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

let him be now presented unto God, then the ways of God are bloody, and show full of wrath. Let this man again be converted unto God and now the glass is changed and God representeth himself another way, but still the same God; only according to the several ways of the Creature, so are his several actings. Therefore those that will go to speak of God as he is in himself, who is but one act, they are apt to lead you into abundance of errors, because they are not able to manage their apprehensions of him as he is in himself; therefore they draw such ill Consequences from God. They will tell you that God is unchangeable, how then can you be under the wrath of God, when he loves you from all eternity? Yes; The same God that can look upon the Creature in one Consideration with love; he may look upon the same Creature in another Consideration with hatred. We Converts, (saith the Apostle) were the Children of wrath as well as others by nature; in that respect there was no difference between us, and others. I will but put this to these men: Was not there a time when Jesus Christ was under Gods wrath? yet God loved his Son from all eternity, he always loved him; yet, there was a time when he was under the wrath of God; that is, Christ being presented unto God with our nature, with our sins, Gods ways towards him was (as we may say) in a red way: so we may understand, that even those that are elect, God loving of them from all eternity, they may yet be in a state of enmity unto God, he working upon the Creature according to the several Considerations of it; so that while he is walking contrary unto God, God is also walking contrary unto him. So that thus you see what ⟨p. 21⟩this Reconciliation is. This enmity is taken away; that is, whereas before God did shine upon them through a red reflection; now that is gone, and he shines upon them through a white glass; this dreadful wrath of his that is out against them, and that Contrariety of God in his ways against them is quite taken away. This is the first.

let him be now presented unto God, then the waies of God are bloody, and shew full of wrath. Let this man again be converted unto God and now the glass is changed and God representeth himself another way, but still the same God; only according to the several waies of the Creature, so are his several actings. Therefore those that wil go to speak of God as he is in himself, who is but one act, they are apt to lead you into abundance of errors, because they are not able to mannage their apprehensions of him as he is in himself; therefore they draw such ill Consequences from God. They wil tel you that God is unchangable, how then can you be under the wrath of God, when he loves you from all eternity? Yes; The same God that can look upon the Creature in one Consideration with love; he may look upon the same Creature in another Consideration with hatred. We Converts, (saith the Apostle) were the Children of wrath as well as others by nature; in that respect there was no difference between us, and others. I will but put this to these men: Was not there a time when Jesus Christ was under Gods wrath? yet God loved his Son from al eternity, he alwaies loved him; yet, there was a time when he was under the wrath of God; that is, Christ being presented unto God with our nature, with our sins, Gods ways towards him was (as we may say) in a red way: so we may understand, that even those that are elect, God loving of them from all eternity, they may yet be in a state of enmity unto God, he working upon the Creature according to the several Considerations of it; so that while he is walking contrary unto God, God is also walking contrary unto him. So that thus you see what