Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 44 – Chapter 45
CHAP. 44.
I have treated about what commiſſion is given unto the Miniſters of the Goſpel, and there is one great thing that I would have you obſerve, that we take no notice of; how the Apoſtle again & again ſpeaks of this, as making account that it is one of the greateſt things that concerns the world that ever was; for ſaith he in v. 18. Al things are of God; who hath reconciled us unto himſelf by Jeſus Chriſt, & hath given unto us the Miniſtery of reconciliation. But he had not enough of that, but he comes over it again to wit; that God was in Chriſt reconcileing the world; that God reconciled us to himſelfe by Jeſus Chriſt, & hath given unto us the Miniſtery of reconciliation that is in the 18. v. that is; God is reconciling himſelf unto the world in Jeſus Chriſt, again the ſame is in the 19. verſe, And hath Committed unto us the word of reconciliation, ſhewing, that it is a matter of great conſequence; it is a great truſt that is commited to the Miniſters of the Goſpel, the word of Reconciliation; and there I ſhewed you, how you were (therefore) to enertain the Miniſters of the Goſpel; beautiful ſhould the Feet be of thoſe that bring glad tidings &c. That comes from God with this Commiſſion, this Doctrine of Reconciliation in their mouths as Noah put forth his hand and took in the Dove with the Olive branch: So when a Miniſter comes with this Olive leafe in his Mouth, the Miniſtry of Reconciliation, you muſt open your hearts, and take it in. A word or two more about this, This (you have heard at large) is the great work of the miniſters of the Goſpel; to bring unto you the Doctrine of Reconciliation: howſoever it may be foliſhneſs before the world, yet it is the great Ordinance whereby God wil bring men to be reconciled unto himſelf; thoſe that he hath a purpoſe to ſave. Here is now a work, to treat with you about reconciling your Souls to God; to open to you the Counſels of God about bringing you to be at peace with him.
Uſe. 1. See what a wicked wretched world this is, that cannot bear the Miniſters of the Goſpel.
Hence then ſee, what a wicked and wretched world is this, that cannot bear the Miniſters of the Goſpel? When this is al the work that they come about; this errand unto them in the name of God, to treat with them only to make peace between God and their Souls; here is al the Errand, and yet the world cannot bear this. If they came as the Meſſengers of Gods wrath againſt them, then indeed the world might look ſourly upon them, and ſeek to avoid them; but when they come about no other Errand, but meerly to treat with their Souls about terms of peace that the world ſhould not recceive them, but reject the Goſpel, and deſpiſe it, and look upon the Miniſters of the Goſpel as if they were their greateſt enemies. This is a moſt wretched wicked world, and there is nothing in the world that can aggravate the ſins of menmore then this; that they ſhould reject the Miniſtry of the Goſpel. Saith God, What? when I ſhal ſend the Minſters of the Goſpel, my ſervants to treat with theſe wretched Creatures about making peace between me and them, and they ſhal reject this; certainly God expects that whereſoever he ſends the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, generally al people ſhould admire at the grace of God, that is made known to them in Chriſt, and they ſhould al come in and even cry to God; Lord, What is it thou doſt require? what? Is there any Meſſenger from Heaven come? Now let us give up our hearts as a blank paper; let God write in them whatſoever he pleaſeth, (he doth not expect that men ſhould riſe in a rage againſt the word, and caſt it of as that that brings trouble upon them) how infinitely are men mtſtaken in this? to think that the preaching of the Goſpel is a trouble to the world, to whom it is the greateſt happineſs that can be in this world. And if you knew it, you would bleſs God for it; even with your faces groveling upon the ground, that ſuch a commiſſion was given to your brethren to come from God, to treat in his name about termes of Reconciliation with you, the Sons of men, What hurt is it the Miniſters of the Goſpel do unto men? that they ſhould be ſo troubled with them? as to ſay, that the Town or place is troubled and we could never be at quiet, ſince there was ſuch and ſuch preaching, were there not infinite mallice; it could never enter into the hearts of men ſuch a conceit as this is.
You ſpeak about treating of peace with God; but they are ſevere, and denounce the Judgments of God againſt us.
