in Deo A Holy Man is never so like a Holy Angel as when he rejoyces in God Have thy set times for solemn Consideration of these things sc How God is Pleased and Honoured by Joy so Hallowed How he Praiseth it and Rewardeth it How much it honours him more than pining querulous Sorrow doth How certain it is that the most pious and penitent Sorrow is nothing but a Purge prescribed by him for cleansing us and making us to relish the fat things of the Feast that I speak of How excellently this Joy strengthens the Soul sweetens Duty lightens Trouble graceth Religion suits the Gospel and an adopted state Yea and serves to subdue the sins that most easily beset us and most extreamly pester us Even incomparably more than all the self-disquieting distraction that goes under the name of Humiliation In a word How desirable a temper the Apostles was As sorrowful yet always rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 Sorrowing alway yet never as men without hope 1. Thess 4.13 Reader I must hope if thou dost thus thy following Life shall be a perpetual labour for abiding and abounding Joy And that if Bodily Maladies and Satanical Illusions have made Grief and Fear a second nature to thee thou wilt be perswadable Perswadable to make so necessary a rupture and try to tear thy self from thy self for the possession of this under Heaven The God of Hope fill thee with all Joy and Peace in believing and expecting thy perfected published Reconciliation Amen My next undertaking is to evince the truth of my Doctrine thus explained To demonstrate that every Man hath this to do and no Man hath any more to do in the World but to believe and consider Gods Purpose Christs Purchase and the Holy Ghosts Proof of their purposed and purchased Reconciliation To Pray and Labour for the possession for the perswasion and for the practical improvement of it And to Hope and rejoyce in the Hope of the perfection and publication of it in the day of Jugment I dare not decline it knowing that many do need it Nor shall I be prolix in it They that cannot see by the Light of the one Sun in the Firmament would not see if there were a thousand shining thence Their Conviction I despair of whomsoever these three Considerations shall not convince But I propose them with an humble confidence that they shall be made Eye-salve unto some Souls And mighty through God against Infidelity as very Spittle and Clay as they shall appear in any wanton Eyes They are but three C. 1. The sure word of Prophesie sets us this to do and no more Acknowledge the Scripture to be Gods Word and a perfect Revelation of his Will and a compleat Rule of our Duty and you acknowledge the truth of my Doctrine I am content that no man believe it ever the more for my Ministry of it if I do not shew that the Scripture sets us to do all I say Or if it can be shewn that it sets us any one thing more than I say Reader Rouze up thy Soul and read not with ordinary care what follows I will not overwhelm thee with many Texts but be careful to set very plain and pertinent ones before thee The Belief and Consideration of Gods Love and Gracious Purpose to Reconcile Sinners is set us Psalm 130.4 There are forgivenesses with thee that thou mayst be feared That is q. d. Lord shouldst thou deal with the best Man alive according unto thy Laws strictness and his own Souls frequent fears Hell must have him But O thou hast Eternal and Unalterable Purposes of forgiving Sins and Reconciling Sinners unto thy self And this is believed and considered of by thy Blessed Command And if it were not there were no manner of foundation for Religion in the World All our encouragement to all our Worship of thee is taken from this Joh. 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting Life Who sees not here the Fountain of all good Gods Love that is his Eternal Will and Purpose to Reconcile Sinners This is set to be seen and considered first Then the Conduit through which all the good must flow from that Fountain even Christ the Purchaser of purposed Reconciliation Then the Vessels which must receive all good from the Fountain through the Conduit Namely Believers on Christ entire Consenters to be his in the Bond of the Gospel Covenant Then the streams of good by those Vessels to be received through the Conduit from the Fountain Even Deliverance from ruining Enmity and Possession of blessed Friendship with God for ever To name no more 2 Pet. 1.10 we are commanded to make our Election sure Our Election passively is Gods actively Gods eternal purpose to Reconeile us But how should this be made sure unto our hearts without their believing and considering that God has Eternal Purposes about that matter The Belief and Consideration of Christs Purchase of Reconcilement is set us 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners 'T is the true and great Fundamental Article of Christian Faith Worthy of all reception into Consideration and Improvement that Christ came to save Sinners from Enmity and reconcile them unto God Everlastingly Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son When we did hate and were hated of God Jesus Christ paid a valuable or rather invaluable price to buy our Reconciliation and bought it leaving us as little need as we had ability to bring any Meritory price for it And how plainly do all the Texts that command our Faith in Christs Blood whereby it is Purchased suppose our Belief and Consideration of it to precede The Belief and Consideration of the Holy Ghosts proof of this is set us That it is in especial manner the work of the Glorious Spirit to Reveal and to Communicate all Purposed by the Father and all Purchased by the Son is foreshewn in this our Discourse well known to the Church of Christ and admirably well shewn by him whom I use to call John the Divine I mean our Learned Dr. Owen in his Pneumatologie or Discourse of the Holy Spirit worthy to be wrote in Cedar and Marble That we are required to believe and to consider his testimony of this matter this single Text would brightly evince if we had no other Mat. 12.31 The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto mer. Observe here our Saviour had Preached Gods Purpose and his Errand into the World to make a Purchase of the Reconciliation of Sinners The Proof hereof was made by many Testimonies of the Holy Ghost Principally by Miracles wrought by his Power which indeed are the utmost proofs possible These themselves some would not believe and consider unto due purpose No but as it is Mar. 3.30 They
when we are told it is to be through a full satisfaction made by his Son and price invaluable paid by him By him who though the infinite God became a finite Man Tho' Gods equal became his Servant Though the Blessed God yet was made a Curse for us We cannot but persist asking How can these things be It nothing repents me that I have often said We do now as much need to have the Spirit of God Live in us as ever we did need the Son of God to Dye for us And as the Purchase of Reconciliation did require a Divine Person the Proof of it doth require no less God deals with Man as Man In a way of Reason suited unto his Reasonable Nature Which cannot Believe any thing without a Reason for Belief of it Of all the great and marvellous things that God commands our Faith he first giveth sufficient grounds for our Faith of them Particularly of his foresaid Purpose to reconcile Sinners and of his Sons Purchase foresaid things of greatest worth and weight and of Concernment to as many as do need Reconciliation Of these extraordinary things God hath provided extraordinary Proof Even the Testimony of a Person no less than the Father himself or the Son Of the Glorious Spirit coessential and coequal with both This Divine Infallible Person who cannot be deceiv'd himself or deceive us is sent by the Father and his Son to certifie us of the Purpose and the Purchase which we speak of To inform us of both to conquer and drive away the Objections of our Minds against both to give us a certain kind of presence and sight of both A sight sufficient to move our Wills and make our Hearts to relye and rest upon both as really true And to draw our