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. 4

The consideration of this point may cause abundance of humiliation to our hearts, cause exceeding sad thoughts, if this be so that one mercy of God makes way to another, one mercy if it be sanctified, and have the blessing of God with it, it is a door of hope to ano∣ther, hence when we look backwards to these waies of Gods mercies, that have been heretofore towards us, and look to the oppertunities that we have had of obtai∣ning further mercy from God, and consider how we have lost them, when God was in a way with us, Oh! that should draw tears of blood from us, look back to thy life. I suppose there is never one in this congregation, but in looking back to the waies of Gods providence to them, they cannot but cry, Oh! the Lord was once in a way of mercy to me, there was a time that certainly God was merciful to me, Nay, not only in outwad mercies, such and such deliverances I had at such a time, Oh! had I followed those mercies, What might I have got∣ten? when I was crying to God for deliverance, God heard me, God hath delivered me, delivered my family, now God (as it were) was in a way of mercy to me,

O! had I followed that then, what might I have gotten? but I neglected the opportunity, I lost it, and now God is in another way with me, but especially when you look back to the opportunities that you have had for the good of your souls, hath not God many times bin in a way of mercy to your souls? Oh! was not there such a time when you began to have frequent workings of Gods spirit in you? you began to have light darted into your Consciences, to have the spirit of God drawing your hearts, that when you came to the word, you found the word coming with power, and the spirit of God sealing it, and your hearts did begin to yeild, and to melt be∣fore God, Oh! what might you have gotten if you had gone on, if you had followed God in those convictions of conscience, and in those beginnings of troubles you had, and workings of Gods spirit, what might you have come to now? There was a door of hope, but fooles and wretched men to stick in the birth and come not forth; and alas! May not many say, Oh! that I had a door of hope, there was such a mercy of God towards me, but wo to me the door is shut, I find my heart shut up, and my conscience shut up, and my heart now is hard, but it was beginning to be softened? but Oh! how hard it is now, God was opening my heart, but now it is o∣therwise with me, and for ought I know God is gone, and Christ is gone? I had a day, if I had knowen it, Oh! it had been happy for many in this place, if they had at such a time followed God, when he was in a way of Mercy. If (it may be) when God was in a way of mer∣cy to thee, thou haddest had a heart to go into thy closet, and there cried to God to follow on that Good work that he had begun, and to make it effectual to thee, this had been a gracious work to thy soul, but thou wentest away into thy shop, into thy calling, perhaps into the Tavern or Alehouse, to thy gaming, to thy company, and so n••glectedest the day of Grace, there was a door of hope, but there was another door thou haddest a mind rather to

follow, than to follow God in the way of mercy, I wil not say that there is no door of hope for thee, for there may be a door of hope, but this I wil say, that thy condition is a lamentable and most greivous condition, and thou haddest need look to it, for this consideration sinketh the hearts of men and women afterwards; If thou shouldest come to thy sick bed, or death bed, perhaps thy conscience wil preach that to thee that now I am preaching to thee, and then thy conscience wil give an∣answer, it is true there was a door of hope opened to me, and then if any Minister come to offer Mercy, I (you wil say) it is for those that have a time of Mercy, but God did open my heart, and I did shut my heart against him, and these thoughts and conclusions are the despair∣ing and sinking thoughts of men and women upon their sick beds, and if God never had been coming towards me, there might have been some hope, but what hope is there now for me? Oh! take heed for time to come, any of you, if God be coming in a way of Mercy if this day by the word at this time he begin to open any of your hearts labor to follow him, to go in at this door of hope. Wel that is the fourth; again fiftly from this point learn this.