England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 40
COLOSSIANS 1.20. And having made peace through the blood of his croſſe.
THe connection of this Verſe with the former, yeelded us ſome things very uſeful, of which you heard the laſt day. We are now to conſider the Verſe in it ſelf; divine favour according to its formality, cauſality, and extent, are here particularly ſet down: According to its formality, and ſo 'tis expreſſed in Synonymicall terms, Peace and reconciliation: according to its cauſality, and this expreſſed and amplified; Chriſts blood, the blood of his croſſe. By that blood which took away Chriſts life, love, between God and the creature, was made. The latitude of this love, how far it reaches, in the laſt words of the verſe is expreſſed, to wit, to things in earth, and to things in Heaven. The love that breathes forth by Chriſt, caſteth rayes and beams over all. The opening of things thus divided, ſhall be one after another, as we come to them.
The grand thing that belongs to our welfare, I am now to enter upon. Our bleſſedneſſe lies in union with the chiefeſt good. Man is ruined, becauſe out with God; God at variance communicates no bleſſings, and man is in hell every where, if he have not bleſſings. A man out with God, may have many things, but no bleſſings: Riches are no bleſſing, honours no bleſſing, knowledge no bleſſing to a man, on whom God frownes. The ſmiles of the Son, comprehend all the vertues, which do felicitate nature: In the love of God is wrapt up our temporall and eternall felicity. Peace and reconciliation ſpeak the ſpeciall love of God.
Definit.Reconciliation, 'tis intire, full, and firm friendſhip between God and fallen mam, by vertue of which, his condition in all things is bleſſed.
Reconciliation ſpeaks friendſhip: God and man are enemies; which falling out is ſad, but God can waſh his hands becauſe it began wholly on mans ſide, he diſliked Gods will, and ſo threw it off, and God diſliked mans practice in this, and ſo threw him off: they are now far off one from another. You that are far off, &c. Not far off according to preſence, but far off according to affection. Man is a hater of the Lord, and the Lord a hater of man. Affection oppoſite, and actions are oppoſite: God and man fight, they ſeek the life of one another: fleſhly luſts fight againſt the ſoule (i.) againſt God in the ſoul. God conſiders mans venimous nature, and purſues him; that which riſeth up againſt me ſhall die: The ſoul that ſins ſhall die. Rebellion is death, by divine Statute, no man ſhall have his book in this caſe, ſaith Juſtice. Reconciliation is that act of Chriſt, which takes off this deadly purſuite: Let not this ſoul die, I have died: Reconciliation ſpeaks compaſſion, compenſation, yea, advocation; one pleads when the Sinner by reaſon of guilt is ſpeechleſſe. If crime be crying, and muſt have blood, let my blood go for it, ſaith Chriſt. Reconciliation, 'tis Chriſt perſonating a ſinner and pleading with a diſpleaſed God, till he be overcome, and think well of one whom he ſaid he would ruine. If we ſin, we have an advocate, &c. Reconſiliation hath advocation; advocation cloſeth ſpirits and and things which differ, and begets right underſtanding, and ſo ſettles amity between ſuch as were at enmity; Chriſt hath ſlain enmity.
This friendſhip which Chriſt worketh between God and man is intire; you have I known of all the people of the earth. God knows ſome above all (i.) loves ſome above all other: Reconciliation ſpeaks peculiar love. God carries a common reſpect to all; he makes the Sun to ſhine upon the good, and upon the bad; as a creator he upholds the whole world, which is great friendſhip, this ſpeaks not reconciliation. Reconciliation ſpeaks fatherly friendſhip. Gods motion is wonderfull, he comes very neer, or goes very far off every one: If he fall out, he kills; if he fall in, he marries: Reconciliation ſpeaks conjugall love, two united, as Father and Son; yea, two united, as Husband and Wife. Chriſt perſonates a ſinner (i.) ſtands under his notion in point of ſin and wrath, and works both off, and then he priviledges a ſinner, he puts his own raiment upon him: The King ſets Moredeai upon his own horſe, and gives him royall apparel, makes him ſtand in his own relation, as a ſon. We are children and heirs [with Chriſt]: this ſpeaks reconciliation, intire union and friendſhip. You fall out, and can never get ſo far in as you were; your hearts are naught: you are reconciled, yet remember ſomething, and for this keep your diſtance; God doth not ſo. Chriſt mediates, and ſin is put quite away, ſo that God remembers iniquity no more: the offender is laid where Chriſt is, in the boſome of God. Reconciliation it hath compenſation, advocation, and remiſſion. There is no iniquity in Jacob; nothing without, nothing withing amiſſe, in that perſon, with whom God is at peace, (i.) nothing amiſſe is imputed. The expreſſion ſets forth that peculiar love, which ſhines in Chriſt upon ſuch, as he mediates for, they are the beautifulleſt in Gods eye of all the world.
