Gospel reconciliation, or, Christ's trumpet of peace to the world

Consequence. 3

The third thing that may be said of it, is this; That it is sure and certain, there is a certainty, a sureness of this Reconciliation; Why? Because God hath wrought so strangely about the work, and he would never work so strangely about such a work but he would have it come to somewhat; he would not have this work (after he hath done all) to vanish. Those indeed that hold the Doctrine of free will, and say, that indeed there is a price paid upon condition if we do believe, but we are left to our selves, either to believe or not believe, and God only propounds the means; What do they teach but thus much? That after all the Counsels of God that are wrought for our Reconciliation, and after those great things which God hath done for us in Christ, it is in the power of man to make all to be void and of none effect, and that there should not be any one man in the world reconciled at last; for it must needs follow, that if it be left to man to believe or not to believe, and that it is in his power whether he will or not; then it is in his power likewise to make all the Counsels of God, and the great works of God in Christ to be of none effect at all; that after God hath from all eternity plotted the work, and sent his own Son into the world to be made a Curse for the sin of man, to die & to make all that ado, & all that work about the matter of Reconciliation, & Atonement; yet, (if that Doctrine were true which is a Beelzebub error a false Doctrine ⟨p. 94⟩of the greatest magnitude) it had been possible, hat (notwithstanding the doing of all this) all had een lost, and Christ might have dyed in vain, and not one soul in the world saved; I say this must needs follow upon that Doctrine. But now if that we hear that there is so much done, as there is for the making up of our peace & Reconciliation with God; then on the other side, this must necessarily follow, & certainly be concluded on, that there are some that are to be reconciled to God, and that this work shall never be lost; God will never plot so great a work, and send his Son into the world to do so much as he did for the sin of man, and at last suffer it all to be lost; but he will certainly bring some unto salvation. I confess, when a poor sinner, that is made sensible of what sin is, and of the Breach that sin hath made between him, and God;