pleasure in the death of a sinner c. As I live saith the Lord God They were pineing away in their wickedness lying down in their sins now as I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn and therefore turn turn O! turn Why wil ye die As if a poor sinner should lie down and say the Lord is provoked against me and he wil not be reconciled to me No the wrath of God is out against me he wil revenge himself of me the Lord looks upon a sinner lying in this manner and he bids his servants go and say to him the Lord swears by his own life and saith to this sinner As I live I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner I swear by my self because I have no greater to swear by CHAP. 66. The Sixt Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners ANother Argument is this wherein God doth manifest in his word that above al works that are pleasing to him and that he would have people most to respect in this world is the work of beleeving in his Son and laying hold upon him and so upon that mercy of his that he doth offer in his Son and that is the great work that he is more pleased withal then al the works they do and not doing that it is the greatest offence whereby they can offend God they cannot offend God more in doing any thing in the world And this shews the willingness of God to be reconciled unto sinners God being pleased with a sinner that doth come in to take hold of his mercy And that you have in John 6.29 This is the work of God that ye beleeve on him whâ—â—â—â—â—ch sent by way of excllency above all other therâ—â—â—â— as if God should say If you should do the 〈◊〉 famous work that ever man did in this world I would not delight in it I would not care for that in comparision of this work of comming in and beleeving in my Son Is there a man that should be the great Conqueror of the whole world a man that were famous in al the world Let a poor Soul a penitent heart come in and close with Gods grace in Jesus Christ and rowl it self upon mercy in Christ for Reconciliation this poor Soul though the meanest that were possible to be immagined in the whole Nation is a more glorious work in Gods Eye then the most glorious work of the greatest Conqueror of the earth If thou wert able to rule the Sea if thou wert able to govern al the world if thou wert able to command the Heavens it would not be such a glorious work in the Eyes of God as that is to come and lay hold upon his Son as he is tendred in the Gospel If you should give al your Almes to the poor and your body to be burnt yet it were nothing to the work of beleeving in his Son In John 3 God is most displeased with not beleeving in his Son As if God should say it 's true you are naturally enemies to me and you have lived in waies of enmity against me O! you have provoked me al your daies when you were yong a drunken unclean prophane Youth a Lyar a Swearer a Sabboth-breaker c. but yet you live to hear the voice of the Gospel sounding in your ears and to have the offer of Jesus Christ to your Souls for the pardon of your sins Now be it known to you al the Oaths that ever you swore al your Blasphemies al your Drunkenness al your Uncleaness al al your Sabboth-breaking put them altogether they wil not provoke me so much as rejecting of my Grace in Jesus Christ that I tender to you That is the condemnation of the world al the other iniquities wil not sink you down so deep in Hel as not comming to beleeve in Jesus Christ to lay hold upon the Grace of God that is tendred to you in the Gospel Now is not God very willing to be reconciled when he shal manifest himself thus unto sinful men CHAP. 67. The Seventh Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to Sinners YEt further God manifests himself willing to be reconciled in this that when he sees that notwithstanding al these expressions that have been before that we have spoke of if sinners wil not come in God he wil seek them seeing they wil not seek to him God seeks himself to sinners First that is a point that you have heard before that God is aforehand with us God comes to us because we wil not seek to him If a man be fallen out with another he should come and seek to him but he wil not because he hath such a stout heart Wel saith he that I may convince him that I am not such an austeer man as he conceivs me to be I wil seek to him first and I wil not only seek to him but I wil go to him and beseech him and that you have in the Text Christ is said to come to save and to seek that which was lost we were al lost and we would not seek to him but he was fain to come yea he came from the bosom of his Father He came into the world and his great Errand was to seek those that were lost and when he had found them he beseeches them to be reconciled unto him CHAP. 68. The Eight Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners FUrther God manifests himself willing to be reconciled in this in the waies of his dealing with wretched sinful men in sending his Grace to allure the hearts of sinners the Lord sends his mercy to spread al the beauty and lustre thereof before the Sons of men al the excellency and Glory of it before the Soul that it may entice the Soul of the sinner to come in unto him he doth not meerly send and seek to him but that he might overcome the hearts of men with love and mercy this is Gods way to cause his mercy to stand before the Soul and to spread the beauty and excellency of it that it move and entice and allure the hearts of men that so God as it were by coards of Love might draw the hearts of poor sinful men unto him If God did but scare men so come in to him it were somwhat but it is this which we have cause to bless God for if the Lord come in never such a terrible way to force us to come in that so there might be made up peace between God and us the Lord besides that way of terror and wrath though somtimes he wil use that way to stop men in the course of their sins and to force them to come in he goes forth and doth send his mercy to stand before the Soul and to spread the beauty excellency and glory of it before the heart of
of the first person in trinity for Creation is attributed to the first person and man sining against that work of Creation hence it comes to pass that the first is more directly and immediatly offended Now therfore the second Person in the Trinity he comes next in Order and therefore it is he that is fit to be a Reconciler between the father and us because we having sinned against the work of Creation God the father unto whom that worke is attributed is more especially offended 2 But not only so for if he had been but only the second person if he had been but only the Son of God he could not have been the reconciler of us unto God and therefore there must be somwhat else When we ask you what Christ is you Ordinarily answer the Son of God but if that had been al if he had been only the Son of God and the Second Person in Trinity he could not according to that way which God hath revealed in his word that he wil be reconciled unto Sinners by have been a fit mediator for us Therefore in the Second place that he might be a fit mediator to make our peace and to reconcile God and us together he comes and takes our nature upon him and is made a very man so that the same Person is now God and man he having taken up the nature into a personal union with the Son of God so that he pertakes of both those natures which is to be reconciled observe it wel Christ who is to be the Reconciler his business is to reconcile God and man between whom there was so vast a Breach Now to the end that he might be fit for this work and reconcile these two God and man he partakes of both natures and is become by uniting the nature of man which he tooke to himselfe into Personal union with the Godhead both God and man and having the nature of them both he hath interest in them both he hath interest in God the father as being the same God coequal with the father though not the same in a Personal regard but the same God with the Father and he hath interest likewise in man as he hath the same nature with him and thus he partaking of God and partaking of man comes to have interest in both and in that regard becomes a fit mediator between God and us Here is the great work of God to reconcile man to himself and in this God must do a work that is far greater than the making of Heaven and the Earth It had not been so great a work for God to have made ten thousand worlds over again as for God to make a mediator to become God and man in one Person The union of the two natures of Christ is the greatest work that ever God did from al eternity or ever shal be done and yet this was required to reconcile us to himself and surely you may wel conclude that the work of reconciliation of a sinner to God is a greater business seeing that Heaven and Earth must be moved about it and that the greatest work that ever was done or ever shal be done must be done about this or else it had never been effected The Second person in Trinity must come and take our Nature and be made in the form of a Servant that so he might be a fit peace-maker or Mediator between God the Father and us And then Thirdly Christ is a fil Mediator in this That he knows fully the mind of the Father and throughly understands even to the utmost what wrong the Father hath received by our sin If one should come to Mediate between one Man and another and should desire the party offended to be at peace He wil say you speak thus unto me but do you know what wrong such a one hath done me if you understood the wrong he hath done me surely you would not think it so easie a matter for me to be at peace and the truth is if al the Angels in Heaven and al the men in the world should come to interpose and to make peace between God and any sinner for any one sin God would presently Answer them and say what do you do to come to undertake this work of making peace with me and a sinner alas you do not understand what wrong is done unto me by his sin you know not what injury I have received by his sin therefore you are not a fit party to be a Mediator And in this regard no Angel in Heaven could possibly be a fit Peace-maker between God and Man for they know not what wrong sin hath done unto God But Jesus Christ knows to the utmost he understands throughly and fully al the wrong and injury that is done unto the Father by the sin of Man he knows what prejudice his Father susteined by al the sins of al the men of the world which no Creature else Angels nor Men could ever do Nay they are so far from knowing the wrong that is done to God by the sins of the world as they are not able to understand the wrong that is done unto God by one of the least sins that can be committed Fourthly Christ is a fit Mediator because he fully knew what would please and satisfie his father If a man should come to be a mediator to reconcile two that are at difference if indeed he knew the mind of the Party offended fully and throughly we would rather chuse such a man to make up the Breach such a man indeed that doth understand to a hair what wil satisfie the offended Party is fit to be a Mediator All the Angels in Heaven do not know like unto Jesus Christ fully and throughly the mind of God or what it is that wil satisfie him it is onely Jesus Christ who was with the father and lay in his very bosom from all eternity that knows fully what wil satisfie the wrong that is done to the father and therefore he alone was fittest to undertake this work Fifthly Christ is a fit Mediator in this That God the father doth infinitly love him that he is infinitely dear to the father and you know that it is a special ingredient for those to have that are to be Reconcilers that they should be dear one to another especially dear to the party that is offended If a poor man hath offended a rich man in a Town and he saith within himself O! that I were reconciled unto such a one If he can get one that is the intimate friend that that rich man hath in all the world to speak unto him in his behalf he wil conclude that certainly the business shal have good success and that this friend wil prevail Thus it is with our Mediator he who is our Reconciler unto God is infinitely dear unto the father God the father doth infinitely delight in him and therefore whatsoever he shal say or do must needs infinitely please God the
father This is our Mediator who is come to reconcile us unto God he can say and do nothing but it shal infinitely please and delight the father Further He is one that never did offend There may be a friend that is very dear to the party offended and yet perhaps he himself hath offended the Party But Jesus Christ is one that never offended the father but hath pleased him from all eternity and therefore he is a fit mediator he is fit to Speake for those that have displeased him As in a family if a Child have offended and another Child come and speak for his Brother the father may answer you need speke for your self for you have offended as wel as he But if another child that never offended his father in al his life but hath been the most obedient Child that can be in the world shal come and speake this wil be likely to take with the Father much God the Father professeth before al the world that Jesus Christ is his Beloved Son in whom he is wel pleased and it is this Christ that stands up to speake to God the Father for poore Sinners to be reconciled unto him Lastly he is a fit mediator in this That whatsoever he shal do hath an infinit efficace in it selfe not only is he a fit mediator because God is wel plesed with him but because that whatsoever he shal lay doune by way of sattisfaction it hath an infinet value in it There is such an infinite price such an infinit worth in whatsoever Christ lays doun to porchase this reconciliation that the infinite Justice of God cannot but say this is indeed a valuable Consideration and I cannot but acknowledg there is efficacy and sufficiency enough in this to make up a ful Satisfaction had the Sinns of men been a thousand times more than they were Now what a mediator have we to reconcile us unto God how comes our sins to make such a breach between God and us but because our sins were against such an infinite God at first the Person against whom we have sinned is the cause which makes such a breach and so the Person who is mediator that shal do and suffer any thing for us being such a person as he is hence comes the efficacy of al that he shal doe and suffer to satisfie the father to the utmost groat Al this together namely Christ that is the Second Person who is God and man Who knows the minde of the father to the ful Who knows what wrong our Sins have done the Father Who knows what wil satisfie the Father Who never offended the father Who is infinitly beloved of the father Al these together makes it that whatsoever he doth hath an infinite efficacy to satisfie Justice it selfe and in this regard he comes to be a fit mediator Al these things J name the rather to incourage the heart of poore Sinners to come unto him seing it is God in Christ that reconcileth us to himselfe CHAp 15. What Christ hath under taken and performed in Our Reconciliation 1 to fatisfy Gods Justice 2 To bring our hearts and subdue them to God You wil say you have shewed us these two things that it is not God alone and us but in Christ and us that is reconciled And you have shewd us what a reconciler Christ is And how fit But for the third thing propounded in the 12. Chapter hath Christ undertaken to reconcile us Surely this is a great work to come and reconcile Sinful man unto God Christ must needs undertake much in this I wil declare to you what Christ hath undertaken 1 This agrement there is between Christ and the Father He hath undertaken that he wil Satisfie what ever his Fathers Justice shal requier As for example If one should come to mak a peace between a couple and the one party hath extreamly injured the other and he that comes to make peace he doth not only come and say Sir I beceech you for my sake pass by the wrong and be reconciled unto him though perhaps this may do much but this wil not do the deed and this is not the way of reconcileing God and us for Christ though he be dear to the father only to plead and Say O father these poor Creatures have offended the I beseech the O father be reconciled to them no this is not al. But saith the Party offended wil you under take to satisfie the wrong that is done me I saith he who is the Peace-maker I wil undertake it al you shal set it al upon my scor And certainly you wil al conclude that if he that comes to be mediator and is dear unto the Party offended shal not only intreat but undertake that whatsoever he would have of him requier what satisfaction soever he wil he wil undertake to under goe it al especially if he be a man able to do what he promiseth You wil al conclude that this wil surly make up a peace This is the transaction between God the Father and the Son God lookes upon man as being an enimy to him and Christ he comes to mediate yea but saith the father what wil you do to make peace wil you undertake for mankind wil you ingage to Satisfy that wrong that they have done me Yes O Father saith Christ I wil do it I wil stand betwen the and them and undertake for them to satisfie al whatsoever thy Justice can require And in this regard Christ is not only called a mediator in that place Heb. 8.5 and so forward but he is called a Suerty because he hath undertaken to Satisfie what God the father requred for the Sin of mankind and as he hath undertaken it so he hath done it now and the fathers that lived in former times might looke upon God reconciling himselfe to the world in Christ as Christ had undertaken it but not fully discharged it But we may look upon Christ not only as an undertaker but as one that hath discharged and paid al. 2 But that is not al Christ hath not only undertaken this but in the next place as he hath undertaken to satisfie God on his part but saith the Father what shal become of these poor Creatures they have hearts opposite to me and they are enemies to me and whatsoever you do they wil stil go on in waies of emnity to me No saith Christ I wil do more then this I wil undertake to bring them in to you and to subdue their hearts to you and whereas they are now enemies to you they shal come and submit themselves and that wicked Nature of theirs I wil take away through my spirit and I wil both bring them into a peaceable disposition towards you so that they shal love you as a friend and love al that belong unto you they shal love al your waies and love your people and love your holyness I wil undertake to bring them in to you as wel as to
were honorable So is the Reconciliation between God and us it is so honorable a Reconciliation that it wil be the glory of God before the Angels and Saints to al Eternity and it is that which God doth much rejoyce in as being exceedingly pleased with it seeing his honor is made up in this Reconciliation That is a fifth Consequence from hence Consequence 6. Sixtly Followeth this If we be reconciled to God in Christ Hence our Reconciliation is in such a way as doth altogether debase man and though it be upon honorable tearms yet it is in a way wherein man hath no cause to glory in himselfe It is the greatest way for the lowing and humbling of man that posibly can be there could be no way devised wherein man should be reconciled to God and yet be abased so much as he is in this way of Reconciliation when he truly Considereth it For it is true we are reconciled but how we began it not our selves we did nothing in it our selves al was done by Christ therefore in Rom. 3.27 saith the Apostle where is bousting It is excluded by what Law of works no but by the Law of Faith God indeed hath done great things for us but al that which is done for us is not thankworthy to our selves it was al done without us God was in Christ Reconciling the world to himselfe and therfore though it is in honorable tearms in respect of God yet when we seriously Consider of it we have ground and Cause sufficient to be abased in our selves even to the very dust And then Consequence 7. Yet further Our Reconciliation being in Christ Hence it follows That it is a most firme and lasting Reconciliation an everlasting Reconciliation as it is in Christ here is the ground of the Everlastingness of it Hence it is that there is nothing can make a Breach again between God and us so as we should become Enimies againe unto him so that when we understand this Reconciliation with these properties and Consequences then we understand aright what it is to be Reconciled unto God Consequence 8. There is one Consequence or poperty mor of this Reconciliation that I must ad to what I mentioned before And that is this That if it be in Christ that we are Reconciled unto God Then certainly the work of Reconciliation is a very difficult work it is a mighty hard thing Heaven and Earth must be moved before this can be done and God even shakes the Heaven and the Earth in this work It was the difficultest work that ever God himself undertooke and the difficultest work the Son undertook for when he undertook it you find that he did sweat at it and before he had done it it cost him his very hearts blood therefore it was not an ordinary and slight work to reconcile God man together but a most difficult work because it was in Christ CHAP. 19 Three Reasons why God would be Reconciled to the world in Christ and no otherway 1. Because God the Son is most glorified this way 2. Because God the Father is most glorified this way 3. Because there was no such way as this to melt the hearts of sinners Or to encourage them to come to God BUt there yet remains to shew you the Reasons Why God would Reconcile himself to the world this way in Christ and no other way And for that I shal only give you these Three Reasons Reason 1. First Because in this way the Father glorified his Son had it not been for this way of Attonement we had but little understood the glory of the second Person in Trinity No nor indeed of the Third Person nor the distinction of the Persons and therefore before the Gospel came to be made known to the Sons of men the distinction of the Persons in Trinity was very little made known And in those places wherein the Gospel is not revealed and made known there is nothing fully known of the distinction of the Persons in the Trinity Now for the glory of the Trinity and more especially for the glory of the second Person the Son of God who is the special Person in the work of Reconciation hath God chosen this way of Reonciliation It is true indeed the Third Person and the Spirit is sent by Christ and in the Consummation of the work of Reconciliation the glory of that Person appears but the main weight of the work lies upon the Son and for the glory of the Son of God hath he appointed this way to be Reconciled to the world And indeed it is such a work as the Son himself doth exceedingly glory in and accounts this to be a great part of his glory that he is appointed by God the Father to be the Mediator to reconcile God and man together I besech you observe this this work of Reconcilation betweene God and us it is that which Christ himself doth glory in and it is that which he counteth next unto the glory that he hath Personally with the Father as he is generated of him from all Eternity next unto that Jesus Christ glories in this that he is appointed to be a Mediator between the Father sinful man And that Christ himself doth glory in this work I wil give you a Scripture or two to prove it That place which we have in the 13. John 31. is remarkable for this Therefore when he was gone out Jesus said Now is the Son of man Glorified God is glorified in him Glorified now When It was when Judas betrayed him and when he was going to shed his blood and to die for the sin of man and to Compleat and Perfect this work of Attonement or Reconciliation Now saith he is the Son of man Glorified as if so be he should have said I was indeed designed by the Father from all Eternity to undertake this work of Reconciliation and I came into the world for this very end that I might do it and all this while I have been a doing of it in a way of preparation but the main work is stil behind for me to accomplish and perfect this work of Reconciliotion but now it is at hand Now I am going to die and this my death wil bring an end to the work and now saith he is the Son of man glorified yea here is the glory that I expected from al Eternity this is the glory that I rejoyced in when I was in the Bosome of the Father for then I knew of this I knew I was appointed to be a Mediator I knew it would cost me my Blood when I should come to compleat that work and now the time is come when it is to be performed and therefore now the Son of man is glorified I say Jesus Christ accounteth it his glory that he is appointed to stand as a Mediator between God and us And therefore you shal find that when the Scripture speaks of Christs being appointed for this work by God that
