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. 25. Christians may loose the assurance of their Peace with God through the weakness of their Faith. 1. Weakness, When they think the sin they fall into, doth presently cause an enmity between God and them. Object. What need Beleevers then be careful to avoid sin? Answered. 2. Weakness, Judging Gods works as enmity against them.

FIrst, Through the weakness of their Faith; and that in Two waies.

Weakness. 1.

When they shal through their weakness think that that sin they fall into, or are overtaken with, doth pre∣sently cause an enmity between God, and them. I make no question but there are many souls that God is recon∣ciled unto, and somtimes have had some comfort in the assurance of this reconciliation, and yet if at any time they be but overcome with the sinful distempers of their hearts, they presently think, that this puts an enmity between God, and them again, and they begin to look upon God as upon their enemy, and think that all the peace is broken between God, and them, and this makes such a Breach between God, and them, as that al that God hath done, is undone again, and now they think that God is against them in all his waies, and contrary

unto them as unto an enemy. It's true, Carnall hearts that do not understand what the difficulty is of making peace with God; or what a breach it is that sin makes between God, and the soul; they can sin, and sin, and sin, and yet think God wil be merciful to them stil, and never look upon their sin as enmity unto God, or upon God as an enemy unto them in regard of their sin. But take a poor soul that understands what sin is, and hath found it a hard thing to make peace between God, and himself, as soon as any sin overcomes such a soul, the dayly weaknesses many times make him think that God is an enemy to him; and however he had good hopes before, yet the breach is again as wide, if not wider between God, and him as ever it was. Now by this know, you do dishonor much the great work of God in Christ in the point of Reconciliation. surely it is as great a dishonor as you can cast upon Christ; when he hath come to make Reconciliation between God, and you, and when he hath undertaken it, and done it so throughly as he hath; and when it cost him his very life to do it, yet when you apprehend this Reconciliation to be no otherwise, but that upon any offence, you think al is undone again: truly this were but a very poor Re∣conciliation. Suppose two that were at ods one with another, and a great breach hath been made between them; another comes and reconciles these two for the present, but yet so as that the one shal watch the other, to take an advantage against the other, so as if there be but the least offence committed, they shal be as great enemies one to another as before; this were but a poor Reconcilia∣tion. So when you come to think, that upon every sin you commit, after you have had your peace made between God and you, though you can appeal unto God in the sincerity of your heart, that it is the greatest burden in the world to you, that you do thus sin against him, and you would think it the greatest mercy in the world to be delivered from that body of sin: yet, when you shal

come to think, that upon this sin you have committed, the breach is made as wide as ever it was with God; What a dishonor do you put upon Christ? What a Reconci∣liation hath Christ made for you? O! therefore beleeve that Christ hath made another manner of peace with God then so; and know, that it is not a peace that can so soon be broken. If a Bone-setter should set a Bone in your Body that were broken, or our of joynt, and set it so that it is right for the present; but yet so too, that if you stir your arm, or leg, it is out of joynt again; you wil conclude, this is no skilful Bonesetter. Christ came from Heaven for this very end, and purpose, that he might joyn God, and us together, that he might make us one with God. Do you think that Christ hath only set us so together, as that upon every dayly infirmity, we should be out with God again? No, certainly he hath set us strongly together, more strongly then ever we were, Adam in Innocency, when he was without sin, had not such a strong peace with God, as thou hast in the mid'st of thy sins. It is a truth; and though we cannot speak of such things without trembling, in regard we know how ready carnal hearts are to abuse them; yet this is a truth, and so I would have Christians to look upon it; to look upon the re∣conciliation that is made between God, and them, as a peace firmer then ever it was with Adam, and God, though Adam had no sin, and they have many sins, for Adam had it not in Christ; and therefore think upon it as such a Reconciliation as Christ hath wrought, and so honor God in it, and sanctifie God in it. If indeed it were no other reconciliation then thou hast got by thy own prayers, or then thou hast got by thy own tears; then thou mightest feare, that, that reconciliation might be broken upon thy renewing of sin. And the truth is; this is the ground why those that have inlightned Cons∣ciences, are so ful of feares, and doubts; those indeed that have no inlightnings in them, are without any feare

but the other are ful of doubts, and feares; and it is upon this ground; because that peace they have, is no other but that which they have gotten by their Prayers, and by their duties, and by their teares, and by their good meanings, as they think, and never bring in Christ; they never have been acquaynted with that great Mistery of Godliness. Now, that peace with God that thou hast got any way but by Gods revealing the work of his reconciling himselfe to the world in Christ; that peace wil never hold long; but thou wilt be ready upon every temptation, upon every suggestion; upon every new sin committed, to cal that peace into question: But if thou hast been rooted in Christ, and thy peace grounded upon that which is beyond al thy duties, and al thy teares, and prayers, nnd canst look upon God as reconciled unto thee in Christ; this peace wil hold, and this may hold notwithstanding abundance of sins may remaine in the soul of one that is thus recon∣ciled unto God. And therfore for your help, because you may not upon every sin cal in question your reconcilia∣tion with God: know this; that being reconciled unto God, thou art not under the Law so as that every sin against the Law should put thee under the sentence, of eternal death: thou art not under the curse that doth threaten everlasting death to those that so sin. Here is the difference between one that is reconciled unto God, and an other that is not. One that is not reconciled unto God in Christ, is so under the Law, as every sin he commits, be it little, or great doth put him under the sentence, and curse of eternal death: the neglect of any duty, be it never so smal doth it. But now, here is the priviledg of a Beleiver; when thou art once a Be∣leiver, and so art in Jesus Christ; then the sins thou committest; those should indeed be for thy humiliation; but there is none of them that do put thee under the sen∣tence of eternal death; neither upon this ground art thou to keep the Law: that is, to keep it so, as to think,

