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. 7. To love Christ, And do or suffer for him.

AGain. Is it in Christ that we are reconciled unto God? O! let Christ be beloved by us. Let us say with the blessed Martyr Lambert; None but Christ, None but Christ, which he spake too when he came to the stake to be burnt for Christ: a good Lessen for us by the way to take out, that may come to suffer very hard things for that which we have undertaken to do in obe∣dience to God; yet for us to rejoyce when we come to suffer banishment, or loss of goods, or life; to rejoyce that ever our hearts were ingaged in the waies of God; It is a sign of grace indeed. Many men when things prosper can go on, and rejoyce that they were ingaged in such a business, but if they find that it shal not prosper by outward success, and that there are many miscarriages, they repent of what they have done; and that is the rea∣son why we have so many run away now, and have withdrawn themselves from that which before they would spend their lives, and dearest blood in, and not only withdraw themselves when they see the work a lit∣tle hot, but betray the cause: But here is a tryal of god∣liness; that if I have engaged my self in the waies of God; and God by his providence casts me into such waies as bring trouble unto me, yet I can rejoyce that ever I was ingaged in them. Thus it was with the bles∣ed Martyr that cried out none but Christ, even then when he was at the stake for Christ. It may be a Carnal heart might say. Yea, Lambert before you rejoyced in Christ, and talked of Christ, but what say you now? that you are come to be burnt for Christ; had you kept Christ within your self, you might have preserved this Body of yours: O! no, Christ was even then, sweet unto this

man, when he was going to suffer for him, and even then, none but Christ. And indeed there is cause sufficient for Christ to be dear, and sweet unto us even in the midst of al sufferings. It is true, it may cause us to have the world to be our enemy; but what of that, when Christ hath made peace between us, and God the father; this satisfies the soul of a man to the ful, and therefore the soul wil love him, and will rejoyce in him, and bless God that ever he was ingaged in any cause for the sake of Christ; because Christ is his blessed Reconciler, and because Christ hath made a peace between God, and his heart; although men are his enemies, yet he knows that through Christ God is his friend. Christ hath made men our enemies indeed but it is accidentally, but he hath made God our friend; and he himself saith; Do you think I come to bring Peace? No, I come to bring a sword: through the profession of the Gospel there is a great deal of enmity amongst men and I beleeve this rage, and enmity that is on root here in England, Christ himself accidentally is the cause of it. On the one side, the desire of Gods people is for a through Reformation; and on the other side the hatred of mens spirits against Christ, and his Ordinances, wil rather undo themseleves then Christ shal have any Glory, they wil rather put their Necks under an Antichristian yoak, yea, under the yoak of slavery, and make themselves, and their po∣sterity slaves, then to be under the yoak of Christ; and this is the very bottom of that bitter mallice and rage that is now in the hearts of men, for there was never the like example of a people, that should be enraged one against another for their own mind. We might have peace, and we might have liberry if we would but unite our selves as one man against Papists, and others that are notorious, and abominably wicked to subdue them. But now because that peace, and liberty would bring in Reformation with it, and men should not have that li∣berty for their lusts as heretofore they have had, upon

that they will have no peace at all; and they will rather be slaves to the wills and lusts of men, and to the Devil, then come under Christs yoak. Thus the Gospel is in great part, the cause of the sword by accident. What though? Shal we not love there∣fore, Shall we say? since there was so much preaching, and profession, we have had such and such wars, and strifes, and troubles: would men be quiet, and contented, they might be at peace. O! what is this, but to be con∣tented to be without Christ, without truth, without peace of Conscience? so that because we would fain have these; that is, we would fain have Christ, and fain have the Gospel, and truth, and peace of Conscience, we can have no peace with men, but yet blessed be God for Christ; for although Christ be as a bundle of mirth, that hath much bitterness in it, yet let him lie between your breasts, let us rejoyce in him, let us love him, let us bless God for him, and be glad that ever we were en∣gaged in his Cause. O! that great Peace-maker be∣tween God and us, how dear should he be to our hearts? And as that Martyr said when he was to suffer for him. What have I but one life to lay down for Christ? O! that I had many; So should we say; what, is our life in danger for Christ? O! that we had many lives that might be al in danger for him. I heard a credible relation of a yong man that was in the business that was in Kent, & had a shot through the shoulder, and fel down as dead, and for a while lay as dead, but recovering and getting up, and having strengh enough to discharg a musket; said, wel, I wil spend one life more for this Cause. The truth is, had we one, yea an hundred, a thousand lives, we might very wel bestow them in a cause wherein we might testifie our love to Christ, and bless God that ever we were engaged therin though it hath brought such a disturbance between man, and man. And let this be one particular wherein you are to manifest your love to Jesus Christ as the great Reconciler; namly, that you

are willing to be reconciled one to another, to be recon∣ciled to your Brethren for his sake: this is one good way to manifest your love to Christ. It may be such, and such have wronged you, and there is a great breach be∣tween such a neighbor and you. A natural man may be willing to be reconciled upon natural grounds; it is a troublesome thing to be in Contention, and it is more comfortable to be at peace with my Neighbor; and so through a natural love unto peace some wil be contented there should be peace made between them, and the o∣thers they are fallen out withal; and it is good to go so far: But when you can bring your selves to this; not onely out of love to peace, because it is good for neigh∣bors to be reconciled; but when you can think thus. Christ hath reconciled my soul when I was an enemy unto God; he hath come down from the bosom of his Father, and laid down his life for me: and Christ is dishonored when there are such breaches between friend, and friend; therefore out of love to Jesus Christ who hath reconciled my soul unto the Father I am willing out of that very principle to be at peace with others.