his folly that a man should think that the Breach between God and him is a matter of no greater moment No my Brethren you must know that the Breach between God and you by sin is a matter of another manner of Consequence then can be made up by prayers or feares or any thing else that you can do al this is untempred Morter It is true when there is Repennance and turning unto God it is a good signe that God is at work with your hearts but that cannot do the deed it is in Christ it is the blood of the Son of God that must make Satisfaction for sin it is that which must make the Reconciliation This is that which is indeed the great doctrine of the Gospel and til you receive this into your understandings into your hearts al other things that we preach are to no purpose at al it wil never do you good till you have imbraced this you wil never Sanctify Gods name nor gloryfy God in your Conversations nor have any true peace within your doores til you come to receive this point into your hearts that God is in Christ Reconciling the world to himselfe Take heed therefore of any mistakes in this point That is the second Use CHAP. 22. Use 3. To encourage sinners to come to God for Reconciliation And discouragements removed The Third is a Use of incouragement to sinners to come for Reconciliation with God You may remember that one Reason why God did on purpose appoint this way to Reconcile himself to the world was that he might break the hearts of sinners and that it might be an encouragement to sinners to come in Is this Gods End O! that then God might have this end in your souls This hath bin our endeavor to open what we could this Doctrine of the Gospel namely of Gods Reconciling of himself in Christ and we have not done this only from this Text but from others and though divers other things have been spoken yet you cannot but know that the drift of al hath bin to this purpose that God may have this glory of gaining our hearts to himself and that it might be an incouragement unto you to come in to be reconciled unto God Are there any that are apprehensive of the Breach that sin hath made between God and their souls I suppose there are many You put up papers of complaints of the hardness of your hearts and that you cannot be sensible of sin as you desire it is a sign that there is some sensibleness therefore of the breach between God and you Now the Lord in opening of this Doctrine propounds the way of Reconciliation and he would fain draw your hearts to come in and to be reconciled unto him what is it that hinders These two things are the Only hinderance First The great distance that is between God and a Creature I am a poor vile worm and the Lord is an infinite glorious dreadful God O! but that I might take off this dreadfulness from you that that might not skare and hinder you therefore he propounds himself to you in his Son If God should indeed speak from Heaven by thundring and lightening and call in sinners to come in and humble your selves and seek to make your peace with him that might skare you and upon the sight of the distance between God and you you might not dare to come in But saith God I call you now in my Son my Son that came to be like one of you and to be made sensible of your infirmites it is in him that I offer you Reconciliation This takes away the dreadfulness of God from sinners and therefore a mighty incouragement And though there be such a distance between God and us yet there is a Christ between God the Father and us Though we be the poorest worms in the world though we are mean and vile Creatures yet if we were ten thousand times meaner then we are seeing there is such a Mediator between God and us this makes up the distance Christ is such a Mediator as there is enough in him to make up all the distance that can be between God and man Another hinderance or discouragement is sin either the greatness of our sin or the multitude of our sins or the long continuance in our sins is that which hinders us from comming O! saith the soul I have been so vile a sinner and I have continued so long and I have multiplied sin one after another and is it possible for such a one as I am to be Reconciled It is true had'st thou to deal only with God as he is in himself thou mightest despaire But know O! sinner that it is God Reconciling of himself in Christ therefore though thou beest a great sinner a sinner of a long continuance yet there being a Reconciliation with God in his Son seeing that Christ hath undertaken such a work as to make up a peace between God and sinners and to mediate for them thou may'st be encouraged to come in and to lay hold upon this grace of God in Christ If thou sayest thou art unworthy and that there is no worthines in thee for God to regard the for Al this is stil answered with this It is God that is reconciling the world to himselfe in Christ Indeed were it so that there were nothing but God and thee to deal together and if thou wert to deal only with God himselfe thou mightest be afraid but thou hast to deal with God not in himself win his Son for so he hath Set forth himselfe the to world he is reconciled to the world in his son and herefore that may incorage thee notwithstanding al thy unworthines And what Further hast thou to discorage thee O! thou wilt say God is infinitly Just to punish sin Stil this point wil be Sufficient to remove al discoragements that he is Reconciling the world to himselfe Though he is Holy his Holines is pleased in Christ Though he is Just his Justice is satisfied in Christ So that there is enough in this point to take away al objections to remove al discouragments that any Sinner in the world hath And therefore as God doth propound this on purpose to draw sinners to himselfe that they may be reconciled unto him So let them know that the more grace here is received for the taking away of al objections and discoragments the more wil sinners be left without excuse another day if they do not come in and lay hold upon this grace of God in Christ God wil have his glory that way if he cannot have it the other God primarily intends his glory in reconciling the world to himselfe and therefore takes away al discouragments from siners that they may come in and venture their souls upon his rich grace and mercy in Christ But if God cannot have his glory from that point then the more this is preached in any congregation the more wil God have his glory
seeking Reconciliation to eye Christ and carry him in our armes If there be any of you that now begin to have your consciences stirred and to be made sensible of the breach that is between God and you do not rest in seeking peace in a natural way but eye Jesus Christ and when you look up unto God for peace look unto him in Christ Look upon Christ as the second person in Trinity takeing our nature upon him Look upon Christ as the head of the Covenant of Grace Look upon Christ as the Lamb slayn from the begiâ—â—â—f the world and having made peace with his blooâ— Look upon Christ as sitting at the right hand of the Father makeing intercession Thus you should act your faith upon God in Christ when you are seeking peace with God The reason why many people ly under the spirit of bondage for many years together is this Because they look upon God meerly as he is in himselfe and do not look upon God through Christ and so do not sanctifie the name of God in this great work of Reconciliation CHAP. 30 God was reconciling the world to himself from all eternity opened ANd thus we have gone through that point of Gods being reconciled to us in Christ There is another Namely The Sixt thing propounded in the first Chapter viz. That God was reconcileing the world to himself in his son The work of our Reconciliation is not a work of yesterday it is a work that God was doing from all eternity for the point is from that particle he was this work for God to reconcile us to himself in his son hath taken up the heart of God from al eternity That place in Titus 1.2 Is most remarkable for this In hope of eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began he not onely promised it now but he promised it before the world began who was there before the world began to whom God made this promise There was his Son Jesus Christ So then that is the meaning when he saith God was reconcileing himself to the world that there was from al eternity a transaction as it were between God the Father and God the son about our Reconciliation there was not only a purpose in 〈◊〉 â—â—om al eternity that he would reconcile the world to â—elf but there was a real and actual transaction between the Father and Son about it an agreement between God the Father and God the Son about it Gods Wisdom from al eternity was exercised to find out a way Secondly Gods purpose was from al eternity to do it And Thirdly There was a transaction between God the Father and God the Son from al Eternity for to do it they did covenant one with the other God the Father told his Son what he required of him and God the Son promised to the Father to do it there was such a transaction as this and therefore the scripture saith it was promised before the world began God the Father did promise to his Son before the world began what he would do for those that he would dy for as if he should have said Thou art content to lay down thy life and to shed thy blood Yea saith the Son I am wel saith the Father I wil be reconciled unto them and I wil save their souls they shal have eternal life for their portion this I promise thee and so it was promised to Christ first It is true the promises of the Gospel are sweet and they should rejoyce our hearts I had perished in my affliction saith David had I not had ragard unto thy word nothing more sweet to a soul then the promises are but though the promises that are made to us in the Gospel are sweet yet the promise that was made to the Son of God is infinitly more sweet And this is the thing that I should have shewed you not only how this was promised unto Christ but the excellent comfort that this is unto the Saints that they are now to look upon al that is done unto them and upon all the works of Gods grace to them not as a new thing not as an accidental thing that comes As if we should have peace here in the Commonwealth it would be pretiouse to us if it should be upon these tearms and we would al rejoyce much in what should befall us in a way of a safe peace But our peace with God is not wrought with God so as if we were perishing and then Gods providence came and turned all about againe No our peace with God is a thing plotted from al eternity God did as it were contrive it in Heaven before any world was made God thought of this work of Reconcileing himselfe unto the world yea unto thee in particular if thou beest a Beleever a broken hearted sinner before even the Havens or the Earth were made God had actual thoughts of thee stil and there was a Covenant between God the Father and the Son for thy soul in particular and though God foresaw thou wouldest sin against him and turne enemy to him yet there was a consultation between the Father and the Son from al eternity to bring thy soul home unto God and to pardon thy sin So that thou art to look upon al the works of Gods grace towards thee here in bringing thee to his Son and upon all the comforts thou hast from his Son as the fruit of Gods eternal plot of Gods eternal councel with his Son and that although it doth but now break forth yet it was that which was in the bosom of the Father and the Son from al eternity and this indeed wil sweeten our Reconciliation with God and al means tending thereunto As doth God send but the word of Reconciliation to bring you home unto Christ this was that which there was a Contrivance of in the heart of God from al eternity That in such a time such a man should live in such a place and such a Minister should be sent amongst them and such a text of scripture should be opened and such truths should be preached and if thou findest God bringing of these truths home to thy soul know it is a fruit of that eternal counsel that was between the Father and the Son before the world began and a branch of the promise that God made to his Son from al eternity Do'st thou when thou comest to the word begin to feel thy mind inlightned to know Jesus Christ doth thy heart begin to be melted is thy soul drawing after Christ do not look upon this as a meer accidental thing do not say only What a providence of God is it that called me to such a Sermon at such time I went for company sake to such a place but when I came I felt the Spirit of God stirring in my Soul yea I find a beginning of that which I hope I shal have cause to bless God for for ever Do not look upon this as a
were not glorified before To be Justified in time doth no more argue a change in God than to be glorified in time argueth it The Saints upon Earth are not yet glorified and yet they shal be glorified and that argues no change in God So the Elect that are not yet Beleevers are not yet Justified in that sense the Scripture speaks of Justification yea they shal be Justified and that argues no change in God But that we may further understand this how God was from all Eternity reconciling himself unto the world yet there are several periods of time wherein there are several workings of God towards a sinner which indeed are implyed in the words of the Text. God was reonciling the world to himself he Was a doing of it and this work before it comes to the accomplishment hath several periods of of time And to the end you may understand it the better You must know that there is a great deal of difference between those actings of God which are in himself according to his own nature and those actions of his towards the creature that are in a suitable way to the Creature and for the want of the right understanding of the diffrence between these two many people do most grossly mistake and gather many absurd Conclusions They agrue from Gods infinite and unconceiveable way of acting in himself to those acts of God that are suitable to the Creature and received by the Creature when they heare of any thing of the workings of God received by the creature they would understand that in the same manner or as if it were to be understood in the same manner as those acts of God in himselfe I wil shew you how great a difference there is between them First Take the Acts of God in himself and this is true the act of God is the Beeing of God himself Gods Essence and his act in himself are allone but now the act of God as the Creature receives it is not the Essence of God for the Creature is not capable of Gods essence for then the Creature should be infinite But the act of God as it is in himselfe is God himself and so it is infinite there is no act as it is in God but it is an infinite act because is is God As now that which the Creature receives cannot be infinite So the acts of God in himselfe are al eternal and there is no difference of time with God there is not time past present and to come Look upon the acts of God as he worketh in himself whatsoever act there is in God even the glorifying of the Saints so far as Considered in God is eternal And there is no difference of time at al in the acts of God as in himself But if one consider those acts as the Creature receives them then we must looke at the difference of time one at one time another at another and another at another received by the Creature And you must take heed of too much boldness when we speak of God when God sometimes manifesteth his workings as the Creature receives we must not then thinke that these are the acts of God as they are in himself which are infinite and to be conceived in an infinite manner so as nothing but an infinite understanding is able to reach and to conceive of Therefore those men that think to fatham the arts of God as they are in himselfe they are too too presumptuous for only an infinite understanding is able to conceive of them we must conceive of them as the Creature receives them and so as they are revealed in the word and this is the substance of what is revealed concerning Gods working towards us namly that from eternity there was a transfaction between him and the Son in such an unconceivable maner as we know not of and that in time the Lord did lay our sins upon his Son on the Cross and that afterwards when his good time shall come to call a sinner to himself then he doth justifie him and prononce a sentence of absolution But first he calls them So the scripture saith those whom he hath called he hath justified The Scripture makes calling of a sinner to go before justification therefore whatsoever is in God from eternity yet it is apparent that speaking of justification as the scripture speakes of it Vocation goes before and that justification is no otherwise from eternity than Vocation God may as truly be said to cal a sinner out of his natural estate from eternity as to justifie a sinner from eternity in that sence that the scripture speakes of it in Rom. 8. But when we speak of justification ordinarily we speak of it in the sence that the scripture speakes of it here and so Vocation is first and then justification and afterwards glorification So that though the Lord be pleased to reveale much of the mistery of the Gospel to us and tel us he hath been reconcileing himself to us from eternity yet we must understand this in a sober way and take heed we do not vanish in our own thoughts when we come to search into it CHAP. 32. Five Vses of the former Doctrine A Word or two further for the Application of this for something hath been already done in the last Chapter and then we pass to another point Vse 1. Here we see the infinite love of God that he hath been pleased thus to think of us poor Creatures from everlasting to make it his worke to reconcile us to himself and here is the foundation of the sweetness and comfort of al the mercies of God to those that are reconciled unâ—o him that they are the fruits of eternal love of God to us And here is the foundation likewise of the establishment of the Saints that their happiness doth not depend so much upon the Covenant that God hath made between himself and them as the Covenant that God hath made betwixt himself his Son For the covenant is two fold either between God and Christ or between Christ and us Now it is true much doth depend upon our keeping Covenant with Christ but our happiness and Salvation and indeed al our good doth cheifely depend upon the Covenant between the Father and the Son Use 2. Againe Here we may see how to answer that question of some Atheists what God was doing before the world began I remember it is said that when that question was asked by some in the primitive times the answer was That God was makeing of Hel for such curiouse Inquisitiors But here we have a further answer to give then that namely That God was exercised from al eternity in the business of Reconciling the world to himselfe God had as it were the idea and the platform of all things before him and saw man how he was made in his Innocency and saw him fal and saw how he should rise againe and how he should be converted and glorified Al the platform
in case men beleeve he hath left it to them to beleeve or not beleeve and so al the great councels of God must depend upon mans wil No certainly Christ hath not left it so but those that he hath reconciled unto God he hath so reconciled them to him as that they shal beleeve and this is not al the world 3. Further If this were so that Christ hath payed a price and left it to mans free will to beleeve or not beleeve the truth is Judas would have been as much beholding to Christ for Salvation as Peter But you wil say Judas was never saved Peter was But according to these men Christ did as much for Judas as for Peter for he shed his blood for Judas as wel as for Peter only Peter by the act of his free wil beleeved and the other did not So that the truth is according to the doctrine of these men Peter shal be no more beholding to Christ at the day of judgment than Judas was Peter indeed must acknowledg that he was saved by Christ but if their doctrine be true he may wel say Lord thou hast done no more for me than for Judas and what was more I did that my selfe thou shedest thy blood a like for us but I beleeved and he did not if he had beleeved he might have been saved as wel as I so hereby the grace of God is exceedingly dishonored by these men that hold universal Redemption by Christ and make it to include al the world There are many arguments that might be used which because they are not so cleer to the ordinary capacities of people we shal leave further mentioning of them at this time and shal only ad that it is Arminian doctrine to teach that there is a price payed by Christ for al the world and it is left unto men to beleeve or not to beleeve And that is true evangelical doctrine That there is a price payed by Christ and God hath resolved upon such and such particular ones in the world that he wil be reconciled unto and that they shal beleeve and be everlastingly saved CHAP. 35. Why Gods Reconciling to himselfe is expressed in so large a terme as the World Six Reasons thereof BUt you wil say If this be so that God hath made such a difference that there are some that he hath been from al eternity reconcileing himself unto and not al what is the reason of this phrase why doth he say that he loved the world and that he was reconciling himself unto the world without any distinction One would think God should rather have expressed it thus That he Reconciling himself to some in the world and that he loved some in the world and not the world in general No God would rather express it in this general phrase upon these Six Reasons Reason 1. First He would say the World to exclude Angells that are not so properly of this world But this doth not come up so fully to the Reason why God would rather say the world than this or that man in the world And therefore Reason 2. In the Second place another Reason is this Because he would shew the sufficiency of the death of Christ and of the work of Redemption that there is enough in it if it were to save never so many worlds Reason 3. Thirdly Another Reason of it is this That God might shew that in the Ministery of the Gospel none shal be excluded No not the worst of sinners that are in the world and therefore God doth not say in the Ministery of the Gospel this or that particular man or woman Christ died for but generally he died for the world Because he would hereby shew that he hath not excluded the worst and vildest sinner in the world and that those that are the most notorious and the greatest sinners in the world may come in and be Reconciled If God had expressed it thus There are some in the world that I have been reconciling my self unto from al eternity Then may a sinner say surely if there be but some God never intended me that have been so wicked a wretch so notorious a sinner But therefore God would not express it so but in the most general tearmes to the end that there should not be any one sinner in the world have this plea Lord I was excluded No saith God I wil have the Ministery of my Gospel go in such generall tearmes as that every sinner shal have incouragement to come in and receive mercy Therefore you shal find in that last of Mark. 15. where Christ gives his Commission to his disciples to preach He saith go in to al the world and â—â—each the Gospel to every Ceature that is to man who is a little world an Epitome of every creature To the Gentiles also who had been denyed this favor of the Gospel as if they had been none of Gods creatures If thou beest a creature the Gospel is to be preached to thee There is to be a general tender of Grace and mercy to every Creature throughout the whole world to the greatest sinners that live upon the face of the Earth Great sinners and smal sinners al of them are to have the offer of Reconciliation with God And the Ministers of the Gospel are to preach in the name of God that the Lord doth tender unto every one this offer of mercy and Salvation This to be done ministerially to every Creature we shal come preach to not only great sinners but those that are of the meanest condition in the world For some may say If God wil shew mercy to some in the world sure it must be to some great ones in the world those that are eminent and may do him a great deal of service alas what service can God have from me a poor creature that lives al day long in a poor dark hole that can do him no work or service wil ever God have any thought of me Yes if thou be a creature of God and livest in the world thou art no more excluded from Reconciliation with God than the Kings and Emperors of the Earth and it may be God may think of thee in that poor hole of thine a thatched cottage when he neglecteth and passeth by the great Monarks of the world Therefore this expression is so large that those that are the poorest people in the world and the greatest sinners in the world may know they are not excluded from the offers of grace in the Gospel This is a third Reason And then Reason 4. A fourth Reason why it goes in such tearmes as these That herby the Lord may shew that those that shal actually come in to be reconciled unto him they must come in while they are in this world That those persons that are capable of Reconciliation are only such persons as live in the world If they be not reconciled before they are gone out of the world they are never to be reconciled