I appeal to you how doe wee denounce them? do we denounce them abſolute? or only in order to the bringing of the ſouls to faith and repentance? what do wee plead againſt? It is but againſt your ſin that is your enemy, your deadly enemy; that would certainly undo you; that would deſtroy you eternally. Ahab ſpeakes of the prophet, hee never ſpeakes good unto me; and yet ſaith Ahab, have I found thee O mine enemy? he looks upon the prophet as an enemy; ſo, wicked carnal hearts, (though we come to open the miſteries of the goſpel to them; yet when we ſhew them upon what termes it runnes) they think we do not ſpeak good unto them. Certainly (whatſoever your thoughts are) we are enemies to nothing but your ſins, that would deſtroy you; that is your enemy, and would any one think it hard, to have his deadly enemy to be hardly dealt withal? Al that we deſire, is; but to break the league between your ſouls and Sin, that there may bee a league between God and your ſouls: certainly love of ſin, and peace with God they cannot ſtand together at the ſame time; it cannot poſſibly be that there ſhould be a league between ſin and your ſoules, and yet a league between God and your ſoules; now which of the two do you thinke is the beſt, and who is your greateſt friend? either he that ſeekes to maintain a league with ſin or to break it that you may have a league between God, and your ſouls? this is the intention of the goſpel.
But you wil ſay, if this be the commiſſion of the miniſters, that God hath put into them the word of Reconciliation; why do they preach the law ſo much as they do? why do they preach terror ſo much? for this is their commiſſion; the word of Reconciliation.
To that I anſwer, certainly he is a miniſter that knows not his commiſſion that preaches the law, or any terror any other way, but in order to this word of Reconciliation, any other way but to make you to underſtand this word of Reconciliation, (though there be (in ſome reſpects) a great deale of difference betweene the law, and the goſpel) yet moſt people thinke it greater than it is, for the ſubſtance of the law, (is that that is implyed (at leaſt) in the goſpel [implied] as thus) when we ſay [the word of Reconciliation] it is impoſſible to open this unto you without ſhewing you ſomthing that the law tends to, [Reconciliation] why? Becauſe that wee are enemies to God. Enemies to God? How? how can we be enemies to God? yea by your ſins.
How ſhal we know that ſin doth bring enmity between God and us?
The Law tels you, curſed be every one that abides not in every thing that is written in the booke of the law to do it. When we ſpeake of Reconciliation there is implied enmity. I appeal to any of you (conſidering that God works with creatures according to the nature of creatures, he doth uſe to worke (though above reaſon) yet in a rational way; he begins the work with thoſe whom he intends to ſave: therefore how can wee (in a rational way) tel what Reconciliation is; until we underſtand what an enmity ſin hath made between God, and our ſouls. Is it poſſible to underſtand the ſweetnes of peace with God until we underſtand the danger of our eſtats that that we ſpeake of the law, it is that? that is implyed in the goſpel, and that the revealing of the goſpel may come with a more ſweetneſs, and fulneſs into your hearts; O! that you would but carry this along with you ever when you hear any of the miniſters ſpeak any thing to you that hath any terror in it; do but perſwade your ſouls of this; O! but this is in order to my peace with God; in order to ſhewe what a bleſſed and ſweet ſavior Jeſus Chriſt is.
But others wil ſay, the word of peace is committed unto you, why do you ſpeak of war then?
T… that I anſwer but in a word, when we ſpeak to you concerning war, what is our aime? what doth it tend to? But only this; that you may be willing to venture your ſelves, your lives and eſtates to maintain among you this word of Reconciliation; here is the end, were it not for this, we could quickly hold our mouths, we ſhould not hazard our ſelves ſo as we do to ſpeake to you of ſuch an argument; we are apparently, and any man (whoſe eyes are but halfe open) may ſee that if we be ſluggiſh, and cowardly now, farewel the word of Reconciliation, the word of the Goſpel is gone, we muſt not expect that that muſt be amongſt us, and the poſterity that is comming after. It may be ſome of you may know, that ſince God hath called a Parliament, and bleſſed it, as he hath don, never was the word of Reconciliation opened ſo clearly as it hath been: there hath Been ſome kinde of preaching before with a deal of mixtures: but for that clear way of Reconciliation, your conſciences may tel you that is hath not been ſo cleerly opened.