Affections in necessary degrees causing us to Love and long for the possession of the Reconcilement so purposed and so purchased And to over-rule our Lives and make them nothing so much as a course of Contemplation Prayer and Action for this said Reconciliation For be it deeply considered The Holy Ghost is declared in the Word to be sent for this end To be a Witness unto Jesus Christ and an Agent for him It would be very vain to object that the Holy Spirit was given under the Old Testament long before Jesus Christ came to Reconcile us by his Death For he was so upon Christs interposing as our Reconciler straight-way after sins entrance and that with respect to Christs future Oblation and Intercession for our Reconcilement And then as for degrees there is no comparison The Spirit drop'd but Dews in the Old Testament In the New he rained down Showers So that comparately he is said not to be given till Christ was Glorified He our Redeemer comes into the World and proclaims Gods Love unto it and purpose to reconcile and save sinners As also his own undertaking according to a contract made between the Father and himself to effect that Reconciliation by his Oblation and Intercession This the guilty graceless World could not believe nor have the patience to hear from the reputed Son of a Carpenter Jews as well as Gentiles made light of it yea rose in arms against it all save a handful and those better taught by him whom we are next to speak of The Holy Spirit as was agreed on between the Divine Persons now cometh and what does he Why he guides Souls into the Vnderstanding and Faith of all the Truth by Christ preach'd He Glorifies Jesus Christ convinceth Unbelievers that Christ is no Impostor but a Glorious Person come with a Glorious Commission to pursue Gods Glorious Purpose and to make the Glorious Purchase foresaid He receiveth Christs Spiritual things and shews them unto Men that could not see them before even his Truth and his Grace He receiveth them from Christ as the Lord Treasurer of them and shews them abroad that it may be seen what they are and in whose hand they are That Glory may be brought unto Christ That he may be owned and honoured as the Purchaser of the purposed Reconciliation Jo. 16.13 14 15. c. This did the blessed Spirit effectually causing the Church in all Ages to exalt the Father as the Original Purposer the Son as the Meritorious Purchaser the Holy Ghost as the convincing Proof-maker of our Reconciliation Without which Proof no Soul had ever believed it or found an Heart to look after a portion in it Which is the next great Consideration concerning it For if God has Purposed and Christ has Purchased Reconciliation and the Holy Ghost has proved it so fully that there is no just place for the least doubt but they have so done the very next thing to be looked after must be 4. The Sinners possession of it For whatever be the proportion of a good it avails not me without propriety Let this Reconciliation be thought as it is in truth a good no less than infinite If it be not made mine own if I am not Reconciled the sound of its Doctrine is to me but as the speech of Bread to a Man starving for want of it Or as words of a Pardon to a Man going up the Ladder when he hath it not O what Pillows do they sleep on who lay their Eyes together without this Reconciliation attained One would think it should be more easie to rest on the points of swords and spears then upon one thought of God unreconciled I will say with my dear and now blessed Friend Mr. Richard Alleyn of Somerset-shire If all the Kings of the Earth would give me all they are worth I would not lie down on my bed any night with one sin Vnrepented and without some hope of God Reconciled to me But I return The Holy Spirit in his Word testifyeth a purpose of Reconciliation that is Eternal As also a Reconciliation at the Death of Jesus Christ that is Fundamental But he doth as clearly deny any actual Reconciliation before Conversion Before our Understanding and sincere Consent unto the Covenant of Grace How should Divine Wifdom throw the richest Pearl to the vilest Swine Or Holiness forgive and embrace Creatures contrary to it There is no Law above God but God is a Law to himself And though he can do what he will he cannot will what is Unwise or Unholy Elect or not Elect he that believeth not on the Son the wrath of God abideth on him Jo. 3.36 He that hath not the Son of God to wit in Marriage-Covenant he hath not Life to wit the Life of Peace with God or of Hope from him or of Holiness toward him 1 Joh. 5.12 In a word Look at what time God teacheth and you learn at what time God draws and you run after him at what time you unfeignedly say Lord I do rely on the promises and I do consent to the demands of the Gospel-Covenant at that time in that very punct of time your Pardon is seal'd in Heaven 'T is published in the Gospel
consider that Sinners Reconciliation unto God is a thing purposed by God purchased by Christ and proved to be so by the Holy Ghost I have shewn it to be so But O Man Vnderstandest thou what thou readest I have proved it by Authority of Sacred Scriptures but alas Believest thou the report of them It is scarce every hundredth Man of those who own them that doth in truth believe them So judg'd the great Calvin himself And the truth is if in any thing it be harder then other to credit Divine Scripture it is in its Testimony unto this great Truth Nevertheless so it is that its Testimony herein must be credited sincerely and considered of seriously before we can be qualified for Christianity That is for Jesus Christs reconciling and saving Religion For the embracing it with seriousness and sincerity unto our Reconciliation and Salvation Who can charge his Conscience with all respects to a Religion whose first Principles and very Foundations he is ignorant or doubtful of Who can pursue it whatever it costs him and give it the Government of his Life and Soul They who do any less do but dally with Religion they do not use it like it self And they who do so much need to be very well certified of the goodness of the grounds they go upon If not they must continually be like to Builders who doubt their Foundation is ill laid and therefore either by and by desist from their work or go on very heartlesly with it Thus therefore must thou do whoever thou art that desirest Reconciliation unto God With a solemnity suitable to the moment of the affair thou must go and enquire into these things Namely Whether thou hast Faith And if thou hast What a Faith it is that thou hast concerning the things foresaid Alas Sin is distractive And Minds sinfully distracted do conceit themselves to believe whatever they do not in words contradict Nor do they at all discern the difference between Moon-light and Sun-shine Though the former be cold and dispel no Vapours and ripen no Fruits as the latter doth by its equally useful and beautiful Beams They distinguish not between the Historical and worthless Faith of Divels and the operative saving Faith of the operation of God Though the difference be as plain as that of a painted Sun upon a rotten Sign-post from the true Sun in the middle Heaven In a word Thou must discourse thy self soundly concerning these things and admit no rest till thou feelest thy self more then almost perswaded Till thou canst say as the Doctor of the Gentiles I know and am perswaded and as the Doctor of the Jews I believe and I am sure Lord 1. There is a God 2. This God is Three distinct Persons as to manner of Being and of Working 3. Of these Divine Persons the First hath eternally Purposed the Second hath in time dearly Purchased the Reconciliation of lost Sinners and this the Third hath convincingly Proved 4. I perish for ever if this Reconciliation be not Purposed concerning me if it be not Purchased for me and if it be not Proved some way unto me 5. Until I have this Proof made unto me I cannot possibly have knowledge of the Purchase and Purpose touching me 6. Wherefore I ought I may and I will by Gods assistance seek diligently this said Proof unto my inmost Heart and Reins Hasten Man hasten thou go Read go Pray go Hear and go Consult the