upon the offer of the freeness of my grace Indeed there can be no other incouragment but this for the first work whosoever doth beleeve at any time he is not to beleeve because any qualification of his gives him a right to it but upon these termes that God hath reconciled the world to himselfe and that he hath offered the promise of grace generally and that he hath Said whosoever wil come may come in and beleeve whosoever is a thirst may come and that word of his is my warrant that endifinit Promise that God hath made is a Sufficient encouragement and if I can rowl my soul upon this it is that which gives me right and interest in the grace of God and whosoever hath been saved hath been saved upon these terms The first worke hath been a kind of venturing work they have ventured their soules upon this grace of God thus generally and indefinitly offered and do you retire into your closets and do so too You whose consciences condemn you of great and notorius sinns when you hear of this genneral offer though you do not know whâ—◠〈…〉 be elected or no trouble not your selves with â—uâ—h thoughts but venture to cast your souls upon this free grâ—ce of God in Christ with resolution to give up your selves to the service of God for the time to come â—and though you have not abillity in your selves yet who knows but upon such a work as this Gods Spirit may come even at that instant to inable you to do it This is that which God requiers and if God perswade thy heart to this it is a good signe that mercy is intended to thee When at every time God shal make an offer and tender of the Gospel to thee it doth stirr up thy heart thus to conclude wel I wil adventure my soul upon this offer God hath not excepted me why then should I except my selfe God hath not cast me away why should I make my selfe a castaway do not dispair But beleeve CHAP. 37. VSE 2. SEcondly Hence then it concerns us al to look about us while we live in this world that there may be some work of God upon our hearts while we are here that while we live in this world we may be reconciled unto him for if the thrid of our life be once cut asunder and we be noe longer in this world but go out of it without being reconciled unto God we are undone creatures for ever We say of men when they are dying alas such a one is now no man for this world wel they had neede then to look to themselves that the work of Reconciliation be done before for when thou art no longer in this world then thou art gon for ever O then apply thy selfe to this work whilst thou hast time and tak hold of the means and oppertunities which God affords unto thee while thou art a man of this world loose it not and know it is a great mercy of God to thee to continue thee in this world because here thou art under the power of grace thou art under that genneral grace of God that is indefinitly tendred unto every man under that grace which hath fallen upon as great Sinners as thou art and therefore so long as there is life there is hope This point I have divers times made use of to shew that this time of our lives is the time of grace and salvation and it follows naturally and fully from the expression in the text therefore I shal leave it Only let me tel you thus much That though God expresseth this grace of Reconciliation here to the world yet if ever thou beest actually and indeede reconciled to God before thou dost leave the world God wil make thee to be a man no more of this world and though thou art in the world yet thou shalt not be of the world but above the world Therefore in john 17. you shal finde when Christ speaks of those that his father had given unto him and had beleeved on him he sayeth verse 14. and 16. I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the World even as I am not of the world I pray not that thou should'st take them out of the world but that should'st keep them from the evil It 's true when men have beleeved on Christ they are in the world and Christ doth not pray that God should take them out of the world but preserve them in the world It should teach us by the way to be content to live in the world though it be a dangerous and an evil world for it was as dangerouse and as evil a world wherein the disciples and Christ lived they were in danger of death for the profession of Religion and yet though Christ loved his disciples he would not pray they should be taken out of the world You have a great many discontented people that wil pray that God would take them out of the world No saith Christ keep them in this world And then he saith they are not of the world Indeed God is reconcileing himself to the world that is to those that are in the world but being reconciled to them they are no longer men of the world though in the world therefore if thou beest one that God the Father and the Son hath agreed upon from al eternity to be reconciled unto him in time thou shalt be brought to be one not of the world even whilest thou livest in the world Therefore you that are not only in the world but are worldly men and minde only the things of the world know that the worke of Reconciliation is not done with your Souls what God hath done concerning you in his eternal purpose from al eternity we know not but as yet the work is not done upon thy soul thou art not reconciled unto God that is thou art not brought into such a disposition in thine own heart as to be at peace with God and if ever thou shalt have any peace at al know it must be done here in this world the work of Reconciliation must be done here Thus much for that point That God was in Christ reconcileing the world to himself CAHP. 38. Not imputing their trespasses Opened And 3. Notes on the text NOw followes the Two other Expressions Not inputing their trespasses to them And hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation The first I may finnish in a few words not imputeing their trespasses meaning not reackoning not setting their sins upon their own score so the word is As a man that is in debt we say there is so much standing upon his Head so much upon his score Now when God is said not to impute your trespasses the meaning is your debt comes to be cancelled to be reckoned the debt of an other man he sets your sins no longer upon your score but upon the score of Christ this is the happiness of Beleevers
Apostle saith plainly in the 2 of Rom. That the patience of God calls us to Repentance in verse 4. whatsoever leades to Repentance hath something of the Gospel in it Patience and goodness though we never come to heare of the Ministery of the Gospel yet it is that that calls us to repentance and it is cleare in this because that is spoken of in the creature the loude voice in the creature in the 19 Psalm it is applied to the Gospel in Rom. 10. and except you understand it so we cannot tel you that the sound of the Gospel hath gon to the utmost parts of the earth We cannot understand in the Apostles time how the Gospel went to the utmost parts of the world for there are many places that are not found out yet but this kind of sound of the Gospel goes throughout the earth that by the voice of the creatures men ought to come to know thus much that surely there is some way for God to be pacified towards sinful men though they cannot tell which way or what way suerly there is some way and many of the Jewes knew no other way but this they knew there was a Messiah to come but what he was or who he was they know very little of him Now the Devills have no such work of God towards them nor such bounty and patience and goodness towards them whereby they can conclude that God hath any thoughts to be reconciled to them Though its true they are not yet fully under the torment that they shal be yet they are under so much torment as they are said to be reserved to the great day in chains of darkness whereas wicked and ungodly men are preserved by the bounty and patience of God and the cords of Gods bounty and mercy is towards them and therefore they are not reserved in chaines of darkness as the Devil and damned are So that by the bounty of God in the creature we may gather such a conclusion that surely God hath some way to shew mercy unto mankind But we can never have any thoughts by any works of God in his creature that God should send the second person in Trinity to take mans nature upon him to die to suffer for mans sin to tender up satisfaction to divine Justice and then al must be brought into this Covenant then he must be the head of the second Covenant and they must be made Members of his body now the Creature hath no such misttry as this and therefore in the 3 Eph. 8. verse saith the Apostle speaking what his ministery was unto me who am the least of al Saints is the grace given that I should preach amongst the gentils the unsearchable riches of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 investigabiles divitias not to be paced or traced out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of α and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vestigium qui nullis vestigiis indagari potest It is used also Rom. 11.33 they are unsearchable speaking of the riches of Christ as they are of Christ they are unsearchable the word is there the Riches that are without footsteps there is no foot steps of the riches of Christ if we speak of the Doctrine of Christ the Mediator as it is indeed in the Gospel there are no foot steps of them in the Creature therefore though there be some kind of sound in the Creature that it is sure that God hath some kind of way to be reconciled but now the sound of the Gospel this is committed to Ministers to Preach therefore in the. 1 Cor. 1.21 the Apostle saith That in the Wisdome of God the World by Wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that beleeve Mark the world by Wisdome knew not God certainly the world did know there was a God and that he was infinite in power and goodness but the Text saith they know not God that is they knew not God savingly in Christ they might know that God had some kind of way to shew mercy to sinners but what way they knew not and by Wisdome that is by al the Wisdome that was revealed by God in the Creature and by al the Wisdome they received from God they knew not God by Wisdome true there is an abundance of the Wisdome of God in the Creature several acts are no other then several beames of Gods Wisdome shining in the Creature and the knowledg of these acts are no other but the several beames of Gods Wisdome shining into mens understandings take either of both them and by both these it could not know God in a saving way but by the Foolishness of preaching that is by the preaching that the Men of this world do account foolishness the Lord is pleased to save those that beleeve so that it is evident that the Ministery of Reconciliation is committed to the preachers of the Gospel CHAP. 40. Why God chose Men rather than Angels to dispence the Mystery of Reconciliation The Reasons thereof NOw it is to be enquired after First why God would choose men rather to be the dispencers of of the great Mystery of Reconciliation then the Angels God hath not committed unto them this word of Reconciliation though it is true the Angels they do go about and they somtimes witness to the Gospel as you may read afterwards But they are not chosen by way of office to the Ministery of the Gospel that is not the office they are appointed to so as the Ministers of the Gospel are God hath not chosen Angels in an ordinary way to come and dispence those great and glorious things unto the Children of Men. Object You wil say had it not been better that God should have chosen the Angels to come in and preach Jesus Christ than men for they are poor weak Creatures and like our selves and now when they come to stand up and Preach Jesus Christ the great things about reconciling men to God should we think that they know more then we ourselves Answ You must not think that there is no good to be done till one comes and tels you that you never heard of But you must know that it is by vertue of the ordinance of Christ because he hath appointed a Minister of the Gospel to come and in such a way to preach though the instrument be like your selves and perhaps may not have a deeper understanding then some of you yet you are to look upon it beyond the matter that he speaks you are to look upon it as the ordinance of Christ and so to expect and look at al means whatsoever But now the great standing ordinance in the Church of God is the Ministery of the Gospel It is this that is committed to us to Preach and this therefore is to be looked upon as the power of God to salvation in those that God intends Salvation to God hath not chosen the Angels but Men and upon this reason because we are
he clapt his chains upon them and reserves them in chains of darkness there is no such patience of God towards them as to be any argument to draw them to repentance therefore they cannot draw any encourageing conclusion from any work of Gods patience as to bring them towards God again But al sinners may do it that are the sons of men Hath God spared thy life at such and such a time know that in that work of his he doth manifest his willingness to be reconciled unto thy Soul as if a man hath an enemy at an advantage and he wil not take it Doth not this signifie that he is willing to be at peace with him And that is the first thing CHAP. 62. The Second Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners SEcondly God hath manifested himself very willing to be reconciled unto sinners in this that he hath made it to be the great Master-piece of al his works to provide a way for Reconciliation of thee unto him The Lord hath wrought so wonderfully for the children of men rather than for Angels in sending his Son making of him a curse for our sins In this the Lord proclaims a loud voice to al the world O! be it known to al you sinners that I am willing to be reconciled to you We need not name Scripture for this for the whole Doctrine of the Gospel is ful of this O! the heart of God is much in this work of Reconciliation al the arguments in the world al the expressions that possible could have been could never have held forth this so much as meerly this proclaimation that God hath sent his Son into the world to die for mans sin this holds it forth and proclaims it with the loudest voice that possible can be that God is infinitly willing to be reconciled unto sinners CHAP. 63. The third Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be Reconciled to sinners AND then thirdly after this work of God sending his Son mark how God doth express himselfe to the Children of men he doth profess that there is nothing wherein he doth more glory than he doth in this to shew mercy to sinners he doth make account that the chefest glory he hath in the world it is to shew mercy unto siners Certainly that that his soule is so wel pleased with that that he accounts himself most honored by is when sinners shal come in unto him to repent that he may be reconciled unto them If a man should do thus that hath an enemy and should manifest this to some of his friends that sit at his table as to say such an one is an enemy to me but O! how fain would I have him come in that there might be peace between him and I and I would count it as great an honor as ever I had in my life would not any one say this man were willing to be reconciled certainly God doth so and therefore in Exod. 30. the place you know about the 6. verse the Lord when he was proclamming his glory that Moses desired and the Lord promised he promised Moses in the Latter end of the 33. Chap. that his glory should passe by him and he caused his glory to passe by him as in Chap. 34 and what was that glory The Lord the Lord God merciful and pretious long sufering and abundant in goodness and mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgrossion and sin as if God should say Moses wouldest thou see my glory this is it that I am merciful and forgiving iniquity transgression and sin here is the height of my glory in this is my magnificence made known And another most remarkable place we have in Esa 30 1â— I shal make use of the begining of the place And therefore wil the Lord wait that he may be gracious and therefore wil he be exalted How wil God be exhalted That he may have mercy upon you Therfore he wil be exsalted that he may have mercy upon you and so he goes on For the Lord is a God of Judgment Blessed are al they that wait for him so that God accounts himself an exalted God when he hath mercy upon a sinner Surely he is very willing to be reconciled to a sinner when he counts himself an exalted God when a sinner comes in and beleevs in his on Now am I exalted saith God this is that my soule glories in this I account to be a happiness to mee God is exalted in shewing mercy and that is the conclusion of this argument CHAP. 64. The fourth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconcilled to sinners FOurthly the Lord expresses this his willingness to be reconciled to sinners with a sigh as when he expresses his desire after sinners with a sigh which is a note of earnestness of desire and that you have in Deut. 5. and 24. verse O! that there were such a heart in them When we express our desires we say I would there were such a thing But when we express our most earnest desire then we express it with an O! O! that there were so saith God O! that they had such an heart that they would fear me and walke in my waies and why doth God expresse this It is that it might be wel with them and with their children for ever therefore O! that there were such an heart It is observable if you turne your eyes to the former part of the Chapter you shal find that this people did say that whatsoever God had spoken that they would do But the lord saw that there was not a through comming off of their hearts unto him to resigne up themselves wholly to him and therefore the Lord doth as it were fetch a sigh in the earnestness of his desire O! that there were such an heart in them If a man that were fallen out with another when he were in his Bed-chamber or at his Table he should fetch a sigh and say O! that such an one would come in and be Reconciled to me how glad would I be to be Reconciled to him how doth my soul long after him would not every one say that this man earnestly desiers Reconciliation with that person But thus doth God he sits as it were and saith O! that there were such an heart CHAP. 65. The Fift Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Fiftly the Lord doth not only express his desire by a sigh but by an Oath he takes a solemn Oath upon it how willing he is that sinners should come in be reconciled unto him and it is the greatest Oath that ever God took it is about sinners coming in to profess his willingness that sinners should not die but they should come in and be reconciled to him and that you have in the 33. Ezek. 11. Say to them As I live saith the Lord God I have no
thou opened that is one Lo I come and then I delight to do thy will and thy Law is within my heart There are these four Lo I come saith Christ to do it It appears plainly that there was a Covenant between the Father and the Son from al eternity that Christ should come in due time into the world and take our natures upon him Now the time was for Christ to come There is many that wil agree to do such a thing beforehand but when it comes to be done if they see there wil be any difficulty in it and that they shal endure some hardship they hang back But Christ had agreed from al eternity with his Father that at such a time he would come into the world and take the nature of man upon him and be in the form of a servant and be made a curse for mans sins and al that he might reconcile sinners unto himself This was the agreement Now the time approaches for him to come and undertake this great work when the time came Observe now how Christs heart was in it He did not hang back he did not repent him of the Covenant But I come I come saith Christ as we use to express our selves when we are called to do a thing that we love to do we say I come I come now the time is come for you to do that which you undertook to do to go into the world to take the nature of man be made in form of a Servant and to bear my wrath and to satisfie my Justice for the sin of man I come I come saith Christ and he doth not only come but come with delight to do thy Will and what was this wil It was that Christ should be humbled to the death of the Cross Though I knew it would cost my life yet I delight to do it because my heart is so much set upon reconciling Sinners unto thy self and not only so but thy Law is in my heart it hath gotten a deep impression in my heart thy Law that iâ— that Law of thine whereby I am tyed to this that I have undertaken for it is within my heart in the very midst of my bowels that I should do it And then Fourthly Mine ears hast thou opened the words are mine ears hast thou boared The meaning of that Phrase must be understood by comparing it that way which was of God in the time of the Law commanding that if a servant would not goe out of his service in the years of Jubilee that his master should take an awle and boar his ear and so he should be a servant forever This Phrase hath allusion to that as if Christ should say thus I am content that I might do this work to be as a servant whose ear is boared who must be a servant for ever so saith Christ that I might accomplish the work of reconciling sinners to thy self I am content to be as a servant whose ear is boared thereby signifieing that he would be willing to listen to any thing that should be commanded him His masters commandements are not grievous but it is his meat and drink to do the wil of his Lord. Wel might the Apostle say As in Christs stead we beseech you as if he should say Christs heart is much towards sinners that he might bring them to be reconciled unto God and we in his name come to prevail with sinners no get them in unto God Secondly Observe what was the first Sermon that ever Christ preached For the the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand that is the first Sermon calling sinners to repent because the Kingdome of grace wherein the Gospel of God should reign that is at hand saith Christ and then Christ would preach so as to gain most when he had the greatest Auditors What was it that he preacht when he was amongst the Jews at the Feast of dedication In the great day of the Feast saith the Scripture Christ lift up his voice and cryed Hoe every one that is a thirst A Minister when he is to preach to a great Congregation and he is not like to come to them again he should speak on such a subject that his heart is most in Now Christ at the Feast of dedicaton he was not like to come to them sodainly again to use such an argument to them he cryed Hoe every one that is a thirst come and Christ further doth profess that it is the end why he came into the World To save to seek that which was lost Not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance That is the great end that he came into the world about it was the great subejct of his preaching the great errand that he came into the world about And further observe with what lovingness gentleness and sweetness he doth it what a gratious invitation we have in Math. 11. Come unto me al you that are weary and heavy leaden and I wil give you rest and he professes in John 6.37 None that comes to me wil I cast of I wil not cast of any that do come to me Yea he tells us that he wil not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised reede to encourage sinners he tells them if there be but any stirrings of the heart unto him but as the smoaking flax and as the bruised reed yet he wil not break one nor quench the other but he wil encourage new beginnings though never so smal in sinners coming unto him These are the expressions of Christ towards sinners to shew them how tender he is over them and when the time drew neer for Christ to suffer then if ever one would think if the heart of Christ were not much in it Christ would draw back not only when he was to come into the world but in the work of his Mediation when he was to suffer the violence of the wrath of his father to be poured out upon him But mark how he doth express himself in Luk 22. verse 15. And he said unto them with desire I have desired to eate this passover with you before I suffer Why did Christ desire he desired that is strongly desired to eat this passover why because he knew that assoon as ever he had eaten it he should be called to suffer for mans sin and to accomplish the great work of redemption for sinful men Then it was to be done Why Was there any such cause that Christ should be so strongly upon it to desire this passover One would have thought that above al passovers Christ should have been afraide of this because this was to put a period to his life for then Christ was himself to be made the passover to suffer when this passover came once he knew that he was to be made the paschal Lamb and yet he doth desire above al to eate this passover thereby shewing what a minde he had to finish the work whereby sinners might come to be reconciled unto God And