Reconciliation ſpeaks full friendſhip: God at peace, all is ours, he could ſay ſo much to Job, Acquaint thy ſelf with God, and be at peace, thereby God ſhall come unto thee (i.) all good, Job 22.21. Communion follows union; if God become a Father, Chriſt will get him to come along with him, and feaſt with you; a father goes oft to his children. My Father and I, will come and ſup, ſaith Chriſt. Reconciliation ſpeaks full communication, feaſting; divine friendſhip is not as humane, that works coldly, and reaches out but a little, leſt it ſhould over-do, and undo; divine friendſhip works freely, becauſe there is no feare of beggering the donor; all his care is, how to make the recipient receptive enough, rich enough. God at peace ſmiles, the rayes of this Sun, make a very rich Region; I cannot tell you the proſperity, that goes along with divine peace. Secular peace wraps up all ſecular good in't, divine peace wraps up all good, Secular and Celeſtiall. My peace I leave with you: Reconciliation is a legacy, a legacie that hath all treaſure in it. In times of peace; wealth comes tumbling in: Reconciliation is a ſtate of great income, a ſoul ſent to from heaven daily, and preſented with the choyceſt gifts that heaven will afford: Reconciliation, it is heaven gates ſet open, and the ſoul given free egreſſe and regreſſe, to ask, receive, and carry away any thing, and this not for once, but alwayes.
Reconciliation ſpeaks firm friendſhip. Love in God is not a paſſion, as 'tis in you; you are off and on for trifles, his kindneſs is everlaſting kindneſſe, With everlaſting kindneſſe will I imbrace thee. God lends his ear to be abuſed by none, concerning any of his children. Satan is an accuſer of the brethren, but God hearkens to nothing which he ſaith. You cannot hearken to accuſation but it takes impreſſion, and affection flattens, which is your weakneſſe. You have many enemies; one ſaith this of you, another that, and God hears all, and yet leſſens not love one whit, but heightens it. A reconciled perſon hath one friend ſure, let the world go which way 'twill, My love ſhall never depart, &c. Whom he loves, he loves to the end, &c. There is no condition ſo tickle as ſecular favourites, a man is an honour to day, and caſt out to morrow; corruption is ſtrong in all, and therefore every little thing by aſſeth us about. No ſtate more ſure, then a divine favourite. Principles within are pure foundation without firm, to wit, Chriſt. Reconciliation ſpeaks perſons beloved for Chriſts ſake, love running thorow a ſure channell, and ſo becoming ſure mercy to the ſoul. God was in Chriſt, reconciling the world to himſelf. Not a man in the world which God loves, but in Chriſt, which is a firm foundation of love. Chriſt waxeth not old, his beauty fadeth not, that the Fathers love ſhould decline thereby. He is the ſame yeſterday, to day, and for ever: All … into this, that I have ſaid, Reconciliation is an intire, full, and firm friendſhip between God and fallen man, by vertue of which his condition is in all things bleſſed.
Ʋſe. Friendſhip is the thing we all make after, only we miſtake the main, and are undone. Whoſe love do you principally make after? Things here below ſmile, and your hearts are at reſt. No man is out with me, yet God may. Divine wrath works as divine love doth, not very viſibly. You cannot diſcern love, nor hatred, ſaith the Holy Ghoſt, by externals: You cannot tell, whether God be in or out with you, by the countenance of men, and the concurrence of outward things. God can give great earthly things, when he is greatly diſpleaſed; he can give a King, in wrath; royall gifts, and yet rage. You may be kings, and yet God in wrath with you: men that have leaſt friendſhip with God, have many times moſt friendſhip with the world, 'tis their portion. Do not loſe your ſouls in a ſnare; your table may be your ſnare; the things about you may be ordered to delude you. Some undo themſelves with what they have, others with what they want: Times are hard, friendſhip of the world needed, and they fall out with God, to get in with than; truth ſleighted to get favour with the world; Ah me! the man hath thrown off God; God will ſhift well enough for himſelf, but what will ſuch a ſoul do? This hard time is an affliction to hundreds, and a curſe to thouſands: Wretched hearts cannot tell what to do with themſelves in ſtraits, and therefore they will rather venture upon the diſpleaſure of God, then diſpleaſe a man, from whom they expect ſomething; ſuch buy a bubble deare, and it ſpeaks a very ill ſtate: I am afraid ſuch have not taſted the bleſſedneſſe which I am upon, to wit, what the love and friendſhip of God is, they ſell it for ſo little.