best Ministers and Christians Beseech them both to tell thee how they gat assurance and certainty hereof charge them to pray the same Spirit in the use of like means to give it unto thee But this caution take thou Never judge thy Belief right and valid until it discover it self to be so by these properties e. g. Till it do shame thee for former neglects of the Father Son and Spirit and their Purpose Purchase and Proof Making thy blushing Soul to exclaim O never had I one thought worth the thinking till now Miserable Fool I have lived like a bruit as if I had been born in the Field and bred among the Cattle therein I abhor my self and every breath of my past Life Again Till it do smart and pain thee and give thee grievous feelings of thy want of more acquaintance with the Divine Persons and these their actions Causing thee to esteem and desire acquaintance with the same above all the sensual delights under the Sun Likewise Till it become an effectual Goad to quicken thee to the use of all means for it and a Nail also to fasten thy Soul unto it Driving thee to this conclusion q. d. Whatever I shall henceforth propose to my self or prosecute in the World I will never so absolutely propose any thing Never so laboriously and incessantly pursue any thing as my acquaintance with the Divine Persons and these their foresaid Works In other things I will be less resolute and more moderate in this I will be peremptory and I will strain every Nerve of my Soul Lastly Till it do sweeten and make grateful and pleasant all thy Religious pains At least as the most imperfect certainty that Husbandmen have of Harvest doth impart a sweetness unto their perpetual motions Till thou canst truly say thus So much I know of the Divine Persons So far I do credit the Holy Spirits Testimony of their Works Such Faith I have of both that what Ordinances and Duties were heretofore burthensome or undelightful are now become of my chiefest joy And such as I could not live without And now Man now first beats thy Pulse This is the first breath of thy laudable Life The first step of thine toward God The first stroke of reconciling work This is the first hairs breadth thou hast stirred from thy self-ruining Enmity toward the way of Peace God speed thee onward For Secondly Thou must Pray and Labour for the actual possession the comfortable perswasion and the practical improvement of Reconciliation unto God Thou art now out of doubt there is a way to get possessed of the Reconciliation Purposed Purchased Proved But can thy blindness unassistedly find that way Or can thy halting Soul enter into and walk in it unassistedly Or if with much ado thou wer 't able wouldst thou go without infallible counsel and invincible aid And that for want of asking Or didst thou never hear of multitudes that perish in the very mouth of their way Stumbling unto perdition at the very threshold of the door of Salvation I do now suppose thee to have an Eye in thy Head And if so I nothing question but thou hast a Tongue in thy Head too The Eye of Faith and Mouth of Prayer were never yet known far asunder And indeed it would be a wonder if any seer of Reconciliation should not be straitway a wrestler for it However wot it well Divine Authority requires and Bounty invites and intreats thee to shew that with thy sight of Reconciliation thou hast received Praying Lips and
said it was an unclean or untrue Spirit that Christ had to witness these things And this their Blasphemous Unbelief and Inconsideracy is declared unpardonable even so as no other sin is Reader Canst thou think of this without horrour But see also how are we warned not to resist not to quench not to grieve the Holy Spirit Acts 7.51 1 Thess 5.19 Eph. 4.30 Not to resist him in the Ordinances of his Word testifying unto us Gods foresaid Purpose and Christs Purchase in order to draw us to a due pursuit of our Reconcilement Not to grieve him that is not to provoke him to leave us as our Friends use to do when we offend them by Unbelief and Inconsideracy of his foresaid Testimony Not to quench him that is not to oppose and put out the Light and Evidence he giveth us of the things foresaid preferring our Darkness above his Light chusing rather to be ignorant than to know Gods Purpose and Christs Purchase of the said Reconciliation Not to Believe and to Consider the Holy Spirits foresaid Proof is to Resist and Quench and Grieve him if any thing be so to do Prayer and Labour for the possession of this reconciliation is set us Acts 8.28 Repent saith Peter to Simon Magus and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee That is Pray if possibly thou mayest get possest of God's Peace and reconciliation Luke 13 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto ye will seek to enter in and will not be able That is do your utmost to enter into the Christian state to get joyned to the Lord in the Gospel-Covenant of reconciling Grace For many faint chill luke-warm souls will seek but ineffectually But put ye your utmost power into act Prayer and Labour for the certain perswasion of this reconciliation is set us Prayer Psal 4 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance on us David 's example is obliging in this case Labour 2 Pet. 1.10 Brethren give diligence to make your Calling that is into the state of reconciliation with God and Election sure Prayer and Labour for the practical improvement of this reconciliation is set us Psal 119.65 66. Thou hast dealt well with thy Servant O Lord and what follows Teach me good Judgment and Knowledge That is holily to improve thy love Eph. 4.32 compare with Eph. 5.1 God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you or been reconciled to you And what then is inferred Be ye therefore followers or as in the Original Imitators of God as dear Children That is as those that think they can never do enough to express their Love and Thankfulness Hope and Joy in the Hope of the perfection and publication of reconciliation to God in the day of Judgment is also set us Hope Tit. 2 11 12 13. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation teaches us to deny ungodliness c. and live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Joy Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alway And again I say Rejoyce 1 Thess 5 16. Rejoyce evermore To conclude He that doth these things is certainly acceptable unto God and approved of Men. All that do fear God Nor can any answer be made to his shame if such a one ask What lack I yet If any do dream otherwise and sear that this is not the whole Duty of man let them shew but one thing more and I will bear the shame C. 2. The Nature of Religion requires this and no more I must be understood of Postlapsarian Religion Religion as since Man's Fall it has been modelled Be it considered that Religion as so considered is nothing else but a restored Friendship or a Reconciliation between God and Man And this made in a way prescribed by the VVisdom and VVill of God whose revealed VVill is to deal with man in a way agreeable to the Nature whereof he hath made him and yet in every respect suited to the Soveraignty he hath over him Plainly thus in all his wayes with us God will himself so act that the Power and Praise shall be as visibly as truly his own Yet so that there shall be room and place for our acting by and under him And Duty shall still be truly and visibly ours In this Reconciliation each person of the blessed Trinity hath his Gracious Part. The Father Reconciles us to wit as the Primary Cause purposing of it 2 Cor. 5.19 The Son Reconciles us to wit as the Meritorious Purchaser Eph. 2.16 The Blessed Spirit Reconciles us as the Efficient VVorker and VVitnesser of the Grace by which we are made Partakers of the Reconciliation and are assured thereof Joh. 3 5. Rom. 5.5 So that the Kingdom Power and Glory is here illustriously and equally to be ascribed unto the Father Son and Spirit In the mean time we also have our part left us We are bid in my Text our selves to Reconcile our selves That is to do our part toward it So Ezek. 33.11 Turn ye turn ye that is Reconcile Reconcile your selves q.d. No longer turn your backs