Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 30
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 onelyonly 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 … …om al eternity that he would reconcile the world to …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 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.