A30581:134
Gospel reconciliation, or, Christ's trumpet of peace to the world wherein is showed (besides many other gospel truth) ... that there was a breach made between God and man ... to which is added two sermons / by Jeremiah Burroughs.Gospel reconciliation, or, Christ's trumpet of peace to the world wherein is shewed (besides many other gospel truth) ... that there was a breach made between God and man ... to which is added two sermons / by Jeremiah Burroughs.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1657
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
That we may conclude this particular of the excellency of our Reconciliation with God: there is ⟨p. 51⟩yet another Use which we may make of it. And that is this.
THat we may conclude this particular of the excellency of our Reconciliation with God: there is ⟨p. 51⟩yet another Use which we may make of it. And that is this.
Use 3.
If it be of such a great excellency to be at peace with God: O that you would all be in love with it, that you would all seek to make your peace with him who is the great Reconciler.
If it be of such a great excellency to be at peace with God: O that you would al be in love with it, that you would al seek to make your peace with him who is the great Reconciler.
You will say, Can we make our peace with God?
You wil say, Can we make our peace with God?
No, you cannot do it, but it is in a great part done to your hands if you have but hearts to seek after it. It is true, there is another point (but that will fall in afterward) to show how it is done to the hand of some already. But for the present, you must know, that you can have no evidence to your own Conscience, till you seek after this peace: and the truth is if we either knew the need of it, or the excellency of the enjoyment of it, we would never be at rest in any thing till we come to be assured that it is ours.
No, you cannot do it, but it is in a great part done to your hands if you have but hearts to seek after it. It is true, there is another point (but that wil fal in afterward) to shew how it is done to the hand of some already. But for the present, you must know, that you can have no evidence to your own Conscience, til you seek after this peace: and the truth is if we either knew the need of it, or the excellency of the injoyment of it, we would never be at rest in any thing til we come to be assured that it is ours.
You will say, What shall we do?
You wil say, What shal we do?
I Answer; though we know that it is the great work of Christ to make our peace with God; yet God requires this, and in requiring it (if you belong to him) he will convey some secret influences of his grace into you to enable you to do it; be will give you a heart to labour for it, which indeed is one sign of our peace.
I Answer; though we know that it is the great work of Christ to make our peace with God; yet God requires this, and in requiring it (if you belong to him) he wil convey some secret influences of his grace into you to inable you to do it; be wil give you a heart to labor for it, which indeed is one signe of our peace.
And therefore let me persuade you to do what you can, do but keep (for the present) from the outward acts of sin; and do not wilfully give way to the inward or outward acts of sin, labour to get your hearts to this, that may you say, the Lord knows I do not wilfully yield to any known sin, convince your hearts, possess your hearts throughly with this, that it is the great work that you have to do in the world, that this is that one thing that is necessary for your souls, and you shall find, that even this will be a mighty thing to help you on.
And therefore let me perswade you to do what you can, do but keep (for the present) from the outward acts of sin; and do not willfully give way to the inward or outward acts of sin, labor to get your hearts to this, that may you say, the Lord knows I do not wilfully yield to any known sin, convince your hearts, possess your hearts throughly with this, that it is the great work that you have to do in the world, that this is that one thing that is necessary for your souls, and you shal find, that even this wil be a mighty thing to help you on.
Again, Labour to set God Continually before you; ⟨p. 52⟩the greatness of God, the Majesty of God, the power of God, the goodness of God, labour to set these before you, thereby to draw your hearts to seek after your making your peace with God. There is an excellent Scripture in Isa. 27.5. That hath some difficulty for the understanding of it, but it is very sweet if rightly understood. Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me, and he shall make Peace with me: it is a strange kind of Phrase, and I find a great deal of difference amongst Interpreters about this text. I find Mr. Calvin, that usually hits as right as most, carrying of it by way of interrogation, and so he saith you may read it thus. Will he take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me? as if he should have said, what will he do? will he stay so long till he come to be made sensible of my power upon him, and of my strength to bring him down? and then it may be he will make peace with me. Thus many do, they stay till God comes to make them sensible of his power, and of his strength, and then they will make their peace with God. But I can hardly think this to be the scope, only it is a very good meditation to set God before you in his power, & in his strength, & in his glory, and to meditate with your selves thus: O, if the Lord should come now, and make me apprehensive, and sensible of that power, and strength of his, indeed this will stir up my heart to seek to make my peace with him. What is the reason that there comes so many shrieks, and cryings from souls when they are sensible of Gods power, and strength? O! they well know what a mighty God they have to do withal: the truth is the reason why men do not make it their work now to seek Reconciliation and peace with God; it is because they are not apprehensive of the power, and majesty, and glory that is in God, how God is above them, and can bring them under, and make them vile, and base when he pleaseth. Therefore it is a good interpretation of the words, Will he take hold, or apprehend my strength, ⟨p. 53⟩(so the word signifies) that he may make peace with me? But to me, the meaning is rather this, will he rather make use of my goodness, and my mercy, and so make peace with me? For that is the strength that is here meant, and that I shall show you from the dependence;
only first let me tell you, that in Scripture [Strength] is often used for Gods goodness, and mercy, his power to do good, as well as his power to inflict misery, and judgment. I will give you but a scripture or two for that. Num. 14.17. And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, the Lord is of long Suffering, & of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, &c. And in vers, 19. Pardon I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of thy mercy. When Moses is pleading with God for a pacification between him and his people, he makes use of Gods power, O Lord (saith he) according to the greatness of thy power, or according to the greatness of thy strength (for it is all one) do this. So Psal. 27. The Lord is the strength of my life; where Gods power, and strength are terms used to set out the way of God towards David. And here the word doth signify such a kind of strength as is to help a thing that is very weak, that as the Vine being very weak, and being left to itself, falls down, and therefore you use to put props under your Vines which have more strength in them than the Vines have in themselves to keep them up, and that is the very word in the Original which is translated [Strength] as if God should have said, will he take hold on me, as on a prop? And that this is the meaning of it, appears by the dependence of the words, for the Prophet in that Chapter was speaking of the goodness of God to his Vineyard, vers. 2. In that day Sing you unto her a Vineyard of Red wine, I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment, least any hurt it, I will keep it night and day: what a sweet promise is this of God to his Church: Are there a great many enemies ⟨p. 54⟩abroad that are strong and powerful, and of swift feet, ready to shed blood? mark, in one verse you shall read three I's, I, I, I, saith God; I oppose my self to all the enemies of my Church: I do keep it, I will water it every moment, I will keep it: but what shall become of it in the night? I will keep it saith he, night and day. We have here a promise to help us to sleep quietly. Well, he goes on, verse 4. Fury is not in me; though it is true, I may come against you in such ways that you may think I am provoked, but saith he, fury is not in me, I am not provoked in a revenging way towards my people.