on God as Enemies turn about your Faces toward him as Friends Now what I affirm is this Namely that this part to be done by us toward our Reconciliation consists in the things foresaid and no more Of these we are capable by the aids of Divine Grace And so proper are all these to be done by us that the Neglect must needs incense Divine Justice Of doing ought more we have no Capacity as blessed be God we have no Commandment in his Word which hath been fore-asserted Of Believing and Considering the parts done by the Divine Persons we have Capacity Natural I mean Though impotent and perverse our Faculties be till Grace give them strength and inclination unto good They were created in us by God for this Noble use And should he admit our Reconciliation without their being used thereto an unsufferable spot would fall upon his infinite Wisdom It would be said he had made noble Powers for no use or but vile Yea and upon his Truth also For it would be said His wrath came not down upon the very children of Vnbelief Contrary to Eph. 5. Of Praying and Labouring for our Possession Perswasion and Practick improvement of Reconciliation unto God the same is to be said We have Natural and surely English people may be supposed to have some Acquired Abilities too If not gracious and supernatural And alas what did God give us these for What a Blemish would it be unto his Wisdom and Government if he should require no use of them unto their chiefest ends But grant us Reconciliation and Assurance and Spiritual Prosperity without them And let it be told through the Earth that he was no Condemner of slothful servants Nor Enemy to such as call not upon his name He bids us pray and labor
Mans whole Duty AND Gods wonderful Intreaty Of him thereunto Set forth from 2 Cor. 5.20 and Published at the Request of some Hearers By DANIEL BVRGESS Minister of the Word of Reconciliation Licensed according to Order LONDON Printed by J. Richardson for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside and John Lawrance at the Angel in the Poultry 1690. To my Excellent Friends Mrs. Joan Wood. Mrs. Anne Hook Mrs. Abigail Vanittern Mrs. Martha Brown OF THE CITY OF BRISTOL Gentlewomen THese Lines do not vainly design to adorn your Names but are very uprightly meant to defend my own from one of the blackest Reproaches Even loathsome Ingratitude I have bid them tell all they meet that You were for some black years together my noblest Gaia's And your Houses my sweet Homes That I am not Unthankful though I am Insolvent That I am not Insolvent neither if Prayers do discharge Debts I do continue my pleasant Hope of your Persons Reconciliation unto God And my Prayers for your Dearest Relatives Beseeching the Father of Glory to make his own Love the Reward of Yours unto me And if it he his blessed pleasure to make these very Leaves bear some Fruit unto your Souls Be it freely said as far as I know my self I am neither Proud nor Ashamed of them Not Proud for I am aware how my imperfections do Blemish them Not Ashamed for I am told God hath Blessed them and I am made to believe that he will Bless them That as they are not Beautiful so neither shall they be Barren as Rachel But Fruitful though Blear-Eyed as Leah I have told you some Years ago that I Preached for the Salvation of Plow-Boys and Milk-Maids as well as Lords and Ladies And if I did not I should never expect to do so much upon them by Rhetorical Politeness as by Gospel Plainness Honey Dews be sweet to the Tast but they miserably blast the Corn. Delights of Fancy hinder Wounds of Heart This is still my Thought And if you are still the Christians that I once knew you I am sure you will welcome Plainest Gospel 'T is Gospel I do present you and in Dress as homely as I heretofore used among you I am not now first to crave a Blessing upon it but shall ever continue craving it And particularly a Blessing to your selves and to the Olive-Plants about your Tables Clare-House in Drury-Lane London Dec. 11. 1689. Your Affectionate Orator unto your Heavenly Father D. Burgess Man's whole Duty and God's wonderful Intreaty of him thereunto II COR. V. 20. Be ye Reconciled to God OUR Being is our least and lowest Honour and Pleasure The end of all Essence is Action But neither is that its own End or our Perfection Action is for the advancement of our Being as our Being is for our employment in Action Work designs Reward and that together perfecteth our Action and Being The Reward that doth this is the Jewel inestimable which should be bought at any rate but sold at none And this whether blind men see it or no is Love I am sure Divels and Damned ghosts do feel it They are weary of their Beings and have no Action but in unallayed torments because they neither Love nor are Loved They are still uneasie and in degrees of pain proportioned to their Enmity Holy Angels and the Spirits of the Just above do also feel it Their Essence and Action are as sweet as they wish because their Love is as great as they can desire Their Love is an Ocean and therefore is their Joy not a drop less This middle Worlds Inhabitants as far as they have their Senses do feel it too The dead in sin do prefer their impurest Loves above their Lives And all that are alive unto God do set their Seals unto that Glorious Truth and most memorable He that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Jo. 4.16 With profoundest Reverence be it writ and read The Divine Blessedness it self which hath no limits doth consist in Love The Persons of the Glorious Trinity are blessed infinitely Their Being and Working are as much sweeter unto them as they are greater then any Creatures And this because they Love and are Beloved mutually no less then infinitely Were their Love of each other but finite their Delight and Pleasure must be as imperfect The reason is most plain Loving and being Loved is all the Pleasure of an intelligent Nature Wherefore to seek our Happyness any where but in Love its very Element is to leave the Waters and go fish in the Woods And to doubt whether we shall find Felicity in Love is to make a question whether when we come to Sea we shall find any Water there I am by sad Experience cured of my hasty Confidence as truly as ever great Melanchton was Nor do I presume I shall win all my Readers of this Essay I expect not to take and hold all the Fish that come to this Gospel-net it self But I must have leave to say I do expect a very good Draught For I shall propose a word that will cost Men hard service to resist You that are farthest from the Kingdom of God will have much ado to get away Unconvert And you that stand nigher must fight with all your might and main if you be not led captive to Christ this time So extraordinary a portion of Holy Scripture is that which I here offer A Text call it if you please I do account it and call it all the Bible in eight Syllables The sum and substance of all God thinks fit to Speak and that we need to Hear Three things are obvious in it 1. Mans miserable condition He is an Enemy to God He could not otherwise be advised to Reconcilement 2. Gods merciful Condeseention To Prepare and Offer a Reconciliation Yea and beseech our Acceptation of it 3. Mans dutiful Religion No hard task nothing of brick and bondage Only to be friends and Reconciled to God Or if you like see you now and never look off again while you live see here two particulars 1. The Richest Feast that Grace it self can prepare Very Reconciliation unto God 2. The Sweetest Invitation that it can make unto the same Even Obsecration and Intreaty by Ministers by Christ and by the blessed God By King Prince and Embassadors Now close your Ears if you can against this Doctrine Reconciliation to God is the whole Duty of Man and sinful Man is intreated thereto by God The Heads of Discourse that offer themselves are I. Mans Duty Of which in our Doctrinal part II. Gods Intreaty Of which in our Application The first shall have its Explication in five orderly Positions And its Proof by as many demonstrative Arguments as shall appear needful Position 1. God and Man were once entire Friends Likeness to God qualified for such Friendship And Gods blessed Love both necessarily and freely followed that likeness Till Sin entred Man was as like to God as
