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

CHAp. 24.

Use, 5. Those that have assurance of their peace with God; highly to prise it.

Hence then if our Reconciliation with God be such as hath been opened, and if it be wrought after that way; Then an other Use we may make of it is this. Namely: That all those that have any comfortable assurance that their peace is made with God, they are to prise it highly, and not easily, and lightly to loose the assurance of it; Why? Because it hath cost so much as it hath done, and it hath been wrought for them after such a strange manner as it hath been; the greatest work that ever God made; and wherein his wisdom, and goodness, and power hath been seen; now that which God hath set himself to work so powerfully in, to the end that he might accomplish it; and that which hath cost so dear as it hath done; that wherein so much of the mystery of Godliness is contained; surely then if we have obtained the assurance of it in our selves, we should highly prise it, and we should seek to preserve it, and not loose it; we know not how. I remember when we opened the excellency of ⟨p. 122⟩our Reconciliation with God and, what admirable fruits did flow from it; we had there a Use like unto this; that because it is so excellent we should preserve it and not let it go lightly, But now this Use is drawn from the way of Reconciliation, that it is a Reconciliation in Christ; and in indeed the argument falls more strongly upon us here then it did formerly, before, the argument was, that we should prise it because we have such comfort in our Reconciliation; because such admirable fruits do flow from it; because it is able to carry us through all troubles in the world. But now we must seek to preserve it, because we have it in Christ, because it is that which cost more then ten thousand worlds are worth; because God hath wrought so wonderfully to bring it about. Hath God therefore spoken peace to any of your souls? take heed that you turn not again to folly; Psalm: 85.8. I will hear what the Lord will say, for he will speak peace to his people and to his Saints; but let not them return again to folly. Hast thou gotten any comfortable persuasion that the Lord is reconciled unto them Christ; and God hath made thee to know that Reconciliation with him was a difficult work?