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

4. This door of hope was opened to us, when in our own thoughts we give all up for lost, when we even thought in our selves, that God had for eternity shut the door against us, Oh! how have the ministers of God in former times been crying up judgments, and our guilty consciences did close with those truths, and say, surely now God is gone, peace is gone, Christ is gone, hope of God for posterity is even gone, we are made a prey to their teeth, and even swallowed up and now after that we gave up all for gone, and did conclude that God had shut the door for ever against us: yet now for God to open a door of hope, this may work upon our consciences to sanctify the Lords name, and to follow the Lord with all our might in this way of mercy. Yea, shall I say further in the fifth place.

4. This door of hope was opened to us, when in our own thoughts we give al up for lost, when we even thought in our selves, that God had for eternity shut the door against us, Oh! how have the ministers of God in former times been crying up judgments, and our guilty consciences did close with those truths, and say, surely now God is gone, peace is gone, Christ is gone, hope of God for posterity is even gone, we are made a prey to their teeth, and even swallowed up and now after that we gave up al for gone, and did conclude that God had shut the door for ever against us: yet now for God to open a door of hope, this may work upon our conscences to sanctify the Lords name, and to follow the Lord with all our might in this way of mercy. Yea, shal I say further in the fift place.

5. Consider with what a mighty hand this door of hope was opened to you; I remember I have read that Josephus speaking concerning the destruction of the Temple, he saith that at the time a little before the Temple was destroyed, that the Temple door that refused to be opened by thirty men, it was so great that it required the service of thirty men every morning to open the ⟨p. 410⟩door, and every night to shut it, yet a little before the destruction of the Temple, that door flew open alone of its own accord, and they took it as a mighty ominous thing, as the hand of God. Surely this door of hope could not have been opened by all the skill and power of men, they could not conceive the way, God came by his immediate hand and opened it, a mighty hand, an out stretched arm of God hath taken the bars away, and opened this door of hope, now to abuse it, or not to thank the name of God in that, in which Gods hand hath seemed remarkable, Oh! this is a grievous sin, and a mighty provoking of God, since this is the door that Gods mighty hand hath opened. Again further.