Gospel reconciliation, or, Christ's trumpet of peace to the world

Years ago, and yet Christ saith he will be with them to the end of the world, that is with those that should succeed them in the Ministry of Reconciliation, This is the commission, And when they come to any house they are to begin thus, You shall say Peace be to you when they come to any place, that is the peace of God in Christ. Now this doctrine of Reconciliation is that that must be understood by preaching. We can read but very little of it, scarce one letter in all the book of the creature, we cannot come to understand it by any knowledge of our own, but it must be ⟨p. 256⟩taught us, no, nor by the creature, But thus much may be understood by the creatures, Gods continuing to the world, and shining upon the just as well as upon the unjust, and abundance of Mercy here doth this declare with a loud voice, that there is some possibility for men to be reconciled unto God, there is mercy for mankind, there doth seem to be a loud voice in the goodness of God in the creature to sound out in the ears of all the world that man is in a better condition than the Devils, for certainly, if God had no intention to do good unto mankind, he would not continue so many Mercies as he doth; But now this cannot show us what is Christ; but it may show us thus much, that God hath a way of mercy for the Children of men, and I think in part, that text may be meant of this that we have in Rom. 10.18. Where the Apostle speaks concerning the Gospel, but I say have they not heard? Yes verily their sound went into all the world, have they not heard of the Gospel that is here spoken of, Hath not Israel heard the Gospel? Yes verily, their sound went into all the Earth, and their words unto the end of the world. And this text if you compare it with the 19. Psal. We may have cause to wonder much at the quotation of it, and there you have it a little different, as in the vers. 4. their Line (that is, the great character of the Grace of God that is written in the book of the creature, as it were in a line,) that is gone out through the earth, and hath a kind of sound in it, at least we may see it written, but hence you see in the 19. Psalm, It is clearly spoken concerning the works of God, In the Sun, and in the Heavens, The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handy work.

Yeares agoe, and yet Christ saith he wil be with them to the end of the world, that is with those that should succeed them in the Minnistery of Reconciliation, This is the commission, And when they come to any house they are to begin thus, You shal say Peace be to you when they come to any place, that is the peace of God in Christ. Now this doctrine of Reconciliation is that that must be understood by preaching. We can read but very little of it, scarce one letter in all the book of the creature, we cannot come to understand it by any knowledg of our own, but it must be