swayed sceptre in the world, which I think it cannot, wlio, upon some horrid treason plotted against his crown and royal pei'son, and that by one obliged to him with the highest favours possible, coidd yet not only find in his heart to pardon the rebel, but also stoop so far as to be himself the messenger that should carry the news of this his gracious piu-pose to the traitor in prison, before ever he relented or had it in his thought to sue for his mei'cj', and this the same day in which the villanous attempt was made, that the poor wretch might not languish so much as one night under the horror of his despairing thoughts ; certainly such a prince would pass for a nonsuch in mercy among the sons of men. How then must our thoughts be quite swallowed up into an admiration of this stupendous act of mercy which the great God expressed to fallen man, wherein he did all this for his rebel creature ! for no sooner had man l)roke the peace, and taken up rebellious arms against his Maker, but the Lord's heart re- lented towards him, and could not let the sim go down in his wrath against him, but must in the very same day that he sinned let him hear of a Saviour, by preaching peace to him ' in the seed of the woman,' Gen. ii. 15. Little did Adam think God had such a message in his mouth for him when he first heard him coming towards him, and for fear ran his head into a bush, meditating a flight from him, if he had known whither to have gone. O, that ' Adam, where art thou?' sounded, no doubt, in his guilty ears like the voice of an avenging God, calling him, a malefactor, to execution ; but it proved the voice of a gracious God coming, not to meet man in his way returning to him, but to seek him out who had lost all thoughts of him, that he might give some ease to his own gracious heart, now full of mercy to his poor creature, by disclosing to him the purposes of grace which he had there conceived towards him. Surely his heart was very full, or else this would not have burst out so soon.
Thirdly, The great ordinance of the gospel ministry, which God hath set up in the church, on purpose to treat with sinners upon a peace, speaks his deep affection to the work. One would have thought it had been enough to print his thoughts and purposes of mercy in the Scrijjture, though he had done no more. Princes, when they put out a statute or a law, expect all their subjects should inquire after it ; and do not send one to every town, whose office shall be to give notice thereof, and persuade people to submit to it ; yet this the great God doth. What is the minister's work from one end of the year to the other, but to beseech sinners to be reconciled to God ? And in this observe, First, The persons he sends to preach. Not angels, foreigners to our nature, who though they wish us well, yet are not so intimately concerned in man's fall as to give them the advantage of preaching with those melting bowels, that God would have them filled with, who go on this errand. No, he sends men, with whom we may converse familiarly, creatures of like passions, whose nature puts them under the same depravation, temptation, and condemnation, with ourselves ; who can, from the acquaintance they have with their own hearts, tell us the baseness of ours ; from the fire of God's wrath which hath scorched them for their sins, tell us the desert of ours, and danger we are in by reason of them ; as also from the sweet sense that the taste of God's love in Christ hath left on their souls, can commend the cheer and feast they invite us to upon their own knowledge. Did not God, think you, desire good speed to his em- bassage, when he chose such to carry it ? Secondly, Observe the qualifications required in those he employs as ambassadors to offer peace to sinners, 2 Tim. ii. 24 : ' The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.' O how careful is God that nothing should be in the preacher to prejudice the sinner's judg- ment, or harden his heart against the offer of his grace ! If the servant be proiid and hasty, how shall they know that the master is meek and patient? God would have them do nothing to make the breach wider, or hinder a happy close be- tween him and them. Lideed he that will take the bird, must not scai'e it. A froward, peevish messenger is no friend to him that sends him. Sinners are not pelted into Christ with stones of hard provoking language, but wooed into Christ by heart-melting exhortations. Thirdly, Look into the commission God gives his ambassadors, and still his heart appears in the business, whether you consider the largeness of it on the one hand, or the strictness of it on the other. First, the largeness of it, ' Go and preach,' saith Christ, ' the gospel fo
3tH, THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.