2$2 SERMONS upotz Serm.o, your felves molt, when you do not feek your felves, when you are faithful to God, when you do nothing for fear or favogg of Men, but are bold upon the Lord's Corn- miflìon. Your Work is to go for another, not for your felves. God himfelf will re- ward his own Meffengers, and will let the Crown upon their Heads with his own Hand. And that is one Reafon why he permits them to have bad Entertainment in the World, that they may not take up with Men, and that he himfelf might crown them, and give them their Reward. 3. It informeth us of the Mercy and Love of God to Mankind. He was the offended Party, and yet he firft fendeth about Terms of Reconciliation. In us there is Infrnri- tar & Animofitates, Weaknefs, and ftrength of Stomach ; tho we have done the Injury, yet we are not ready to offer Terms of Reconciliation. As David fpeaks of the Mer- cy of the Covenant in general, 2 Sam. 7.19. And is this the manner of Men, 0 Lord God ? Was it ever heard, that he that is offended thould be fo follicitous and careful to fend about Agreement and Reconciliation ? But this God doth, not out of any need: that he bath ofour Friendfhip, as Men fometimes in Policy leek to thofe who have in- jured them, for God is fironger than we ; but out of pure Love. The firft Ambaffa- dor God fent, was his own Son : 1 John 4. to. Herein is Love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fiat his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins. And, berf 19. We love him, becaufe he firfb loved ris. Chrift cometh out from the Bofom of God. The. Law was delivered by an Angel, but the Gofpel by Chrift himfelf. And then God fendeth Apoftleswith extraordinary Gifts, and Power of working Miracles, to lay a Foundation. 1 Cor. 3. to. '..According to the Grace that k given unto me, as a wife Ma- fler- builder I have laid the. Foundation. And then Paftors and Teachers, Men of like Pallions with our felves, weak Men, but furnifhed with Gifts proper to their Calling. There is a Mercy in this Inftitution. We cannot endure God's Pretence : Deut. g. 25. If we hear the Voice of the Lord our God any more, then we (hall die. o7Wofes trembled and quaked, when a Voice was heard out of the Clouds and Darknefs. Therefore God fends Men of like Infirmities with:our felves, that our Defefs might be born with patience, becaufe they have experience of the hardnefs and obftinacy of their own Hearts ; and that our Ignorance might be familiarly' inftruûed, and Knowledg dropped in by degrees ; we are to learn by little and little, here a Line, and there a Line; God, in condefcention to our weaknefs, hath appointed this help. 4. It informeth us of the Madnefs of theWorld, that ufe Chrift's Ambaffadors ill, when they, come about fuch a Meffage. It is againft Jul Gentium, the Law of Nations, to offer violence to Ambaffadors: let their Meffage be never fo dif- pleafing, their Perlons are fecured by the Civility of all Nations. Yet Chriffs Ambaffadors are often ill intreated : 'Matth. 23.37. 0 Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou that ku /ell the Prophets, and floneff them that are fent unto thee ! It is England's Sin, to ma- lign and hate God's Meffengers, tho they come with Terms of Peace. Never was the Miniftry more Evangelical, yet never more hated than now. What thould be the Reafon of this Madnefs ? No Calling is more profitable to Humane Society, to ci- vilize a People, to take them off from their brutifhnefs and fiercenefs, and yet none more oppofed. Partly out of a Gadarene Temper, they grow weary of Chriffs Mini - fiers; but chiefly out of a natural Enmity againtt them. Since the Fall, Man is an Enemy to his own Happinefs. In bodily Miferies it is otherwife ; a blind Man loves his Guide, and as Elymas, when firicken blind, they leek about for fome to lead them; a fick Man loveth his Phyfician : but Spiritual Blindnefs and Sicknefs is of another Na- ture, Men hate thofe that offer to lead them, and cure them. The guilty World . would fain take a Nap, and reff; and becaufeGod's Meffengers will not let them a- lone, therefore they hate them. Errors and Lofts are touchy'; e%l'lundus fenefcens pa- titur phantafias. The World, as it grows old, is given to Dreams and Dotage, and is loth to be difturbed. A Thief would have the Candle put out that difcovereth him. Chrift's Meffengers, tho Infiruments of common Good, yet often meet with publick Hatred. Ephef. 6. 20. For whom I am an Ambáffedor in Bonds, iv &Xíve, in Chains ; Man would think he meant Golden Chains, becaufe he fpeaks of his Ambaffador- ihip; no, he means hard Iron Chains, which hefuffered for Chriffs fake; and ufually this is the Lot of Chriffs Ambaffadors. Z1fe 2. Advice both to People, and Minifters. Firff; To People. If Minifters be lent y Chrift, then it advifeth you to refped their Meffage, their Calling, their Perlons. a. Accept
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