Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 39
CHAP. 39 The Miniſters Commiſſion to Preach Reconciliation to the World.
We now paſs on to the next thing. And that is the Commiſſion for declaration of this Doctine of Reconciliation with God in Chrſt, in the laſt words of the 19. verſe. And hath committed unto us the word of Reconcilation: God hath committed unto us. I find the words in the Original different from that they are read in your Engliſh Bibles, the word [Committed] is, and put into us, ſo the words are; put in this word of Reconciliation: ſo if you read it word for word according to the Original Text it is thus. And he hath put in us the word of Reconciliation. But becauſe this kind of reading would ſeem to be ſomthing harſh in our Engliſh phraſe, therefore the Tranſlators have tranſlated it thus: And hath committed to us, but the Original exprſſes it in this manner, to ſhew what it is that is needful to a Miniſter of the Goſpel, that he ſhould have the Doctrine of Reconciliation to ſink deep into his own heart, firſt, that ſo when he comes to ſpeak to the hearts of other men, he may ſpeak from the heart and ſo to the heart, the word that comes from heart (we ſay) goes to the heart, therefore it is of great uſe, that one that is a Miniſter of the Goſpel ſhould have the word of Reconciliation, the myſteries of the Goſpel deeply rooted in his heart, that when he comes to ſpeak to the people he may ſpeak it not meerly from his tongue and head but from his heart e…perimentally that his heart may be in his miniſtry, that ſo it may be more effectuall to go to the heart of the people to whom he ſpeaks, and that expreſſion is ſomwhat like to this 1. Gal. 16. verſe. in the 15. verſe it is ſaid But when it pleaſed God who ſeperated me from my Mothers Womb, and called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me. To reveal his Son [in me] he doth not ſay to reveal his Son [to me] but [in me] ſo the words are: ſo that indeed it doth befit a Miniſter of the Goſpel to be a profitable Miniſter when Jeſus Chriſt comes to be revealed [in him] And ſo much for the expreſſion [hath committed unto us] that is, put in us the word of reconciliation. As if the Apaſtle ſhould ſay whereas the Lord hath been from al eternity plotting as it were the great work of reconciling the world unto himſelf, in that great miſtery of godlineſs, doing of it in Chriſt, and this is the work that above al things concerns the glory of God and the good of Soules, and the Lord hath been pleaſed to appoint ſome ſelect meſſengers for to carry this his name about the world, and to ſhew unto the world what thoſe glorious counſels of his wil hath been from al eternity concerning the Children of men, this great Doctrine of reconciling the world unto himſelf in Chriſt, is the very buiſneſs that we are ſent about the world for, and are as the Embaſſadors of Chriſt to come, and in his name to treat with the world about Reconciliation with God, about making up their peace with God, ſo that here you have the work of the Miniſters of the Goſpel, & what great things are committed to the Miniſters of the Goſpel, He hath committed unto us the miniſtery of Reconciliation, that is the work, ſo that from hence the point is this according to the words of the text.
Doct, That the Miniſtery of Reconciliation with God is committed unto the Miniſters of God to preach unto the World. The Miniſters of God have a comiſſion both from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; to preach the Doctrine of Reconciliation to the people, for here we have it in the very words which follow. We are Embaſſadors of Chriſt as if God did beſeech you by us, we pray you in Chriſts ſtead be you Reconciled to God, for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is likewiſe in the commiſſion of Gods Miniſters, when they come to preach in the name of God, and that you have in Nehem. 9.20. Thou gaveſt thy good ſpirit, It was the Prophet that came to inſtruct them, it was the Spirit of God in the Prophet that did inſtruct them, So that the Miniſters of God have their commiſſion from the Father, from the Son, and from the Holy Spirit, to come to the people and to reveale the great counſels of God unto them, they are ſent by the whole Trinity unto the people, here is their commiſſion, you have it clearly, But the commiſſion is more imediately from Chriſt (though there is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in it) yet it is more imediatly from Chriſt, becauſe Chriſt is the great Prophet of the Church, & it is part of the prophetical office of Chriſt to have the great counſel of God his Father in the miſtery of our Reconcilliation to be opened to the people, Chriſt was firſt annointed, and then he doth as it were, annoint other officers to this great work, in Iſa. 61. There you ſhal find the great Prophet, he is firſt annointed, The ſpirit of the Lord God is upon me, becauſe the Lord hath annointed me, To what? To Preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath ſent me to bind up the broken heart, to proclaim liberty to captives, and the opening of the Priſon to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable yeare of the Lord, and the day of Vengence of our God, to comfort all that mourne, to appoint unto them that mourne in Sion to give unto them beauty for aſhes, the Oyle of joy for mourning, the garments of praiſe for the ſpirit of heavineſs, that they might be called Trees of Righteouſneſs, the Planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified, that is in effect the ſame with this, the Miniſtery of Reconciliation, that is but a large expreſſion of the Miniſtery of Reconciliation, and as you ſee here, it is a prophecy of Chriſt, that firſt Chriſt is annoyinted, this Chriſt is appointed by God the Father and the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit of God is upon me, becauſe the Lord hath annoynted …e, there is the holy Spirit in it, God the Father appoints him, he only may be ſaid to be the appointer, and the Holy Spirit going to annoint Jeſus Chriſt to be a preacher of the Goſpel, and he being the prime, and the cheif Prophet of the Church, he doth appoint others to exerciſe as it were ſome work of his prophetical office, that is, to preach the great Doctrine of Reconciliation, hath committed unto us the Miniſtery of Reconciliation, & this you ſhal ſee is the commiſſion that Chriſt gives in the laſt of Mark, 15.16. verſes And he ſaid unto them, go yee into all the world and Preach the Goſpel to every creature, he that beleeveth & is baptiſed ſhal be ſaved, and he that beleiveth not ſhal be damned, Go ye ſaith he, and preach to every creature, he that beleiveth and is baptiſed ſhal be ſaved but he that beleiveth not ſhal be damned, this is the Goſpel, the doctrine of Reconciliation by Chriſt, he doth not give them a bare commiſſion, but he joyns his own power together to this commiſſion, and tells them that his power doth go along with them in it Math. 28.18. And Jeſus came and ſpeak unto them ſaying, All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth, What followes in verſ, 19. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptiſing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy-Spirit. What a commiſſion is here, what a preamble to the commiſſions is here? I have received all power both in Heaven and in Earth, And than he tells them, Go and teach al nations, as if Chriſt ſhould ſay you are going about the greateſt work that ever any creature hath been implyed in, in this world, for ſo it is certainly, The Miniſtery of Reconciliation is next to the work of Redemption, that Chriſt was employed about is the greateſt work that any creature in this world was employed about, whatſoever the world thinks of it, no Angel in heaven was ever employed about a greater work then this, and therefore being of ſo great conſequence, Chriſt makes this preface; Al power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, go ye therefore, as if Chriſt ſhould ſay, Be it knowen to you now, that the power that is given to me by the Father, ſhal go along with you and therefore be encouraged, but they might wel have ſaid, who is ſufficient for theſe great things? But be not diſcouraged ſaith Chriſt my power ſhal go along with you to aſſiſt you, to comfort you, to encourage you, it ſhal go along with you, to make your Miniſtery proffitable unto them that do belong unto my election; It ſhal go along with you to defend you from al adverſaries, The world wil be enraged againſt you, When you come to preach this Doctrine, But now my power ſhal go along with you, to defend you from them al, to ſtrengthen you againſt al oppoſitions in the world, and to enable you to ſuffer whatſoever ſhal be brought upon you; and further ſaith Chriſt, I am with you [Alwayes] even to the end of the world. One would have thought that that ſhould have been ſufficient that Chriſt ſhould have ſaid I am with you to the end of the world, But there is ſomething more in this, I am with you [Alwayes] even to the end of the world, (that is) I wil not be only with you, ſo as not wholly to leave you, but there ſhal be no one moment of time to the end of the world, but in it I wil be with you, I wil not only overſhadow you and ſend my preſence with you, but every moment, every day, every ſermon you preach, and then, I wil be with you to the end of the world, thoſe were dead above 1500. Yeares agoe, and yet Chriſt ſaith he wil be with them to the end of the world, that is with thoſe that ſhould ſucceed them in the Minniſtery of Reconciliation, This is the commiſſion, And when they come to any houſe they are to begin thus, You ſhal ſay Peace be to you when they come to any place, that is the peace of God in Chriſt. Now this doctrine of Reconciliation is that that muſt be underſtood by preaching. We can read but very little of it, ſcarce one letter in all the book of the creature, we cannot come to underſtand it by any knowledg of our own, but it muſt be taught us, no, nor by the creature, But thus much may be underſtood by the creatures, Gods continuing to the world, and ſhining upon the juſt as wel as upon the unjuſt, and abundance of Mercy heer doth this declare with a loude voice, that there is ſome poſſibility for men to be reconciled unto God, there is mercy for mankind, there doth ſeem to be a loude voice in the goodneſs of God in the creature to ſound out in the eares of al the world that man is in a better condition than the Devills, for certainly, if God had no intention to do good unto mankind, he would not continue ſo many Mercies as he doth; But now this cannot ſhew us what is Chriſt; but it may ſhew us thus much, that God hath a way of mercy for the Children of men, and I think in part, that text may be meant of this that we have in Rom. 10.18. Where the Appoſtle ſpeaks concerning the Goſpel, but I ſay have they not heard? Yes verily their ſound went into al the