[4.] These messengers are under a charge to manage God's message with all wisdom and faithfulness, and diligence, Mark xvi. 15, IG, to preach the gospel to every creature, to rich and poor, learned and un- learned. And woe be to tliem if they be not dihgent, warning every man, and teaching every man, that they may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, Col. i. 28. Christ hath conjured them by all their love to his person to do it, John xxi. 15, 16, ' Feed my sheep, feed my lambs.' If we have any respect to our Lord, we must be diligent in offering peace to all that are willing to repent and believe. This work is seriously commended to us ; ye profess to be my servants, and therefore by all the love you have to me, I conjure you. I shall not take it that you love me, if you have not a care of my sheep and my lambs. You know the temptations, prejudices, and hatred of those you have to do with ; therefore pi'ay them to be reconciled. And
[5.] Consider the terms which God requireth, which are only that we we should render ourselves capable of his favour, by entering into cove- nant with him. On God's part all things are ready ; now we pray you to be reconciled ; that is, do you enter into covenant with him. God in the covenant is our friend. Abraham is called the friend of God, James ii. 23 ; 2 Chron. xx. 7, ' Thou gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever ; ' Isa. xli. 8, ' The seed of Abraham my friend.' Abraham was God's confederate, and they loved entirely, as one friend doth another. In the covenant you take God for your God, and God taketh you for his people ; you enter into a league offensive and defensive, to hate what God hateth, and to love what God loveth ; God promiseth and engageth to bless, and you to obey.
3. The value of this privilege ; it is worth the having. What do we plead with you about, but the favour of God and reconciliation with him by Christ ? God found out the way ; Christ purchased it ; the angels first published it, Luke ii. 14. There are many privileges
VeR. 20.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 803
depend upon it, as ; (1.) Sanctifying grace. God, being propitiated in Christ, giveth us the first grace, and causeth us to repent and believe in Christ ; for on the behalf of Christ, it is given us to believe, Phil. i. 29, and the regenerating Spirit is shed upon us by Christ. Now when we repent and believe, we are made capable of more of the sanctifying Spirit, Acts ii. 38. The Holy Ghost is given to them that obey: Acts iii. 32, 'And we are witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.' And a farther measure of grace upon our actual reconciliation : Gal. iv. 6, ' And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.' (2.) The pardon of sins. When we are regenerated, our sins are actually pardoned : Acts xxvi. 18, ' To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me ; ' Heb. viii. 10-12. We are released frcm the eternal punishment, and God quits his controversy against us. (o.) Communion with God, favour, image, and fellowship, go still together ; they were lost together. Before we could not look God in the face, or lift up the head to him, or think of him without ti-embling ; there is a God, but he is my enemy ; every prayer revived our guilt ; but now we have access with boldness, and confidence of welcome and audience, whenever we have occasion to make use of God, Heb. iv, 16. When David heard that Saul was pacified towards him, he was in his presence as in times past, 1 Sam. xix. 7. The flaming sword, which kept the way to the tree of life, is removed. In our falls, in our distresses, in our dangers, in our wants, in death itself we have a God to go to, to move for relief, to whom to commit our souls. (4.) We have solid consolation, rest, and peace in ourselves, for the chief cause of our fear and sorrow is done away ; our sin is pardoned and subdued, and the eternal punishment released. Till this l3e, you can never have any rest for your souls ; till you are at peace with God, and submit to the course prescribed by him for yonr recon- ciliation. Mat. xi. 28, 29. One great fault of man is that he doth not take a right course to quiet his soul. God coraplaineth of his people by the prophet, 'That they had forgotten their resting-place,' Jer. 1. 6 ; that is, they had forgotten God, their only trust. Men seek peace where it is not to be found, in this creature and that, but still meet with vanity and vexation of spirit, like feverish persons who seek ease in the change of their beds. (5.) The fruition of God. Be reconciled to him, and in time you shall be admitted to see his face. This is the end of all ; for this end Christ died, for this end we are sanctified and justified, and adopted into God's family, and for this end we believe and hope, and labour and suffer, and deny ourselves, and renounce the world. It is Christ's end, Col. i. 21, 22 ; and it is our end, 1 Peter i. 9 ; and will certainly be the fruit of our reconciliation : Eom. v, 11, 'For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.'