A77360:354
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation. : Gods return to the soul, or nation; together with his preventing mercy. : Delivered in ten sermons, (viz.) 1. Christs personal excellencies, the object of our love. 2. Christ crucified, the object of our faith. 3. The new covenant of grace opened. 4. Christ the mediator of the new covenant. 5. The way and spirit of the new covenant, or New Testament. 6. The blood of sprinkling. 7. The sweetness and profitableness of divine meditation. 8. The work and way of this meditation. 9. Gods return to the soul and nation. 10. Preventing mercy. / By W.B.
London: printed for N. Ranew, 1667
Sermons › Sermon 4: Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant. SERMON IV.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Some times God is said to love, or to be angr• ⟨p. 85⟩or to hate, in reference to his dispensations; and so the Elect, that are loved from all Eternity, are born the children of wrath, in regard of legal dispensation. Elect we are, and so loved, in regard of Gods eternal good will, and yet under wrath when we are born, in regard of legal dispensation.
2. You must know that this reconciliation with God, or God being reconciled to us, doth not make a real change in the inward affection of God, but in the outward dispensation of God.
3. You must know this; That God may be willing to be reconciled unto us, in regard of his eternal good will, and yet not be actually reconciled in regard of his dispensations. As David was willing to be reconciled to Absalom, but he was not actually reconciled, and therefore Joab comes as a Mediator between them, to bring about the actual reconciliation. And if you look into the last of Job, you will find, as Macovius doth well observe to the purpose in hand, That when God was very angry with Eliphaz and his friends (insomuch as the Lord said to Eliphaz at the 7th verse, My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends) that yet notwithstanding, then God puts them upon a means of taking away his displeasure: Therefore take unto you now seven Bullocks, and seven Rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for your selves a burnt offering, and my servant Job shall pray for you, and mediate for you. So that God was angry, and his wrath kindled, yet he was willing to be reconciled, and finds out a Mediator to bring about this actual reconciliation. And so here, although God be angry with his own Elect, in regard of the dispensation, yet notwithstanding he may be willing to be reconciled,