head, but force the very heart out of our body, yet offers peace on such gracious terms, there being nothing in tlie whole instrument of peace pi'ovided for himself, but the securing of his own glory in our salvation. See a little of his terms. He offers to seal an act of oblivion, wherein all wrongs done to his crown and dignity in the time of our hostility against him shall be forgiven, and forgotten ; so runs the promise, — -' He will forgive tliem their iniquities, and remember them no more.' He will not only forgive what is past, but receive our persons into favour for the future. * By whom also we have access by faith into this grace' (or favour) 'wherein we stand,' Rom. v. 2. Yea, he promiseth to restore the sinner to all that was forfeited by his rebellion, to take off the whole cm-se which befell him for his rebellion, and restore him to his primitive dignity ; he gives sinners power to become bis children, Jolui i. 12 ; and, as his children, makes them his heirs, and that not to a Cahnl here below only, but to heaven itself, an inheritance in light, beyond all expression glorious ; for ' godliness hath tlie promise of this life, and that v/hich is to come.' Now, let us see what he expects at the sinner's hand ; not to purchase his favour with a ransom out of his own piu'se ; no, he empties his Son's veins to pay that : but he requires us, first, to lay down the weapons of our rebellion : secondly, to accept om- pardon and peace at the hands of free grace, attributing the glory of it to the mere mercy of God as the moving, and Christ's satisfactory obedience as the meritorious, cause : thirdly, that we shall swear allegiance to him for the futiu-e. How reasonable these are, those that now reject them shall confess with infinite shame and horror for their folly, when Christ shall send them to hell by his irrevocable sentence. Lastly, When in all this a prince is sincere in the offers of peace, and gives full security for the performance of what he promiseth, this must needs make the ambassador that brings them still the more welcome. Treaties of peace among men are too often used but as a handsome blind for war ; they intend least what they pretend most. But when an ambassador comes enabled to give full security against all fear and jealousies that may arise in the breasts of those he treats with, this gives a value to all the rest. Now the great God hath wonderfully condescended to satisfy the querulous hearts of poor sinners ; guilt hath made man suspicious of God ; his own unfaitlifulness to God makes him jealous of God's faithfulness unto him. Could Satan make Eve so soon question the truth of God's promise? He saith but, 'Has God said, Ye shall not die?' and she is pre- sently shaken out of her faith in her Maker, to believe her destroyer. O, how easy then is it for him to nourish those suspicions which naturally breed now in our mibelieving hearts ! How often ai"e we putting it to the question. Will God forgive so great, so many sins ? May I venture to believe ? Now God gives his ambassadors instructions from his word to satisfy all the scruples which he injects, or which may arise from our own misgiving hearts. The whole Scripture aims at removing our doubts, and assures us of the mercy of God. Something like this, — ' Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope,' Rom. xv. 4. There are many expedients men use to satisfy the minds of those they deal with concerning the truth of their promises, and certainty of their performing them : sometimes they ratify them witli their seal. Thus God gives the broad seal of the sacraments, and privy seal of his Spirit, to assure the believer he will perform all he hath promised in his word. Some- times witnesses are called in for farther security of tlie conveyance. Thus in the purchase Jeremiah made of his kinsman's field, he took witnesses to the bargain, Jer. xxxii. 10. There ai'e witnesses, both in heaven and earth, ready to avouch the truth of what God promiseth, and all agree in their verdict, 1 John V. 7, 8. If all this will not do, then an oath is taken, and this generally , puts an end to all controversies. To this also doth God graciously condescend ; not that God's promise needs the suretiship of his oath to make it sin-er ; for it is as impossible God should lie when he promiseth, as when lie swears ; but to make our faith stronger, which needs such supporters as these to stay and strengthen it ; as is hinted in that sweet place, Hcb. vi. 17, 18, from which one flower the sincere believer may suck honey enough to live conifortal)ly upon in the hardest, longest winter of alfliction that can befall biin : ' Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of
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gl'g I'OR WHICH I AM AN AMBASSADOR.