another expression there is I have a baptisme to be baptized with and how am I streightned till it be accomplished Christ was streightned in his heart til the work was done You may see how much the heart of Christ was in it to be reconciled unto sinners when became to do the thing indeed when the wrath of God was even just comming upon him then though nature had some kind of reluctancy he saieh if it be possible let this cup pass from me to shew how sensible his humane nature was of it yet presently Not my wil but thy wil but thy wil be done And the scriptue tells us that he did make his soul an offering for sin and that he layd down his life And further after that Christ had layed down his life and risen again mark one expression more that shews how willing Christ is to have sinners reconciled and brought in unto the Father and to be at peace with him and that is very remarkable in Luke 24. verse 46. And so on note what was that first preaching of Christ repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand So here in this world in his bodily presence this may seem to be his last sermon What was it he said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer Wel in vers 47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name amongst al nations begining at Jerusalem and ye are witnesses of these things and then by and by he was caught up into heaven That which I note this scripture for is this that after Christ had been so notoriously abused in his sufferings yet this did not hinder his earnest thirsting after reconciliation of those that had put him to death and had so abused him saith he it is written that it behoved Christ to suffer c. To begin at Jerusalem and that is that that I would have done The repentance should be preached to al nations but begin at Jerusalem Why begin at Jerusalem Because Jerusalem was the place where Christ was put to death immediately befâ—â—â— he was crowned with Thorns mockt a Reed put into his hands spit upon The Children of Barrabas rather than him yea and they cryed Away with him they carried him to the Cross and there nailed him til he was dead and thus they dealt with Christ there yet Christ would have repetance preacht to al Nations but saith he above al think of Jerusalem and begin at Jerusalem let them have it in the first place Jerusalem that took away my life that killed me If any thing in the world could take of the heart of Christ from being reconciled to sinners one would have thought that that which he had done to him at Jerusalem should have taken of his heart but he would have them begin at Jerusalem It is a notable Text of Scripture to us and you shal find it the most remarkable conversion and bringing in of sinners was at that Sermon of Peter when Peter charged them that they had crucified Christ the most famous conversion that ever was made of those people that put Christ to death the most famous work of Gods reconcling sinners to himself of Christ bringing in of sinners by the preaching of the Gospel it was by bringing in of those sinners and therefore in the last Sermon that Christ preached from Heaven as the first Sermon upon Earth and the last Sermon upon Earth and the most solemn Sermon that was at the dedication of the Temple is altogether about bringing in sinners to be reconciled to God So the last Sermon that he preacht from Heaven or that ever he wil preach til he comes again so in Revel 22.17 And the spirit the Bride said come let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst say Come and whosoever wil let him take the water of life freely These are the last words in effect that are at the conclusion of the book that ever Christ would speak til he came to Judgment never would he speak more in that way to the children of men until he came in a new world But in this word here is the last in this expression Let him that is athirst and whosoever wil let him come and take of the water of life freely Now the Objections they wil come in as first CHAP. 78. Objections Answered concerning the willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners OBject You wil say Why should God do al this and Christ do al this you tel us that God is so willing to be reconciled and hath so exprest himself and Christ so willing to be reconciled and hath so exprest himself by entreating and beseeching but both God and Christ knows we can do nothing of our selves and therefore to what end is al this that you have spoken as if we should go into Golgothus or burial places and entreat the dead to rise out of their graves To what purpose would it be we are dead in sins and trespasses and now if we can do nothing al that you have spoken is but to little purpose To that purpose I answer First though it is true we are dead in sins and trespases and are not able to performe any true saving work by our own strength yet first al those expressions of God and Christ in his word and so of the ministers of God in their names it may be of this use to stir up common gifts and graces of the spirit of God in us and that is for to have them stirred up to the utmost that possible may be people must not think that because they cannot do any worke that is indeed saving in it self any work of spiritual life that therefore there is nothing to be done by them we are to know that though the saving works of God be more rare yet there are common workes of the spirit that God doth dispence to many yea to most and in some degree or other to al especially to those that live under the sound of the Gospel there are none that live under the sound of the Gospel but they have some common gifts of the Spirit of God in one degree or other Now the Lord would have these stirred up to the utmost though it cannot be in a sanctified way and these expressions of God Christ to sinners have a great deal of efficacy in them to stir up what common gifts of Gods Spirit you have and if sinners do not this they cannot expect that God should do much towards them Consider what power God hath given them and what common gifts they have already and let that be acted to the utmost and then they may wait stil for more from God This is a truth that there are none that do perish but God hath this to charge them with that they did not stir up the common gifts of Gods spirit Secondly though we cannot do any thing of our selves yet God knows
are entreated to be reconciled to deliver your Souls from that depth of misery and to be brought unto happiness and glory Secondly Consider who you are that are intreated Were there any great worth in you Then you might expect to be entreated as men that are of great estates they must be entreated But who are you wretched Caitiffes in your selves damned Dust and Ashes fire-brands of hel such as have made your selves fuel for the everlasting wrath of the eternal God to burne upon such as deserve to be cast out as an everlasting curse enemies to God you are intreated And by whom are you intreated Even by God himself and Christ that is God blessed for ever Even that infinite glory before whom Angels adore before whom they cover their faces even him who by one word of his mouth is able to send you al presently down to Hell even this God commeth to entreat and that Christ whom Angels do Adore even that Christ comes to entreate For the Servant to entreate his Master for the subject to entreate the prince is not so much but for the Maister to entreate the Servant for the prince to entreate the subject this is that that should fil our Souls with a spirit of admiration at the unspeakable condescentions of the most blessed Majesty Thirdly what need hath God of you though you should perish and die eternally it is no great matter to him God might have his glory out of your eternal ruine But to that end that he might break your Hearts therefore he doth entreate and beseech Oh admire at the riches of his Grace and give him the glory that is due unto him begin to do that here that you must do to al eternities when you come into his glorious presence in Heaven CHAP. 80. VSE 2. And 3. SEcondly The more God doth manifest this his grace the more desperatly wicked is the heart of man to stand out against God Oh! wretched cursed heart that can stand out against God that can stand out against the the offer of grace in the Gospel I say this is a cursed heart to stand out against the offer of grace though it were no more If this should be but declared that Christ is come into the world to save sinners God expects that al those to whom Christ is so revealed that they should come flocking unto him and cry mightily unto God for mercy in Christ but when God doth not only offer his son but comes by the Ministry of his word and by the work of his spirit to draw your hearts unto him and ye thou dost stand out against God against al these gracious beginings drawings and melting expressions of God thou dost stand out Oh! Cursed stubborn hard heart that should stand out against al these Thou canst not now pleade Oh! tentation was strong to draw my heart from God to such and such sinful waies Was tentation strong Why did ever tentation draw more alluringly than God hath drawn alluringly by his gospel It is impossible that the Devil and al the world should draw more alluringly to any sin than God doth draw unto him Oh! these entreatings of God this gratious way toward sinners is that that wil be the greatest aggravation of the sins of men that ever was or can be imagined Only for the present know thus much that the mercies of God that shal be the subject of the Saints rejoycing and blessing of his name to al eternity that mercy wil be thy greatest misery and that is a sad thing for any sinner to think on that that mercy that the Saints shal be eternally admiring and blessing God for that that should be my misery and secret wound and my greatest terror and that is the second thing VSE 3. Oh! rebuke thine own wretched heart that hath stood out so long against God as thou hast done al thy daies Certainly the consideration of this of standing out against any command of God when God comes to enlighten a mans Conscience and the Soul doth come to understand with whom he hath to deal it hath a mighty power to break the heart of man That when I come to see that I have stood out against al those loving drawings al those woings of the Gospel it is that that wil rent your hearts Rent your hearts and not your garments for the Lord is merciful that is not only a breaking of the heart but a rending of the heart when the Grace of God doth appear to it CHAP. 81. Use 4. To strengthen our Faith if God were reconciled when we were enemies he wil not cast us off for every infirmity Objections Answered FOurthly The Consideration of this may be a mighty strength to the Faith of those sinners that have in some measure been wrought upon by the Grace of God Thus if the Lord hath manifested such abundance of strength of Spirit in seeking to sinners to be reconciled then certainly when sinners are reconciled the heart of God wil forever be with them he wil not lose the fruit of such Grace as this if once he hath brought in and that in such a way of mercy Christ having brought it it cannot be any easie thing that shal take off Gods heart from thee there was the goodness of God towards Adam in Paradice I but it was not so much goodness of God unto him as could not admit of any breach beween God and him But the heart of God is so much in this work in bringing sinners to be reconciled unto him as it is impossible that ever there should be such a breach between them and him again that ever they should prove to be enemies Therefore let this strengthen thy heart when at any time thou begin'st to have jelous thoughts of God have recourse to thy first calling to God I went on not many years ago in a wreatched sinful way but God came to me and shewed me my evil way and shewed me his Grace Yea when I stood out against his Grace he followed me and would not let me be at quiet but manifested it more and more and hath overcome my heart unto himself How can I think that God that hath done so before that now he should take advantage upon every infirmity that now every sin that he sees in me should make such breaches between him and my soul that he should cast me from him Can I think it Certainly it is a wrong to the Grace of God in the Gospel Object I but you wil say here is the evil That upon my loose walking I cannot think that ever things were in truth that I was truly converted Answ To that I answer but these two things First that if thou canst but be able to say thus in the presence of God the Lord knows that there is no weapon of enmity in my heart that is against God that God reveals unto me to be a sin but I know my heart is against it I can appeal to God so and
2. To bring our hearts and subdue them to God Page 82 Chap. 16. How what Christ hath done for Our Reconciliation come to be made Ours 1. Christ the head of the second Covenant Page 87 Chap. 17 How we come to have intrest in what Christ hath done is further opened Page 89 Chap. 18. Eight Consequences of Our Recenciliation being made in Christ 1. It is a deep Mystery 2. It is very free 3. It is sure and certain 4. It is ful 5. It is an honorable way 6. Yet in such a way as doth debase man 7. It is firm and everlasting 8. This Reconciliation was a very difficult work Page 91 Chap. 19. Three Reasons why God would be Reconciled to the world in Christ and no other way 1. Because God the Son is most glorified this way 2. Because God the Father is most glorified this way 3. Because there was no such way as this to melt the hearts of sinners Or to encourage them to come to God Page 100 Chap. 20. Application Vse 1. See the woful misery sin hath brought us unto humiliation for sin useful Page 106 Chap. 21. Vse 2 Discovering of Mistakes about Reconciliation Page 111 Chap. 22. Vse 3. To encourage sinners to come to God for Reconciliation And discouragements removed Page 113 Chap. 23. Vse 4. Dispaire not of Gods making peace in this Nation Page 118 Chap. 24. Vse 5. Those that have assurance of their peace with God highly to prise it Page 121 Chap. 25. Christians may loose the assurance of their Peace with God through the weakness of their Faith 1. Weakness When they think the sin they fal into doth presently cause an enmity between God and them Object What need Beleevers then be careful to avoid sin Answered 2 Weakness Judging Gods works as enmity against them Page 123 Chap. 26. We may loose the assurance of our Peace with God by our sinful walking Page 133 Chap. 27. Use 6. Give God the glory of our Reconciliation Page 135 Chap. 28. Vse 7. To love Christ And do or suffer for him Page 137 Chap. 29. Vse 8. In Seeking Reconciliation by Christ Page 140 Chap. 30. God was reconciling the world to himself from all eternity opened Page 141 Chap. 31. The of work our Reconciliation with God in Christ hath been a doing from all eternity Page 146 Chap. 32. Five Vses of the former Doctrine Page 153 Chap. 33. Of Gods Reconciling the world to himself Page 158 Chap. 34. Gods reconciling the World to himself cannot be meant of every individual man proved by scripture And Three Reasons Page 160 Chap. 35 Why Gods Reconciling to himself is expressed in so large a terme as the World Six Reasons thereof Page 163 Chap. 36. Vse 1 Seeing God hath excepted none from Mercy let none except themselves Page 168 Chap 37 Vse 2. Page 170 Chap 38 Not imputing their trespasses Opened And 3. Notes on the text Page 172 Chap 39 The Ministers Commission to Preach Reconciliation to the World Page 251 Chap. 40. Why God chose Men rather than Angels to dispence the Mystery of Reconciliation The Reasons thereof Page 259 Chap 41 Why God wil not himself immediatly dispute this Gospel Reconciliation Page 264 Chap 42 Vse 1 The sending of the Ministers of the Gospel is to be accounted a glorious blessing Page 267 Chap 43 Vse 2. The Great honor of Ministers that are Faithful Page 268 Chap 44 Page 272 Chap 45 Verse 20. Opened and Five Doctrines propounded Page 278 Chap 46. The Ministers of the Gospel Are Embassadors of Christ Opened in six particulars Page 280 Chap. 47 Vse 1. Page 283 Chap 48 The second Doctrine Propounded in the 45 Chapter prosecuted Page 284 Chap 49 The Second Doctrine propounded in the 45 Chapter further prosecuted Page 288 Chap. 59 Use 1. Answering the Objections of the Arminians And the Wantons of our Age Page 291 Chap 51 Vse 2 Ministers ought to speak as the Oracles of God The maner of their preaching Opened Page 293 Chap 52 How to know what kind of Ministery God speaks most in Page 299 Chap 53. Vse 3 We should delight in the Word Page 301 Chap 54 Vse 4. If God and Christ speak in the word how dreadful ought it to be to the Neglectors Disobayers and Contemners of the word Page 303 Chap 55 How we ought to have the word Page 307 Chap 56 The third Doctrine propounded in the 45. Chapter prosecuted Viz The excellency of the Gospel make the Ministers earnest in their Ministration Page 309 Chap 57 Reasons of Faithful Ministers earnestness 1 their love to God 2 their love to Jesus Christ 3 their love to their souls to whom they Preach 4 a kind of love to themselves Page 311 Chap 58 Vse 1 The horrible wickedness of those that are idle in the Ministery Page 315 Chap 59 Vse 2 Page 316 Chap 60 The fourth Doctrine propounded in the 45 Chapter viz That God and Christ are exceeding willing and desirous to be reconciled to sinners Page 317 Chap. 61 The First Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners Page 318 Chap 62 The Second Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Page 319 Chap 63 The third Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be Reconciled to sinners Page 320 Chap 64 The fourth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Page 321 Chap 65 The Fift Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reciled to sinners Page 322 Chap 66 The Sixt Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Page 323 Chap 67 The Seventh Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Page 325 Chap 68 The Eight Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners Page 326 Chap 69 The Ninth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners Page 327 Chap. 70 The tenth argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Page 329 Chap 71 The eleventh argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners Page 333 Chap 72 The twelfth argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to Sinners Page 335 Chap. 73 The thirtenth argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to Sinners Page 340 Chap 74 The Fourteenth argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners Page 341 Chap. 75 The fifteenth argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners Page 344 Chap. 76. The sixteenth argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners Page 346 Chap. 77 Christs willingness to be reconciled to Sinners further opened Page 350 Chap. 78 Objections answered concerning the willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled
