Gospel reconciliation, or, Christ's trumpet of peace to the world wherein is shewed (besides many other gospel truth) ... that there was a breach made between God and man ... to which is added two sermons / by Jeremiah Burroughs.

CHAP. 46. The Ministers of the Gospel Are Embassadors of Christ, Opened in six particulars.

First, That the Ministers of the Gospel are the Embassadors of Christ.

Not Embassadors for Belial, or for Antichrist as ma∣ny 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 Em∣bassadors; this is something more than messengers; this

is a higher degree than to be a bare messenger, an Embas∣dor 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 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, sin∣ful 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, Embassa∣dors 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

must know that it is about a great and a weighty business, about a State business, it is about that that doth con∣cerne 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, there∣fore we are called Embassadors.

Thirdly, They are called Embassadors because they must look to this; that they do not the least thing but by Commission, it is as much as his life is worth to go be∣yond his Commission in any thing: so the ministers of the Gospel they must keep close to the Commission which they receive from Jesus Christ.

Fourthly, when he goes to any place, he doth repre∣sent the person of the King himself from whom he came, and what wrong is done to him is done to the Kings per∣son; Let the Embassadors be never so meane: so al the Ministers of the Gospel, they come to you in the name of the King of Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, and there is a kind of a representation even of the person of Christ in them. And that wil appeare more fully when we come to the next point.

Fiftly, An Embassador must give an account of his Embassage; he must (according as there is occasion) send to the country from whence he comes of what business he hath done: so the Ministers of the Gospel comming as Embassadors, they are ever and anon to send to hea∣ven to give an account how they speed in their Embas∣sage, and when they come to declare any message to the people, they are to send to Heaven, to tel God whether it be received, or rejected, and it is a very sad thing to any people, when a minister of God shal have any Just cause to send up to Heaven his complaint, and say, O! Lord, thou hast sent me with a blessed Embassage of peace and reconciliation to this people, but Lord they reject it, they wil rather have their lusts, than al that

Glory of thine in Jesus Christ; Heaven, and eternal happiness is a light thing unto them. When a Minister makes this complaint, do you not think it wil be a hard thing to those that do reject it? And al faithful Mini∣sters do this. And if he be a faithful Minister, he is solli∣citous about his Embassage; he looks whether it be entertained, and accordingly he gives notice to heaven, not only weekly, but dayly, how his Embassage is entertained, and at the last day he must give a ful account before the Lord and Jesus Christ.

Sixtly, And Lastly, it is against the Law of al nations to abuse an Embassador though he should come upon never such a threatning message, yet you must use the Embassador civily; So it is against al laws of religion that can be to abuse a minister of the Gospel, though he should come with a threatining, But much more when he comes about an Embassage of peace; then they are to entertaine him. It is against al sence and reason and a∣gainst al relegion, and those people are most prophane, and reprobate to every good work, that shal abuse an Embassador comming from Jesus Christ unto them.

Now a little by way of application.