We have it often in scripture, this word Ambassador, In Eph. 6.2. There you have it to the same purpose as it is here; For which I am an Ambassador, and he is in bonds. He was not used like an Ambassador, you know, [Ambassadors,] First they are such as are sent from Princes and States, to other Princes and States: it is not a private man. If any of you send a messenger about a business, he is not said to be an Ambassador; but one that comes from a Prince, or State from other countries, he is said to be an Ambassador. So the Minister of the Gospel, he is not sent to deal between man and man: but between God and man, in matters that concern the great God of Heaven, and Earth; and sent from him, though designed to it by men, yet their calling depends upon God, upon Christ, only here is the difference; when Princes, and States, send their Ambassadors; they send them to other Princes, and to other States: But now God sends Ambassadors to poor wretched, sinful men, and herein he doth honour man, that he will send a messenger from himself to them to be an Ambassador. When a Prince doth send a messenger to a person, you do not say, that the Prince doth send an Ambassador to them that are in prison, that he may execute when he pleases, rather an Executioner, than an Ambassador: So we might all have expected rather that there should an Executioner have been sent, but God is pleased for his elect ones to send an Ambassador. And besides, Ambassadors are not sent about every trivial business, but when an Ambassador is sent, it is about a public business, a State business of some great consequence: so when you hear that God sends his Ambassadors to the world, you ⟨p. 282⟩must know that it is about a great and a weighty business, about a State business, it is about that that doth concern the very state of Heaven, the God of Heaven, it is that that concerns God himself more nearly than any thing in •••s world concerns him, It concerns God next unto his own being, and unto his Son, the nearest of any thing that is without that belongs to a God, therefore we are called Ambassadors.
We have it often in scripture, this word Embassador, In Eph. 6.2. There you have it to the same purpose as it is here; For which I am an Embassador, and he is in bonds. He was not used like an Embassador, you know, [Embassadors,] First they are such as are sent from Princes and States, to other Princes and States: it is not a private man. If any of you send a messenger about a business, he is not said to be an Embassador; but one that comes from a Prince, or State from other countries, he is said to be an Embassador. So the Minister of the Gospel, he is not sent to deale between man and man: but between God and man, in matters that concern the great God of Heaven, and Earth; and sent from him, though designed to it by men, yet their calling depends upon God, upon Christ, only here is the difference; when Princes, and States, send their Embassadors; they send them to other Princes, and to other States: But now God sends Embassadors to poor wretched, sinful men, and herein he doth honor man, that he wil send a messenger from himselfe to them to be an Embassador. When a Prince doth send a messenger to a person, you do not say, that the Prince doth send an Embassador to them that are in prison, that he may execute when he pleases, rather an Executioner, than an Embassador: So we might al have expected rather that there should an Executioner have been sent, but God is pleased for his elect ones to send an Embassador. And besides, Embassadors are not sent about every trivial business, but when an Embassador is sent, it is about a publique business, a State business of some great consequence: so when you hear that God sends his Embassadors to the world, you ⟨p. 282⟩must know that it is about a great and a weighty business, about a State business, it is about that that doth concerne the very state of Heaven, the God of Heaven, it is that that concerns God himself more neerly than any thing in •••s world concerns him, It concerns God next unto his own beeing, and unto his Son, the neerest of any thing that is without that belongs to a God, therefore we are called Embassadors.
