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

CHAP. 72. The Twelfth Argument: Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners.

CHAP. 72. The Twelfth Argument: Manifesting the exce•ding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners.

Another way is this: in answering all Objections that lie in the hearts of sinners: whatsoever Objections ⟨p. 336⟩lie in the hearts of sinners, God hath ways to answer all those, and he doth it in his word, and by his Spirit; As now, What would a sinner object? If you object your unworthiness of such mercies as God doth offer unto you, and therefore it is unlikely that ever God will bestow that mercy on you: observe, Esa. 55. there is a place that God intends directly to answer that objection, that it may never hinder any sinner from coming in unto him: saith God, Come ye to the waters, and he that hath no monies, come ye, buy and eat: yea come buy Wine, and Milk without money, and without price. Note in one verse there is three times Come without Money; he that hath no Money come and Eat, and then, buy without Money, and then without price, What is the meaning of this? here you are to know; that the promises of the Gospel are set out to you by Wine, & Milk, & so by bread, afterwards by those things that are most delightful & most useful for the nature of man; the Gospel is set out by such things, and so it is in Scripture by things that are the most excellent of all. Sometimes by a Kingdom; for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand: there is the argument; the Kingdom of God is at hand. and sometimes by a marriage; when God sends to people to be reconciled, he sends to them with this Argument; that it is to marry them to his Son. And sometimes by a Supper; that God the Father invites too; a Supper wherein there is all kind of dainties: the great King makes a Supper at the marriage of his Son, and there are powerful Arguments that God useth.