The display of glorious grace, or, The covenant of peace opened in fourteen sermons…

V. It doth not only declare, but also proclaim this Peace, and Reconciliation; Deliverance is proclaimed to the Captives;¹ The Lord hath Anointed me to Preach good Tidings to the ⟨p. 154⟩Meek, he hath sent me to bind up the Broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the opening the Prison to them that are bound—To proclaim the acceptable Year of the Lord, &c. or the Year of the Great Jubilee: The Sinner is told, his Debts are paid, requiring him to believe this; nay, Proclamation is made of Free Pardon,² to all that believe, That they shall not perish, but have Everlasting Life; and that God hath received the uttermost Farthing of our vast Debt, and that Christ hath received a Discharge, as our Surety for all the Elect; and that he hath not done what he did in part, or by halfs, but that it is fully, wholly, and completely done, and that for ever; our Faith adding nothing to that Satisfaction: The Gospel doth not proclaim a Conditional Peace, or Reconciliation, or that God is only reconcilable; so that if the Sinner performs his part, God will be fully reconciled; that is, if the Sinner repents, believes is Regenerated, or answers the Rule of the Promise, as some speak. I know no such Conditional Gospel, or Proclamation; but those Conditions which Jesus Christ was to perform, which was not only to reconcile God to us, but us also to God: Can that be the Condition of Life on our part which Christ hath engaged in the Covenant to do?³ viz. to bring us into a State of Peace; Them I must bring—Nay,⁴ God hath promised to give us a new Heart,⁵ and put a new Spirit into us.⁶ Moreover, Christ is exalted to be a Prince, and a Saviour, to give Repentance to Israel, and Remission of Sins.