that if thou do it not, or that every breach of the Law should put thee under the sentence of eternal death. In∣deed others that are under the Law, they must looke to keep the Law, whether they be able or not; but the Law hath no power over thee that way, and thou art not upon that ground to keep it; and therefore thy sins which thou committest, do not put thee under the sen∣tentence of eternal death, as the sins of others do: there is no condemnation to them that are in Jesus Christ; & it is true of every moment, and instant of time, that there is no condemnation to them that are in Jesus Christ. I wil give you another scripture for this, that is as cleer as the other, though not perhaps so much taken notice of It is in Rom. 7.5. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin which were by the Law did worke in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. Note the Mo∣tions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members; What did they do? they brought forth fruite; and fruite unto death; this the blessed Apostle saith was when we were in the flesh. But now being Beleevers; though we have the remainings, the motions of sin, yet they are not such as bring forth fruit unto death. None of the sins of Beleivers bring forth fruite unto death, for they are delivered from that power of the Law; that the Law cannot come with the sentence of death upon them. This is an high priviledg of Beleevers; and the right knowledg of this would help us that we should not think, that our peace with God is so broken that God is our enemy through every sin which through humane frailty is committed.

Object. You wil say; what need then Beleevers to be careful to avoid sin; may they not take liberty to walke as they list?

O! No; there are other arguments besides this. In∣deed had they a slaveish spirit, had they no other argu∣ments to perswade them from sin, but this, that sin would make God, and them enemies, it were somewhat.

Men that object, and say; that Beleivers may do what they list because their peace with God cannot be broken: The truth is they themselves have slavish hearts; and they do not know the strength of other arguments to keep them from sin. I deare boldly affirme this: that a Beleever should not upon the Commission of sin think, that therefore he is now under the sentence of death, if so be it be such a sin as may stand with the state of Grace, as many weaknesses, and frailties may; for there are some sins; as liveing after the flesh, which the scripture speakes of, which if Beleivers live in they shal die. You wil say; what, can they perish eternally? yet this is made as a means to keep them from living after the flesh: But if they should come to live after the flesh which Gods grace wil keep them from doing in a con∣stant way; they shal die; and so far they may appre∣hend eternal death were due unto them, if it were pos∣sible for them to fal into that condition, to live after the flesh. But it is not true, that a Beleiver upon every sin he committs should be under the sentence of death; for being once Beleevers we are freed from the Law. And therefore the Apostle after he had spoken of the Law of God to the same purpose in Rom. 5. He answers this Objection. What shal we say then? shal we con∣tinue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid: How shal we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein: and then follows. Even as sin hath raigned unto death; so grace must raigne through righteousness to eternal life. The Grace of God raigns, domineers over al things that come to oppose it; even over al our infirmities, over al our sins; over whatsoever may seem to contradict it; the grace of God raigns; there is a domineering power in the grace of God over al things that would contradict it; but this is through Righteousness. Thou hast sin in thee that would oppose Gods reconciling Grace; but it; ••aigns notwithstanding that sin of thine, and it raigns to eternal life; it hath a raigning power to carry thee

through al difficulties, and hinderances to eternal life; and al through the righteousness of Christ. Therefore Beleevers that they may keep their peace with God, are to look upon al duties required in the Law as bound to do them; and that they are not freed from the duties the Law requires; their relation unto God redeeming of them, doth not take away their relation unto God as a Creator; stil they are bound to God as a Creator; as wel as a Redemer: But they should look upon the Law as comeing to them in the hand of Christ. It is an excellent speech which Luther hath for this O! how sweet (saith he) are the commandements of God unto us, when we receive them, not as they are in the Book; but as they are in the wounds of Christ? When we reade the Commandements of God in the wounds of Chrst, And receive them there; O! how sweet are they then? then we obey them out of sweet principles, not out of Legal respects, as if upon every Breach we should be brought under the sentence of eternal death, as we did before. This I take to be the meaning of that place in Rom. 8.15. For you have not received the spirit of Bondage againe to feare. What is the spirit of Bond∣age? The spirit of Bondage that causeth feare at first; before one is a Beleever, is this; either perfectly obey the Law, or Perish, saith the spirit, even the spirit of God, whether able, or no; you must obey every thing or die; and if thou hast sinned against the Law, thou art now accursed notwithstanding al the duties that thou hast done; the spirit of God saith so to al unbeleivers and this causeth feare; but saith the Apostle; you have not received the spirit of Bondage to feare again; though perhaps thou mayest feare upon thy weakness, that God wil turne thine enemy upon every Breach: but the spi∣rit of God saith not so, that thou art therefore accursed but that spirit inableth thee to go to God as a Father to heale thy weakness, and to give thee power against them, and the Contrary is such a mistake as indeed is a great dis∣honor

