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.

CAHP. 6.

ƲSE 1.

Wherefore in the first Place: From hence it must needs follow, that if there be such a blessed peace between God, and a true Christian as hath been opened: Then he must needs be very peaceable in the world, he must needs be of a very peaceable disposition before men. You wil say, How doth this follow? Thus. There is so much sweeteness in this Peace with God that it must needs so quiet the spirit of that man in whom it is, that whatsoever is without shal never be able to make any great disturbance in his Spirit, so great, and so excellent is the sweetness of this Peace. A Merchant that hath al his estate in one Bottom, he is upon every stirring of the winds, or upon the hearing of any storme, afraid that all is cast away. But if he hear news, that the Ship is safe, and that al is come securely into the Haven, his Spirit that was afraid before, wil be now so quieted, and sattisfied with this newes, that it wil not be a very easie matter at such a time to anger such a man. There is nothing that is more able to keep the heart of a man from passion, and frowardness, and disturbance, than a ful sattisfaction within ones own spirit. Now, if there

be any thing in the world that is able to sattisfy the spirit of a man; surely it is the Peace with God, it is Recon∣ciliation which is made between a man, and God. The Scripture saith, that a good man shal be sa∣tisfied from himself. Prov. 14.14.* 1.1 Al∣though he meeteth with those without that are troublesome, and wil not sattisfy him, that he hath so much within, that he sattis∣fies, and quieteth his own spirit: Therefore a Christian needs not be beholding to the world for Peace, for he hath Peace enough within his own bosome. That which is the greatest Jewel in the world, a Christian hath the ful pofession of within his own heart. Al the Storms, and tempests that are abroad in the world can never make an Earthquake if there be not some vapors within to do it. So, that which doth shake the hearts of men, and make a Combustion in their Spirits, it is more the inward di∣sturbances that are there, than any thing from without. We may Complaine of outward things, and of this mat∣ter, and of this occasion, and the like; But the truth is, if al be examined, and the true ground of our disquiet∣ness searched into, we shal find, that the Cause of al our disturbance is rather from within, than from without; and if al were wel within, we should never be troubled with any thing which doth befal us from without. Now then if any thing in the world wil make al quiet within, if any thing in the world wil beget a serenity, and Calmness in the spirits of men, it is this Reconciliation with God. No marvel then that the Gospel speakes so much of the peaceable disposition of those that entertaine it, that it tells us of the Wolses dwelling with the Lamb, of the Lyons eating straw with the Oxe, that is, though men were formerly of such Wolfish, and Lyon-like na∣tures, yet having received the Gospel, and accepted of the tearmes of Reconciliation with God, they shal be as Lambs, they shal agree one with another. And the rea∣son is because there is so much in the Peace of the Gospel as wil quiet the heart, so that a man may wonder when

he Considers of the excellency of the Peace that is be∣tween God and man, how it is possible for a Christian to be put into a passion? You Complaine of the troubles you meet withal in your world, that your Husband is froward, or that the Wife is froward, that you have perverse Neighbours; but, is God at Peace with thee? is not he froward towards thee? and shal your spirits be disturbed with those things when you are at Peace with God? is there not enough in this peace to swallow up all those disturbances? I have observed, that it is a fre∣quent complaint of those that are taken to be godly men, they wil say, such a one is a very good man, but he is very passionate, and froward: truly it is a an extream blot to professors: and the truth is, if we duly consider all things, a man would think there should be nothing more opposite to the spirit of a Christian, than froward∣ness, and passion is, nothing more opposite to true grace; for when grace comes, when Faith in Christ comes, it breedeth such abundance of peace in our hearts, that one would think that frowardness, and passion with any in the world should be inconsistent with the Reconciliati∣on here spoken of, with true grace, and with Faith in Christ. When men are of such spirits that they are soon put into a passion, and being in a passion cannot be Reconciled, it is a dangerous sign that there is not that peace made between God and your souls that you speake of. And Certainly this is the reason why many Christians are so passionate as they are, because they do not maintain their peace with God: there is usually some breach in their peace with God which makes them so froward, and so passionate as they are with men. And to shew, that the more our peace with God is broken, the more froward wil our spirits be. You have a no∣table example for that in Saul; Saul when he came first to the Crown, he seemed to be of a very low, and meek spirit, he counteth his family to be the least of the Tribes, and himself to be of the least of that family. And when

there were some Children of Belial that spaek against him, and said, Shal this man be King over us? The scripture tels us that he held his peace: and when some would have had those that spake against him before to be put to death, no, saith Saul, there shal not any man be put to death this day. At first you see Saul was of a quiet spirit, of a very meek disposition, but after Saul had departed from God, and God was departed from him, he was then of a very froward, and surly, and rug∣ged and harsh disposition, and he that was before of a peaceable, and quiet disposition to his enemies, yet af∣terwards he was of a froward, and cross disposition, even to his own Son, to Jonathan who was a good Son, a gracious, and godly Son, a Son of a sweet nature, and yet even to him, how harsh was he, O thou child of a perverse woman saith he, and he would have slaine him in that passion, if the people had not prevented him. And how froward was he likewise when he was but cros∣sed of his wil, when he heard that the Priests had but let David pass away with some smal supplies, they must be al put to death, man, woman, and Child, and fourscore and five of the Priests of the Lord that wore a sinnen Ephod must al be presently murdred, such a froward, cross, rugged, and harsh nature was Saul of, and what was the reason of this? Because he had depar∣ted from God, and God was departed from him. You therefore that are of froward, and passionate Spirits, have cause to look into your own hearts, and examine your selves wel whether this be not the ground of it, even that you have broke your peace with God, and now you are at peace with no body, not with Husband, nor with Wife, nor with Neighbors, whereas if you did keep close with God, and maintained but the sweetness of your hearts in the injoyment of peace with him, it would not be easy for you to be disturbed with any thing that be∣fals you from without. This is the first thing that fol∣loweth from the sweetness of our Reconciliation with

God, that a gracious heart who knows what that mea∣neth, must needs be of a sweet, and lovely, and meek disposition towards others.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ex sese, at Mercerus, expresseth it, i. e. from him∣self.