and declared so to be For you are told He that hath the Son of God hath Life 1 Joh. 5.12 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 And being justified by Faith you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 Come Reader come take Eternal Life from these Lines Hold thy self not a minute longer in Hell-fire for Gods wrath is not a jod less Down with my Book and down fall thou on thy Knees and utter the few words which will make God and thy Soul everlasting Friends No longer dare to live Damned Venture to strike the Gospel-Covenant and be saved Say to Jesus Christ Lord I will stay no longer I am thine upon thy Gospel-terms for ever From this instant to Eternity I will be thine Say to thy self Heart bid an eternal adieu unto Vnrighteousness and unto trust in self-righteousness as satisfactory or meritory Say unto vain Company Sirs I take my leave of you I must travel no farther with you that are not for the strait gate and narrow way If you will not be Reconciled to God with me I will not any longer sight against God with you But whither do I break Be it known unto every Reader this is Gospel God is not Reconciled to us FOR our Repentance and Faith The most penitent Believers are but unprofitable servants unto him But he is never to be Reconciled WITHOVT Repentance and Faith Both are as necessary as tho' they were Meritory though they are infinitely far from it Yea and upon the first penitent and faithful consenting to the Gospel-Covenant God and Sinners become as true Friends as God and Holy Angels And as Eternally inseparable ones Rom. 8.38 39. 'T is not to be denyed or concealed The grant of Peace is one thing and the sense of it is another And these two are separable God may be Reconciled to a Covenant-servant of his for months and years and the servant be in fear and doubt of it Those sins that hinder not Gods grant of Peace to us do often hinder our sense and assurance of it Wherefore we are to consider another particular concerning Reconciliation To wit 5. The Believers perswasion of it For though Reconciliation be the greatest good though it be Eternally purposed for me and by Christs Death purchased for me and be by the Holy Spirit proved to me that it is for some Purposed and Purchased Yea though through Grace I am possessed of it what then Until I know that I am possessed of it I am but like a Child in the Womb Living indeed in a bag of water but not knowing my own Life I have a Life that is only in degree inferiour to the Life of Angels But yet I live in doubts and fears that I am like unto Divels and that I shall lodge for ever in their unquenchable fire Now be it carefully heeded The Holy Spirit who is given to work Grace in us he is also given to witness Grace unto us and to make us know the things that are freely given to us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 He is a free and soveraign Agent indeed and he works and witnesses in them in whom he worketh as he pleaseth He giveth assurance of Peace with God as much as he pleaseth and as soon and no more and no sooner than he pleaseth 1 Cor. 12.11 At the first Plantation of the Gospel-Church he used together to convert Souls and to assure them of their Reconciliation unto God But now we see he doth not ordinarily so do And as commanded 2 Pet. 2.10 most Converts do give great diligence before their Election and Reconciliation are made sure I contemn the Roman Synagogue that measures all Cloth by its own Ell and denyeth the attainableness of that assurance which they neither duly seek or ever attain Our Divines have confuted and shamed them so much that there needs not any thing to be said unto their blasphemous Dreams Let the desirous Reader see but that one most excellent Sermon of Mr. Samuel Fairclough on 2 Pet. 1.10 in the Morning Lectures against Popery The Churches of Christ do believe and teach that the blessed Spirit doth ordinarily sooner or later witness unto true Converts their Reconciliation And seal them to the day of Redemption And this either mediately or immediately Immediately by a sort of spiritual words Such as pass between God and the Blessed Spirits above By these the Holy Ghost testifieth unto humble diligent Believers that they are Gods Reconciled and Adopted Children And when he doth so he doth it with a clearness and sweetness that carry their own evidence with them For there is no Rule beyond it by which it may be tryed as there is no other visible besides the Light it self whereby you may try it Rom. 8.16 He is said therefore to witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And Eph. 1.13 with Eph. 4.30 He is said to seal us But how so Unless he doth set some print and stamp upon us distinguishing our state and Relation Again mediately the Spirit perswadeth us also of our Reconciliation To wit by enabling us to see our Graces truth and sincerity and from thence to infer our certain Reconciliation Both wayes he is ordinarily the Comforter of sound Believers I have read of a Woman that would say she had born eight or nine Children and with as much pain as other Women used to undergo But she would be content to bear all that pain over again for this comfort of the Spirit O that the same mind were in all that profess a value of it But well what if you had sought and found it too There 's another very material particular concerning Reconciliation to God that would ask for your thoughts and cares To wit 6. The practical improvement of it I mean of his Reconciliation and of his perswasion or assurance of it Hear the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.2 Having these promises to wit of Reconciliation and all Grace chap. 6. latter end what use are we to make of them Why Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God q. d. Let us live as far as we can without sin Let us do Gods will on Earth as 't is done in Heaven unto our utmost ability Let us do all we are able to make our Reconciliation more honourable to God then our Damnation would have been Assurance is a special priviledge Scarce any Childs portion at all times And 't is possible that some of Gods Children may live and dye without it However when it is bestow'd extraordinary Aids of Grace and Advantages for Duty are bestowed with it The helps which School-Men call necessary are given to all that are Converted But those which they call liberal are given but to them that are Assured In Conversion all Gods Children do receive strength sufficient to walk acceptably with him But when they are sealed by the Holy Spirit they
know not a greater lover of his God in all this World then the Man that printeth these words My God knoweth that I even abhor and loath my self because I love and delight in him no more And in another place I can more easily forgive my self all my other sins then my loving God so little O what must others say Other Saints I mean of inferiour stature unto him And for Sinners that make light of all Gods Calls to Reconciliation and are inflexible by his very intreaties for whole Weeks Months and Years together who sees it not Their Life is a practical protest that they will bear the prison of Hell the torment of Fire and that for the space of Eternity rather than be friends with God So they love God so they love themselves 'T is true we cannot here perswade them but that they do truly love themselves and their God too But in utter darkness it self men will see better There they will see and say God was kind and made them good offers but they were themselves their own destroyers being by sin bewitch'd in heart to murder him and in act to murder themselves There they will understand the sense as well as feel the truth of Prov. 8.36 and 35. There they will know to their torment what it is for God to beseech and pray sinful Dust to come take Pardon and Peace and for them to lend him a deaf ear or give him a more reproachful repulse against convictions of Conscience Reader here stay a while Think and speak with thy self of the huge imports of this word As though God did beseech you by us How GOD beseech SOVERAIGNTY