Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 31
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 grea… 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 onelyonly 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 onelyonly a purpoſe, but here is grace beſides purpoſe; there was not onelyonly 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 onelyonly 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 …e ſon before now, for he makes that to be the ground of their beleife; he doth not make their givi… …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; th… …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 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.