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

Not Ambassadors for Belial, or for Antichrist as many Ministers have been, to plead the cause of Antichrist, as if they were sent as Legates from Rome; and to plead for superstitious vanities; we are not Ambassadors for Belial, for sin, for wickedness, for many times you hear pleading against Godliness, and for wickedness: No, we are Ambassadors for Christ, we are sent Ambassadors; this is something more than messengers; this ⟨p. 281⟩is a higher degree than to be a bare messenger, an Ambassador is more than a steward; in 1. Cor. 4. Therefore let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ, and dispensers of the mysteries of Salvation. I only will show you a scripture for that, and a little open it, and soon pass by this point.

Not Embassadors for Belial, or for Antichrist as many Ministers have been, to plead the cause of Antichrist, as if they were sent as Legates from Rome; and to plead for superstitious vanities; we are not Embassadors for Belial, for sin, for wickedness, for many times you heare pleading against Godliness, and for wickedness: No, we are Embassadors for Christ, we are sent Embassadors; this is something more than messengers; this ⟨p. 281⟩is a higher degree than to be a bare messenger, an Embasdor is more than a steward; in 1. Cor. 4. Therefore let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ, and dispencers of the misteries of Salvation. I only wil shew you a scripture for that, and a little open it, and soon pass by this point.

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