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.

ƲSE. 2.

Secondly, O! the blessed estate of a Beleever, of one that hath imbraced the Gospel, he is Reconciled to God, he is at peace with God, and that hath a great deal in it as you have have heard. The Jews were wont to expresse all kind of prosperity, and happpinesse by this word [Peace] Peace be to you; and in saying so, they did wish all manner of good; for indeed the word is a comprehensive word; and therefore God accounteth it his glory, to be called the God of Peace; and the ve∣ry God of Peace, &c. And the Son of God, it is his glory to be the Prince of Peace. And the spirit of God, it is his glory to have the fruits of the spirit to be Joy, and Peace. And it is the honor of the Gospel, to be the Gospel of Peace. And it is the glory of the Kingdom of God to con∣sist in righteousnesse, and Peace. And it is the Evange∣lical benediction; Grace, & peace, It is the glory of the Covenant of Life, to be a Covenant of Peace. Peace, it is a most amiable thing; But Peace with God, how lovely, and amiable, and glorious is it? Ask a wounded Consci∣ence that apprehends, and is sensible of that enmity that sin hath put between God, and it, what it would give for peace with God? Ask, Ask a dying man that appre∣hends what God is, one who hath no peace with God, what he would give for Peace with God? If you could possibly ask those damned spirits that are now in Hell, what they think of peace with God? O! what a Com∣mendation would they set on this peace! Well may we

be willing to endure some trouble in seeking after this peace with God: well may we be contented to lie under the stroak of the Law as long as God pleaseth, for this peace wil at last make up all. Those that have endured the greatest terrors of the Law, when the Lord hath come in with manifestations of this peace, and Recon∣ciliation to them in Jesus Christ, they have thought all well recompenced; and if it had been to endure a thou∣sand times more than they have done, they would have thought all to have been made up in this blessed peace. This is a blessing indeed in these troublesom times where∣in we hear of nothing but of wars and of rumors of wars, and we are taught by what we now hear, and feel, and know, to prize outward peace. But if we think out∣ward peace be so great a mercy, what is this Reconciliati∣on, and peace with God, the Soul blessings.

Yea, yo•• wil say, there is a great deal of Blessing in∣deed in this Reconciliation with God which we have read of, and happy is the soul that is at peace with him. But how shal we know that we are those that are Recon∣ciled to God, that so we may injoy those blessed fruits of Reconciliacion, that is here treated of? I confesse, this is worth the knowing, and worth the searching af∣ter, and it is a good sign if your hearts be seriously inquisitive to know how tearms stand between God and your souls: and this is a thing that doth not usually take up the thoughts of men, and perhaps there are many that scarce in all the daies of their lives had their thoughts seri∣uosly taken up with this, to consider, how do the tearms stand between God and my soul? I here go up and down in the world, and busie my self about this, and the o∣ther thing, But O! my soul, how doth things stand be∣tween God, and you? are all things wel there? are all things quiet there? hath not God somthing against you? hath not God dreadful things to charge upon you? Yea, you wil say, God hath enough to charg upon us all. No, but if thou be at peace with God in Christ, God

hath nothing to charge thee withal. And it is possible for one to be in such a Condition, as to know that God hath nothing to charge him with, and so he may be able to stand before the Lord, as freed from any thing that God hath to lay to his charge. This might be manifested fur∣ther as the excellency of our peace with God. It is true, none can be in such a condition but that they have sin e∣nough in themselves to be charged upon them if God look upon them in themselves; and those solus that charge themselves most, those usually God hath least to charge upon. In themselves I affirm, God hath enough against them; but God looking upon them in Jesus Christ, he hath nothing to charge them withal, so as that they should stand guilty in his presence, or be an∣swerable to his Law which they have broken. You wil say, How then can God afflict for sin? Yes, there is no such consequence, that because men have nothing to answer unto the Law, therefore they are not to be af∣flicted, for afflictions to those that are Reconciled to God, are not fruits of the Law, but they are dispensations of God in his waies of wisdom to his people; because he thinks that afflictions are a fit way to manifest unto them∣selves, and to the world that he is a holy God, and that he is displeased with sin, and God wor••s upon them in such a way, but not as in a way of giving satisfaction to divine Justice, that is not Gods end in afflicting of them. There is a great deal of difference between a fatherly displeasure, and a revenging displeasure; God hath swallowed up in this Reconciliation, all the displeasure of a Judge, all his revenging displeasure; and he hath e∣verlastingly swallowed it up, but yet there may re∣main the other, he hath not swallowed up his fatherly displeasure, but retains it, and that without any dero∣gation to himself, all tending to the good of those that the Lord manifesteth such displeasure against.