The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…

This is the second benefit which in order of nature follows our Justification, although sometime in a large sense it is taken for the whole work of Justification; strictly taken, it follows it, Rom. 5.1. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, i. e. not only peace from God in our consciences, but peace with God in our reconcilement to him, and his favour toward us: Being justified, we shall be saved from wrath, i. e. not only the outward fruits of wrath, but wrath from whence those come; Christ is first King of Righteousness, then King of Peace, Heb. 7.2. for is not sin the cause of ⟨p. 273⟩Gods anger? must not sin therefore be first removed in our justification, before we can have Gods anger allayed in our reconciliation? so that as in our justification the Lord accounts us just, so in our reconciliation (himself being at peace with us) he accounts us friends; indeed our meritorious reconciliation is by Christs death; as the Kings son who procures his fathers favour toward a Malefactor, who yet lies in cold irons and knows it not; and this is before our justification or being, Rom. 5.9. but actual and efficacious reconciliation, whereby we come to the fruition and possession of it, is after our justification, Rom. 3.24, 25. Christ is a propitiation by faith, and here the Malefactor hath tidings of favour, if he will accept of it, Ephes. 2.15, 17. and of this I now speak: God and man were once friends, but by sin a great breach is made, the Lord only bearing the wrong is justly provoked, Isa. 65.2, 3. man that only doth the wrong, is notwithstanding at enmity with him, and will not be entreated to accept of favour, much less to repent of his wrong, Jer. 8.4, 5, 6, 7, 8. the Lord Jesus therefore heals this breach by being mediator between both; he takes up the quarrel, and first reconciles God to man, and man to God, in himself in redemption, and after this reconciles God and man