This may serve to be some prop to support and keep up any troubled Conscience from dispair even the very reading of this though still they are afraid of Gods willingnesse to make up the peace but it is possible thou may'st have it No Angel in Heaven Nor man in the world do or can know to the contrary but that it is possible for thee and thee for such a sinner as thou art or such as thou art to come to be reconciled And doth this begin a little to stir thy heart but to read that the Condition of man is not desperate but there is a possibility of his being Reconciled do'st thou believe because of this then as Christ said unto Nathaniel thou shalt see greater things than these So if thy heart begin to be affected by this thou shalt before we have done with this subject read greater things of the councel of God about his willingness to be reconciled unto the Children of men Only before I pass let me speak this one Word about this point Let us take heed that we do not turne this grace of God that we hear of this day to the increase of our more fearful condemnation or make our condemnation far more dreadful then the condemnation of the Devils is because we have more means afforded us for our delivery than ever they had for if we look not to it it may prove so that our condemnation may be more dreadful then the condemnation of the Devils and therefore you had need when you hear anything of this Decoctine of Reconciliation or of a possibillity of being reconciled unto God to lift up your hearts unto God and desire that the reading of this blessed Doctrine may not prove to the increase of your condemnation There is not such a thing preached to the Devils therefore if I come not in and accept of the terms of Reconciliation I shal be in worse case than the Devils It can never be charged upon them that God was willing to be reconciled and they would not but it may be thus said of al wicked and ungodly men that live under the sound of the Gospel and so Continue in their wickedness and die in it this wil be the charge that wil lie upon them another day and God wil saie unto them you did indeed hear that you were naturally enemies to me yet I manifestd in my Gospell that I would enter into terms of peace with you but you refused it and slighted it and scorned it What can possibly provoke the heart of a man so much as this that when he hath his enemy who hath deeply offended him at an advantage should yet offer tearms of peace to him and yet his enemy goes away scorning slighting and contemning him Truly thus do wicked men that live under the light of the Gospel when the Ministers of the Gospel come and preach peace and Reconciliation to them tel them that God is willing to be at peace with them that he is willing to treat and to parly with them about the business of salvation they go away and the language of their actions is this wel we wil shift as wel as we can for our selves we are resolved to have our waies of sin and to have our Satisfaction in this and the other lust Now God forbid that this should be in the heart of any one that casts his eyes on this book CHAP. 4. Reconciliation Opened 1 By it Gods enmity is taken away 2 The enmity on the souls part is taken away 3 God taketh into intire Love 4 By it thou comest to be in League and Covenant with God 5. The soul is perfectly Reconciled 6. This Reconciliation its everlasting 7 It continues notwithstanding all thy sins 8. The Devills Accusations shall never make God thy Enemy again III. Therefore I am in the third place to open a little further this grace of God the doctrine of Reconciliation and it is a most blessed and sweet doctrine especially in these times wherein there are so many Cumbustions abroad in the world wherein we heare of Warrs and rumors of Wars yea of Wars neer to us even in our own land our bowels what can be more acceptable in such times as these than to hearof Reconciliation Now when things are growen to such a height when there is such a deadly hatred for let me tel you there was never such a deadly hatred in a Nation between one party and another as there is now it is boyled up to the highest as poyson may be boyled up to such a height as that it may be death to touch it so the poyson and rage of our adversaries is boyled up to the greatest height But though we are not able to Conceive that there can be a Reconciliation between them and us yet there may be a possibility of a Reconciliation between God and us and the hearing of the Doctrine of Reconciliation may quiet and support our hearts against the feare and truoble that we have in these times wherein we have nothing but rumors of wars round about us yea in the midest of al these miseries which we hear of as the effect of these unnatural broyles that are amongst us Now the Doctrine it may be opened in these several particulars The first is this That enmity which we have heard of before when once God comes to be Reconciled to a soul is al done away al that enmity is then so removed as that the wayes of the Lord to a man are turned quite contrary to that they have formerly been which I shal afterwards discover in the effect of this Reconciliation more fully But this is the first thing the doing away of all that wrath and displeasure that was in the heart of God against the sinner so that if it were possible that you could but look into the heart of God you should not see any remainder of that wrath and displeasure that was in him because of sin It is true if we do consider of God in al his workings together from Election to glorification it wil be hard to affirme that ever God should be in a way of enmity against his Elect ones because he did alwaies love them for the truth is though we conceive Gods works by peeces yet they are al one in him but if we would understand God aright we must understand him in releation to his Creature and in releation unto himself for as God is in himself it is impossible for us to understand him but we must understand him in reference to his Creatures there we find that one excellency of God is cut into several peeces and parts and that one act of God which is his own being is discovered in several waies of acting There are a great many mistakes about God when as men do draw Consequences from what God is in himself to bring them to what God is in relation to his Creature and because they cannot reconcile these two namely what God is
himself and the Father must look upon him as the Head of a Covenant to which we belong likwise So that his obedience and sufferring is to be looked upon now not as done by a private person But looked upon as the obedience and suffering of a publick Person of one that Bears our Names before God the Father And herein there is a further mistery of godlines The reconciliation between man and man is only when one that is a stranger comes and stands between and mediateth there is not required such a union between him that he mediateth for and himselfe But Christ comes not in meerly as a third person between God and us but he comes to take our very natures upon him and we are made one in the covenant of grace he as the Head and we as the members That look as Adam stood before God as the Head of the first Covenant of works and so we were al looked upon at first in him and dyed in him So Christ who is called the Second Adam stands before the Lord as the Head of the Second Covenant and al those that he doth mediate for and whom he doth seek to reconcile to the father stand al before the father in him so that his work is imputed to be theirs and the Lord looketh upon them in their Head fulfiling that Second Covenant of life and peace that he hath made with poor creatures in him So that you must not only look upon Christ to be a Saviour as the Son of God in Heaven but if you would look upon him with comfort you must look upon him as the head of a second Covenant and upon your selves joyned with him as members of him and so presented unto the father through him Thus God was in Christ reconciling himself to the world God looking upon Christ and through Christ as the head of the Covenant of grace upon al those that Christ did undertake for as Covenanters Joyned together with him comes to be reconciled to al those which shal be everlastingly Saved This is the mistery of the Gospel God in Christ reconciling the world to himself What Christ was hath been opened And what Christ hath undertaken and how God looks upon us through this mediator These things you must search into and cry unto God that by his Spirit he whuld open these misteries of the Gospel unto you and then you shal see much of the mistery of grace and of the minde of god and so come to have abundance of peace with God notwithstanding al the present remainders of uncleannes that are in your hearts CHAP. 17. How we come to have intrest in what Christ hath done is further opened WE have shewed in the former chapter what Christ doth for the Continuance of this peace between God and us that he is at the right hand of God there making intercession for the Saints continualy so that if ther be any thing that might in its own nature break the peace between God and us this our mediator sits at the right hand of the Father and there by his intercession he continually presents himself for the removing of it and for the continuance of the peace between God and us that there may no Breach fal out for the time to come this I say Christ undertakes to do and this is a special work of his Mediation namly his being Continually at the right hand of the Father and there presenting himselfe unto God for the keping and mantaining of this peace which he hath made between the Father and us Again if it be demanded how we come to have an Intrest in this that Christ doth which was the fourth thing propounded in the twelfth chapter in his Satisfaction in al that he undertakes The Answeer was this That Christ is made the Head of a second Covenant for as the foundation of the Breach that was between God and us at the first came by the first man Adam who was the Head of the first Covenant in whom we al Sinned and so turned enimies unto God So Jesus Christ is made a Second Adam and the head of a Second Covenant and al those that are looked upon as the posterity of the Second Adam for so it must be they are looked upon as one in him As al that were of the posterity of the first Adam were looked upon as one man in him and so the Breach was made and enmity came between God and al that one mans posterity so al that are to be of the Posterity of the Second Adam that are either actually of him or are to be born of him by a Spiritual generation which in the Scripture is tearmed Regeneration al those are looked upon as one with him and hence it is that in the 1. Cor. 15.47 the Apostle speakes of the first and second Adam as if there were no more but two men in the world for indeed ther are no more in that sense nor ever were The first man saith the apostle is of the Earth Earthly the second man is the Lord from Heaven Heavenly here is the first man and the Second man Why you wil say are there but two men in the world No not in that sense that is there were never but two men that did represent al others and under those two men are al other men in the world represented before God Al the children of men that fel from God the are represented in the first Adam who was the Head of the first Covenant and they stand under that covenant And al those that God intends to be reconciled unto and to glorifie they are represented before God in the second Adam who is the Head of the Second Covenant It is true if we speake properly Caine was in order the second man in the world but Christ is the Second man that is the Head of a second Covenant the Second man that God did enter into the Covenant withal for other men and in that sense he alone was the second man As in the same sense Adam is Called the first man so that God is Reconciled to the world in Christ that is as in the first Adam the Breach was made between God and man so in the second Adam Reconciliation is made between God and man And as God imputeth that which the first Adam did to his Posterity for Condemnation so that which the Second Adam did he doth impute to the Posterity of that Second Adam for life and Reconciliation And that you have more largly discussed in the most part of the fift Chapter of the Rom. especially from the middle of the Chapter to the end CHAP. 18. Eight Consequences of Our Reconciliation being made in Christ 1. It is a deep Mystery 2. It is very free 3. It is sure and certain 4. It is full 5. It is an honorable way 6. Yet in such a way as doth debase man 7. It is firm and everlasting 8. This Reconciliation was a very difficult work THere are yet
the Fift and Sixt particulars mentioned in the Twelfth Chapter that follow in the Explication of this point of Reconciliation with God in Christ and when we have done them we shal come to the Application of all the six thiings And the Fift is some Consequences that follow from what hath been spoken for if we be Reconciled to God in Christ we may from thence draw diverse Cosequences I shall not now do it by way of Application but only shew you how such Consequences as I shal name do naturally flow from what hath been said For if the Reconconciliation between God and us be in Christ then there are these particulars of it and these things may be said concerning it Consequence 1. First Hence it followeth that the Reconciliation of the Children of men with God is a very great and deep mystery it is not a thing that can ordinarily be undestood it is not a thing that is wrought in a natural way But to reconcile any soul unto God is done in a way that is most deep and hidden and is of it self a most glorious Mystery And therefore when the Scripture speaks of our Reconciliation with God in Jesus Christ it tels us that it is the hidden Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 2.7 We speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden Wisdome which God ordeined before the World to our glory It speaks of the very same thing that my Text speaks of viz. That God was Reconciling the world to hemself in Jesus Christ and this he saith was the Wisdom of God in a Mystery the hidden Wisdom which God ordeined before the world to our glory And then again verse 10. God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit the particle them is not in the Greek but only thus God hath revealed to us by his Spirit that is This Mystery for the Spirit seacrheth all things yea the deep things of God That is the first thing that followeth It is a Mystery Consequence 2. The Second is this Hence our Reconciliation with God is very free it is a work of free grace it is reconciling himself in Christ it is not reconciling himself to us for what we do our selves or for what we can do No there is nothing that we do or can do nothing that Angels do or can do for us that can reconcile us unto God but we are reconciled unto God in Christ therefore the work of Reconciliation of us is nothing but free grace we do not contribute any thing at al unto this great work it is al done in Christ it is altogether free If there be anything required of us yet it must be God and Christ that must work it all every thing of our Reconciliation whatsoever particular there is in it it is al in Christ and therefore altogether free Grace towards us Christ is the guift of God and every thing that is indeed in him and by him is a free guift to us That is the Second thing that may be said of this Reconciliation that it is free Consequence 3 The third thing that may be said of it is this That it is sure and certain there is a certainty a sureness of this Reconciliation Why Because God hath wrought so strangly about the work and he would never work so strangely about such a work but he would have it come to somwhat he would not have this work after he hath done all to vanish Those indeed that hold the Doctrine of free wil and say that indeed there is a price payd upon condition if we do beleeve but we are left to our selves either to beleeve or not beleeve and God onely propouds the means What do they teach but thus much That after al the Councels of God that are wrought for our Reconciliation and after those great things which God hath done for us in Christ it is in the power of man to make al to be void and of none effect and that there should not be any one man in the world reconciled at last for ir must needs follow that if it be left to man to beleeve or not to beleeve and that it is in his power whether he wil or not then it is in his power likewise to make al the Councels of God and the great works of God in Christ to be of none effect at al that after God hath from al eternity plotted the work and sent his own Son into the world to be made a Curse for the sin of man to die to make al that ado al that work about the matter of Reconciliation Atonement yet if that Doctrine were true which is a Belzebub error a false Doctrine of the greatest magnitude it had been possible hat notwithstanding the doing of al this all had een lost and Christ might have dyed in vain and not one soul in the world saved I say this must needs follow upon that Doctrine But now if that we hear that there is so much done as there is for the making up of our peace Reconciliation with God then on the other side this must necessarily follow certainly be concluded on that there are some that are to be reconciled to God and that this work shal never be lost God wil never plot so great a work and send his Son into the world to do so much as he did for the sin of man and at last suffer it al to be lost but he wil certainly bring some unto salvation I confesse when a poor sinner that is made sensible of what sin is and of the Breach that sin hath made between him and God when he thinks of the greatness of the work what it is to be reconciled unto God he trembles and shaketh in hmself fearing it were to good news to be true and least it were not certain and sure Yea but when he comes to understand what God hath done for the accomplishment of that work how God not only hath promised it but we can say now that it is done that the Lord hath indeed sent his Son into the world and that he is made man and that he hath been under the Curse of God for mans sin and he hath been Câ—ucified dead and buried and is ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the father and al those glorious Mysteries of the Gospel spoken of in the Old Testament are now fulfilled and accomplished when a sinner comes to understand this O! then he thinks surely there is a certainty a sureness in this work of Reconciliation with God And as when Jacob heard that Joseph his Son whom he loved was yet alive the Text saith the heart of the old man failed he did not beleeve it he thought it was two good to be true But when his other Somes came and shewed him the Charriots that Joseph had sent and gave him such real demonstration of the thing not only that he was a live but that he was the greatest man
he rejoyced in it exceedingly Psal 40.6 Sacrifices and Offerings thou didest not desire mine eares hast thou opened burnt Offerings and Sin Offerings thou hast not required then said I Lo I come mine eares saith he hast thou opened what is that which God spak to him unto which his eare was opened That which God the Father spake to him was this Son the work of Reconciliation between my selfe and sinful man I have appointed and designed you to it I have appointed you to go to be a Mediator between us and to undertake to make Satisfaction and such satisfaction as that sinful man and I may be at peace as that Mercy and Justice may be Reconciled together For let me tel you as I have hinted before God and we could never have been reconciled except Mercy and Justice had been reconciled Now God the Father tells Jesus Christ that he hath appointed him to this work And saith Christ my eare hast thou opened O I do entertaine this worke and entertaine this gladly yea though I know that I must be made a Sacrifice for the sin of man And observe what follows in vers 7. then said I Lo I come I am ready and willing to do this work for in the volum of the Book it is written that I should do thy wil that is in the Scriptures it was written before ever Christ came into the world that he should come to perfect this great work And verse 8. I delight to do thy wil O Lord yea thy Law is in my heart What was this wil of God Certainly this wil of God here spoken of was that Christ should be a Mediator between God and man and to make up this Reconciliation and O saith he I do even delight to do this wil of thine though it be a wil which wil cost me deare And saith he thy Law this Law that requires of me to come thus to be a Sacrifice and to shed my blood to the end that I may be a Mediator between man and God even this Law it is with in my heart This is one Reason why God Chose this way of Reconciling himself to the world because it tended to the glorifying of his Son and his Son acknowledgeth it that it was his glory and therefore just when he was going to die he breaketh out into thâ—se words with desire have I desired to eate this Passover because that was to make way for his death which was the accomplishment of this work of Reconciliation Reason 2. A second Reason why God would have this way of Reconciling man to himself is Because in this way the Father himself is most glorified the Attributes of God do shine in a greater luster in this way of Reconciliation then if so be God had been reconciled unto man only in passing by the offence and so no more to do for now shines forth the glory of his Wisdom of his power and of his Justice as wel as of his mercy not only mercy but the other divine Attributes of God shine in this way of Reconciliation exceedingly bright and there is no such Glass to behold the glory of God in as the glory of the Gospel in the Mistery of Reconciliation We indeed behold and see the glory of God in the Glass of the Creatures But in the Gospel in the work of Reconciliation in Christ there is the bright Glass wherein al the beams of the glory of Gods Attributes are vnited together and shine with a Transcendent luster Yea there is not only a luster and a shining forth of them but a heat and a warmth that is reflected in the beholding of them In this way of Reconciliation God himself is glorified and therefore that Text which I named John 13.31 You have this likewise said that as Christ acknowledged himself to be glorified by this work so saith he my Father is glorified in me and therefore in Chapter 17. About the beginning Father saith Christ the hour is come glorifie thy Son that the Son may glorifie thee And verse 4. I have glorified thee on Earth how hath he glorified God I have finnished the work that thou gavest me to do that work of Mediation that work of Reconciliation between thy self and sinful man that work I have finnished and in that work I have gâ—orified thee upon Earth And the truth is this is the glory that God expecteth from the Children of men even to be admired and magnified in this great work of Reconciling the world to himself in his Son And that is the second Reason Reason 3. A third Reason is this Because the Lord saw that there was no such way to melt the heart of sinful Creatures and to draw them to come and close with himself as this way no such way to incorrage the hearts of poor sinners to come in to be reconciled unto God as this even the Consideration of the great things that the Lord hath done to make peace and Reconciliation between himself and sinners God I say foresaw this and because he would have a way to break the hardest heart in the world and to draw the most stout and stubbarne sinner unto himself therefore he hath chosen this way above al others of Reconciliation This the Gospel tels us in that parrable wherein you have the letting out of the Vineyard unto Husbandmen and it tels you when the Master sent one servant and they beat him and he sent an other and they beate him and at length he said within himself I wil send my Son surely they wil reverence him as if he should have said Here are a company of hard hearted stubbarn stout wicked creatures in this world and they have had this argument and the other argument to work upon theire hearts to perswade them to come unto me but so hard are their hearts as that they give a rebound to al the arguments that they have and there is nothing strikes into their hard hearts there is nothing melts them nothing perswades them to come unto me But I have one argument more and that shal break the stoutest and hardest heart that is and that argument shal be a prevailing argument if they be those that are appointed to life if they be such as are not lost Creatures for ever and what is that argument even this that I am reconciling my self to the world in my son I wil send my Son into the world to work out this reconciliation and there I wil reveale so much of my glory that when they come to see this O their hearts shal be fil'd with admiration they shal stand and wonder at the goodnes and riches of my grace and their hearts shal melt before me and shal at length be gained unto me when they come to heare thereof Certaynly it is the most Dangerous thing in the world for the hearts of men not to be melted not to be gained upon with this Doctrin of our Reconciliation with God in Christ And remember it if