beg And that of both Creatures and Rebels too What meaneth this and what is it we are to learn by it God beseech The word astonishes me and filleth my mind with these thoughts above others First How pawerful is Love that makes Omnipotence stoop Secondly How Loveful is the Divine Majesty that thus condescendeth Thirdly How wonderful is this condescention whereunto God never stooped before and beyond which it is not to be thought possible that he should ever stoop Fallen Angels had nothing like it Fallen Men can have nothing beyond it God stoops he stoops low he stoops his lowest unto us The lowest that the nature and honour of his Government will admit God beseech I do believe Lord help my unbelief I do believe methinks I do see and hear the Heavenly King even thus addressing to his rebellious Subjects Miserable Creatures as I made you not miserable I am not pleased to see you so I have made a costly provision for your restoration to the Happiness I made you in And left you nothing to do for the same but to accept it in the way of my Gospel-Covenant I have taught you so to accept it I have commanded you and on no small penalty And finally I do beseech and pray you Sirs if ye love me accept of it If ye do not love your own Souls yet for my sake accept it I will take it as the greatest kindness unto my self and will reward you as though ye had profited me if ye accept it You give me my highest pleasure if ye accept it I will set Heaven ringing for joy thereof if ye accept it As long as I live and my Immortality will not dye in hast I will remember and requite you if ye will accept it If ye would not do your utmost against me and your selves ye must accept it If Grief could possibly sieze on Godhead ye would make me drown Heaven with my Tears if ye did not accept it And to repent that ever I made you So good a will do I truly bear you though Satan and your silly Hearts by him seduced tell you contrary stories Arguing wildly that because I drag you not to Grace and Glory against your wills therefore I have not any will that you should have either Reader again and again read this and cease not till thy astonished and trembling Soul take fire and flame forth in exclamations What manner of Love is this Stay me I am sick of Love The Love of God and Christ do constrain me O Lord I am thy servant I am thy Gospel Covenant servant I am thine Lord save me In great Letters I wish this Truth written upon thy Doors and Walls God delighteth more in Reconciling one penitent poor sinner than in Damning all the obstinate World I and the main revenue of his Crown lies in it Else he would not love Mercy above Sacrifice Nor could we holily desire to be saved Reader I cannot yet have done with thee I must say to thee as Ruth to her Mother in Law Intreat me not to leave thee or return from following after thee with this Inference I must insist a little more upon Gods so astonishing Intreaty And I would to God I could find or make words prevalent with thee to insist much hereon To be often musing what it is that Gods intreaty of sinners to be reconciled doth in good sober Truth import I beseech thee go and consult God himself in holy Prayer unto him Go consult his Ministers the best of them and such through whose Mouths he is most likely to speak his Heart unto thee Go consider and take advice whether it import not thus much To wit a real will of God without any design or unsincerity to have sinners reconciled unto him even as many of them as he sends his Gospel unto A will of complacence as of a thing that would be highly grateful unto him though not a Will efficacious and effective of it against all wilful and affected unfitness in sinners superadded unto their natural A Will that indeed doth not so overpower all things as to bring all sinners unto Reconciliation but yet one that leaves nothing but their own obstinate Wills to keep them from it And makes that all who live under the Gospel and who do seek it as they are directed by the Gospel may reasonably judge their obtainment of it most highly probable and conclude that if their labour for it be lost it will not be through failure on Gods part but their own 'T is very certain that such influences of the Holy Spirit were communicated under the Old Testament that of all that lived and dyed then unreconciled unto God the fault was laid at their own doors Thou gavest thy good Spirit to instruct them Neh. 9.20 Turn ye at my reproof behold I will pour my spirit to you I will make known my words unto you Prov. 1.23 c. O how much more must we now conclude in the Gospel day that Mens destruction is of themselves That the Holy Spirit is always striving with sinners and perswading them to be reconciled until they do by very great provocations cause him to withdraw for ever from them By the Prophets of old the Holy Ghost never spake in the wondrously condescensive Language which he useth in the New Testament
Doctrine be true the Blessed Gospel deserves a higher rate then the best of us all appear to put upon it Consider it as an History 't is one the Angels unto whom 't is but a History delight to pry into As an offer of Salvation 't is tidings of great even all Joy As a Rule of Life 't is a Royal Law of Liberty The truth of it is sealed by unparallell'd Miracles The Grace of it is it self the Miracle of Miracles In the miserable parts of the World where this Gospel shines not 't is ever Night Darkness and Death possess them Forlorn Souls as one speaks are there under a continual Massacre and be an easie conquest and prey to to the Fiends of Hell But the Places which the Gospel visits in our Saviours Language are said to be Lift up unto Heaven They are found like the World at first a Tohu and Bohu but are made by the Gospel divine Temples Of Stones Children are raised up unto Abraham by the Gospel What was our England but a howling Wilderness till the Gospel made it a Garden and the Paradise of the Earth Both for Heavenly and Earthly good things Indeed all the World is Egypt and there is no Goshen but of the Gospels making No other Star ever led a Soul to it's Saviour The Law damns all and single Natural Religion saves none The Gospel is like to the Archangels Trumpet by it Graves are made to open and dead Souls to come forth And the Masters of most refined Morality will one day find there is no other Ministration of the Spirit Are therefore tears of very Blood sufficient to Lament our Gospel-Contempt Contempt every where shewn in England in London it self every where In Houses where Bibles lie about as neglected as old Shoes In Churches where usually is less crowding and earnest listning than in Satan's Temples our Playhouses I would I might not add in very Pulpits too from whence too often soundeth a but Natural and Legal Religion with few if any Evangelical Note in it It is too truly said I fear that many Preach Adam Moses and at most John Baptist. Having little to say of Jesus Christ or of that Reconciliation by him through the Gospel-Covenant which they seem to think that their People have already or may do very well without it Save Lord save us from this Gospel-Atheism or we Perish O let not the richest of blessings thy Gospel-pearl be trampled under feet in England Whatever sinks Lord raise the price of the Gospel Inf. 5. Religion is no wrack It has a very good action of slander against every Reproacher Every Liar of the Legions that report it a dark and intricate a Knotty and difficult business For as it has been shewn it is no more as no less then Reconciliation unto God And an Exercise of our selves in the plain orderly particulars foresaid which are all our part and business O admirable Love and Grace of God that shine in it's Brevity and Plainness Our Life is short And our Bodies eat up much of our time in necessary cares for them But the Doctrine of Reconciliation is no tedious one What the old Friendship was between God and Man How the Quarrel rose and how far it ran How the Reconciliation is to be made on Gods part and ours by satisfying his Justice and subduing and removing our malice These things require shorter study than a body of Philosophy Nor are they by the Holy Spirit