1Caution. Let none mistake me in any thing I have delivered in any of these Sermons about God's being Reconciled in Christ, &c. so as to think he is at Peace, Reconciled, and well pleased with the Elect, whilst they remain in a State of Enmity against him, being vile and notorious Sinners: God can't but hate Sin wherever it is, and loath the unrenewed. Sinner, when he looks upon them as ⟨p. 301⟩in the first Adam, or as in their Filthiness, for as such he hates and loathes them, but as he looks upon any Persons in Christ, so he loves them, and is at Peace, and well pleased with them; God sees not as Man sees, for he sees a Man Condemned and Justified at one and the same time; nay, as being in this World, and yet as being in the World to come, but whatever sight of Things, or of Persons God hath, or how we are looked upon and Justified in his sight in Christ, is one thing, and what the State of Persons are (or what Things and Persons may be said to be) as they actually are, or when they actually exist, (or in a proper Sense and Acceptation) is another thing; for it is ridiculous to say, That a Man in a proper Sense is actually or personally Condemned and Justified, Dead and yet Alive at one and the same time, or is in the first Adam, and yet in the second, or in a State of Wrath, and yet in a State of Grace, at one and the same moment: Nay, and dangerous it is for any to say, that a wicked Man whilst he is so, is an Object of God's Delight, or that such a Person is actually Justified, and that God is at Peace, and well pleased with him, it being so directly contrary to the Testimony of God's Word, and the Witness of the Divine Spirit. The Sum therefore of what I say and mean is this: When I say God in Christ is Reconciled to Sinners, viz. God having chosen his Elect in Christ from Eternity, was Reconciled to them in him as the Way and Means of the Procurement of their Peace, or of their Recovery out ⟨p. 302⟩of the Fall, or out of their lapsed State foreseen by him; but to say he was actually reconciled to them, personally considered from Eternity*, or from the Death of Christ, seems absurd and improper: For how could he be said to be Reconciled to this or that Person, before that Person had any personal Existencies, or Being;
1Caution. Let none mistake me in any thing I have delivered in any of these Sermons about God's being Reconciled in Christ, &c. so as to think he is at Peace, Reconciled, and well pleased with the Elect, whilst they remain in a State of Enmity against him, being vile and notorious Sinners: God can't but hate Sin whereever it is, and loath the unrenewed. Sinner, when he looks upon them as ⟨p. 301⟩in the first Adam, or as in their Filthiness, for as such he hates and loaths them, but as he looks upon any Persons in Christ, so he loves them, and is at Peace, and well pleased with them; God sees not as Man sees, for he sees a Man Condemned and Justified at one and the same time; nay, as being in this World, and yet as being in the World to come, but whatever sight of Things, or of Persons God hath, or how we are lookt upon and Justified in his sight in Christ, is one thing, and what the State of Persons are (or what Things and Persons may be said to be) as they actually are, or when they actually exist, (or in a proper Sense and Acceptation) is another thing; for it is ridiculous to say, That a Man in a proper Sense is actually or personally Condemned and Justified, Dead and yet Alive at one and the same time, or is in the first Adam, and yet in the second, or in a State of Wrath, and yet in a State of Grace, at one and the same moment: Nay, and dangerous it is for any to say, that a wicked Man whilst he is so, is an Object of God's Delight, or that such a Person is actually Justified, and that God is at Peace, and well pleased with him, it being so directly contrary to the Testimony of God's Word, and the Witness of the Divine Spirit. The Sum therefore of what I say and mean is this: When I say God in Christ is Reconciled to Sinners, viz. God having chosen his Elect in Christ from Eternity, was Reconciled to them in him as the Way and Means of the Procurement of their Peace, or of their Recovery out ⟨p. 302⟩of the Fall, or out of their lapsed State foreseen by him; but to say he was actually reconciled to them, personally considered from Eternity*, or from the Death of Christ, seems absurd and improper: For how could he be said to be Reconciled to this or that Person, before that Person had any personal Existencies, or Being;
- 1A Needful Caution.
- *Tho you have heard that I own a Federal Union from Eternity.Tho you have heard that I own a Foederal Ʋnion from Eternity.
