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.

CHAp. 15. What Christ hath under taken and performed in Our Reconciliation 1 to fatisfy Gods Justice 2 To bring our hearts and subdue them to God.

You wil say; you have shewed us these two things; that it is not God alone, and us, but in Christ, and us, that is reconciled. And you have shewd us what a reconciler Christ is. And how fit. But for the third thing propounded in the 12. Chapter, hath Christ under∣taken to reconcile us? Surely this is a great work to come and reconcile Sinful man unto God; Christ must needs undertake much in this? I wil declare to you what Christ hath undertaken.

1 This agrement there is between Christ and the Father, He hath undertaken that he wil Satisfie what ever his Fathers Justice shal requier. As for example. If one should come to mak a peace between a couple, and the one party hath extreamly injured the other, and he that comes to make peace; he doth not only come and say, Sir I beceech you for my sake, pass by the wrong, and be reconciled unto him, though perhaps this may do much but this wil not do the deed; and this is not the way of

reconcileing God and us, for Christ (though he be dear to the father) only to plead, and Say, O father these poor Creatures have offended the, I beseech the O father, be reconciled to them; no this is not al. But saith the Party offended; wil you under take to satisfie the wrong that is done me? I saith he, who is the Peace-maker, I wil undertake it al; you shal set it al upon my scor. And certainly you wil al conclude, that if he that comes to be mediator, and is dear unto the Party offen∣ded, shal not only intreat, but undertake, that what∣soever he would have of him, requier what satisfaction soever he wil, he wil undertake to under goe it al, espe∣cially if he be a man able to do what he promiseth: You wil al conclude that this wil surly make up a peace. This is the transaction between God the Father, and the Son. God lookes upon man as being an enimy to him, and Christ he comes to mediate, yea, but saith the father; what wil you do to make peace, wil you undertake for mankind, wil you ingage to Satisfy that wrong that they have done me? Yes O Father saith Christ, I wil do it, I wil stand betwen the and them, and undertake for them to satisfie al whatsoever thy Justice can require. And in this regard Christ is not only called a mediator in that place Heb. 8.5. and so forward; but he is called a Suerty, because he hath undertaken to Satisfie what God the father requred for the Sin of mankind; and as he hath undertaken it; so he hath done it now, and the fathers that lived in former times might looke upon God reconciling himselfe to the world in Christ, as Christ had undertaken it, but not fully discharged it. But we may look upon Christ, not only as an undertaker, but as one that hath discharged, and paid al.

2 But that is not al; Christ hath not only undertaken this; but in the next place, as he hath undertaken to satisfie God on his part; but saith the Father; what shal become of these poor Creatures; they have hearts oppo∣site to me, and they are enemies to me, and whatsoever

you do, they wil stil go on in waies of emnity to me? No, saith Christ; I wil do more then this, I wil under∣take to bring them in to you, and to subdue their hearts to you; and whereas they are now enemies to you; they shal come, and submit themselves; and that wicked Nature of theirs, I wil take away through my spirit, and I wil both bring them into a peaceable disposition to∣wards you; so that they shal love you as a friend, and love al that belong unto you; they shal love al your waies, and love your people, and love your holyness; I wil un∣dertake to bring them in to you, as wel as to satisfie you for what they have done. This is appearent; for in the Scripture where ever there is any speaking of Reconcilia∣tion, you have mention of our being reconciled to God, as wel as Gods being reconciled to us; and indeed the Scripture doth make more mention of our Reconciling being enemies to God, than of any thing of Gods working Reconciliation for us. And that place that I quoted be∣fore in the Collosians, is exceedging cleer for this; namely, that Christ hath undertaken for our Reconciliation, for you heard before in, Collo. 1.20. That he had made peace through the blood of his Cross; He hath undertaken to satisfie; and the undertaking of it cost him his blood; our Reconciliation cost Christs death. But then in verse 21. He saith further; You that were somtimes alina∣ted, and enemies in your minds by wicked works, so it is in your Books; but in the Original, it is; Enemies in your minds [in] wicked works; not that you came to be enemies by your works, for that is the advantage indeede that the adversaries have, and say; it is not a sinful Nature in us, but we come by action to act wicked habits; but it is, you are enemees in your minds in works; that is, you did lay out al the enmity of your minds against God; you have natural enmity in your minds against God: and in your minds you do lay out; and improve this strength of your enmity in your wicked