set forth obscurely And so as to require a very quick and subtle Wit to Understand them No a man may be wise unto Salvation without wit and acuteness enough to make a Disputer of this world Nor doth Divine Kindness less shew it self in the Sweetness and Agreeableness of the Christian Religion Such is it's Constitution we see that it employs us in nothing but most pleasant Exercises In Believing and Considering most excellent and important Truths Labouring and Praying together for the best Blessings here Hoping and Joying in the hope of most perfect Blessedness hereafter Is this a Slavery Sensualists is this an irksome Toil Is this what any thing besides affected Malignity can snarl at The Hebrews have a saying An hour in Heaven is more worth then a Life on Earth But I know those that tell me they have found more real solid Comfort in one hour of their Convert State on Earth then ever they had in all their former Life And 't is as certain that Religion is the best Pleasure in this world as that Heaven contains the best in the next world Inf. 6. Minister's only business is to make Peace Peace and Reconciliation between God and Men. Their business is but to promote Duty If then Reconciliation be all Duty all their Business must lie herein In this my Text they are called Ambassadors not Heralds to proclaim War but Embassadors to treat for Peace True they must in order to Peace declare the War and Hostility between God and Sinners It was a foolish Law the Lacedemonians made that no man should tell his Neighbour any ill and frightful News And they are be-lepered with ignorance and Error who would sow up Minister's Mouths and have them wholly silent of the Miseries of the Unreconciled State As though God's Peace were ever to be sought without Knowledge of his Wrath. Or as though they more dreaded to hear the Discourse than to feel the doom thereof Nevertheless so it is that the Word of God unto Ministers committed is the Word of Reconciliation And Reconciliation is the work they are sent for They are not to preach Wrath but in order to provoke you to fly from it I preach Hell said a late most Apostolical Preacher that you may never come there Reader I am full of wonder as I can hold Come hear and wonder with me Earthly Kings put out Laws and expect their Subjects all should without more ado of theirs observe them They do not send an Officer to every Town and House to inform and perswade the people to keep them Especially when the said Laws be for the Subjects own great good But O admirable Benignity the King of Heaven puts Parents in Families and Ministers in Congregations and makes it their business from one end of the Year to the other to Teach and Perswade his poor ignorant and obstinate Subjects to accept the Word of Reconciliation Though the gain be only and infinitely theirs not his But I return attend it oh Ministers attend it oh Parents 'T is the Peace of God that passes all Understanding save Gods infinite one that ye are Proposers Interpreters and Orators and Agents for Higher than at Reconciliation unto God you cannot aim Lower you should not dare to aim Holy Angels do not want it and Devils cannot have it But what think ye of your People and your Children Gods Peace and Love are the highest and all good his Wrath and Curse are the deepest Misery and there is no middle Condition Souls
or abate their degree of Religion but then when Satan can indeed present an appearance of gain by it I mean a gain of somewhat better or as good as Gods Love in their very own Thoughts And Secondly That when ever they have thought themselves to have seen profit coming by it and have by and by found their mistake That then they would acknowledge their horrid effascination and resolve never again to trust the spectacles through which they looked unto their cost I know that Lust does bewitch into Error and Error when it gets into the throne of the Heart fearfully plays the Tyrant Let Men but listen unto their Senses Fancies and Passions they shall take the most loathsome Lyes for self-evident Truths And when they have done they shall be as much governed by them They shall adore Dogs and Crocodiles scorning God and his Christ They shall dig for a Worms favour as for immortal Treasure and dye away for fear of its frown And all with unshaken Confidence as if God were nothing and Idols were all things As if the smiles of a mortal Man were really a richer good then Gods Heaven and a hard look from Caesar were more dreadful by far then Hell-fire But I do also know and I keep some stir to make others know it too Such is the admirable constitution of our Religion such is its perspicuity with its purity that Humane Minds are not presently so stupified as to be unsensible of its Glory or so distracted as to dream ought spoke against it to be true or so much as probable 'T is abundance of Opium you give your Reason before you make it dormant enough to let an ill thought of Religion into your Heart Before you are capable of your sweet Follies and dear Deceits Most commonly you that neglect Religion are fain to serve Satan without so much as any imagination of gain by it I and with many a fearful expectation of loss too And when your bewitched Eyes are drawn unto some imaginary recompence in any way of sin ye oftentimes soon afterward find the Proverbs truth Fraud and Frost end in dirt Well were it if then you would set your selves to verifie another as known a saying Burnt Children dread the fire In a word The day is coming that will reveal it The Religion instituted and taught by Jesus Christ is one that Men can bray and bark against as they do and as he foretold us that they would But they cannot argue against Without that quickness and subtlety and solidity which are the priviledges of very few heads its excellence and importance are the plainest of things unto all honest hearts And our Motives unto the severest Duty are ten thousand times stronger then our Temptations unto the sweetest Sin He has a very hard task who goes about to prove that I shall do better without Gods friendship then with it That I shall have more Light if I go further from the Sun I. 9. The Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink Christianity or Gospel saving Religion doth not consist in external Observances and little Opinions If it be Reconciliation or a new very Friendship with God it cannot stand in the poor despicable things wherein 't is placed by too many Ceremonialists I mean Ceremonialists of every Sect and Party among us Many of which seem to value themselves more by some peculiar dividing Ceremony then by common and universally professed Christianity Natural corruption disposes Men to allow God nothing at all of Subjection or Obedience By Gods inward and outward Calls of Conscience Parents Ministers they are brought quickly unto shame of that open malignity But Carnality and Sloth admit not any great liberality to him And Lust and Fancy and ill Example soon prescribe a narrow pittance He shall have outward Homage and Bodily service Presence at the places of his Worship and observation of all laudable gestures therein He shall have Lamps of Profession carried for him Oyl they cannot tend for Graces are mysterious things He shall have loud Cryes but as for intelligent and sincere Prayers they promise him not He shall have their Eyes lift up to Heaven but he must excuse them if their Affections be set on Earth He shall have their Company at every Sacramental Feast but they desire in this thing to be forgiven if they come having not on the Wedding-garment and unengaged in the cares of imputed inherent and practical Righteousness He shall have Zeal for the Religion they neither know nor practice I and it may be against the sins that they do love and live in They hope he will accept it from them without Integrity In short He shall have his Church obeyed and Gospel too as far as they themselves please But that reaches not unto the concerns of Regeneration Repentance Faith Love and Obedience principled from them Entering Covenant and keeping Covenant with him with all the Heart and Soul and Strength is that which they see no necessity of Miserable