CHAP. joy in God through our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom X. we have now received the Atonement. We bave Redemption through his Blood, even the Forgiveness of Sins, Col. i. 14. He is affirmed to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People, Heb. ii. 17. and that he is merciful and faithful in that Office; which was the offering Gifts and Sacrifice for Sin; that certainly implies reconciling God to Sinners, which was the very Province of the Jewish High Priest by the yearly Sacrifice on the great Day of Atonement: The Blood of the everlasting Covenant is affirmed to be the Means whereby God becomes the God of Peace, Heb. xiii. 20. And our Mediator, who by his precious Blood-fhedding, was our Peace-maker with God, is faid to be our Peace. And therefore in every Place, where Mention is made of our being reconciled to God by the Death of his Son, or the World, or all Things reconciled, or in a Pofture of Reconciliation with himself in, or through Chrift, there is always Mention of our Peace being alfo made with God. IN the first covenant in Paradise, though between a Superior and Inferior, there was no need of a Mediator, because as long as the Law or Covenant was observed, there was perfect Harmony and Friendship between God and Man; but as foon as that was broke, the Peace was broke, and God would no more covenant or treat with Man, but through a Mediator. But the very Nature of that Covenant fuppofes and expreffes God to be reconciled and pacify'd towards Man, as well as Man towards God; I will establish my Rom. v. 2, 3, II. + Eph. ii. 14. John xvi. 33. Col. i. 19. Ifaiah ix. 6. Covenant X. Covenant with thee, and thou shalt know that I am CHAP. the Lord: That thou may't remember and be confounded, and never open thy Mouth any more because of thy Shame, when I am PACIFYED towards thee for all that thou hast done, faith the Lord God. Ezek. xvi. 62, 63. Indeed the very Notion of a Reconciliation between two Parties, by Means of a Third, fufficiently implies, that both Parties are at Variance, one with the other; there is otherwise hardly any Senfe to be made of Christ our Mediator reconciling Man to God, unless he alfo reconciled God to Man. There lies the Strength of the Apostle's inference, and the whole emphasis of his intreaty; God was in Chrift reconciling the World to himself, not imputing their Trefpaffes unto them; that was a Demonstration be was reconciled, and the firft Perfon in the Difference that was fo; then addreffing to the inferior, Man, we pray you, in Chrift's Stead, be ye reconciled to God: And makes this the very ground and foundation of that Prayer in Chrift's Stead; for he hath made him to be Sin for us, [SinOffering] who knew no Sin, that we might be made the Righteoufness of God in him. If Man only had been at Variance with Heaven, which is but half the Truth of the Cafe, a common Angel was Envoy fufficient to have been fent thence; or an Arch-Angel might have put on the Character of an Ambaffador. But when a Mediator interpofes, who is more in Perfon, in Power, and in Intereft, than either of the other, and who has himself Ambassadors under Him, viz. his Apoftles; it is Evidence fufficient to all the World, that there was a Breach be 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. tween, CHAP. tween, and a mutual Reconciliation wanting between God and Man. X. IN one refpect, he may be faid to die a Witness, and is accordingly ftyled the Faithful and true Witness*, i. e. of the effential Holiness and Righ teousness of his Father in hating Sin, and requiring Man's Obedience to his molt righteous Laws, and upon Failure, adjudging the denounc'd Punishment. For which Reafon, in his Addreffes to him, he never stiles him merciful, but holy, righteous Father, in his finishing the work he gave him to dot; which work, when finished, gave full Satisfaction to that fupreme Perfection of the Father, which is the foundation of his moral government over Man. At the redemption out of Egypt his Appellations were, glorious in holiness, fearful in praifes, doing wonders. And both Parties. being put into a State of Reconciliation, gives a compleat Notion of Expiation and Propitiation. made by the Mediator for the Offender towards the Offended; Reftitution and Satisfaction to the Majefty of the Divine Laws being stipulated and covenanted on Man's Part, as far as he is able, and wherein he fails through Imperfection, made good. Thus the Goodness and Mercy of God, flows from, and is regulated by right Ideas of the Perfection of his Holinefs. And that univerfal proclamation that eternal exercife of Tongues in Heaven, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, was loudly witnessed on Earth, in and by the Death of the Mediator. 3. NOR is that grand Asylum of the Deifts, Repentance, with its fuppofed Amendment, Rev. iii. 14. t John xvii. grounded X. grounded upon the prefumptive Goodness of God, CHAP. to be depended upon for Remiffion of Sins, and eternal Life: I call it the prefumptive Goodness of God, as they affume upon it, in Oppofition to his promifed, revealed, covenanted Goodness, in the Mediator Chrift. Had God thought Repentance fufficient, though it was the natural and only Means of Recovery, in conjunction with Prayer, that Man could fuggeft, after he was fallen into a State of Sin and Guilt, he might have accepted it in the first Covenant of Works: But had he given any Intimation upon that first Trial of Obedience, of his Acceptance of Repentance, it would directly have contradicted the very Law he had given; fupplanted his own Intention, and, instead of establishing Innocence, had encouraged Tranfgreffion. AND if the wilful and ungrateful Tranfgreffion of that Law brought more Contempt upon God's Authority over his new-made Creature, newly fubjected to a particular Restraint in proof of continual Dependence (as a Creature ought to be to his Creator) than the Tenor of his Obedience all the Days of his Life could have brought Honour and Glory to him: Inafmuch as this laft is no more than a juft Debt of Reason, and Creation, in preferring the Service and Favour of God before thofe low contemptible Rivals, the World, the Flesh, and the Devil; and therefore could have no higher Honour in it than the paying a juft Debt or Tribute that a Man is obliged to; but, with deliberate Reason, actually to prefer either of them before the infinitely fuperior good and great Creator, (as is the Cafe of every wilful Tranfgreflion of his Law) is the very finfulness of Sin, the greatest Dishonour and Difparagement VOL. I. U of X. CHAP. of God, and the greatest Enormity and Iniquity of Reafon, that the Thoughts of Man can be guilty of CONSEQUENTLY, if Man would of himself think of any fuitable Reparation to his Honour, or any tolerable Vindication of his Law and Authority for the Contempt put upon it, he muft devife fome honorary, meritorious Act of Obedience, as much above what he was formerly obliged to, as the Contempt he was guilty of, was below his Duty; but if the utmost whole of his Obedience is no more than what is juftly due, and God has a rightful Claim to it all; how can a broken Obedience be judg'd fufficient for that Purpofe? It is therefore impoffible, in the Judgment of Reason, that a Return to Duty by Way of Repentance and Amendment, can effect it. No, though we had kept all the Commandments, we had ftill been but unprofitable Servants; what then can an unconftant patch'd-up Behaviour avail in the Sight of God? Suppofing at the best, the Remnant of Life that is left, to be as clean and regular as it ought to be, how can Repentance alone claim an Acquittance, or Pardon of that Part that is paft, and has been ill spent? The reft of the Piece may be full of Stains and Blots; Can the clean Part wash out that? Does not almost every one know more Evil by himself, than he knows Good? Which by the way, is the true Reason why People are fo prone in all Places, and at all times, to believe and report more Evil of their Neighbour, than Good. What Intereft can fuch an impure extravagant Creature pretend to have in God, in his own Perfon? He that can pretend to be perfectly innocent, |