by the stopping of mens mouthes that they shal not be able to say another day O the Lord was terrible and he was a hard master and I durst not goe unto him Indeede my Conscience told me I had sinned against him but I durst not goe to him for mercy for I was afraid of him The mouthes of men shal be stopped another day that have heard this doctrine or God reconciling the world in Christ opened unto them and have not come in and layd hold upon it Indeed it is the plea of many a servant that hath offended his master when one comes to him and Saith why do not you goe and humble your self before your master O Saith he I dare not he is such a furiouse man that he wil fly upon me presently I had rather suffer very much then go to him and this they think excuse enough and many poor Servants wil rather wander up and down the Contry and perish then go backe to their master But noe sinner can say so of God let him be never so vild a siner that is departing from God if one should come unto him and say you wreched sinner whether are you going you are departing from God you are going away from him but behold God calls you to come in O goe and humble yor soules and lament your sin and lay downe al those weapons of enmity against God which you have taken up This sinner now cannot say how shal I dare to look upon God I that have been such a vild and wretched Sinner Surely God wil distroy me and consume me No the Lord propounds himselfe to you a God or mercy in his Son and tels you that he hath provided a meanes in his Son to be reconciled unto you and that his heart hath been so much upon reconciling himselfe to the chrildren of men as that he hath sent his son to do this worke and though it cost the very blood of his son yet he wil do it and therefore sinner if thou dost not come in but wilt go on in wandring from God and Continuing in wayes of enmity against him thy blood be upon thine own head Thou hast read this blessed doctrine of the Gospel opened that God was reconciling himselfe to the world and that he was reconciling himelfe to the world in his Son and that God excepted that when this message was brought to a Congregation the whole Congregation should come and fly unto him and that the world should be fill'd with Cries O! that we might be Reconciled unto him Our Lotd expects this day from some of you to heare you reflect this upon your selves by crying unto him for Reconciliation in his Son that should be the issue of such sermons as these are God ever after such preaching looks to heare some soul repeate in prayer to God and tel him what it hath heard in the Ministery of the word and upon that make a prayer unto him according to what it hath heard As in this manner The Lord expects that this day some sinner or other should get alone and be crying unto God in prayer Lord I have heard not only that there is a possibility for sinners to be Reconciled but there is such a glorious way of Reconciliation that thou hast done it in thy Son Such an honorable way and such a certaine way of Reconciliation and that thy heart is much in that way And Lord I have heard that this is a way that takes away all objections in the world al the discouragments that can be immagined and thou hast revealed it to that end that is that thou mightest break the hearts of sinners and draw them to come in and accept of that blessed covenant that thou hast tendred to them in Christ and to be reconciled unto thee Now Lord I desire to cast my soul upon this free grace of thine in thy Son O! that I might feel thy spirit inableing me to such a gloriouse work as this and O! that the Lord might heare such things as these from some of your Closets this day it wil be that which wil even cause the heart of God to rejoyce that ever he opened the doctrine of Reconciliation to you otherwise it wil turne to the quite contrary end it wil only serve to stop your mouthes at the great day That is another Use CHAP. 23. Use 4. Dispaire not of Gods making peace in this Nation YEt once more If there be such a way of Reconciliation between God and us if God hath wrought it so that it is in Christ Truly from hence we have no Cause to dispaire in Gods power and wisdome and goodness to make peace in this Nation God hath done the greater work You see that God is a God of peace and loves peace and to the end that he might be at peace with the wretched Children of men he hath wrought so wonderfully as to send his own Son into the world and provide such a way that he may be sure that peace may be made and by that way he hath done it He hath made peace between Mercy and Justice there is peace made between an infinite provoked God and wreatched sinful vild Creatures I told you before that this was a mighty difficult work yea the most difficult that ever was or can be in the world If God hath therefore wrought such a work so difficult in a way so gloriouse Then from hence learne not to dispaire but that God may worke even peace for us in this Nation and an honorable peace and a good peace too We are not only hereby incouraged to cry unto God for peace between him and our Souls but we are by this incouraged to cry unto him for peace in the Nation and that he would put an end to these woful times of destruction and misery and war which many of our Brethren have suffered and bled under And indeed those that do understand or have ever felt the work of God in working peace between his maiesty and their Souls they are those that have such intrest in God as if any people shal prevail with him for peace in the land it must be these they wil prove to be our peace makers in the conclusion howsoever people at present cry out of them as if they were the means and instruments of making the gratest debate and as if they were the enimies of peace No my Brethren they that have experience of this great work of God of making peace between himself and their Souls they are they that he at the Throne of grace continually crying unto him that is the prince of of peace to make peace in the Land We desire peace But you wil say How can it be done that way Why should we say how when God himself hath made peace between Heaven and Earth We see things so intricate that we know not how it should be done and we wonder it should ever be brought about that the Spirits of men being so
more then so but that thou castest of the comfort of it that thou mightest give liberty to thy loosnes and negligence and to have the flesh have satisfaction And so Christ himself may abraid the what shal I come from the bosom of my father and take upon me the form of a servant and be made a curse that I might make peace between my father and thee and is it worth no more but this that thou castest away the Comfort of thy assurance for such a sinful distemper of heart to give thy liberty to live after the flesh Yea the Holy spirit may come and a braid thee and say What shal I come and reveal the deep councells of God towards thee and shew thee what those things were that God from all eternity hath done for thee shal I open the misteries of Christ unto thee and draw thy heart unto him and shal I speak peace unto thee and yet when al is done thou shouldest regard this so little as for the sattisfaction of some base distemper of heart loose that which I have thus brought to thee loose the comfort of al that I have done for thee both Father Son and Holy Spirit may abraid thy negligence and the loosness of thy heart and life Yea and thine own Conscience may tell thee and say did not I often hint unto thee that if thou didst give liberty to thy selfe to walk thus and thus loosely thou shalt loose thy comfort and thou shouldst ' come to apprehend God to be a terror to thee and wilt thou even in these dayes of troble when men crie out of feares and dangers take such a foolish course to loose thy peace with God Is there any thing in the base distemper of thy heart that can countervail this loss Look upon those that walk holylie and closs with God and let their Conversations abraid thee they keep their hearts cleane and maintaine their peace with God and when they lie down they lie down in peace and they awake in the comfortable assurance of their peace and when thy heare of warrs and rumors of warrs yet so long as they can look up to God as their reconciled Father their hearts are fixed and stable and though they suffer the spoyleing of their goods and â—he loss of all that is deare unto them yet they know that within their bosom there is that which wil afford comfort enough unto them And yet thou through the giveing sattisfaction to some base and sinful distemper or lust canst not think upon God without terror can'st not apprehend him but as an enemy O! unworthy soul how shouldest thou be confounded in thy own thoughts for the loosness and negligence of heart in preserving that peace which Christ hath wrought between the Father and thee so strangly and so wonderfully Work these things my Brethren upon your hearts any ground all upon this that we are reconciled to God in Christ our Reconciliation was wrought by such a strang way as by Christ and it cost his blood to work it therefore if we have any hope of our peace with God we had need looke to it to preserve it CHAP. 27. Use 6. Give God the glory of our Reconciliation Againe we have yet a further Use here If God be reconciled to us in Christ it teacheth us to give God the glory of this great worke adore the infinite wisdome and mercy and goodnes of God in this work of his towards us reconciling us to himselfe in Jesus Christ When Christ was born the Angels Sang glory to God on high peace on earth and it was upon that ground that they Sang it as if they should have said O Lord what a way is here for thee to make peace upon earth that thou shouldest send thy Son here we looke upon a poore Infant in a manger and this Infant is the eternal God the second person in Trinity that hath thus taken mans nature upon him and here he lyes in the cratch even the same person that made the world What a strang work of God is this to bring peace upon Earth peace after such a way as this glory be to God on high And this is the thing we should spend our dayes in to adore the infinite wisdom and goodnes of God in this way of his in reconciling the world to himselfe in Christ God expects that al the children of men to whom Christ comes to be made known to should even fal upon their faces and spend their days in adoring and praysing and magnifying this great work of God God expects that we should have mighty high thoughts of this work and if our thoughts be not high of this work and be nor lift up above al Creatures we do but take the name of God in vaine God doth not care for any other glory we give him except we give him the glory of this work It is true when we see the works of God in the Earth and in the Seas we should glorifie Gods power and Gods wisdom c. But except your heart be taken with this master peece as I may so terme it with this great work of God of Reconciling himselfe to the world in Christ God wil rject al your other gloryfyings of him I mean so reject them as he wil not accept of them in comparison therefore this is the thing that God accepteth above al and this is the comandement of God that we should beleeve in his son and that we should give the Father the glory due unto him for reconciling himselfe to the world in his Son This is the worke that shal be done in Heaven to al eternity This is the thing that God himselfe delights in above al that ever he hath done that takes up his heart above al. And if it do not take up your hearts but you look upon it as an ordinary thing and so indeed count the blood of Christ as a comon thing O! know it is a high indignity in that thing in which he doth expect most glory from And let me say this Hath God revealed this work of his Son unto thee and is thy heart taken with this great work that God hath done and art thou continualy adoring of the greatness of that work of God peace be unto thee for this is as Good an evidence that thou art reconciled unto God in Christ as any I know But I must hasten CHAP. 28. Use 7. To love Christ And do or suffer for him AGain Is it in Christ that we are reconciled unto God O! let Christ be beloved by us Let us say with the blessed Martyr Lambert None but Christ None but Christ which he spake too when he came to the stake to be burnt for Christ a good Lessen for us by the way to take out that may come to suffer very hard things for that which we have undertaken to do in obedience to God yet for us to rejoyce when we come to suffer banishment or loss of goods or
meer accidental thing or as an act of providence only But know that this very work of God towards thee is no other then the fruit of the promise that God made to his Son before the world began God promised his Son that it should be so ordered that at such a time there should be such a Text and such a Sermon preached and that it should so fall out that thou should'st be there And so likewise any peace of Conscience any work of grace whatsoever is a fruit of this promise and therefore rejoyce in this that Gods heart is broken open unto thee and that which was in his bosom from al eternity is made known unto thee Those men that are not converted til they be old have cause to be sorrowful and to be troubled for that It is true I have cause to bless God that at length God is pleased to open his heart unto me But what a misery is it to me that I lived so long before I came to know God the Fathers purpose to my heart had I embraced the Gospel first I had then been made acquainted with the councel of God from al eternity concerning me And a mighty encouragement it is to yong people to bless God for this that God begins with them betimes it is a sign that Gods heart is ful when he begins with one so early For the truth is Gods heart was towards thee from everlasting and the business was transacting from everlasting Some though the heart of God be towards them yet he keeps it a long time from breaking open til they grow to their middle age til old age it may be and then he discloseth himself As Joseph would not open his heart to his Brethren for many daies together So there are many people that God lets them go on a long while in waies of sin he withdraws himself and denies himself to open his heart to them but at lengh he doth But then how much better is it when God shal open his heart betimes unto a man Would not Josephs Brethren have been glad that he should have discovered himself unto them and opened his heart unto them at the first coming So you that do begin now to have the day of grace dawn into your understandings and God begins betimes to open himself and those things that were in his heart before the beginning of the world discovers them to thee and God cannot as we may speak with reverence stay any longer but as soon as thou art able to receive in those thoughts of the heart of God he lets them out unto thee O! bless God for it And this will prevent abundance of sin and sorrow and make thee go on with comfort al thy daies This point also should be a marvelous Comfort to the people of God That their peace with God doth not so much depend upon the Covenant God hath made with them but it depends upon the Covenant God hath made with Jesus Christ from al eternity and that is the roote and bottom of their peace and Reconciliation with God Alas were it a dependance upon a Covenant between us and God and what he requires of us we could not have firm peace But when we know this that the root and ground of our peace and happiness dependeth upon that transaction that there was between the Father and the Son from al eternity and upon the Covenant that was between them O! this is that which should reioyce the hearts of the Saints and be a mighty foundation of their Faith and inable them to go through the world and al difficulties with Comfort CHAP. 31 The work of our Reconciliation with God in Christ hath been a doing from al eternity IN the last Chapter we came to the sixt point that formerly hath been propounded in the first Chapter and that is this That God Was reconcileing himselfe to the world in Christ Was and when was he Even from all eternity he was reconcileing himselfe to the world That point I did then name and shal now a little inlarge it and so proceed to some other The point is this Doct. That the worke of our Reconciliation with God in Christ it is not a work of yesterday it is a work that hath been doing from al eternity it is not a thing that fals out as it were accidentally but a plotted thing a thing that hath been plotted from al eternity I gave you then but only one scripture for it I shal ad some more now and open it more fully That scripture I gave in the 1 Tit. 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Now to whom did God promise it before the world began The first promise that was made and that we read of was to Adam in paradice the seed of the woman shal break the Serpents head O! but there was a promise beyond that promise a promise made before Adam was or before the Angells were or before the world began a promise of eternal life which is the accomplishment of our reconciliation with God this promise could be made to no other but to the Son of God that was with the Father and the delight of the Father not only the delight of the Father as he is the Son eternally begotten of the Father but the delight of the Father as he undertooke the greaâ— work of Reconciliation between God and us and this promise was made to him from the Father the promise of Reconciliation and eternal life before the world began So that by that scripture it appeares that there was from al eternity not onely a purpose or a determination in God to reconcile us to himself but there was an agreement a transaction between the Father and the Son about it and a Covenant passed between them God the Father promiseth somwhat and the Son promiseth somwhat and so they make up the agreement one with another from al eternity First There was a transaction of this great work of Reconciliation between God the Father and the Son from all eternity and for this I shal give you a scripture or two more 2 Timo. 1.9 Who hath saved and called us with an holy calling not according to our works But according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Jesus Christ before the world began Here is not onely a purpose but here is grace besides purpose there was not onely a purpose in God before the world began but there was somwhat more here is purpose and grace and this is given to us too it is not only intended for us that is observeable but it was given us and given us before the world began how given us could God give any thing to us before the world began could God give any thing to us before we were It is therefore added it was his purpose and grace and given to us in Christ before the world began As it is possible for an Inheritance
to be made over to one before he was borne somtimes between man and man there is something made over thus to our heires lawfully begotten though there be none born yet it is given them and there is solemnity in Law concerning it Perhaps it is given to some as a feofee that if such and such should be borne they should injoy it or that they shal imploy this for the benefit of such and such that shal be born so Jesus Christ stood before the Father as we may so terme it as a feofee in trust as the head of a Covenant and there were transactions between the Father and him there was not onely a purpose in God to reconcile himselfe to us but there was grace given to us in Christ there was an actual donation of this unto Christ before the world began that so we might come to Injoy it Again another Scripture for this is the 1. Cor. 2.7 which speakes somwhat of this also though not altogether so fully as the former The words are these But we Speake the wisdom of God in a mistery even the hidden wisdom which God ordeyned before the world to our glory He doth not only speake here of Gods Electing of Gods ordaining us to Glory but he speakes of the whole mistery of the Gospel which he calles the hiden wisdom of God Now this doctrin of Reconciliation which I have been preaching to you about that we are reconciled to God in Christ this is the hiden wisdom of God which was kept hid from the begining of the world and yet ordayned before the world to our glory God had contrived al this doctrin of Reconciliation and purposed that in time it should come to be revealed to us as it is at this day There is yet another Scripture for this which is very remarkable It is in the 17. John you shal finde in that chapter many expressions to that purpose that those that did beleeve in Christ were such as God the Father had given him and you may find by divers expressions there apparantly that there was an agreement a transaction between the Father and the son long before the thing was done verse 16. I have manifested my name to the men thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word he doth not speak meerly of giving them at this time but of Giving them to â—â—e son before now for he makes that to be the ground of their beleife he doth not make their giviâ—â—â—â—em to him to be beleeving but he makes their beleeving and the keeping of the word of faith to be a fruit of Gods giving them to his Son the fathers giving them to his Son is the foundation of their beleeving and hence it is that in time they come to beleive because God the father hath from al eternity given them to his Son that is the argument of Christ this indeed makes the difference between some that beleeve others that do not beleeve There are som that are of mean parts poor people and yong ones that beleive in Jesus Christ and the great misteries of the Gospel others that have more understanding that are learned men they do not beleive That which makes the difference is this that God the father gives some to his son to reconcile and he doth not give others and this is the argument of Christ in that 17 John he makes the foundation of their faith to be God the fathers giving of them to the Son So that it is apparent in Scripture that there hath been before we come to beleeve ye a before the world was a transaction between the father and the Son about our reconciliation God was reconciling himself to the world So that our Reconciliation with God and the having our sinns not imputed must be considered in three periods of time The first is if we may cal that a period of time which rather was before time that which was from al eternity with the Son there God was reconciling himself unto us Secondly when Christ came into the world and was upon the Cross and suffered there was an actual imputation of the sins of al the Elect unto him and a laying of them upon Christ there was then a special act of God imputing and charging upon his Son the Sins of al the elect Thirdly when God cals any sinner to beleeve then there is an other act of God passing the Sentence of absolution upon the Soul an actual passing of it which we cal Justification As it is between man and man you know the law may be satsfied for the prisoner and yet the Prisoner not absolved thâ—â—â—â—soner is not acquitted til the sentence be so solemnly pronounced by the Judg though the verdict be brought in not guilty yet he is not acquitted until the Judg pronunce the sentence of absolution So though Jesus Christ in his sufferings when he was crucified satisfied the law for al that should beleive in him yet there is required a pronouncing of the Sentence by the Judg for the acquitting of which is our Justification And yet somtimes we know that after the sentence is pronounced by the Judg the malefactor may ly in Prison til the fees be pay'd Just thus it is with us after our justification yet we remain in this world and have the fetters of our corruption upon us have the fetters of afflictions and troubles upon us til we have pay'd the dues to nature and the dispensations of Gods Providence One that is Elect and not a beleever he is as a prisoner that hath the Law satisfied for him though he doth not know it yet certainly he shal be saved One that is Elect and a beleever is as a prisoner that hath the Judg pronouncing the sentence of absolution upon him yet afterwards so long as the Beleever is in this world he is like a Prisoner that hath had his sentance pronounced upon him to acquit him but he lies in Prison til he hath pay'd his fees But those in Heaven they have not only the Law satisfied and the fees pay'd but they are set at liberty also and are in their Fathers house There are Several times therefore of Gods manifestation of our Reconciliation to us not imputing our Sinns unto us But though there be such several workings of God yet this doth not argue any change in God which is an Objection that many through weakness make that because God doth this thing and the other thing the other thing that was not done before therefore 〈◊〉 would argue as if there were a charge in God and therefore would conclude that there is nothing that is now done but was done and that as it is now done so it was done everlastingly But we are to know this that Gods actual pronouncing of a sentence of absolution now was not done before doth no more argue a change in God than Gods glorifying the Saints in Heaven now who
