Gospel reconciliation, or, Christ's trumpet of peace to the world wherein is shewed (besides many other gospel truth) ... that there was a breach made between God and man ... to which is added two sermons / by Jeremiah Burroughs.

USE 3.

Thirdly, A third Use of Gods beginning the work of Reconciliation with us; is the Use that the Apostle him∣self makes in Rom. 5.10. If when we were enimies to God we were reconciled unto him by the death of his Son; how much more being reconciled we shal be saved by his life: here you see the Apostles inference upon Gods gratiousness in himself; he being willing to be re∣conciled, when we were enimies; much more being recon∣ciled we shal be saved: as if he should have said; al the goodness of God towards poor wretched sinful Crea∣tures, when we were desperate enemes to him, and never thought of coming in to be reconciled unto him, yet the Lord himself finds out a way; and begins the work of making peace between him and our souls: surely then, being reconciled unto him, we shal be saved: What, shal God when we were a going on in a desperate way of enmity against him, shal this God come then to us, and have thoughts of peace and Love, and mercy to us? sure∣ly when we are reconciled, when we have hearts in some measure to love this God, and to serve, and fear him, he wil not cast us off; certainly no, it is better with us now than before. When we were enemies unto him, and desperate enemies, it had been then no wonder if God had cast us off, and sent us to our own places to lie for ever under the infinite burden of his wrath; but the Lord had then thoughts of peace towards us, it is there∣fore now far otherwise with us; though it is true, we have many corruptions in us, but we can appeal unto God that our Souls love him, and that the desire of our hearts are to fear, and serve him; we can in some mea∣sure be able to say; Lord, thou that knowest al things, knowest, that there is nothing in the world our Souls desire more than to overcome these Corruptions; there is no burden in al the world like unto the burden of

sin; there is nothing so grievous to us as this, that we have such vile hearts and natures that can serve him no better than we do; and if God should ask us what we would have from him, we can say in the sincerity of our souls; Lord thou knowest we would not ask Riches, or Honors, to be Kings, and Princes in the world; but Oh, that we might be delivered from the remayner of the corruption that is in our hearts, from such, and such distempers of our Souls whereby we dishonor thy name continually: Certainly if the hearts of men be in this disposition, they may gather a comfortable argument to themselves, and conclude thus: There was a time that I went on as a dsperate enemy unto God, and I lived without God in the world, and never minded the power, and the majesty, and the Dominion of God over me, but as if I were born to nothing else but to sin against God; I followed my own lusts with al manner of greediness, but behold then, even at that time the Lord had thoughts of mercy to∣wards me, and he took me perhaps when I came to the hearing of the word with a purpose to contemne, and despise it, and to ieer at it; yet at that very time he took me, and spake to my heart, and shewed me Jesus Christ, and his mercy, and then he broke my heart: now the Lord knows though when I come to the word I profit not as I should, yet I come with a heart desiring to pro∣fit; and I would fain know the mind of God in it; and before I come, I go to God, and desire him to shew me some part of his wil; Wil God now cast me off when being a disperate enemy to him he had thoughts of mercy towards me? wil he cast me off for those infirmities that I have now? I know I have not a heart opposite to that Grace, though I have a heartful of distempers: I am not an enemy unto God as I was before, and an enemy to his people, and ordinances; No, my heart is towards him, my heart is towards his people, and towards his Ordinan∣ces; and was God reconciled to me then, even whil'st I was an enemy, and wil he now cast me off

for weaknesses; and infirmities? Certainly it cannot be. O make much of that place of the Apostle. If when we were enemies unto God we were reconciled unto him; much more, saith he; certainly now God wil not cast us off, but we shal be saved. That is a third use that we may make of Gods begining the work of Re∣conciliation.