USE OR APPLICATION-Exhortation to the people to hearken to God’s ambassadors 2/2

(3.) Consider how much the heart of God is engaged in the message his ambassadors bring.  When a prince sends an ambassador about a negotiation, the success of which he passionately desires, and from which he promiseth himself much honour, to be opposed in this must needs greatly provoke and en­rage him.  There is nothing that God sets his heart more upon than the exalting of Christ, and his grace through him, in the salvation of poor sinners.  This therefore is called ‘his counsel,’ Heb. 6:17; ‘the pleasure of the Lord,’ Isa. 53:10. Abraham’s servant knew how much his master desired a wife for his son and heir among his kindred, and therefore presseth Laban with this as the weightiest argument of all other, ‘If you will deal kindly and truly with my mas­ter, tell me; and it not, tell me;’ as if he had said, By this the truth of your love to my master will be seen.  So here.  If ye will indeed deal kindly with God, tell his ambassadors so, by your complying with them in that which he so affectionately desires.  This the Lord Jesus, when on earth, called ‘his Father's business,’ which must be done, whatever comes on it: ‘Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?’ Luke 2:49.  He knew he had never come hither except for the despatch of this, and could not look his Father on the face, when he went back, except this was finished. Therefore, as this sped, and the work of the gospel made progress, or met with any stop, in the hearts of men, he mourned or rejoiced.  When it was rejected, we find him ‘grieved for the hardness of their hearts,’ Mark 3:5.  When his disciples make report how vic­toriously the chariot of the gospel ran, ‘in that hour,’ it is said, ‘he rejoiced in spirit,’ Luke 10:21.  When he was taking his leave of the world, his thoughts are at work how the gospel should be carried on, and the salvation of souls suffer no prejudice by his departure; he therefore empowers his apostles for the work: ‘All power is given me.  Go, preach the gospel to all na­tions.’  Yea, now in heaven he is waiting for the success of it, and listening how his servants speed in their errand.  Now, what a prodigious sin is it, by thy impenitency to withstand God in his main design!  Do you indeed deal kindly with our Master, whose embassy we bring?

           (4.) Consider the weight and importance of the message these ambassadors bring unto you.  It is not a slight, sleeveless errand we come about.  ‘I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil,’ Deut. 30:15.  ‘He that believeth not,...the wrath of God abideth on him,’ John 3:36.  We come not to en­tice you with the favour of an earthly prince, who may promise honours to‑day, and lose his own crown to-morrow.  We bait not our hook with the world’s treasures or pleasures; but bring you news of a heaven that shall as surely be yours as you are now on earth, if you accept of the offer.  We scare you not with the displeasure of a mortal man, ‘whose breath is in his nostrils;’ not with the momentary torment of a rack or gibbet, which continue hardly long enough to be felt; but with the never-dying wrath of the ever-living God.  And what we either promise or threaten in God's name, he stands ready and resolved to perform. He ‘confirmeth the word of his servants, and per­formeth the counsel of his messengers;’ Isa. 44:26.

           (5.) Consider on what terms the gospel and its messengers stay among you.  There is a time when God calls his ambassadors home, and will treat no longer with a people; and that must needs be a sad day!  For, when they go, then judgments and plagues come.  If the treaty ends, it will not be long before the war begins.  ‘Elisha died,...and the bands of the Mo­abites invaded the land,’ II Kings 13:20.  The prophet once gone, then the enemy comes.  The angel plucks Lot out of Sodom, and how long had they fair weather after?  The Jews put away the gospel from them by their impenitency, which made the apostles ‘turn to the Gentiles,’ Acts 13:46.  But did they not thereby call for their own ruin and destruction, which presently came flying on the Roman eagle’s wings to them? They judged themselves unworthy of eternal life, and God thought them unworthy also to have a temporal.  If once God calls home his ambassadors, it is no easy matter to bring them back, and get the treaty, now broke up, set on foot again.  God can least endure, upon trial made of him, to be slighted in that which he makes account is one of the highest ways he can express his favour to a people.  Better no ambas­sadors had come, than to come and go re infectâ —without effecting what they came for.  They ‘shall know,’ saith God, ‘there hath been a prophet among them,’ Eze. 2:5; that is, they shall know it to their cost.  God will be paid for his ministers’ pains.  Now, min­isters die, or are removed from their people, and glad they are to be so rid of them; but they have not done with them till they have reckoned with God for them.