text Saith and so the Point is That God hath been reconciling the World to himselfe This which we have in the text heer it is the very same in effect with that we have in John 3.16 So God loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but have Everlasting life The world you wil say how is that did God reconcile al the world to himselfe No we are therefore to understand this saying here as an indifinite Proposition and not as if it were an universal Proposition and the right understanding of this difference between an universal and an indefinite proposition is of great use to us both in this and many other points of divinity An Universal Proposition is that that speaketh so of the general as it includes every particuler under it An indefinite Proposition doth but speake of the general and not include every particuler under it but only many As thus If one should say that such a man teacheth al the Children in such a Towne we do not mean that there is no perticuler Child that is not thaught for there are infants there and there are perhaps some that are not taught at al but we mean thus that he teacheth those Children that are taught there is none that he excepteth but if they come to him he wil teach them he is there ready and stands prepared to teach them and in this senss he may be said to teach al the Children in the Town that is there is a genneral proposition without a particuler restriction though every individual is not contayned in it This now is an Indefinit proposition or speech But when we Say a general proposition then we speek of al particulers none at al can be excepted But must come under that proposition and this wil help us much in other Points of divinity As in the promise I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed We must understand this Promise by the way of an indefinite proposition and so al understand it that understand it aright Many that understand not the difference between these two think they have a strong objection and say This promise cannot be made of the godly for then the Children of the Godly would be godly too No it is not an Universal proposition that includeth every particular but an indefinite one that is thus God promiseth to be the God of his people and of their seed that is he wil shew mercy to their Seed rather then to the Seed of others and he wil rather draw the line of Election through their Loyns then through the Loyns of others he wil take them not every particular of them but take them indefinitly and not reveal which of them he wil take whether this Person or that Person individually But he speaks indifinitly and his meaning is that those that are the Seed of his people shall be brought into a neerer Pale into a neerer limit of Gods Grace then the Seed of others and he wil be gratious to their Seed rather then to others And so here God saved the World and reconciled the World the propositions are to be understood alike indefinitely not that he loveth or reconcileth every individual Person in the world Even as he is the God of the Seed of the Saints It is not to be understood that he is the God of every particular one of them he is pleased to express himself thus indefinitly and not generally CHAP. 34. Gods reconciling the World to himself cannot be meant of every individual man proved by Scripture And Three Reasons BUt for the opening of this That God is reconciling himself unto the world that is unto man-kind to humane nature though not to every individuall person that is in humane nature I shal shew you First That it cannot be meant of every individual And then Secondly Why it is expressed in such a large tearm as the World First I shal make it appear That it cannot be meant of every particular man or woman in the world Nay indeed the truth is that there is a great part in the world and such a part as the world may receive denomination from too that Christ hath rejected shal never be reconciled to and that is cleer in John 17. where Christ saith That he prayed not for the World surely then he died not for the world there are some in the world that Christ did not so much as pray for How was God reconciling himself to the world then when as Christ professeth he did not pray for the world It appears by this that we are not to understand it of every particular man or woman in the world there are some that are in the world that God was never reconciling himself unto 1. And besides this Text it appears from hence Because if God were reconciling himself to al the world then al should certainly beleeve and be saved Why Because that Christ should lay down a price for al and the blood of Christ doth as wel pardon the sin of unbelief as any other sin If there be any one that Christ hath laid down his life for he hath purchased at the hands of God the Father that this Soul should be delivered from the power of unbelief and Faith it is a blessing that comes unto us by Christ as wel as any other blessing I appeal to you Is not Faith a spiritual blessing as wel as any other Grace Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ So that al spiritual blessings are in Christ if they are in Christ then Faith is in Christ for Faith is a spiritual blessing and then Christ hath purchased Faith for whosoever Christ hath died for they must beleeve in time Christ hath not left the work of our salvation loose upon this adventure I wil lay down my life and in case men beleeve they shal be reconciled No Christ laid down his Life to purchase of God the Father that men should beleeve as wel as he hath purchased eternal life it self and therefore if thou beleevest know it is the fruit of the purchase of Christ as wel as Heaven it self is So then if God were reconciled to all the world al should come and be actually Beleevers But in that they do not it is apparent that Christ never intended it That is one Reason 2. And then Another argument may be this If this were so that Christ had laid down a price for the world in general and only those that are left to themselves to beleeve or not beleeve should come to be saved Then the great things that are conteined in these great Mysteries of godliness and the great works of God both in Election Redemption Justification Glorification must rather depend upon mans wil than upon any work of God for say they God indeed hath wrought al this but it is
that those sins of theirs that stood upon their scoor are now taken off and set upon the score of Christ This is a blessed doctrine and we cannot speak of this without trembling of heart because we know how subject men are to abuse it but the Children must have the bread given to them though it tend to the ruine and destruction of others You that are sinners and go on in sin though you see it not you run every day upon the score like some Gallants that come into an Inn or into a Tavern and there cal for Wine and good cheer never thinking that one is al the while they are eating and drinking and merry behind the dore with a peece of Chalk scoring up al and at last wil cal in for the payment of it Every sin we commit is upon the score and there is a time when God wil cal for payment You wil say how is it then that God saith their sins shal not be imputed Why it is because Christ comes and al that is upon our score is taken off and set upon his but yet the score must be payed So that this phrase noteth That the Salvation of man is not from such a free pardon as a man that is in debt should have his Creditor come and say I wil quit the score I wil wipe off al and pardon it al No But the way of the Salvation of man is thus Here is a debt and payed it must be Only Christ the suerty comes and he payes for some and others are cast into the prison of Hel where they must lie till they have pay'd the uttermost farthing for the debt must be pay'd And here is the Reason of the difference between Beleevers and others Those that are damned al the time they live they run upon the score and at last God comes and reckoneth with them for all and then alas they have nothing to pay Saith God to the Devil take him Jaylor Death is Gods Sargant to arest him and the Devil is his Jaylor and they have him to prison and there he must lie til he hath payed the uttermost farthing But now Beleevers that have run upon the score In the dayes of their youth they were so much upon score When they were Apprentizes so much upon the the score Since they were married so much upon the score Yea but when divine justice is ready to seize upon them and arest them Christ comes in and saith he let the man be freed I wil pay the score for him As if a spend-thrift should run upon the score and when he is arested and ready to go to the Jayle there comes some freind and saith deliver him and I wil pay the debt So Christ doth So that when our sins are forgiven they are so forgiven as that it costs much our deliverance costs much And this I note from the phrae in the Original text for there it is thus not reckoning or accounting it upon the score I have in many sermons opened the doctrine of the pardon of sin therfore I do not intend â—o dilate upon that I wil only give some few notes from hence that are most proper to this text Note 1. And the first is this That there may be sin in the soul and yet not imputed Therefore there may be a righteousness imputed which is not our own there is the same ground of both Many of our adversaries do crie out of imputation of righteousness say they how can that which is none of our righteousness be made ours for so it is if we beleeve the Righteousness of Christ which is none of ours is made ours how can that be say they Yes as wel as that which is our sin shal not be made our sin if that which is our own shal not be imputed then that which is not our own may be imputed likewise Note 2. Secondly Which is a note of marvelous Comfort There may be a Reconciliation with God even while there remains much sin in the Soul It is not said thus Reconciling the world to himself taking away their sins purging out al their sins as if there could be no Reconciliation til al their Sins were taken away But he was reconciling the World to himself not imputing that is the Phrase As if he had said O! you Sinners so long as you live in the world you wil have sin and therfore do not think that God is not reconciled unto you or that you are not reconciled unto God No though sin be remaining in your hearts yet God may be reconciled unto you not imputing your sins This should be an argument to you to labor to purge out sin as much as you can seeing the grace of God is such that sin remaining in you yet God is stil reconciling you to himself it is not so much to think that God should be reconciled to the Angels in Heaven that have no sin in them O! but God to be reconciled to his Saints upon Earth that have so much sin in them that is much There are many of the people of God that cannot distinguish between the not imputing of sin and being of sin in them they think because they have much sin in them the Lord wil not be reconciled to them But know thou though sin be in thee yet theâ—e may be no imputation of sin to thee and therefore learn to distinguish between sin being in thee and sin being not imputed to thee And this should be of Use to us likewise to teach us to be willing to be reconciled to others notwithstanding there are many weaknesses in them and though they stil continue to offend us Be reconciled to your Servants and reconciled to your Childdren and to your Neighbors and say not I could be reconciled to them if I saw them changed indeed What meanest thou by that Dost thou mean that thou may'st see no more weaknesses in them or that there may never be any thing in them more that offend thee wilt thou stay so long God doth not stay so long for thee til he bringeth thee to Heaven and perfecteth thee he doth not stop his Reconciliation with thee til thou comest there and beest perfect No he is reconciled to thee here even here whil'st thou hast a nature in thee that bubbles out nothing but sin against him and notwithstanding the in-being of sin in thee yet God can distinguish between the in-being of sin in thee and the imputation of it Note 3. We see here is the bottom of al our Reonciliation the non imputation of our Sins It is no argument that God is reconciled to a man because he lets him prosper in the world or because he hath been at Sea and hath got a great deal of Riches in his Voyage perhaps the man blesseth himself and he thinketh O! now al is wel between God and me for he hath given me so much riches and he blessed me in such a Voyage alas thou mistakest
Christ that you see such things and your ears that you heare such things that God hath disposed you to live in those times wherein you have the mighty things of the ministry of the gospel shewed unto you it is a good argument that god hath many souls to be reconciled unto when he sends the ministers of the gospel unto a place and therefore when Paul was going from a place God appeared to him in the night and bid him be of good courage and saith unto him I have many souls in this City When God in a special manner sends the preaching of the gospel into a place let them bless God from their souls and take it as an argument that sure God hath many souls in this place that he intends to be reconciled unto for the minnistry of the gospel is the minnistry of reconciliation it is the fruit of the prayer of Jesus Christ and for that compare those scriptures together and it wil be clear in Esay 49 8. this is quoted in Cor. 2.6.2 now what is that that is when Paul was preaching to them and he makes this the fulfilling of that prophecy in Esay 49. now it is clear that that prophecy is a prophecy of Christs praying to God the father for those that did belong to his election that in due time they might have the doctrin of reconciliation opened to them now saith God I have heard thee in an acceptable time and saith Paul now is the acceptable time so that at any time when you come to heare a sermon and hear the doctrine of Reconciliation opened to you you should think thus much This morning or this day have I had the fruit of the prayer of Jesus Christ for this congregation and for my part in particular Christ was praying unto his father for this long before I was borne and now do I come to have the fruit of the prayer of Jesus Christ This very sound of the gospel in my ears this morning it is no other but the fruit of the prayer of Jesus Christ unto God the father long before I had a being and the world was CHAP. 43. Use 2. The Great honor of Ministers that are Faithful SEcondly Hence appears the great honor of the Ministers of the Gospel in their Ministery we wil not attribute to our persons but to our work certainly if they are committed to the Ministery of reconciliation they are sent about the most honorable business that ever was in the world to dispence unto the Children of men the great mistery of Salvation by Jesus Christ So if a Minister be faith free in it it may be said of any one that God uses in this Happy that ever he was born and blessed be the womb that beare him and the paps that gave him suck if so be he be faithful in this his work for he is imployed about the greatest business that is in the world never did God employ Angels in a work of greater consequence and in a work wherein they are more honored they are called in scripture Angels of the Churches for indeed their work is Evangelical and when he speaks of them in 1 Cor. 4.1 Therefore let a man account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and stewards of the misteries of God Bretheren we could be willing that for our persons they should be never so contemptible before you if so be the contemptibleness of our persons might further the glory of our work But we know ordinarily that the contempt of persons hinders the honor of the work and therefore saith the Apostle let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and stewards of the Misteries of God we are appointed stewards of the misteries of God we are stewards to deal out unto you the misteries of life and Salvation Joseph was accounted highly off when he did deale out the Corne in Egypt and now this work of reconciliation is that that the Angells prie into the Angels learne instruction from this mistery of reconciliation it doth not only beseem the greatest men in the world to attend upon it but the Angels themselves honor it and learne by it I wil give you a text for this because it may seem to be hard unto you the text is in Ephes 3 verse 10. To the intent that now unto Principalities and Powers in Heavenly places might be known by the Churches the manifold wisdom of God that not only men but the very Angels in heaven might come to understand further the wisdom of God in Christ made knowen to the Church certainly if the Angels come to know further by the Church then specially at their Church meetings when they are together and when there is the dispensation of the Ministery of the Gospel among the Saints then when the Church is in their exercises of the ordinance of the Church then they come to know the manifold wisdom of God howsoever some think it is foolishness yet God saith it is a manifold wisdom of God and the Angels think so too Certainly there is no place so ful of sinners as of Angels heareing therefore you may wel come to heare for the Angels they come to heare and therefore the Apostle saith to women that they should beheave themselves wel because of the Angels and the scripture tells us that the Angels prie into this mistery of the Gospel Ministers need not seeke honor to themselves any waiâ—â— but by their faithful administration of the Gospel and therefore in the primitive times the Ministers of the Gospel were mightily honored of the people let a soul come to understand what it is to have peace with God through Jesus Christ through any Ministers Ministery and that soul wil honor that Ministery enough hee needs not cal for any honor and respect from that poor soul It is said that in the former times there were wooden challices and golden Ministers but afterwards there were golden cupps and wooden Ministers It was a great deale more honor to the Church when there were golden Ministers but afterwards when there were golden cups ministers were gallants and had great means may they not wel be called wooden in respect of their opening of the misteries of Salvation to the pople It is not now so much for to preach morallity these are good things to be preacht on but where is the great point of reconciliation The great point that al Ministers ought to aim at is the great point of Reconciliation and that is to be preacht and it is their commission to preach that especially Oh how is it to be received to be accepted To us is committed the ministery of reconciliation what is it It is such a ministery of no less consequence then your reconciliation with God Oh how gladly should you take in this ministery for they come about a work that is worthy of al acception as the Apostle saith Tim. 1.1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of al acceptation
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners This is the sum of the ministery of reconciliation when we come to bring this unto you we do not expect al acceptation to open your hearts and hands to receive in this work of reconciliation into you as we read of Noah when he was tossed up and down the Sea after many dayes he put forth a dove and she brought in an Olive branch Now this you know is an Embleme of peace Noah opened the window of the Arke and took in the Dove with the Olive branch and al those that come to preach the Gospel unto you they come with the Olive branch in their mouths and the truth is you are as it were upon the Sea floting up and down and we come unto you with an Olive branch in our mouthes like Noahs Dove Oh then open your windows and receive it saith the prophet Oh how beautiful are the feet of them that bring good tidings of peace and as you read in Rom. 10.15 Their very feet should be beautiful unto you It is so prophecied of among the Prophets and it is made use of in the new Testament and if you find your hearts opened and accepting of it and rejoyce and bless God for it then you fulfil that prophesie and then the feet of those messengers are beautiful in your eyes that is the work that you should come for when you come to hear a Sermon You should think this day am I comming to hear somewhat of the work of reconciliation between God and my soul and when people come to the word to expect somthing concerning this peace with God and when they heare any such thing Oh then they should bless the name of God Some come to the word to hear some witty sentences and for discourse though the maine thing is that you should come to hear somthing about the reconciliation of God to your souls and you should watch for such a word al the while the minister is opening the point Oh! but when wil the word of peace be opened from God to my soul And when you hear that word Oh! you should embrace it and receive it as in Psal 58. I wil hearken what the Lord wil say for he wil speak peace unto my soul so should every poor afflicted conscience say I wil hearken this day when Christ wil speak peace to my soul The Lord by his word speak peace unto you and make that which we preach in opening the things of the Gospel to bee a powerful ministery of reconciliation unto your souls CHAP. 44. I have treated about what commission is given unto the Ministers of the Gospel and there is one great thing that I would have you observe that we take no notice of how the Apostle again again speaks of this as making account that it is one of the greatest things that concerns the world that ever was for saith he in v. 18. Al things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ hath given unto us the Ministery of reconciliation But he had not enough of that but he comes over it again to wit that God was in Christ reconcileing the world that God reconciled us to himselfe by Jesus Christ hath given unto us the Ministery of reconciliation that is in the 18. v. that is God is reconciling himself unto the world in Jesus Christ again the same is in the 19. verse And hath Committed unto us the word of reconciliation shewing that it is a matter of great consequence it is a great trust that is commited to the Ministers of the Gospel the word of Reconciliation and there I shewed you how you were therefore to enertain the Ministers of the Gospel beautiful should the Feet be of those that bring glad tidings c. That comes from God with this Commission this Doctrine of Reconciliation in their mouths as Noah put forth his hand and took in the Dove with the Olive branch So when a Minister comes with this Olive leafe in his Mouth the Ministry of Reconciliation you must open your hearts and take it in A word or two more about this This you have heard at large is the great work of the ministers of the Gospel to bring unto you the Doctrine of Reconciliation howsoever it may be folishness before the world yet it is the great Ordinance whereby God wil bring men to be reconciled unto himself those that he hath a purpose to save Here is now a work to treat with you about reconciling your Souls to God to open to you the Counsels of God about bringing you to be at peace with him Use 1. See what a wicked wretched world this is that cannot bear the Ministers of the Gospel Hence then see what a wicked and wretched world is this that cannot bear the Ministers of the Gospel When this is al the work that they come about this errand unto them in the name of God to treat with them only to make peace between God and their Souls here is al the Errand and yet the world cannot bear this If they came as the Messengers of Gods wrath against them then indeed the world might look sourly upon them and seek to avoid them but when they come about no other Errand but meerly to treat with their Souls about terms of peace that the world should not recceive them but reject the Gospel and despise it and look upon the Ministers of the Gospel as if they were their greatest enemies This is a most wretched wicked world and there is nothing in the world that can aggravate the sins of menmore then this that they should reject the Ministry of the Gospel Saith God What when I shal send the Minsters of the Gospel my servants to treat with these wretched Creatures about making peace between me and them and they shal reject this certainly God expects that wheresoever he sends the Ministry of the Gospel generally al people should admire at the grace of God that is made known to them in Christ and they should al come in and even cry to God Lord What is it thou dost require what Is there any Messenger from Heaven come Now let us give up our hearts as a blank paper let God write in them whatsoever he pleaseth he doth not expect that men should rise in a rage against the word and cast it of as that that brings trouble upon them how infinitely are men mtstaken in this to think that the preaching of the Gospel is a trouble to the world to whom it is the greatest happiness that can be in this world And if you knew it you would bless God for it even with your faces groveling upon the ground that such a commission was given to your brethren to come from God to treat in his name about termes of Reconciliation with you the Sons of men What hurt is it the Ministers of the Gospel do unto men that they should be