Obj. But you wil ſay, the Apoſtles they had the word of Reconciliation, and preached it to the people; but they did not preach to the people that they ſhould maintain it by force of armes, But they taught people to ſuffer, and to lay downe their lives, and not to take the ſword into their hands.
Anſ. This hath been anſwered again and again, and it is a moſt vain objection of the people. This objection ſeemes to be ſtrengthned partly from the thing it ſelfe: They ſay, religion ſhould not be maintained by the ſword, and ſecondly, the example of the primitive tims.
Firſt for religion, know, that the maintenance that is now by the ſword in this cauſe, it is not meerly for religion, but it is for our civil right, that we have to our religion. And this anſwer wil anſwer both.
For the Objection, that Religion ſhould not be maintained by the ſword, and that of the primitive time, I ſay, [the maintenance now of Religion] it is not for that (only) that the ſword is taken up; the ſword is not taken up meerly for that, (as Religion) but for the civil right that we have to our Religion, which in the the primitive times, the Apoſtles had not, nor the Chriſtians then: but now we live in ſuch a Country wherin we have civil right unto our Religion, as wel as to our eſtates; we have not only right unto the profeſſion of our Religion, (becauſe God gives it us out of his good wil) but we have it too by vertue of a civil right; by vertue of the Law of our common wealth: Look what right you have to your Houſes, Lands, and Eſtates; you have the ſame right to your practice of Religion; This is the mercy of God towards England, rather than to other Countries; Now we take up Arms to defend our civil right, and let it be in what it wil be, either to our Eſtates, or Houſes, or Religion, or whatſoever it be, ſtil it is a civil right; this is that that juſtifies this quarrel, and this is enough to ſtop the Mouths of any in this point, and to anſwer that argument about the primitive times. But I let this paſs and come unto the next verſe.
CHAP. 45. Verſe 20. Opened, and Five Doctrines propounded
VERSE 20.
Now then we are Embaſſadors for Chriſt, as though God did beſeech you by us; we pray you in Chriſts ſtead, be you reconciled to God.
NOW we are Embaſſadors. Mark, what riſe the holy Apoſtle takes, ſaith he, God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelf; not imputing their treſpaſſes unto them, and hath committed to us this word of Reconciliation. Now then we are Embaſſadors. His ſpirit ſeems to be much moved in this; What? God reconciling the world unto himſelf? not imputing their treſpaſſes unto them? [Now then we we are Embaſſadors for Chriſt] now then we have a great truſt; now then we have a great charge; now then we are Embaſſadors, not from any earthly great Prince, but from Jeſus Chriſt himſelf. So that in theſe words you have theſe ſeveral points of Doctrine. I might caſt them into theſe ſeveral concluſions.
Doct. Firſt, That the Miniſters of the Goſpel are Embaſſadors of Chriſt.
Secondly, What they do in this their Embaſſage; It is as if God, and Chriſt did it, as though God did beſeech you by us, ſo we pray you in Chriſts ſtead.
Thirdly, The Conſideration of the Excellency of their Commiſsion, and Embaſſage makes them wonderful careful to do what they are ſent about, and very earneſt in plying the work they are ſent to do; Now we are Embaſſadors, and as though God did beſeech you by us, we pray you in Chriſts ſtead, be ye reconciled.
Fourthly, That God and Jeſus Chriſt are exceeding willing to be reconciled unto Sinners.
And that is the Fourth thing which is indeed the principal thing in the Text that is recorded. Now as the very ground of al that is intended in the Text.
That God and Chriſt is exceeding willing that ſinners ſhould come in to be reconciled to him, for they do pray and beſeech you.
Fiftly, That the work of the Miniſtery of the Goſpel, it is (by al the means they can) to labor to draw a people by entreating and beſeeching them, and to take no nay of the hearts of the people until they do get them to come in, to be reconciled unto God.
Theſe are the five things of the 20. verſe.
Now then we are Embaſſadors for Chriſt. &c.
I ſhal but briefly treat of the firſt three, for indeed the two latter are the cheif, which I choſe this text for, To ſhew you the willingneſs of God that ſinners ſhould come in and be reconciled to him, and the work of the Miniſtery is to draw the hearts of the people; But the other three I ſhal ſpeak of but by way of preface unto theſe.