Perſons in with God, would not be out with him again for all the world. Blind conſciences can do much, ſleepy conſciences can do more, but ſeared conſciences can do any thing, and not be ſtirr'd; this ſpeaks not peace, not a reconciled ſtate: Reconciliation makes tender conſciences; 'tis too much that Chriſt was crucified once, I cannot crucifie him again. Sin is ſlain, the new man tender; ſome friends may fall out, and fight; but Chriſt and a reconciled ſoul cannot: The heart cannot beare a diſagreement, after it's once reconciled to God; much leſſe ſtrike a ſtroke againſt him. The ſoul bleeds a freſh when Chriſt doth, by any ones crucifying of him, much more, when it doth it it ſelf. Temptations tranſport, then a good man is not himſelf, ſuch caſes muſt be ſpoken to alone. Reconciliation makes a very tender union: Sinners view theſe times, they are very bloody; God is out with us certainly, how much doth it trouble you? Are you not the ſame men you were, in the ſame wayes you were? Can a man live in his ſins, and be at peace with God? Can a man be at peace with his luſts, and with his God? Securitie ſlayes us; nothing will breake our hearts, therefore God breakes our names, our ſtates, our bones. Wee flatter our ſelves, but riſe not to our dutie; men thus in with themſelves, are certainly out with God; 'tis Englands heavie plague, if it be any of yours here preſent, abaſe your ſelves. God ſpeakes peace to the contrite; if you cannot judge your ſelves, you will be judged, not juſtified of the Lord. Men that doat upon themſelves, are ſeldome cured of this plague till they die.
God lookes not as man lookes; When you feaſt, he mournes. Victories ſpeake not God reconciled: What victories doe you ſee truth make upon mens luſts? Are not men as dead hearted, as ſtout-hearted, as rotten-hearted, as ever? The workes of God muſt be acknowledged, but not abuſed; you muſt have other things then this or that externall victory, to make a true medium to demonſtrate God reconciled to you. When juſtice kills bodies on one ſide, it may kill as many ſoules on tother ſide; wrath workes without and within. Lord, how many are hardened and fatned, by the bloud of others! Evill men underſtand not judgement, but they that ſeeke the Lord, underſtand all things, Pro. 28.5. A man had need pray over one act of providence a thouſand times, ere he venture to interpret it once; 'tis the higheſt wiſdome in the world, to underſtand the workes of God. The words of God are ambiguous, the workes of God are more ambiguous, yet compared they will illuſtrate one another; but few doe this at all, not one of a thouſand an artiſt this way, and hence 'tis that perſons and Kingdoms cry peace, peace, when there is no peace. Wee take up words and workes by rote, and ruine our ſelves and others. If all the Kings ſide were ſlaine, yet were we never the neerer peace with God, if wee continue to reſiſt his will; He hath many wayes to avenge the quarrell of his Covenant, and to make all ſides know their owne. Nationall peace and perſonall peace, have one foundation, a through imbracing of Chriſt, as you ſee perſons or Kingdomes purſue or faulter herein, ſo feare or hope. He is our peace, which hath made two one, and broken downe the wall of perdition. Chriſt is our peace; as we become one with him, we become one with God, and the creature. Chriſt and we two, God and we are two, God and we out, wee muſt needs be out with one another, and with all the creation.
Chriſt is the knot that knits God and man together, faith is the bond that knits Chriſt and man together; ſome of you complaine that you have no peace, ſurely you have no faith. Broken bleeding hearts, remember who is your peace-maker, and how able he is at the worke. Chriſt is the Prince of peace: he commanded the Seas to be quiet, ſo he can command your conſciences, Chriſt hath balme at command, what ever the Father hath to refreſh, Chriſt hath under his diſpoſe. God reſts in Chriſt; Infinite juſtice reſteth in him, therefore the ſoule cannot but much more finde reſt in him. This is my beloved Son, in whom [I] reſt. Doth God himſelfe finde reſt in Chriſt concerning ſinne, whoſe puritie is ſo exact? And canſt not thou? God can object nothing, but Chriſt anſwers it: and canſt thou non-plus Chriſt? Satan is a ſophiſter; temptation abuſeth troubled ſpirits, ſuch cannot ſee neither the ſufficiency, nor the willingneſſe of Chriſt to ſettle their condition. 'Tis a trouble to Chriſt, that you bleed ſo inwardly; he would have but one bleed; his bowels turne and beat within him, to ſee your wounds raw and open; he would bind them up, and powre oyle into them, and carry your ſoules to his lodging, and lay them in the breaſt of his Father, and your Father, where is reſt indeed, and you will not. Reconciliation is either virtually, or actually conſidered: the foundation of our peace between Chriſt and the Father, was laid a great while agoe, but actually finiſhed between Chriſt and us, when wee believe: the firſt act doth ingage to the ſecond, that God is at peace with Chriſt, O troubled ſoules, 'tis an aſſurance that he will be at peace with you, and you ſhould plead it, and build upon it.