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

7. This door, Oh! it is a door of mercy by mercy, and therefore be thankful, (I say) it is a door of mercy by mercy. Brethren, had God opened a door of hope, though it had been the valley of Achor in the other sense, though God had given us the valley of Achor for a door of hope, in the other sense that the words are ordinarily taken in, that is, the valley of trouble, if God had brought never such troubles upon England, and we had been in never such trouble and confusion for the present, yet if God had made this a door of hope to bring in mercy, we had infinite cause of thankfulness. But yet this is his goodness, that we have a door of hope of mercy by mercy we may say of this door, as the scripture saith of that door in 1 Kings, 6.31. And for the entering of the ⟨p. 411⟩oracle he made doors of Olive trees, two doors also of Olive trees and carved; The doors of the Temple they were made of the Olive trees, and the Olive you know is a symbol of peace; our door of hope it is made of Olive trees, Oh! we might have had iron doors, and gates to rend our flesh, and we might have passed through fire and water to have come at mercy, but (beloved) we have a door of Olive trees, of abundance of mercies, yea, such a door in the entrance of which we find abundance of mercies, at the very threshold of the door, Oh! what mercies have been found already (I say) in the beginning of the endeavours of those that have been our door keepers, or rather our doors of hope, what abundance of Mercies have been found already? so that I may say of the endeavours of those assembled now in Parliament, as it is said there in the book of the Canticles, of the Churches endeavours in the time of reformation, for so that place is by many understood, in 5 Canti. 5. I rose up to open to my beloved, what then? And my hand dropped with Myrrh, and my Fingers with sweet smelling Myrrh, upon the •andles of the Lock; what is the meaning of this? The Church of God when Christ had called by his spirit, afterwards stirred by his Grace, began to endeavour reformation, and the very first endeavouring of reformation, when they were but entered upon the door of reformation, Oh!

7. This door, Oh! it is a door of mercy by mercy, and therefore be thankful, (I say) it is a door of mercy by mercy. Bretheren, had God opened a door of hope, though it had been the vally of Achor in the other sence, though God had given us the vally of Achor for a door of hope, in the other sence that the words are ordinarily taken in, that is, the vally of trouble, if God had brought never such troubles upon England, and we had been in never such trouble and confusion for the present, yet if God had made this a door of hope to bring in mercy, we had infinite cause of thankfulness. But yet this is his goodness, that we have a door of hope of mercy by mercy we may say of this door, as the scripture saith of that door in