works against God; But saith he you that were thus allienated, and enemies in your minds in wick∣ed works, he hath reconciled, to present you holy, and unblameable, and inreprovable in his sight. Here are two waies by which Christ reconciles us unto God; he hath reconciled us by the blood of his Cross; and then in the Body of his flesh through death to present us holy, and unblamable, and unreprovable in his sight; he hath undertaken this latter, as wel as that other; and he hath undertaken, that we shal not remain enemies unto God eternally, but that there shal be a time when we shal be brought in to God, and have graci∣ous dispositions put into us, so as we shal become frie••ds unto God, and friends unto al that are Gods. There are many that speak much of Christ in regard of his satisfaction, and what the transaction was between God and him; and they think that because Christ hath undertaken to satisfie Gods wrath, what need we care for any thing? what is it, though we live as we list? it is to no purpose what we do, whether we do il, or whether we do wel, for Christ hath done al in the work of Re∣conciliation. But my Brethren see the mistake: Christ hath not only undertaken satisfaction, and to reconcile God unto us; but he hath undertaken with God the Fa∣ther likewise to reconcile us unto him; not to satisfie God alone, but to bring us into a gracious fram, and dis∣position of heart likewise; and therefore except Christ do both, the truth is he doth neither; It is true the one may be done from al eternity; Christ may undertake the one, and undertake that he wil do the other also; but until Christ hath actually done the other, thou canst not conclude, that he hath done the former. That man that perswades himself that Jesus Christ hath done the former, when as he hath not done the latter deceivs himself; and therefore to beleeve in Christ as a Recon∣ciler, is to beleeve in Christ as undertaking these two things. First undertaking with God the Father to

make satisfaction unto him. And then Secondly un∣dertaking for us, to bring us in to the Father likewise: and as Christ must do the one, as well as the other; so he wil be as faithfull in the performing the Second, as he was in the undertaking, and dischargeing the First. Few people think of this, they think much of Christs undertaking to satisfie Gods Justice, and so to Recon∣cile them unto God; but they have seldome thoughts of this, that Christ hath also undertaken to chang their hearts, and to make them friends unto God. But you that go on in wicked works being enemies to God in your minds in wicked works, perhaps you think God wil be Reconciled unto you through Christ, and when you die you shal be saved through him. Remember this point. That Christ the Reconciler hath undertaken with God the Father both to satisfie his Justice, and to subdue your hearts, so that you shal no longer be e∣nemies unto him; and therefore if Christ have not done the other, in your hearts, it is an evident argument, that for ought that yet appears he never undertook to satisfie the Justice of God for you. O! what an argument is here, for men to be restless, and unquiet in their natural condition; You that go on in a sinful, and & ungodly way, you may certainly know, that there is for the present no evidence that Jesus Christ hath undertaken with the Father to make any Reonciliation for you, for if he had, he hath also undertaken on your parts to bring in your hearts to the Father and to make you friends with him, as wel as him friends with you. On the other side, any of you that find the work of the Spirit in your hearts, that begin to find Christ subduing your hearts unto God; that whereas heretofore you did live in waies of enmity unto God, but now you begin to find the power of Christ in his word beating down those proud hearts of yours, you find Christ changing of your minds, and so bringing of your hearts into sub∣jection unto God; Bless God for this, and know that

this is part of Chists undertaking with God the Father, and in that he doth this in your hearts, it is an Evidence that he hath undertaken to satisfie Gods Justice for all your sins. Thus you see how Christ is a Rec••••••••••er, and Mediator.