Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 23 – Chapter 24
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 ſet one againſt another there ſhould be a Reconciliation: But God hath waies in his infinite Wiſdom that we are not able to comprehend, the ſpirits of any of our Adverſaries are not ſo deſperately bent againſt us, but there was as much enmity between us, and God, as there can be betwixt us, and any of our adverſaries in the world: and we have no ſuch exaſperated enimes againſt us, as we were by nature againſt God. If therefore God could find a way when we were ſuch enimies unto him to make peace betwixt us; and him; then hath God likewiſe a way to make a true ſetled, and conſtant peace between our Adverſaries, and us: And we ſhould deſire; that as God hath made our peace with him firme, and ſure; ſo that what peace God makes in this land, it may be ſomwhat like unto that peace that he hath made between Heaven, and Earth. There is a firme peace made between God, and us, a peace that we may reſt upon, and confide in. A peace betwen our adverſaries, and us, (as things now ſtand) we cannot count it ſure; you cannot be ſure of your lives one night after it is done; as things now ſtand. But we muſt deſire ſuch a peace might be made, as there is made between God, and us; ſure, and firme, and ſtable. Therefore pray much, and beleeve much as you are able; and though things be brought to ſuch a ſtraite as there is no likelyhood in the thoughts of men how it ſhould be done; yet they are not brought to ſuch a ſtraite as things were between God, and us before he reconciled himſelf unto us. And there was more required to make up that Reconciliation betwixt God, and us, then there can be between us, and our adverſaries. And what was it that made our peace firſt with God? God was in Chriſt reconciling the world; it was the blood of his Son that ſaved our blood, and therefore let al thoſe that are godly go to this God of peace, and not only cry to him by Prayer for the making of a true, and firme peace amongſt us; but preſent unto him the blood of his Son to that end; and ſay; O Lord; thou that ſenteſt thy Son into the world to make peace between our Souls and thee; look upon that blood, and let that blood prevail with thee to make peace in England; that there may be no more of the precious blood of thy Saints ſpilt, and ſhed amongſt us. Here is the way to get peace. And Certainly if the blood of Chriſt were able to make ſuch a peace between us, and God as is firme, and laſting: it wil be able alſo to make peace in this poor Nation; and ſuch a peace as ſhal be firme, and laſting too.
Thus we are incouraged in regard of external condition; in regard of the peace of our land; that ſeeing God hath done the greater, he is able much more to do the leſſer. That ſeeing God hath reconciled mercy, and Juſtice together, and made peace betwixt Heaven, and Earth, when the Breach was ſo great, as al the men in the world, and the Angels in Heaven could not find out a way to compoſe the difference, and make up that breach, yet he hath done it: He can certainly alſo compoſe the differences, and make up the breach that is amongſt us.
CHAp. 24.
Uſe, 5. Thoſe that have aſſurance of their peace with God; highly to priſe it.
HEnce then if our Reconciliation with God be ſuch as hath been opened, and if it be wrought after that way; Then an other Uſe we may make of it is this. Namely: That al thoſe that have any comfortable aſſurance that their peace is made with God, they are to priſe it highly, and not eaſily, and lightly to looſe the aſſurance of it; Why? Becauſe it hath coſt ſo much as it hath done, and it hath been wrought for them after ſuch a ſtrange manner as it hath been; the greateſt work that ever God made; and wherein his wiſdome, and goodneſs, and power hath been ſeen; now that which God hath ſet himſelfe to worke ſo powerfully in, to the end that he might acompliſh it; and that which hath coſt ſo dear as it hath done; that wherein ſo much of the miſtery of Godlineſs is contained; ſuerly then if we have obtained the aſſurance of it in our ſelves, we ſhould highly priſe it, and we ſhould ſeeke to preſerve it, and not looſe it; we know not how. I remember when we opened the excellency of our Reconciliation with God and, what admirable fruits did flow fom it; we had there a Uſe like unto this; that becauſe it is ſo excellent we ſhould preſerve it and not let it go lightly, But now this Uſe is drawn from the way of Reconciliation, that it is a Reconciliation in Chriſt; and in indeed the argument fals more ſtrongly upon us here then it did formerly, before, the argument was, that we ſhould priſe it becauſe we have ſuch comfort in our Reconciliation; becauſe ſuch admirable fruits doe flow from it; becauſe it is able to carry us through al troubles in the world. But now we muſt ſeek to preſerve it, becauſe we have it in Chriſt, becauſe it is that which coſt more then ten thouſand worldes are worth; becauſe God hath wrought ſo wonderfully to bring it ahout. Hath God therefore ſpoken peace to any of your ſouls? take heed that you turn not again to folly; Pſalm: 85.8. I wil hear what the Lord wil ſay, for he wil ſpeak peace to his people and to his Saints; but let not them return again to folly. Haſt thou gotten any comfortable perſwaſion that the Lord is reconciled unto them Chriſt; and God hath made thee to know that Reconciliation with him was a difficult work? it may be it coſt you many tears, and prayers, and much trouble before you could get it, and a long time you were ſeeking of it in a Legal way, and crying unto God for his mercy to pardon your ſins, and Seeking to him in that natural way; but then you could not have peace ſpoken to your hearts, but in time the Lord opened the miſtery of Chriſt unto your ſouls, and then you ſought Reconciliation with him in Chriſt, and you ſaw how that it was in his blood that your peace was made. Have you got peace in an Evangelical way through Chriſt? O! Make much of it; it is a precious Jewel in that it comes to you in ſuch a way as this is; it coſt God dear, and it may coſt you dear; but whether it coſt you dear or no; you may be ſure it coſt God dear, therfore make much of it, do not looſe it: to looſe it fully ſo as God ſhould again be…ome your enemy, that indeed you cannot do; but you may looſe it in your apprehenſions; you may looſe the comfortable aſſurance of it.
There are Two waies that Chriſtians may looſe the comfortable aſſurance of their peace with God. Firſt through the weaknes of their faith, ſecondly through the ſinfulnes of their lives.