4. Those who are enemies of the ministry of the word are enemies to the glory of God, and the comfort and salvation of God's people. The glory of God : 2 Cor. i. 20, ' For all the promises of God in him are yea and amen, unto the glory of God by us ; ' and the comfort of God's people, ver. 24, ' Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy.' And their too much preaching is their too much converting souls to God, and reconciling souls to God.
You hear not the word aright, unless it be a word of reconciliation to you, a means of bringing God and you nearer together, to humble you for sin, which is the cause of breach and distance : or to revive thy wounded spirit, or to make you prize and esteem the grace of the Eedeeraer, or more earnestly to seek after God by a uniform and constant obedience.
TOL. xirr.
290 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXVIII.
SEKMON XXXVIII.
Noio then loe are amhassadors for Christ, as tliough God did beseech you hy us ; ive jpray you in Christ's stead, he reconciled to God. —2 Cor. v. 20.
In these words you have the practical use and inference of the fore- going clause. Observe here —
1. An office put on those to whom the word of reconciliation is entrusted.
2. The value and authority of this office — As if God did beseech you by us.
3. The manner how this office is to be executed — Pray you in Christ's stead.
4. The matter or message about which they are sent — Be ye recon- ciled to God.
4 Doct. God hath authorised the ministers of the gospel in his own name and stead affectionately to invite sinners to a reconciliation with himself.
First, The office — ' We are ambassadors for Christ ; ' that is the nature of our employment ; and sent by God on purpose for this end, Eph. vi. 20, ' For which I am an ambassador in bonds.'
1. Ambassadors are messengers ; so are the ministry sent : John xvii. 18, ' As thou hast sent me into the world, so also have I sent them into the world.' 'How can they preach except they be sent?' Kom. X. 15.
2. There is not only a mission, but a commission ; they are not only posts, a.nd letter-carriers, but authorised messengers. Ambassadors do in a singular manner represent the person of the prince who sendeth them, and are clothed with authority from Irim ; and so we have an authority for edification, and not for destruction, 2 Cor. x. 8. They are sent with great power to bind or loose out of the word, to pass sentence upon men's eternal condition — of damnation on the impenitent, of life and salvation on them that repent and believe the gospel.
3. They are sent from princes to other princes. On the one side, it holdeth good ; they come from the greatest prince that ever .was, even from the prince of all the kings of the earth, Eev. i. 3. But to us poor worms they are sent, unworthy that God should look upon us, or think a thought of us ; we were revolted from our obedience to him, but he treateth not, and dealeth not with us as traitors and rebels, but as persons of dignity and respect, that thereby we may be more in- duced to accept his offers. Ambassadors to obscure and private persons were never heard of, but such honour would he put upon us.
4. Ambassadors are not sent about trifles, but about matters of the highest concernment ; so they are sent to treat about the greatest matters upon earth — the making up peace and friendship between God and sinners : Isa. lii. 7. 'How beautiful are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of peace ! ' We are to publish the glad tidings of recon- ciliation with God. God might have sent heralds to proclaim war, but he hath sent ambassadors of peace. He might have sent them as
VeR. 20.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS Y. 291
he sent Noah to the okl world, to warn them of their clestructiou, or Jonah to Nineveh, hnt they came with an olive-branch in their mouths, to tell the world of God reconciled. Well then, we must regard the weight of the message ; God's love and hatred are not such inconsider- able things, as that we should not trouble ourselves about them , it is his wrath maketh us miserable, and his love happy. Oh, how welcome to us should a message of love and peace with God be !
5. As to their duty : an ambassador and messenger must be faith- ful, keeping close to their commission as to the matter of their message, and be sincere and true as to the end of it : 2 Cor. ii. 17, ' For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God ; but as of sincerity, as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.' We are for another, not for ourselves ; our employment is to be proxies and negotiators for Christ, and this with all diligence, courage, and boldness : Eph. vi. 20, ' For which I am an ambassador in bonds, that I may speak boldly as I ought to speak ; ' as becometh a zeal for Christ's honour and. the good of souls, the excellency of the message, and the gravity of our office, owning the truth in the face of dangers.