Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 46 – Chapter 47
CHAP. 46. The Miniſters of the Goſpel Are Embaſſadors of Chriſt, Opened in ſix particulars.
Firſt, That the Miniſters of the Goſpel are the Embaſſadors of Chriſt.
Not Embaſſadors for Belial, or for Antichriſt as many Miniſters have been, to plead the cauſe of Antichriſt, as if they were ſent as Legates from Rome; and to plead for ſuperſtitious vanities; we are not Embaſſadors for Belial, for ſin, for wickedneſs, for many times you heare pleading againſt Godlineſs, and for wickedneſs: No, we are Embaſſadors for Chriſt, we are ſent Embaſſadors; this is ſomething more than meſſengers; this is a higher degree than to be a bare meſſenger, an Embaſdor is more than a ſteward; in 1. Cor. 4. Therefore let a man ſo account of us as the Miniſters of Chriſt, and diſpencers of the miſteries of Salvation. I only wil ſhew you a ſcripture for that, and a little open it, and ſoon paſs by this point.
We have it often in ſcripture, this word Embaſſador, In Eph. 6.2. There you have it to the ſame purpoſe as it is here; For which I am an Embaſſador, and he is in bonds. He was not uſed like an Embaſſador, you know, [Embaſſadors,] Firſt they are ſuch as are ſent from Princes and States, to other Princes and States: it is not a private man. If any of you ſend a meſſenger about a buſineſs, he is not ſaid to be an Embaſſador; but one that comes from a Prince, or State from other countries, he is ſaid to be an Embaſſador. So the Miniſter of the Goſpel, he is not ſent to deale between man and man: but between God and man, in matters that concern the great God of Heaven, and Earth; and ſent from him, though deſigned to it by men, yet their calling depends upon God, upon Chriſt, only here is the difference; when Princes, and States, ſend their Embaſſadors; they ſend them to other Princes, and to other States: But now God ſends Embaſſadors to poor wretched, ſinful men, and herein he doth honor man, that he wil ſend a meſſenger from himſelfe to them to be an Embaſſador. When a Prince doth ſend a meſſenger to a perſon, you do not ſay, that the Prince doth ſend an Embaſſador to them that are in priſon, that he may execute when he pleaſes, rather an Executioner, than an Embaſſador: So we might al have expected rather that there ſhould an Executioner have been ſent, but God is pleaſed for his elect ones to ſend an Embaſſador. And beſides, Embaſſadors are not ſent about every trivial buſineſs, but when an Embaſſador is ſent, it is about a publique buſineſs, a State buſineſs of ſome great conſequence: ſo when you hear that God ſends his Embaſſadors to the world, you muſt know that it is about a great and a weighty buſineſs, about a State buſineſs, it is about that that doth concerne the very ſtate of Heaven, the God of Heaven, it is that that concerns God himſelf more neerly than any thing in …s world concerns him, It concerns God next unto his own beeing, and unto his Son, the neereſt of any thing that is without that belongs to a God, therefore we are called Embaſſadors.
Thirdly, They are called Embaſſadors becauſe they muſt look to this; that they do not the leaſt thing but by Commiſſion, it is as much as his life is worth to go beyond his Commiſſion in any thing: ſo the miniſters of the Goſpel they muſt keep cloſe to the Commiſſion which they receive from Jeſus Chriſt.
Fourthly, when he goes to any place, he doth repreſent the perſon of the King himſelf from whom he came, and what wrong is done to him is done to the Kings perſon; Let the Embaſſadors be never ſo meane: ſo al the Miniſters of the Goſpel, they come to you in the name of the King of Heaven, in the name of Jeſus Chriſt, and there is a kind of a repreſentation even of the perſon of Chriſt in them. And that wil appeare more fully when we come to the next point.
Fiftly, An Embaſſador muſt give an account of his Embaſſage; he muſt (according as there is occaſion) ſend to the country from whence he comes of what buſineſs he hath done: ſo the Miniſters of the Goſpel comming as Embaſſadors, they are ever and anon to ſend to heaven to give an account how they ſpeed in their Embaſſage, and when they come to declare any meſſage to the people, they are to ſend to Heaven, to tel God whether it be received, or rejected, and it is a very ſad thing to any people, when a miniſter of God ſhal have any Juſt cauſe to ſend up to Heaven his complaint, and ſay, O! Lord, thou haſt ſent me with a bleſſed Embaſſage of peace and reconciliation to this people, but Lord they reject it, they wil rather have their luſts, than al that Glory of thine in Jeſus Chriſt; Heaven, and eternal happineſs is a light thing unto them. When a Miniſter makes this complaint, do you not think it wil be a hard thing to thoſe that do reject it? And al faithful Miniſters do this. And if he be a faithful Miniſter, he is ſollicitous about his Embaſſage; he looks whether it be entertained, and accordingly he gives notice to heaven, not only weekly, but dayly, how his Embaſſage is entertained, and at the laſt day he muſt give a ful account before the Lord and Jeſus Chriſt.
Sixtly, And Laſtly, it is againſt the Law of al nations to abuſe an Embaſſador though he ſhould come upon never ſuch a threatning meſſage, yet you muſt uſe the Embaſſador civily; So it is againſt al laws of religion that can be to abuſe a miniſter of the Goſpel, though he ſhould come with a threatining, But much more when he comes about an Embaſſage of peace; then they are to entertaine him. It is againſt al ſence and reaſon and againſt al relegion, and thoſe people are moſt prophane, and reprobate to every good work, that ſhal abuſe an Embaſſador comming from Jeſus Chriſt unto them.
Now a little by way of application.
CHAP. 47.
Ʋſe. 1.
The Miniſters of the Goſpel are ſent from the greateſt Prince in the world, and ſo they are to be looked upon. Now then if the feet of thoſe that do but bring glad tidings of peace ſhould be beautiful; how much more the feet of the Embaſſador of peace? An Embaſſador, is another manner of thing than one that brings good tidings. O! my bretheren do not give cauſe for any complaint to be made: but rather give you cauſe to thoſe that come amongſt you to ſend up a comfortable account unto God, and to tel God, Lord! thou haſt been pleaſed to ſend to ſuch a place; to preach peace to ſuch a people, and Lord! how readily, yea how greedily do thoſe poor ſouls receive this Embaſſage? Lord! never did any Miniſter come into any place where this Embaſſage was ſo entertained; Oh! they cry out for peace with thee, and above al things in the world this is the deſire of their ſouls: that they long after is; that they might have peace with their God. Oh! this would be a joyful account, if we could ſend up our account thus unto God, Oh! let not any that come to you as the Embaſſador of Chriſt, be like unto thoſe in Iſay. 33.7. The text ſaith, (it is ſpoke of I confeſs in another caſe) but we may apply it here; truly there is cauſe in many Congregations, that the Embaſſador of peace ſhould weep, and that bitterly, the Lord keep you from giving any ſuch occaſion; (though it would be ſad to their hearts) yet it would be more greivous to you. Thus much from the Metaphor.