USE OR APPLICATION-Exhortation to the people to hearken to God’s ambassadors 1/2

            

                                                        

           Are ministers ambassadors?  This shows the gos­pel ministry to be an office peculiar to some, not a work common to all.  An ambassador we know is someone who hath his commission and credential let­ters from his prince to show for his employment.  It is not a man's skill in state affairs that makes him an ambassador, nor ability in the law that makes a man a magistrate, but their call to these places.  Neither do gifts make a man a minister, but his mission: ‘How can they preach except they be sent?’  The rules which the Spirit of God gives about the minister’s admission into his function were all to no purpose if it lay open to every man's own choice to make him a preacher.  ‘Lay hands suddenly on no man,’ I Tim. 5:22; that is, admit none to the ministry without good proof and trial.  But why should any be set apart for that which every one may do?  This leads to an exhortation, 1. To the people.  2. To the minister.

           Exhortation 1. To the people.  Be persuaded in the fear of God to hearken to the message these am­bassadors bring.  What mean you to do in the busi­ness they come to treat about?  Will you be friends with God or not?—take Christ by faith into your embraces, or resolve to have none of him?  We are but ambassadors; back again we must go to our Mas­ter that sends us, and give an account what comes of our negotiation.  Shall we go and say, Lord, we have been with the men thou sentest us unto; thy message was delivered by us according to our instructions; we told them fire and sword, ruin and damnation, would come upon them, if they did not at thy call repent and turn; we laid both life and death before them, and spared not to reveal ‘the whole counsel of God’ for their salvation; but they believed never a word we spake; we were to them as those that mocked, or told what we had dreamed in the night, and not the words of truth an faithfulness?  O God forbid that this should be the report which at their return they make to God of their negotiation!  But the more to affect you with the importance of their message, and your answer to it, consider these things following:

           (1.) Consider the wonderful love of God in send­ing you these ambassadors.  Is it not a prince that sends to one of his own rank, but a God to his rebel creature; against whom he might have sent, not an ambassador to treat, but an army of judgments to fight and destroy.  It is not against rebels that are en­trenched in some place of strength, or in the field with a force wherewith you are able to resist his power; but to his prisoners fettered and manacled —to you that have your traitorous head on the block. It is not any need he hath of your life that makes him desire your salvation.  A prince sometimes saves his rebellious subjects because he needs their hands to fight for him, and weakens himself by shedding their blood; but God can ruin you, and not wrong himself. If you perish, it is without his damage.  The Pharisees are said to reject ‘the counsel of God against themselves,’ Luke 7:30.  It is you that suffer, not God.

           (2.) Consider what an intolerable affront is given to the majesty of heaven by rejecting his offers of grace.  Princes’ requests are commands.  Who dare deny a king what he asks? and darest thou, a poor thimbleful of dust, stout it out against thy Maker?  It is charged upon no less than a king as an act of insufferable pride, that ‘he did...evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jere­miah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord,’ II Chr. 36:12. But what! must a king come down from his throne, and humble himself before a poor prophet that was his own subject.  God will not have him tremble and bow, not to Jeremiah, but to ‘Jere­miah...speaking from the mouth of the Lord.’  O, consider this, ye that think it childish and poor-spirited to weep at a sermon, to humble yourselves at the reproof of a minister!  Your carriage under the word preached declares what your thoughts of God himself are.  When Naash slighted David’s ambassa­dors, and abused them, the king took the scorn upon himself.  ‘I will publish the name of the Lord,’ saith Moses, ‘ascribe ye greatness unto our God,’ Deut. 32:3.  How should they ascribe greatness to God while Moses is preaching to them.  Surely he means by their humble attendance on, and ready obedience to, the word he delivered in God’s name.