from the absolute necessity that lies upon sinners to come and be reconciled unto God shewing them that certainly they wil be lost undone and eternally damned if they do not come in He that beleeveth not the wrath of God abides upon him You are lost and undone creatures except you do come in And sometimes arguments taken from the excellency of the benefit and profit that there is in comming in to God and being reconciled unto al the Glorious promises of the Gospel are so many powerful arguments to draw the hearts of sinners to run in to be reconciled unto God I might be very large in this in shewing of the particular arguments that God doth use but take that one ful argument that we have to perswade sinners to come in In Prov. 1.23 Turne you at my reproof behold I wil pour my spirit upon you I wil make known my word unto you He speaks here to simple ones Scorners Fools Turne you at my reproofe behold I wil pour my spirit out upon you saith God as if God should say though you are Scorners yet the truth is my heart works towards you my heart doth yearn towards you and if you would but turne to me I would pour forth my heart to you you shal have my very spirit my very heart let out unto you if you wil turne unto me What an argument is here to prevail with the hardest hearts in the world For God himself to come and say unto a sinner to one that hath Scorned him and his wayes and to a Fool that hath gone on in waies of folly and wickedness for God to come and say unto him Oh wretched sinner come in come in turne to me turne to me for my heart is ful my heart is top ful turn to me I wil pour forth my heart to thee Al those promises of giving rest to thy soul of giving life eternal eternal salvation Glory Peace and Comfort and a Kingdom shal al be made good to thee The Lord therefore suites himself unto us in such arguments so close as may out-bid other comforts that we have in the word in any waies of sin and therefore tels them of Hony and Milk and Rayment and Gold and Silver and al such things as are precious in the eyes of men such as are of esteem with us and tenders his Son unto us upon such kind of notions that every one of them might be prevalent arguments to gaine the hearts of sinners to come in unto God this is the way of God that he comes into the hearts of his people with the most prevalent arguments such reasons as one would think were impossible to be gainsaid I appeal to the hearts of those who have been acquainted with the work of God upon them How did God come to your hearts did he not come with mighty strong arguments to you The Devil he tempted and he comes with strong arguments and God he comes and tempts with strong arguments the Devil draws and God draws Gods mercies draw stronger than the Devil can Oh! it was mercy to that soul and the truth is when the Lord pleases to work effectually upon the soul he can present stronger arguments to draw the heart of a sinner to him than it is possible for the Devil to prevaile against CHAP. 72. The Twelfth Argument Manifesting the exceâ—ding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners ANother way is this in answering al Objections that lie in the hearts of sinners whatsoever Objections lie in the hearts of sinners God hath waies to answer al those and he doth it in his word and by his Spirit As now What would a sinner object If you object your unworthiness of such mercies as God doth offer unto you and therefore it is unlikly that ever God wil bestow that mercy on you observe Esa 55. there is a place that God intends directly to answer that objection that it may never hinder any sinner from comming in unto him saith God Come ye to the waters and he that hath no monies come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without mony and without price Note in one verse there is three times Come without Mony he that hath no Mony come and Eat and then buy without Mony and then without price What is the meaning of this here you are to know that the promises of the Gospel are set out to you by Wine Milk so by bread afterwards by those things that are most delightful most useful for the nature of man the Gospel is set out by such things and so it is in Scripture by things that are the most excellent of al. Somtimes by a Kingdom for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand there is the argument the Kingdom of God is at hand and somtimes by a marriage when God sends to people to be reconciled he sends to them with this Argument that it is to marry them to his Son And somtimes by a Supper that God the Father invites too a Supper wherein there is al kind of dainties the great King makes a Supper at the marriage of his Son and there are powerful Arguments that God useth O but I am unworthy saith a poor soul What that such a one as I so vile so wretched and every way unworthy should have such things this was the policy of the Devil at the first the Devil labors to make sinners to slight the Gospel to set at naught the counsels of God so you have it in Prov. 1. to account the bloud of the Covenant a common thing that is the first way But if he cannot prevail that way but the Lord doth shine through al mists and il conceipts of the Gospel and shews unto the Soul the excellency and beuty of his Son and of the glorious things that are in the Gospel then the Devil comes the other way Indeed saith he there are glorious things but thou art unworthy thou art a wretched base vile Creature and canst thou think that God should grant such things as these to thee now the Lord answers this Objection What saith God Come without Money What is that that is though thou hast no worthiness in thy self though thou hast no a bilities to buy any thing that is good yet come come yet close with my Grace that shal make thee rich enough thou shalt have money enough that way Come without mony without price let never that Objection hinder thee that thou art unworthy unable to do any thing the Lord cals thee without Money offers freely to thee therefore in the latter end of the Book of the Revelation it is said in the last Chapter the 17. ver And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst Come and whosoever wil let him take of the water of life freely How shal I ever think to have it It is free so that this
when he comes by his stroaks Now because the Lord sees that this is such a way to engage the hearts of sinners to come in unto him therfore he doth not only put forth such an almighty power but comes in such a way as this when the sinner cannot be able to perceive the hand of God that is the almighty power that doth the work yet the sinner can perceive the shining of Gods Grace and his goodness and the expressons of his love and the like this is apparently before the Eyes of the sinner to admire and works upon the heart when the other is more secret Obj. Thirdly If God and Christ be so willing to be reconciled unto sinners then you wil say what is the reason that there are no more reconciled One would think that al sinners in the World should be reconciled to him hee may reconcile al Is it not as easie for God to reconcil one as wel as another God many times tels us that few shal be saved Yea Christ himself tels us so Now this that you have preached about Gods and Christs willingness to be reconciled One would think that al the world should come in to be reconciled otherwise how wil it appear that they are so willing Ans For the answer to that the heart of God Christ are much set uppon Reconciliation with sinners but so as may be suitable to other ends that God hath God wil not have the work of his mercy manifested so as it shal crosse any other work that he hath to do so farr as the Glory of his mercy may be manifested without crossing of some other work that God hath to do so farr it is let out not to al. Why Because it wil not be suitable to some other ends that God hath to bring about that he should be reconciled unto al sinners Object You wil say to other ends Why Do Gods ends crosse one another If Gods Heart be for Reconciliation with sinners how should this Cross any other thing that God hath to do Answ For answer though things may seem to us one to be cross to the other yet there is a blessed concord in Gods ends and his waies and it wil appear plainly one day before the Children of men and Angels and it wil be the great work of God hereafter to manifest that those things that seem most to be cross one to another yet wil be very Advantagious and assisting to the Promoting and Coronation of this blessed work As it is in the Heavens there is the motion of the Heavens they have one motion by which they are carryed one way and there are the Starres they have another particular motion of their own and yet there is a concord in the motions of the Heavens In any work that a man doth as in a Clock there is one wheel that runs one way so farr and another meets with it they seem to run quite contrary waies and yet take them altogether and they do al run to the end that the work is intended for and yet seem to go contrary the Cross going of the wheels is the right going of the Clock So God seems to work in the works of his Grace one way and in the works of his justice another way and they seem to go quite contrary one to the other But the truth is they worke al to the end that the workman makes it for here is the Grace and mercy of God thus manifested in entreating and beseeching sinners to be reconciled It goes thus far and then when it hath had its ends then comes the stroak of Gods justice and that striks another way and al makes to the beauty of the work of God that he might have glory in al So though God be thus earnest yet it is no Argument that al sinnners should be reconciled because it appeares to be the beauty of Gods work which shal appear another day the work of mercy thus farr and the work of justice so farr this we are not able to understand throughly now but it is left to the great day to be understood Further It may be answered that these expressions are cheifly intended towards those that belong to his eternal election but revealed in such a general way as none should exclude himself therefore the charge of the Ministers of the Gospel is to preach to every creature because we do not know who they be that do belong to the election but it is for the sake of Gods elect ones that these things are reconciled in such a ful way as they are such things should be taught in a Congregation where there are many thousands but if there be but a few that beloâ—g to the election of Grace God aimes at them most though he may aime at the other too for to lessen their sins and somtimes to aggravate them Yet know if there be but a few that it is for you and for your sake that these things are preacht and these may serve to answer to those objections CHAP. 79. Use 1. Admire Gods infinite Grace in enterating to be reconciled to sinners Considering 1. What it is God intreats for 2. Who are intreated 3. By whom you are intreated 4. What need hath God of you USE IN the first place upon al what hath been said of the willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled unto sinners that they thus do entreate sinners we are taught First to stand and admire at the infinite riches of the â—â—ace of God and espeically you who have felt this work of God effectually upon your Hearts You who have found God wooing and suing to your hearts give God the glory of his Grace and admire at it It were mercy for the Lord once to offer upon any terms to be reconciled unto sinners or to shew them any favor Meerly to offer it that is grace that is to be admired and that is more than God hath done to the Angels he would not do so much to them But now that God should not only offer but send to feek after thee to cry after you again and again to be importunate with you to entreate and beseech not only by his Ministers but by this own spirit for there is the work of that the spirit of God comes and woos and beseeches sinners to come in and be reconciled Oh stand and admire at this forever Let it take up your hearts to give glory to him and the rather if you consider these four things First What it is that God doth entreate and beseech for What is it that you are entreated to do That that shal deliver you from the greatest evil that any creature is capable of and that whereby you would receive the greatest good that any creature is capable of you are entreated not to be miserable but to be happy and not only that you should serve God and not sin against God and do the works that God requires of you for his glory but you
God threatens those that are disobedient and stout to their parents that the very ravens shal pick out their eyes and under the law they were to be punished with death if any parent would come and charge his son with disobedience he was to be stoned to death USE 2. You that are old and ancient seeing God hath put honor upon you take heed you dishonor not your hoary haires God saith you are a Crown of Glory dishonor not you this your Cown of Glory for your white haires wil make your sins so much the blacker and we read in Numb 6.7 that the high priest might not defile himselfe because the consecration of God was upon his head There is a Crown of Glory upon thy head therefore defile not thy selfe I have read of a Lacedemonian that wore his beard very long and it was white and one asked him why he wore it so long he gave this answer I wear it long that I seeing my white hairs may do nothing dishonorable to them may do nothing unbeseeming those white haires of mine If thou shouldest do any thing unbeseeming thy Hoary head and Crown of Glory thou takest the beauty away from thee there is a Puerilis Senectus an Old man may be a Child as wel as a young man may be Old A young man may be Old in respect of his spirit and demeanor and carriage And much vanity may appeare in those that are Old to make them be as Children Titus 2.2 3. you have there the exhortation of the Holy Ghost to Old men how they should carry themselves with al gravity and with modesty It is a notable place that we are to observe that Rehoboam though he were above forty years Old yet the scripture you shal find in 2. Chron. 13.7 cals Rehoboam a Child he was but a Child one that had a very childish Effeminate heart when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted and could not withstand them young a child tender hearted of a softly heart a foolish Effeminat childish spirit that is the meaning of it and yet this Rehoboam was above forty years Old whereas Joseph was a young man and the scripture in Gen. 45. cals him a Father unto Pharoah But Thirdly USE 3. If it be an honor to live many years in this world O! What an honor is eternity then to live for ever It hath been counted a great honor to have but any monuments of men after they are dead to last for a great while Julius Ceasar he hath appointed his ashes to be kept in an urine in a Room to this day as they say so very honorable is a monument But then to live to al eternity with God what honor is in that If the hoary head be a crown of glory what crown of glory is it for a man to have eternal life to have that eternal crown of glory put upon him what are a few years here in this world in comparison to eternity but a little plash of water in comparison of the infinite ocean If thou hast cause to bless God for a few dayes that he hath lengthened out to thee here what cause hast thou bless him for the hope of eternal life Again USE 4 If the hoary head be such a Crown of Glory if it puts honor upon men What then doth eternity it selfe put upon God If men be to be honored because of a few years here in this world how is God to be honored then that is eternal God doth glory himselfe in his eternity I am he that inhabiteth eternity And the Elders in Revel 4.8 they fel down and worshipped him that was and is and shal be for evermore I remember Pareus tels us of a custom of the Turks that they use every morning to have one proclaim aloud The lord that was and that shal be for ever the Lord is eternal he hath no beginning at al. Thou art but of yesterday though thou hast lived now many years the Lord he shal have no end at al but though thou livest long yet it wil be said within a little time such an one lived so many years and is dead as it is in Gen. 5. There Methuselah and others lived thus and thus many years and Adam and others and they died And I have read of one that hearing that Chapter read that such an one lived so many hundred years and he died and such an one lived so many hundred years and he died it made such an impression upon his spirit as took him off from al the things of the world and caused him to mind the provision of his eternal estate and was the cause of his conversion by reading the years of so many mens ages and yet they dyed Remember it must be said one day such a man was seventy or eighty years Old and he dyed but God abides for ever we are but as grass And therfore if God wil have honor put upon you because of your Age put you honor upon God because of his eternity God he can have no time added to his time there is no succession of time with him God cannot be said to have continued or to have lived a longer time now than he did live before the world began there is no time added to him he is beyond all measure of time and it is good for us when we injoy any continuance of time in any comfort to worship the eternal God to have our hearts to delight in that eternal God that is beyond al time It is a very observable place that we have in Genesis concerning Abraham it is in Gen. 21 That when Abraham had been going up and down a while and afterwards had a resting place the text saith Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba that notes that he was to abide where he planted a grove and what then and he called there upon the name of the Lord the everlasting God This is the first time that God is called in Scripture the everlasting God and then did Abraham call upon the name of the Lord the everlasting God when God did grant unto him â—ome abiding in that place where he was that he could stay and plant a grove Hath God caused an abiding in you that you have lived a long time in this Ciâ—y in a prosperous condition do you learn to cal upon the name of God the everlasting God give honor to the eternal God But we must pass from this first point though it be a point of great use yet the second is the principal The hoary head is a crown Glory but when When it is found in a way oâ— righteousness That is the Second Doct. 2. That it is the way of righteousness that puts the Crown of Glory indeed upon the hoary head That is the Diamond that is a top of the Crown if the hoary head be an honor this is the honor of that honor if it bee a Crown righteousness it is the Crown of that Crown Mensura vitae non
your estates for the reformation of religion for the getting of the truthâ— and ordinances of God to be in freedom amongst us We know that both the state and necessity of our brethren cals for free liberal hearts and you that have the crown of glory in regard of age c. are to go before others be you free to lay out for them Remember it is reported of the Romans for the honor of them that at the very time that Hanibal was in the feild they would be purchasing of those fields when their enemy was there and would give a round sume for them Be not so distrustful but be willing to disburse in this way that may be so much for the reliefe of our brethren in Ierland and for the setting up of the gospel there though for the present there be some hazards Ordinarily those that are Old are ful of fears and distrust but of al they should be the freest from them And in the last place 10. Let your praiers be and your imbracing of the gospel so for the present as you may have hope when you die that you shal leave the gospel as an inheritance to your children afterwards with what comfort may an aged man or woman die unlesse they may have hope the gospel shal be left to their children Not many years since when old people died that had any sight in the waies of God they died with trembling hearts for they thought Now I am going and what miseries my Child may be brought to see I know not it may be he may be brought up in popery and Idolitry but now when you die you may have a hope to leave the Gospel as an inheritance to your Children especialy if your prayers be strong and your imbracements of it as it ought to be It is said of Justin the younger that he ran mad with this conceite that the Roman Empire should decay in his time he was so extreamly perplexed with such a thought So it should be with every generation what that the gospel should decay and the entail and evidence of it be cut off in my time it should go near every one of us and therefore incourage your selves and let there be a youthful vigour in your spirits to see to propagate the Gospel that you may have hopes to leave it to your posterities when you are gone and it is not longe you shal have it for consider you have had a blessed talant of grace in the time God hath afforded to you I dare say that there was never eighty years since the world began so happy for the revelation of the mistry of Godlyness as hath bin for these last eighty years they that have lived them have had such an eighty years that cul out any eighty years since the begining of the world never had a nation such an eighty years as this nation hath had therefore know that you have much to answer for and remember this If you have any Godliness at al you have made many covenants and vows to God in your times fulfil them before you dy die not in Gods debt you have put up many praiers and every prayer is an ingagement to you in the waies of Godliness and if you thus beautify your Crown when you come to die O! how sweet wil death be to you your pilow wil be soft when you come to die if you can say so according to your measure as Christ did in Joh. 17. Father glorifie me with thy selfe I have finished the work thou hast given me to do Think but with your selves you that are ancient if you were to die whether you are able to say thus as Christ did for so you may say in your measure though not so perfectly as Christ did Father glorifie me with thy selfe I have finished the work thou hast given me to do Thou knowest it hath bin my care in the daies of my poor pilgrimage to finish this great work thou gavest me to finish in this world O! How sweet wil death be to such an one that shal die so ESE 3 One word to you that are young and so I have done al Is it such a crown of Glory to be found Old in the waies of righteousness Do you then begin to be Godly betimes that if you live in this world you may have this crown set upon your heads when you are ancient for is it not better for you to be plants of Gods house then weeds upon the dunghil Those that are wicked are but as weeds upon a dunghil but you that are Godly are as plants in Gods own orchard in the last of the Romans 3. We find that Andromicus and Junia are commended because they were in Christ before saint Paul They were in Christ before me It is an honorable thing to be in Christ before others this is honorable when you are yong and then going on in the waies of Godliness al your young time and so in your midle age and til you come to be Old Here in my text you have this crown prepared for you for so saith the Holy Ghost here The hoary head is a crown of Glory if it be found in the waies of righteousness FINIS