Creatures Do ye believe the blessed God to be a spirit or a dead stock Did ye ever read one Chapter of the Holy Bible Yea or of the Heathen Moralists Can ye in sober sadness think that our Blessed Redeemer was sent to raise dead sinners that he might make them unnatural and monstrous Flatterers Or that the Holy Spirit was sent by him to make painted Sepulchres of you Can ye really perswade your selves that God may be honoured and Satans Kingdom be demolished and your Souls be changed and qualified for Heaven by your Trifling and your Lying And without your Loving God as both your Benefactor and Ruler O shut not your eyes so very close till Vengeance open them for you Look out a little see my Doctrine and its Proof It shall possess you of other thoughts and rid you of these delusions It shall stop your scoffing at Spirituality as a thing imaginary At Vnion and Communion with God as though they were dreams or but lying pretensions of Hypocritical Men. At Gods Living in Men and their Living in God as though there were no such things It shall make you as confident as now you are ignorant that they are mad Men whom you hear Jearing at the Life of holy Love and Promising Heaven to ever so little washed swine Magna ista credimus quia nos parvi sumus Senec. It shall make you to own that had not your Sense been little you had never took any thing but very Friendship with God for honourable and great I. 10. True Religion is its own Reward It is so framed by God that in it there is great Reward besides what is prepared for it It is evidently so if as our Doctrine asserts it stands in Reconciliation and Friendship with God If it be not a meer Service but a very Friendship If as is most certain God admits all his convert Servants unto the relation of very Children and the dignity of Friends All and every of his Commands
do refer to our good and are framed as plainly to Delight as to Direct us Reader this is so plain in it self and from very much that has been foresaid that I crave thy regards but to these few words Sinners generally are full of the opinion that Godliness has all its worth but in reversion That let Glory be what it will Grace is a very poor comfortless state And Saints do very commonly and most faultily give them but too much occasion so to imagine They walk not on in the way to Zion with Joy and Singing They demonstrate their very Hope but little and their Joy less From whence 't is inferred their Possession of Joy is none and their hope of reversion it self is next to none Thus prevails the evil report upon our present and our promised Canaan And that so much that the best Believers are profited as well as pleased greatly by the Hope and Joy of those few in whom both are conspicuous But how presently must that ill report dye were it duly considered that follows Grace and Glory differ but in degree They do not speak congruously that make Glory the End and Grace but the Means They are so much one thing that the Holy Spirit calleth them by each others names Glory is called Grace 1 Pet. 1.13 Hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ Grace is called Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. And what think we Is it a Friendship with himself through our Redeemer that we have on earth or no None do or can doubt it Is there a Reward sweeter then of Friendship I can hear of none Is there a Friendship more honourable or beneficial then Gods Friendship is It were equal blasphemy and absurdity to dream so Finally if God be the best Object and all goodness as sure as any and if Friendship be the best Enjoyment of him that Creatures can have Wherein save in degree doth Glory exceed Grace And if indeed Grace and Glory be for nature and kind the same thing if one be Friendship with God begun the other be Friendship with God perfected How is it possible the same Man should like the one and not the other I am very certain Men stand alike affected towards them whatever they speak And were they that here cannot be perswaded to seek Gods Friendship of Grace took up too unto Heaven and had the door set wide open and were ever so importunately intreated to enter in they would not enter no but fly back and be of the two far more unwilling to take Glory above then they are to accept of Grace here As believing that Gods perfected Friendship there would be more against them then his initial Friendship here 'T is equally plain Fishes are most against dryest places and Sinners most against the holiest ones As sure as Heaven is more Holy it is also more Hateful to a Sinner then the Church state below is In a word Heavenly Glory is not Reward if Grace be not Reward Gradus speciem non variat A handful of water is as truly water as all that which the Sea contains Glorification above is no more truly a royalty then Reconciliation here below is Reconciliation unto God I mean which is of all the works of God if any be so the most wonderful For his taking Enemies and Rebels into Heaven when they be reconciled is nothing so marvellous as his taking us into Reconciliation with him when we are Enemies and Rebels Reader what is thy Mind what thy Will after all this said The Assent of thy Mind and Consent of thy Will are thy greatest acts and most consequential All thy others be but superstructures thereon Speak Man hast thou verily Assented to the truth of the Gospel in my Doctrine and hast thou heartily Consented to its becoming the governing Principle of thy Life I hope thou art not yet ignorant and thy Head empty of the things proposed Nor yet obstinate with thy Heart full of antipathies unto them If I may so speak some Devils have been cast out by this very Word and Prayer Are those that possess thee of a sort that goeth not forth so Know thou then I will not presently give thee over if it be so I will carry thee in further Prayers unto him that is able to east out the most pertinacious of Devils Nor will I leave thee without these parting Exhortations Yea and I will as for my own Life beg and pray thee to have care of thine Importunately or impudently be it stiled I will beseech thee to hear and to come and let thee and me be Friends with God Blessed presently and blessed eternally Despise not my despicable appearance My Office is honourable I sustain the very person of God and supply the place of Jesus Christ My Text warrants me to say it And I must give thee to know 't is God beseeches thee 't is Christ prays thee by these my Lines to Turn and Live Divine Authority here puts off its Terror and for Loves sake intreats thee In the Law it thunders commands on pain of Death and Hell Here in the Gospel it uses a voice soft to a miracle I never heard of a King knocking at the door of a dungeon all night long and calling and crying to a Traytor to come accept a Peace and Pardon especially when he might cut off his Head without the loss of a Hair unto his own But at thy door God and Christ knock To thee they have called for many a long year it may be Earthly Kings put out Statutes and look that every Subject should look to himself They do not send a stated Officer to every Town and House to put them in mind of it to explain it to resolve cases about it to excite and pray them to keep it But God puts forth the Gospel and sends out Ministers to do all this Of his Love and Mercy this he doth as hath been foresaid And that charging them with a woe denounced on their failure to do what they can with Sheep and Lambs And in and out of season attending continually on this very thing Withal declaring that he will take contempt of us as contempt of himself and of his Christ Luke 10.16 Thou art a stone and not a man if thou needest more Motives For God to come down from the Throne of his Soveraignty and speak Supplications is a wonder not small For Men to make light of him and his Grace is one truly great Nahal slighted Davids kind Message thou shalt not I hope slight this that I deliver thee from thy King and Judge No methinks I hear thee taking up Hazaels words Is thy Reader a Dog that I should do this thing I proceed therefore E. 1. Reject not this doctrine of Reconciliation though thou shouldst not yet Believe it If thou hast read