world, have they not heard of the Goſpel that is here ſpoken of, Hath not Iſrael heard the Goſpel? Yes verily, their ſound went into all the Earth, and their words unto the end of the world. And this text if you compare it with the 19. Pſal. We may have cauſe to wonder much at the quotation of it, and there you have it a little different, as in the verſ. 4. their Line (that is, the great characcter of the Grace of God that is written in the book of the creature, as it were in a line,) that is gone out throught the earth, and hath a kind of ſound in it, at leaſt we may ſee it written, but hence you ſee in the 19. Pſalm, It is clerly ſpoken concerning the works of God, In the Sun, and in the Heavens, The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmant ſhews his handy work. The creature hath a loude voice to cal us to God by repentance, now there can be no calling of us to Repentance, but it is a voice of the Goſpel, And the Apoſtle ſaith plainly in the 2 of Rom. That the patience of God calls us to Repentance, in verſe, 4. whatſoever leades to Repentance hath ſomething of the Goſpel in it, Patience and goodneſs, though we never come to heare of the Miniſtery of the Goſpel, yet it is that that calls us to repentance, and it is cleare in this, becauſe that is ſpoken of in the creature; the loude voice in the creature in the 19 Pſalm. it is applied to the Goſpel in Rom. 10. and except you underſtand it ſo, we cannot tel you that the ſound of the Goſpel hath gon to the utmoſt parts of the earth. We cannot underſtand in the Apoſtles time, how the Goſpel went to the utmoſt parts of the world, for there are many places that are not found out yet, but this kind of ſound of the Goſpel goes throughout the earth, that by the voice of the creatures men ought to come to know thus much, that ſurely there is ſome way for God to be pacified towards ſinful men, though they cannot tell which way, or what way, ſuerly there is ſome way, and many of the Jewes knew no other way but this, they knew there was a Meſſiah to come, but what he was; or who he was, they know very little of him. Now the Devills have no ſuch work of God towards them, nor ſuch bounty and patience and goodneſs towards them whereby they can conclude that God hath any thoughts to be reconciled to them, Though its true, they are not yet fully under the torment that they ſhal be, yet they are under ſo much torment as they are ſaid to be reſerved to the great day in chains of darkneſs, whereas wicked and ungodly men are preſerved by the bounty and patience of God, and the cords of Gods bounty and mercy is towards them, and therefore they are not reſerved in chaines of darkneſs as the Devil and damned are; So that by the bounty of God in the creature we may gather ſuch a concluſion, that ſurely God hath ſome way to ſhew mercy unto mankind, But we can never have any thoughts by any works of God in his creature, that God ſhould ſend the ſecond perſon in Trinity to take mans nature upon him, to die, to ſuffer for mans ſin, to tender up ſatisfaction to divine Juſtice, and then al muſt be brought into this Covenant, & then he muſt be the head of the ſecond Covenant, and they muſt be made Members of his body; now the Creature hath no ſuch miſttry as this, and therefore in the 3 Eph. 8. verſe, ſaith the Apoſtle (ſpeaking what his miniſtery was) unto me who am the leaſt of al Saints is the grace given that I ſhould preach amongſt the gentils the unſearchable riches of Chriſt,foreign, inveſtigabiles divitias, not to be paced or traced out: foreign of α and foreign Veſtigium, qui nullis veſtigiis indagari poteſt. It is uſed alſo Rom. 11.33. they are unſearchable, ſpeaking of the riches of Chriſt, as they are of Chriſt they are unſearchable; the word is there, the Riches that are without footſteps, there is no foot ſteps of the riches of Chriſt, if we ſpeak of the Doctrine of Chriſt the Mediator as it is indeed in the Goſpel there are no foot ſteps of them in the Creature, therefore, though there be ſome kind of ſound in the Creature, that it is ſure, that God hath ſome kind of way to be reconciled, but now the ſound of the Goſpel, this is committed to Miniſters to Preach, & therefore in the. 1 Cor. 1.21. the Apoſtle ſaith, That in the Wiſdome of God, the World by Wiſdome knew not God; it pleaſed God by the fooliſhneſs of Preaching to ſave them that beleeve. (Mark) the world by Wiſdome knew not God, certainly, the world did know there was a God, and that he was infinite in power and goodneſs; but the Text ſaith, they know not God, (that is) they knew not God ſavingly in Chriſt, they might know that God had ſome kind of way to ſhew mercy to ſinners, but what way they knew not, and by [Wiſdome] that is, by al the Wiſdome that was revealed by God in the Creature, and by al the Wiſdome they received from God, they knew not God by Wiſdome; true there is an abundance of the Wiſdome of God in the Creature, ſeveral acts are no other then ſeveral beames of Gods Wiſdome ſhining in the Creature, and the knowledg of theſe acts, are no other but the ſeveral beames of Gods Wiſdome ſhining into mens underſtandings: take either of both them, and by both theſe it could not know God in a ſaving way, but by the Fooliſhneſs of preaching, that is; by the preaching that the Men of this world do account fooliſhneſs, the Lord is pleaſed to ſave thoſe that beleeve: ſo that it is evident that the Miniſtery of Reconciliation is committed to the preachers of the Goſpel.