to the work of God, reconciliation of God in Christ. We must put much upon that great work which God puts so much upon, and if we did, we might go up, and down in the world, with a world of comfort, and it would increase sanctification. Indeed to deny al kind of obleigment of the Law to God, and to say that men are not bound to keep it, as God being their Creator &c there is an exstream vanity in it, but to give the Law that which is its due, and to give the Beleever his due too; to shew how farr we are bound to it, and how far delivered from it, this is a great mistery of the Gospel and people should labor to understand it aright, and take heed, least out of a desire to apprehend the grace of God in Christ, we do not go too farr in ovrthrowing our obligations to God by the Law. One would think, that this which I have delivered (if mens spirits were not very wanton) were enough, namely, that we are not under the sentence of condemnation, though we are not freed from the Law, and the duties thereof as God is our Creator, and we should think the grace of God magnified in this, and therefore thus far take hold, and make use of this Grace of God in Christ, as not to loose the comfort of it. This is the first weakness that hin∣ders men from preserveing the comfortable assurance of their peace with God.

Weakness. 2.

The second Weakness is this. When men that are god∣ly are ready to judg of Gods works through their weak∣ness, as works of enmity against them; not only of their waies towards God as an argument that God, and they are at enmity; but they are ready to judg al the admi∣nistrations of Gods providence, as if they were the works of an enemy to them; as if God were in them, walking contrary to them: This is a great weakness, and disho∣nor unto God. Let the wicked, and ungodly judg so

if they Wil. As God saith; fury is not in me; who would set the briars, and the Thorns before him? he wil go through them. When God comes in outward waies of misery; ungodly ones may look upon them as God walking in them contrary unto them; they may look upon al his works as the works of an enimy, and as one that intends their ruine, and destruction: they are to look upon every trouble, if it be but the least distemper of their body as the beginnings of eternal wrath, and a making way for eternal misery for ought they know. But they that are reconciled to God, it is their weakness if they should look upon the greatest affliction they meet withal as a work of Gods coming towards them as an enimy. No; you must know; that there is this power in your reconci∣liation with God in Christ; as

First, That there is nothing that ever God doth to∣wards you, that doth tend to everlasting wrath, nothing, whatever it be. Here is thy comfort; that thou mayest build upon this; though thy affliction be sore, and though they be long upon thy body, or estate; perhaps thou loosest al that thou hast, and it may be God de∣livers thee up into the hand of thine enemies, and they trample upon thee as dirt; yet nothing of al this tends to eternal wrath. As on the contrary; though a wicked man may have a great many favors from God, and fruits of his patience; yet no wicked man hath ground to make such an interpretation of any good thing he injoyes from God, as to think that this doth tend to his eternal good. So those that are beleevers, though they meet with ne∣ver so great afflictions; yet they have not sufficient ground to make this interpretation of those afflictions; that they tend to their utter undoing. And one would think that this were enough on the other side; for men to beleeve; that whatsoever afflictions they meet with∣al in this world; the wrath of God in al those afflictions is taken away; they shal not tend to their ruine, and e∣eternal

misery: that though the afflictions themselves may remaine yet the poyson of every affliction, which is the wrath of God, is taken away by Christ. Nay, whatsoever befals us in this world; is so far from ten∣ding to eternal misery, that it is, through the love of God tending to thy good: that which doth seem to be most cross to thy desires, yet, it is such as tends to thy everlasting good in Christ. And this, one would think is enough for the sattisfaction of mens hearts in the point of afflictions. As what was delivered before may be enough concerning our freedome from the Law; So what I have now writ in being chastened for our sins.

Take but these two things that no evil, no chastisement that shal befal us, shal tend to our everlasting misery nay, nothing shal befal us, but it is out of love and tends to our eternal good. These two being granted, one would thing, one might grant any thing else; that God may shew a fatherly displeasure against us for our sins though not as a revenging judg; that God may exercise his wis∣dom that way, to mannifest his holiness, and how he disliks sin &c. One would think this might safely be granted, granting the other two. And indeed these two and the other concerning the Law, al our divines that are Orthrodax grant, and these are enough to satisfie us about the free grace of God in Christ, and beleevers be throughly revited, and grounded in this, they may come to keep the assurance of their peace with God; for what shal hinder, either their sins, or Gods afflictions; now neither of these should hinder a beleevers peace, but that he may be able stil to preserve it, looking upon God through Christ. This is concerning the loosing of the assurance of our peace through weakness.