Many by mistaking the doctrine of Christs Intercession, do think of God the Father, as one that is all wrath and justice, and unwilling of himself to be reconciled unto man: and of the second person in the Trinity, as more gracious and merciful, whose mediation abateth the wrath of the Father, and with much ado maketh him willing to have mercy on us. Whereas it is the Love of God, which is the original of our Redemption, and it was Gods loving the world, which provoked him to give his Son to be their Redeemer, John 3.16. Rom. 8.32. And God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing to them their trespasses, 2 Cor. 5.19. And therefore we still read of Christs reconciling man to God, and not the phrase of his reconciling God to man: Not but that both are truly wrought by Christs mediation; (For the Scripture frequently speaketh of Gods hating the workers of iniquity, and of his vindictive Justice, and of that propitiating and atonement, which signifieth the same thing:) But the reason is, because the enmity began on mans part, and not on Gods, by mans forsaking God, and turning his love from him to the creature, and not by Gods forsaking man; and the change of mans state and heart towards God, by true reconciliation, will make him again capable of peace with God; and as soon as man is made an object fit for the complacency of God, it cannot be but that God will again take complacency in him; so that the real change must be only on man; and then that relative or denominative change which must be on God, will thence immediately result.
Many by mistaking the doctrine of Christs Intercession, do think of God the Father, as one that is all wrath and justice, and unwilling of himself to be reconciled unto man: and of the second person in the Trinity, as more gracious and merc•ful, whose mediation abateth the wrath of the Father, and with much ado maketh him willing to have mercy on us. Whereas it is the Love of God, which is the original of our Redemption, and it was Gods loving the world, which provoked him to give his Son to be their Redeemer, John 3.16. Rom. 8.32. And God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing to them their trespasses, 2 Cor. 5.19. And therefore we still read of Christs reconciling man to God, and not the phrase of his reconciling God to man: Not but that both are truly wrought by Christs mediation; (For the Scripture frequently speaketh of Gods hating the workers of iniquity, and of his vindictive Justice, and of that propitiating and attonement, which signifieth the same thing:) But the reason is, because the enmity began on mans part, and not on Gods, by mans forsaking God, and turning his love from him to the creature, and not by Gods forsaking man; and the change of mans state and heart towards God, by true reconciliation, will make him again capable of peace with God; and as soon as man is made an object fit for the complacency of God, it cannot be but that God will again take complacency in him; so that the real change must be only on man; and then that relative or denominative change which must be on God, will thence immediately result.
