Ml"NISTERS CQ-1\<!P,'\RE D TO AM'BASSADORS. Book IV. MET A P ,H 0 R. PAR ALL EL. .any ·longer, to take hold ofChrift, and plead the Atonement of his Blood: Believe o" .the Lord Jeji1s, and thou jhalt be faved. (4-) AnAmbafhdor is welcome, (4.) Naw God cloth br his faithful Minifters ·when he offers Peace from a Prince give the greateft Affurance imaginable of the Per– that is real to his \Vord, ar.d gives formance of whatfoever he offers to poor Sinners; good Security for the .Per.form;:nce he bath paft his \>Vord, my, more, Jt.is upon Oath, .of what he pramife,. Iieb. vi. 2. Ambaffadors fometimes of– fer an Alliance, by M arriage, be– ·tween one State and another. 2. And this is one great Part ·of a Minifter's Embaffy, he is fent to let Sinners know what good Will the God of Heaven and Earth bears to then<, and that he is defirous to bellow .his own dear :Son, the Heir of all Things, in 'Marriage upon them ; what Favor and Gr.ace is this ! ·Can Sinners be fo fottifh, foolifl1, and ungrateful, as not readily to receive and em– ,brace this Offer.? 3· Sometimes, as we minded be– .fore, Ambaffadors come with an ,Embaffy for Trade, that there may ,be an qpen Trade and Commerce .between fuch and fuch Princes and States,.&c, 3· The Mini!lers of ~he·Gofpel.come with Em– ballies for Commerce; God is willing, in Chrift's Name, to trade with Man again .: For no fooner had Adam finned, but a War was commenced, and all Trade forbidden: But now th rough Chrift there is a free Trade opened ~gain to Heaven; convinced and repenting Sinners may be !tared ·with all Things they ne.ed, .as Pardon, Peace, Union and Communion wirh God, and eternal Life, even all the Riches of Grace and Glory : Ho every one that wi/1,-.Come, i/;uy ;-and )'OU that have 110 Money, come, buy, and eat; yea, .come, buy lf'zne and Milk ·:J.Vithout M one_,·, and witbout Pric'? Ija. lv. 1.• VI. Thofe ~hat honor an Am- •baffador, honor the Prince tha-t Jent him ; but thole that abafe, flight or defpife him, do aUo de– fpife the Prince or State that fent him. We cannot defpife this Mef– fenger, and yet honor his Ma!ler, <faith Mr. Gunzal. VI. So thofe w'ho receive and fhew all due Re– ipeCl:s to Chrifl.'s faithful Minifters, honor Chri!l, wJwfe. Deputies they .are, and w,hofe Ferfon they reprefent. ' Few are fo bold, as to lay with that ' proud King, Wbo is the Lord, that I jhould obey ' him? Exod. v. 2. Yet many dare fay, Who is ' the Mrm!ler, that I flwuld obey his Mdl:1ge, or 'repent at his Summons, or tremble at the \>Vords ·' he fpeaks ?' What is he ? Do I nor know him? 'What is .he bNter than us? Shall -1 mind what he lays? A Run1 for his Doctrine, &c. .But let fuch read that Word, He that bcareth )'OU, heareth me ; and he that defpiftth )'OU, .defpiftth me.; tmd he that deJPifttb me, deJPifeth him that fent nze, Luke x. 16. VlL An Ambaffador lhould VII. So Minifters mull: be holy M en, that they take heed .he ca.ft no lndigniry upbring not [hemfelves, and the Dignity of their on his Office! by any bafe or unFunctiOn, .rnto ContempL A wik, grav.e, ancl worthy PractiCe; he fhould behave graciOus Behavror exceedrngly becomes a Mini– ,himfeli with all Wifdom and GraHer. Paul faith, he magnified bis Office: 0 then vity, and avoid all dirty and unlet others take heed they do not vilify and debafe .feemly ACtions; for in fo do;ng, it. That which another Man may do without he would bring much Honor and much Reproach, you cannot do, but it will be tGI Renown not only to himft!f, but your great Blemilh and Dilhonor, my, and to the .to his M after alfo that fent him. Difhonor of Chrift, and of his Truth alfo. VIII. An AmbaJL1dor is to do VIII. So Mini!lers muft fee the Work of their . his utteTmoft endeavor to negoPlace and FunCtion. ' They are, faith Gurna!, ,tiate and accomplilh fuch Matters ' called Ambaffadors, in regard of their Duty, as J1e is fent .about; he muft fee to ' well as D rgnay ; where there is Honor, there is l1is Charge : For if the Treaty of ' Onus, Places of H onor arc Places of Trult• .Peace, or Marriage, .or Embaffy ·' Many like well enough to hear the Mini!lers Di<>– for Commerce and Tr.ade, fu.c- ' nity ; wi.th Diotrtpl1es, they love Pre.eminenc~, ,ceed not, the Ambaffador is fure ' yet would willingly be excufed the Work that ,to be called to an Account, how ' attends ir. · None have a areater Trnfl: n.:~ofed ,he.halh difch;u:ged his .Place, &c. ' in their Hands, than Min iftc rs ; it is tre;: 1 endum • O;zus, .a \\'eight that made ~he Apoflle tremble "under
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