THE UNCONVERTED. 79 -if you ask, Where is your commission for this of.. fer? Among a hundred texts of scripture, I will show it to you in these few: f First, You see it he;re in my text, and the following verses, and in the 18th of Ezekiei, as plain as can be spoken; and in 2 Cor. v. 17-21'. you have the very sum of our commission; "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by J esus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." So Mark xvi. 15, 16. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth, (that i<; with such a converting faith as is expressed) and is baptized, shall be saved; and he that believcth not, shall be damned." And Luke xxiv. 46, 47. ' 'Thus i;t behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance (which is conversion) and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations." And, Acts, v. SO, 31. <<The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew, and hanged on a tree: him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." And Acts xiii. 38, 39. "Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is ' preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, fi·om which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." And lest you think this offer is restrained to the J ews, see Gal. vi. 15. "For in Christ Jesus, nei~
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