heirs of God and coheires with Christ in the sweet fruition of an everlasting Kingdome The dislike and antipathy the variance and the enmitie which transgression wrought being quite abolished and obliterated by the precious blood of that paschall Lambe sprinkled upon the door posts of our hearts and consciences For to speake in the Words of Salvian Crimen nostrum discrimen gravissimum Our greatest danger is from sin That being cleansed wee are preserved nor only so but graced and honoured embraced and dignify'd with signal ornaments of love and kindnesse by ring and by robe as they are distinctly mentioned by St Luke the Evangelist in that comfortable story of the prodigalls Conversion Hence it is the Apostle doth so much boast of a holy Communion which the saints have with the Father and the Son Our fellowship saith he and that with an Emphasis truely Our fellowship is with the Father and the Son in the 1st and 3d of his First Epist That as he is one with the Father so wee may be one with him of one heart of one mind of one desire of one judgment of one building one Temple one body one spirit which indeed is the height of comfort and doth most eminently represent the wonderfull excellency of Christian atonement St Bernard mentions divers unions in a tract of his stiled Varij Sermones naturall carnall virtuall morall personall substantiall and the like Naturall between the Soul and the body they are one man Carnal between the Man and the Woman they are one Flesh Virtuall in the Consent of our affections they are one harmony morall in the Conjunction of brethren they are one Society personall with the divinity and humanity they are one Christ substantiall in the deep mystery of the blessed Trinity They are are our God our Lord of whom and by whom and through whom all things were made As for the union in the Text it is spirituall whereby wee are not only transformed in our selves and transported out of our selves but engrafted in Christ and made one Spirit with him as it is directly avowed by the Doctor of the Gentiles in the 6 Chapt. and 17. verse of the 1 Ep. to the Corinth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that is joyned with the Lord is one Spirit with him acted by one Spirit raised by one Spirit sanctified by one Spirit governed by one Spirit the holy ghost moving as it were upon the whole body of the Church and having a gracious influence from the head of Christ to the hearts of men and the secretest juncture of his dearest members For when Christ was gone he sent down a fire on the Earth a Vestal fire a sacred fire a blessed fire a holy fire I mean the Comforter which is the love of God that hee might keep us to to himselfe and abide with us for ever I could fix upon such a meditation as this and dwell in the contemplation of divine peace that great atonement that blessed atonement the atonement with an Emphasis the atonement with an excellence that cleares the minde and cheares the spirit with unimaginable comfort dulcor ejus absorbet conscientiam saith that elegant father the sweetenesse thereof swallowes up my thoughts and puts me into a frame of jubilar excesse O that it were no lesse with men than with God and that wee might see a perfect reconcilement in every condition like that of the disciples who mett together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Text hath it with one mind in one place in the 2. and 1. of the Acts of Apost But this is more to be prayed for than can easily be expected in Massa and in Meribba at the Waters of strife amidst the divisions of many brethren And yet it is a shame that Christ should dye to make our peace and we should live to make debate amongst our selves striving and strugling like Iacob and Esau in the wombe and bowels of Church and Country not as true Israelites but as vaine Ishmaelites or generations of the Patriarch Dan who was said to be Coluber in viâ a Snake in the path and a Serpent in the way Gen. 49. The Lord grant that at length we may be able to say in a generall sense a sense morall a sense politicall a sense naturall a sense ecclesiasticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee have received the atonoment for the honour of God the peace of Sion and the great Security of this Land and Nation But I hasten to my Second observation from the grace to the meanes from the benefit to the Conveyance and
for you and by the Spirit which he sent to you that he might lead you into all truth and make you partakers of a pretious inheritance amongst the Saints in glory Custodite animas nulli credite raso keep your soules with all diligence and let nothing draw you from the love of Christ Jesus cleave to the Lord with all perseverance and what God hath joyned let no man sever In vaine do we renew the league of divine friendship if we do not hold it inviolably without provocation of great offence The fathers would have Caudam hostiae as well as Caput hostiae both head and rump to be offered no lesse in spirituall sacrifices then heretofore in the just performance of legall observances The pretious robe of Christian holinesse ought to be like the embroydered Coat of the Patriarch Joseph which is said to be talaris downe to the feet and below the ancles that we may adhere constantly to the Lord and finish our Course in the perfection of holinesse It is a great interest we have in God by meanes of this present union labour to improve it and do not grieve the Holy Spirit whereby yee are not only joyn'd