[2.] Access to God with boldness and free trade into heaven: Eom. V. 2, ' By whom we have access by faith ; ' and Eph. ii. 18, ' For through him we have both access by one Spirit unto the Father.' When a peace is made between two warring nations, trading is revived ; when you have occasion to make use of God, you may go to him as your reconciled Father ; there is no flaming sword to keep you out of paradise.
[3.] Acceptance both of your persons and performances. Your persons are accepted : Eph. i. 6, ' He hath accepted us in the beloved, to the praise of his glorious grace.* You are looked upon as members of Christ, favourites of heaven ; your duties and actions are accepted : Heb. xi. 4, ' By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.' The sinful failings of our best actions are hid and covered ; they are not examined by a severe judge, but accepted by a loving Father.
[4.] All the graces of the Spirit are fruits of our reconciliation with God : Kom. v. 11, ' We joy in God through our Lord Jesus' Christ, by Avhom we have received the atonement;' jewels of the covenant, wherewith the spouse of Christ is decked. Christ prayed, that we might be loved as he was loved, John xvii., not for degree, but kind, John iii. 34. These are given as tokens and evidences of his love. The privilege is so great, that we cannot believe it without some real demonstration of God's heart towards us. When Jacob heard that Joseph was alive and governor of Egypt, he would not believe it ; but when he saw the waggons which Joseph sent to carry him, Gen. xlv. 27, 28, ' Then his spirit revived within him ; ' so here, 1 Thes. i. 5, ' For our gospel came not to you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.'
[5.] All outward blessings are sanctified, especially the enjoyment of them, which we have by another right and tenure. Surely one that is reconciled to God cannot be miserable, 'for all things are his,' 1 Cor. iii. 23. Whatsoever falleth to his share, comfort and cross cometh with a blessing — ' And all worketh for good,' Eom. Aaii. 28. God's enmity is declared by raining snares, Ps. xi. 6. There is a secret war against the soul ; but his love, that always worketh for good. Out of what corner soever the wind bloweth, it always bloweth for good to his people.
[6.] It is a pledge of heaven : Eom. v. 10, 'For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled by his death, much more, being reconciled,
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we shall be saved by his life.' The glorifying of a saint is a more easy thing than the reconciling of a sinner ; suppose the one, and you may suppose the other. If God would pardon us and take us with all our faults, he will much more glorify us when we are reconciled and sanctified.
[7.] Our right to this privilege beginneth as soon as we do believe in Christ, for upon these terms God hath set forth Christ : Eom. iii. 24, ' Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.' When our hearts are drawn to receive Christ upon these terms, we are legally capable of his favour. Now faith is nothing else but a broken-hearted and thankful acceptance of Christ, with a resolution to give up ourselves to God by him. The true notion of Christ's death is the sacrifice of atonement. Now in the sacrifices of atonement, they were to come with brokenness of heart, confessing sin over the head of the beast, Ps. li. 17, owning the Messiah to come, and a stipulation of obedience : Ps. I. 5, ' Gather my saints together, that make a covenant with me by sacrifice.' Well then, when in a broken-hearted manner we make our claim by Christ, thankfully acknowledging our Redeemer's grace, and sue out our release and dis- charge in his name, and devote ourselves to God, then our right is begun. The evidence of this right is when faith is made fruitful in holiness. God is a holy God, and Christ came not to make God less holy. He may be reconciled to our persons, but never to our sins. Sin ever was, and ever will be, the make-bate between God and us : Isa. lix. 2, ' Your sins have separated between yon and me.' There must be a zealous renouncing of all things that have bred estrangement between us and God. Everything in this reconciliation implieth holi- ness ; the party with whom we do reconcile, God ; and he must not lightly be oflended, but pleased : Col. i. 10, ' That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing' — tender of offending God. The nature of the reconciliation is mutual ; we with God, as well as God with us. A real change goeth along with the relative, or else we are taken for enemies still, Ps. Ixviii. 21. The covenant is a league offensive and defensive. Pax nostra helium contra Satanam. We cannot be at peace with God, till, fallen out with sin, we resolve to war against the devil, the world, and the flesh ; you must not make him a patron and panderer to your lusts : Esod. xxiii. 20-22, ' Behold, I send an angel be- fore thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not ; for he will not pardon your transgressions : for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak ; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.' We must carry ourselves with great rever-ence to the angel of the covenant, 1 Cor. x. 9. The sanctifying grace of the Spirit ; for the application of the merit of Christ, and the gift of the Spirit, are inseparable. God will not pardon our sins while we remain in them ; we must be sanctified and justified, and then we shall have peace and comfort. ' What ! peace as long as the whoredom of thy mother Jezebel remaineth ? ' Men that sin freely know not what peace with God meaneth. This holy friendship, which resulteth from the covenant, implieth an indignation against sin : Hosea xiv. 8, * What