Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 26 – Chapter 27
CHAP. 26. We may looſe the aſſerance of our Peace with God by our ſinful walking.
SEcondly we may come to looſe our peace, the aſſurance of our peace with God, through ſinfulnes; through our looſe, and carnal walking with God; by this means we may come to fear, that ſuch walking cannot ſtand with the condition of a Beleever; and then indeed a beleever is put to a nonplus and it wil be a great while before he can be ſatisfied. In the other, when it is but a dayly infirmity, and when it is ſuch as he ſtrivs againſt, he is eaſily ſatisfied; but when it comes to that, that it is very like walking after the fleſh; as indeed many fal ſo fouly, as you can ſcarcly perceive any difference between one that works after the fleſh, and him; his exceedingly clouds the light of Gods favour, and exceedingly hinders the Comfort of his peace with God And O, how juſtly may the Lord abraid thee, and ſay what, did I ſet that infinit wiſdome of mine a work to find out ſuch a way of Reconciliation with thee? and is it worth no 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 …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.