and coupled but Sealed and confirmed unto the time of your redemption Christ saies yee are made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto you I say yee are made friends sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto you when the house of your Soule and tabernacle of your Conscience being swept and garnisht may draw many uncleane spirits in and the end prove worse then your beginning Are yee not washt are yee not cleansed are yee not reconciled are yee not justified are yee not cured are yee not healed are yee not renewed are yee not sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Christ hath obtained for you the remission of your sinnes and Christ hath put on you the garment of his righteousnesse that yee may find grace in the sight of God and be adopted into the family of his dearest children with all the Company of his elect Angels Beware then of relapsing into sinne and take heed there be not found among you a heart of unbeliefe to depart from the living God O let not the poyson of sinne abide in you because the love of God hath abounded towards you but hate it as a Serpent and embrace him that hath taken away the sting Avoyd it as a Syren and hold what you have that no man take away your Crowne the Crowne of your life the Crowne of your rejoycing whereby we are enabled to cry with the Apostle and to sing triumphantly with joy in God through our Lord Jesus by whom we have now received the atonement And so I come to my last observation The result or extraction of delight and glory exultation and jucundity Which indeed is pleasing and may serve for application of all that hath been spoken In Deogloriamur we joy in God Saul had a Jonathan David an Absalon and Paul himselfe a beloved Timothy and a deare Philemon wherein they took much pleasure and delight But God alone is the joy of our hearts and the Solace of our Spirits that hath called us to his eternall glory through Christ Jesus And doubtlesse we may very well joy in God that enjoy so much from God in temporall mercies spirituall graces outward benedictions and inward refections that fill our soules with marrow and fatnesse For to speak in the words of Salomon The winter is past the showers are gone the singing of Birds is come and the flowers appeare in our land Choyce flowers of grace and peace truth and righteousnesse whereof we may compose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St Chrysostome speaks a thousand garlands of divine celebrities and tripudiant gratulations He that turned water into wine before his death turned blood into wine at his death the blood of his Crosse into the wine of gladnesse the blood of his passion into the wine of consolation A sweet wine a pleasant wine the mulsum of grace and the mustum of his Spirit for so I promise you St Bernard termes it reserved for the marriage of the lambe and kept as t were in the wine cellars of the King that we may be cheared and wholy forget the vanities of the world the pleasures of sinne the lusts of the flesh and the lures of Satan For indeed he is the right object of humane Comfort most absolute and compleat most adequate and perfect that can satisfy the heart of man and fill every corner of that winding Labyrinth with delicious Content We joy in him and we joy of him in him for the grace of present adoption of him for the hope of future exaltation to our selves and to our brethren In him simply as he is God in himselfe of infinite power and incomprehensible majesty in him respectively as he is God to us of infinite goodnesse and unspeakable mercy In him as a God in him as a Father in him as a Lord in him as a Saviour that we are his and that he is ours by the gracious stipulations of Evangelicall promises Our God and our Father our Lord and our Saviour the Author of peace and everlasting tranquillity the donor of life and immortall glory which makes the spouse rejoyce with melody and sing with jubilee my beloved is mine and I am his He feedeth among the lilies the white Soules and pure Consciences of men Sanctified with the Spirit of holinesse Aeneas Sylvius used to say as t is recorded in his life by Platina nullum gaudium sine virtute solidum there Could be no sollid joy without the exercise of virture Had it been said without the love of God in Jesus Christ it had been spoken most divinely Some joy in their strength but that is Carnall some joy in their wisdome but that is imperfect some joy in their treasure but that is deceitfull some joy in their greatnesse and honour but that is inconstant and sometimes mutable and therefore we joy in God that are endeared to him and have received the benefit of divine atonement Our heart doth rejoyce and our flesh doth rejoyce in God the living God that makes us a rejoycing and Creates us a very joy through Christ his Sonne and the powerfull working of his Continuall intercession The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is most emphaticall and impleyes a kind of joy more then ordinary even gestient gladnesse and triumphant glory I know not whether I should call it an exultation or an insultation because it makes us insult over the adversary and triumph over the enemy laughing at his destruction and exposing him openly as the Graecian did of whom the verse goes Ter circum Iliacos raptaverat Hectoramuros for by this we do not only joy in God but we joy over that which may anoy our soules and trample on it with derision and contempt Not unlike our blessed Saviour when he