SEKMON XXXVII.
A7id Imih committed to us the icord of reconciliation. — 2 Cor. v. 19.
We come now to the third thing, the means of application or bringing about this reconciliation on man's part : 6e/ji,€vo<i Iv rj/j^lv — hath placed in us. In which observe two thinsrs —
282 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXVII.
1. The matter of the charge, trust or thing entrusted — The word of reconciliation ; called also, ver. 18, the ministry of reconciliation, that is, the gospel Avhich revealeth the way of making peace with God, and is the charter and grant of Christ, and all his benefits from God, unto every one that will receive him. Now the gospel may be considered as written or preached ; as written, so it is properly called the word of reconciliation ; as preached, so, the ministry of reconcilia- tion. The one serveth to inform, the other to excite ; by the one the door of mercy is set open by discovering the admirable methods of grace in reclaiming the world ; by the other, men are called upon, persuaded, and exhorted, to accept of the remedy offered.
2. The persons to whom he hath committed — He hath j^ut in us, the apostles and their successors. (1.) The apostles are of chief consideration, for these, as master-builders, were to lay the foundation, 1 Cor. iii. 10 ; and Eph. ii. 20, ' And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the corner-stone.' They were infallibly assisted and to be absolutely trusted in what they wrote : had the power of miracles, to evidence their mission and call ; they were confined to no certain charge and country ; therefore, this trust did belong to the apostles in all respects, chiefly in some respects to them only. (2.) Ordinary ministers are not to be excluded because they agree with the apostles as to the substance of their commission, which is to reconcile men to God, or to preach the gospel. The ordinary ministerial teaching is Christ's institution, as well as that of the apostles: Eph. iv. 11, ' He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.' He that appointed prophets and apostles to write scripture, hath also appointed pastors and teachers to explain and apply scripture. This is done plenojure: Mat. xxviii. 19,20, 'All power is given me in heaven and earth ; go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded yon ; and lo ! I am with you to the end of the world.' By virtue of that authority given him by God, they are in the same commission, and have a promise of the same presence and Spirit. So also 1 Cor. iii. 5, ' Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed?' x\s to the substance of the work, they do the same thing ; as to the substance of the blessing, they are accompanied with the same Spirit. In both, as their ministry, for the matter of it, is the ministry of reconciliation, so for the power of it, it is the ministration of the Spirit unto life ; only the one are immediately called, miraculously gifted, infallibly assisted, sent out to all the world ; the other have an ordinary call, a limited place, but yet do the same work, in the same name, and are assisted by the same Spirit.
Doct. That much of the wisdom and goodness of God is seen in the course he hath taken for the applying of reconciliation.
In the merit, or way of ^procuring, in the branches, the restitution of his favour and image, we have seen already ; now the way of applying that will appear.
1. God would not do us good without our knowledge, and therefore first or last he must give us notice ; it is everywhere made as an act of
VeR. 19.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V, 283
God's goodness to reveal the way of reconciliation. When the psalmist had discoursed of the pardon of sins, he presently addeth, Ps. ciii., ' He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel ; ' and Ps. cxlvii. 19, 20, ' He hath showed his word unto Jacob, and his judgments unto Israel ; he hath not dealt so with every nation ; as for his judgments, they have not known him ;' and Micah vi. 8, ' He hath showed thee, 0 man, what is good ; ' but especially in the new administration of the covenant, Heb. viii. 10, 11, ' I will put my laws in their minds, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people, and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, nor every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know me from the least to the greatest ; ' and Isa. liii. 2, ' By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many.' Those places show, that as it is a great favour, that the way of reconciliation was found out, so this is a new favour, that the way is so clearly revealed, that it is not left to our blind guesses. If God had intended to do us good, but would not tell us how, there would not have been due provision made for the comfort and daty of the creature : not for our comfort, for an unknown benefit intended to us can yield us no comfort. Christ's prophetical office is as neces- sary for our comfort as his sacerdotal : Heb. iii. 1, ' Consider the apostle and high-priest of our profession, Jesus Christ.' We could take little comfort in him as an high priest, if he had not been also an apostle. The highest office in both the testaments was necessary to our comfort and peace. In the old testament, all tlie business of that dispensation was to represent him an high priest ; so in the new, as an apostle, that was to open the mind and heart of God to us, and show us how to be happy in the love and enjoyment of God. Nor could we understand our duty : all parties interested in the reconciliation must be acquainted with the way of it ; and therefore man must understand, what course God would take to bring about this peace. How else should he give his consent, or seek after the benefit, in such a solemn and humble manner, as is necessary ? And how else can we be sensible of our obligation, and be thankful, and live in the sense of so great a love ? John iv. 10, ' If thou knewest the gift,' &c.