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

CHAP. 30 God [was] reconciling the world to himself from all eternity, opened.

And thus we have gone through that point of Gods being reconciled to us in Christ. There is another; Namely. The Sixth thing propounded in the first Chapter viz. That God [was] reconciling the world to himself in his son. The work of our Reconciliation, is not a work of yesterday; it is a work that God was doing from all eternity; for the point is from that particle he [was] this work; for God to reconcile us to himself in his son, hath taken up the heart of God from all eternity. That place in Titus, 1.2. Is most remarkable for this In hope of eternal Life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began: he not only promised it now; but he promised it before the world began. who was there before the world began to whom God made this promise? There was his Son Jesus Christ. So then, that is the meaning when he saith God [was] reconciling himself to the world; that there was from all eternity, a transaction as it were between God the ⟨p. 142⟩Father, and God the son about our Reconciliation: there was not only a purpose in […] ••om all eternity that he would reconcile the world to •elf; but there was a real, and actual transaction between the Father and Son about it; an agreement between God the Father, and God the Son about it. Gods Wisdom from all eternity was exercised to find out a way. Secondly, Gods purpose was from all eternity to do it. And Thirdly, There was a transaction between God the Father, and God the Son from all Eternity for to do it: they did covenant one with the other: God the Father told his Son what he required of him; and God the Son promised to the Father to do it; there was such a transaction as this; and therefore the scripture saith, it was promised before the world began; God the Father did promise to his Son before the world began what he would do for those that he would die for; as if he should have said. Thou art content to lay down thy life, and to shed thy blood? Yea, saith the Son, I am: well, saith the Father, I will be reconciled unto them, and I will save their souls; they shall have eternal life for their portion; this I promise thee; and so, it was promised to Christ first. It is true the promises of the Gospel are sweet, and they should rejoice our hearts; I had perished in my affliction saith David, had I not had regard unto thy word: nothing more sweet to a soul then the promises are;