Book III. OR THJ> G 0 S P E L G L 0 R I 0 U S. 541 3· It was fuch a Breach that lays the Soul obnoxious to God's fearful Curfe. 4 . It i3 iuch a Breach that makes the Creatures of God at enmity one with another, and Mankind in danger of being devoured by them: And. alfo hath fct Man one ao-ainfr another. " 5 . It is i._,ch a Breach that fets Man againft himfelf, it hath caufed his own Confci– ence tO be his Enemy, and to accufe, and fight againll him and condemn him; If our Hearts co>zdemn us, God is greater, &c. I 'jobn iii. 2 I. 6. It is fuch a Breach, that unlefs made up will produce an eternal Separation from God, Depart from me, ye Curfed, i;zto everlaftizzg Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels, &c. Matt. xxv. 41. Thirdly, It is a glorious Recor.ciliation if we confider the Means and Manner how and by whom it is brought about and accomplilhed, every Perlon in the glorious Tri– nity harh a Hand in it and are eminently concerned about it. God was in Chrifl recon– ciling the World to himjelf. /ill 'I'hings are of God ';'ha bath .-econciled us unt• himfelf by Jefus Chrif/, &c. 2 Cor. v. 18. The Lord Jefus tne fecond Perlon IS employed, (or as we may fee from hence,) as one firly qualified to make up rhis dreadful Breach: And in order thereunto he rook our Nature on him. There was a Necelli'Y of Chnft's coming to reconcile God and Man: God, his Law and J t)!tice was wronged. and God was re– folved to have this Wrong made up and his Juftice fatisfied, which none but Chrift could do, God was willing robe reconciled, yet neverthelefs he will (wherein he was wronaed) be righted, and have his J ullice fully and compleatly latisfied. Chrill knew what ~vould appeafe and farisfy both Law and J uf\ice, what he bath done hath mfinite 'Worth and Efficacy in it ; this way rends moll ro glorify God the Father, the Son is o\orified moll this way, the Spirit is glorified moll this way, anrl there was no way like ~1 is to melt rhe Sinner's Heart, to abafe him and lay him at the Feet. of God.-See Chrif/ the lvfcdiator, &c. 2 . Chrill dorh not only reconcile God to the Creature, bur alfo reconciles the Crea– ture unto God; he undertakes to bring God near to Man, and Mnn near to God, whofe Heart is full of Sin and Enmity to his Maker, and not fubject to his Law, he Jays his Hands upon both, the firft is done by his Death. Chrill like 'jonas is caft into the Sea, as it were, of Wrath, to make a Calm. The Second is done by the Spirit, he breaks the Heart, changes the inward ~aliries and evil Difpofirions, he takes away the Heart of Stone, and gives a H.earr of Flefb. Fonrthly, Gofpel-reconciliarion is glorious in refpetl to the Nature of it. 1 • It is a free Reconci\i,nion, it is a VVork of free Grace alone: lt is net of Man, Not of him that willeth, or him that runneth; but ofGod that fheweth Mercy, Ram. ix. 16. Hence the Apof\le faith, /ill 'I'hings are of God; fpeaking of Reconciliation. 2. It is a myfterious Reconciliation, TFe fpeak tbe Wifdom ofGod in a Myjiery, even the hidden Wifdom, which God ordained before the World begun to our Glory, 1 Cor. ii. 7· The Spirit fearcheth all Things, yea, the deep Things ol· God ; this is one of rhofe deep Things, which many becaufe they cannot comprehend it in their own natural Wifdom, cavil againft. 3 . It is a certain Reconciliation, God is at peace and fully reconciled in Jefus Chrift. Chri(t fi1all nor, will not lofe his glorious Defign in coming into the World, raking our Nature on him, and dying the curled Death of rhe Crofs. Thofe therefore that are brought to accept of the Terms of Peace and Reconciliation as offered in rhe G,,fpel, ftand in a Stare of real Peace and Friend01ip, neirher let any one imagine that after all rhefe gloriOllS TranfaClions of the bleffed Trinity about this Work, that the lffue of the Whole in order to the making it effectual, depends upon the Vi' ill and Power of Man. 4· The Soul is taken into perfect Love and Union with God, God hereby entirely }oveth us, and is fo for us, or on our fic!t:, that his Friends and AHies become our Friends and Allies, and all our Enemies become his l:.nemies, fo that what is done to us, he takes as done to himfelf. 5· Ir is an honorable Reconciliation, it is a Reconciliation upon honorable Terms, God fuffereth nor rn any of his glorious Attribmes: If God had paffed by our Offences fo that we had had Pardon and Reconciliation without more ado, without a Compenfarion 6 Y for
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