.71 The Crucifying of the world, tohim, doth not come toChrift as Chrift , and is not indeed a true Chriftian. The Doctrine of Chrift Both lead us from the world, in thefe feveral partsof it, and by thefe fteps (How the Crofs doth it, I (hewed before.) a. It declareth to us what God is, and what man is : and fo that God is our abfolute Owner, andGoverncur : and that he is the only Primitive, (imply,. neceffary being ; and that man was made by him, and therefore for him, and difpofed to him. 2. It declareth to us that the Rate of our integrity confift ed in this clofure of the foul with God. 3. It íheweth us that our felicity confifteth in his Love,and in the fruitionof him by a mutual complacency. y. It fheweth us that our firft fin was by turning fromhim to Carnal felf and to the world. 5. And that this is our loft efface wherein both fin and mifery are conjunct, to Adhere to felfand Creature, and to depart from God.6.It fhew- ethus what Chrift hath doneand fuffered, to Reconcile God to us, and open us a way of admif ion into his prefence and how far God is Reconciled tous; and thus Revealeth him in the face of a Mediator as Amiable toour fouls, that fo we might be ca- pable of loving him,and doling with him again. For if he had remained in his wrath, he would have been the object of our ha- tred, or weer terrour at leaft , and not of our Love. And no man can Lovehim that is not prefented to him, and apprehended by him as Lovely, that is, as Good. For it is impofiible that there fhould bean act without its proper object. Nothing but appearingGood is Loved. If a loft condemned tanner have no hope given him of Gods Reconciliation, or his willingnefsto re- ceive him tomercy it is (ex parte objeti) an impofiible thing that the mind of thatfinner lhouldbe reconciled to God. And therefore the Gofpel publifheth Gods Reconcilation to (inners (viz, his wnivetfal Conditional Reconciliation) before it be- leech them to be reconciled to God, 2 Cor.5.19,20. And before they believe, we cannot give any one man the lealt affurancethat God is any more reconciled to him, then to others that are un- converted, or that he is any willinger to Receive him, then others. This therefore is the great obfervable means whereby Chrift by his Gofpel recovereth the Heart of a (inner unto God , even by turning the frowning countenance of God, by which he de- terred
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