VeR. 20.] SEEMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 301
time to spend in tlie world ; therefore since tlie avenger of blood is at our heels, let us take sanctuary at the Lord's grace, and run for refuge to the hope of the gospel, Heb. vi. 18, and make our peace ere it be too late. Crj', Quarter, as to one that is ready to strike: Isa. xxvii. 5, ' Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me, and he shall make peace with me.' This is the first motive.
2. God's condescension in this business.
[1,] That he being so glorious, the person offended, who hath no need of us, should seek reconciliation : it is such a wonder for God to offer, that it should be the more shame for us to deny. For us to sue for reconciliation, or ask conditions of peace, that is no Avonder, no more than it is for a condemned malefactor to beg a pardon ; but for God to begin, there is the wonder. If God hath been in Christ recon- ciling the world to himself, then we may pray you to be reconciled. And surely you should not refuse the motion ; Ave did the wrong, and God is our superior, and hath no need of us. Men Avill submit, when their interest leadeth them to it, Acts xii. 20, ' They desired peace, because their country was nourished by the king's country.' We should make the motion, for we cannot subsist without him. What is there in man, that God should regard his enmity, or seek his friendship ? He suffereth no loss by the fallen creature, angels, or men ; why then is there so much ado about us ? He was happy enough before there was any creature, and would still be happy with- out them. Surely thy enmity or amity is nothing to God ; surely for us to be cross, and not to mind this, is a strange obstinacy. Men treat when their force is broken, when they can carry out their opposition no longer, but God, who is so powerful, so little concerned in Avhat we do, he prayeth you to be reconciled.
[2.] In that he would lay the foundation of this treaty in the death of his Son: Col. i. 21, 'He hath reconciled us in the body of his flesh through death ; ' therefore, ' Ave pray you to be reconciled.' God, to secure his own honour, to make it more comfortable to us, would not be appeased without satisfaction. Though his nature inclined him to mercy, yet he would not hear of it till his justice Avere answered, that we might have nothing to perplex our consolation, and that we might have an incomparable demonstration of his hatred against sin, and. so an help to sanctification. He would have our satisfaction and debt paid by him who could not but pay it with overplus. Since he hath not spared his only Son, we know Iioav much he loveth us, and hateth sin. Oh ! woe unto us if now, after God hath been at such a great deal of cost, we should slight the motion ; angels wonder at what j-ou slight, 1 Peter i. 12. Shall the blood of Christ run a-wasting? Mind the business I pray you. God hath laid out all his wisdom upon it, and will not you take it into your thoughts ? God's heart was much set upon it, or else he would never have given his Son to bring it about. It is the folly of man to part with things of Avorth for trifles ; as Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, liysimachus his kingdom for a draught of wsxtev. Surely we cannot imagine this of the wise God ; when he hath been at such expense, it is not for a matter of nothing ; therefore we should the more regard it.
[3.] In that he hath appointed a ministry of reconciliation, and
302 SERMONS UPON 2 COEINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXIX.
authorised some as solemn messengers to tender this grace to us in his name ; therefore, ' as amhas?adors for Christ, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.' God might have contented himself with putting his thoughts into scripture, and given us the word and doctrine of reconciliation only ; and truly that is a great mercy. Heathens are left to the puzzle and distraction of their own thoughts, and know not how God shall be appeased ; but because that blessed book may possibly lie by as a neglected thing, he will have some that shall put us in mind daily of his design of saving the world by Christ. If he would send messengers, he might have sent heralds to proclaim war, but he hath sent ambassadors of peace. Surely upon this account we should be welcome to you : Isa. lii. 7, ' How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that pub- lisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth ; ' how dirty soever their feet be with the journey. Our message is not to require satisfaction for the wrongs done to the crown of heaven or to denounce war, but a matter of peace ; not only to beg a correspondency of traffic, but a treaty about marriage, and so to enter into the strictest amity witli God ; ' Even that you may be married unto Christ, to bring forth fruit unto God,' Kom. vii. 4. Yet farther,