tions; and, by his wifdom and power, guarding them against all their enemies whatsoever.

Hence he, who hath closed bargain with God, may strengthen his faith, by reasoning after this manner:

"Whofoever doth heartily receive the offer of free grace, "made here to finners, thirfting for righteousness and falva❝tion; unto him, by an everlasting covenant, belongeth Chrift, "the true David, with all his fure and faving mercies.

"But I (may the weak believer fay) do heartily receive the "offer of free grace made here to finners, thirsting for righteoufnefs and falvation.

"Therefore unto me, by an everlasting covenant, belong"eth Chrift Jefus, with all his fure and faving mercies."

The fecond warrant and special motive to embrace Christ, and believe in him, is the earnest request that God maketh to us to be reconciled to him in Christ, holden forth, 2 Cor. v. verfes 14, 19, 20, 21.

GOD was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Ver. 20. Now then we are ambaffadors for Chrift, as though God did befeech you by us; we pray you in Chrift's ftead, be ye reconciled to God. Ver. 21. For he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteoufness of God in him.

Wherein the apostle teacheth us thefe nine doctrines; First, That the elect world, or world of redeemed fouls, are by nature in the estate of enmity against God: This is presupposed in the word reconciliation; for reconciliation, or renewing of friendship, cannot be, except betwixt those that have been at enmity.

Second, That in all the time bypast, fince the fall of Adam, Christ Jefus, the eternal Son of God, as Mediator, and the Father in him, hath been about the making friendship (by his Word and Spirit) betwixt himself and the elect world;

God,

God, faith he, was in Chrift reconciling the world to him- ' • felf.'

Third, That the way of reconciliation was in all ages one and the fame in fubstance, viz. by forgiving the fins of them, who do acknowledge their fins and their enmity against God, and do feek reconciliation and remiffion of fins in Chrift; For God, faith he, was in Chrift reconciling the world to himself,' by way of not imputing their trefpaffes unto ' them.'

Fourth, That the end and scope of the gofpel, and whole word of God, is threefold; 1. It ferveth to make people fenfible of their fins, and of their enmity against God, and of their danger, if they should stand out, and not fear God's difpleasure. 2. The word of God ferveth to make men acquainted with the course, which God hath prepared, for making. friendship with him through Chrift, viz. that if men fhall acknowledge the enmity, and fhall be content to enter into a covenant of friendship with God, through Chrift, then God will be content to be reconciled with them freely. 3. The word of God ferveth to teach men how to carry themselves towards God, as friends, after they are reconciled to him, viz. to be loth to fin against him, and to ftrive heartily to obey his commandments: and therefore the word of God here. is called the word of reconciliation, because it teacheth us what need we have of reconciliation, and how to make it, and how to keep the reconciliation or friendship, being made with God through Chrift.

Fifth, That albeit the hearing, believing and obeying of this word, doth belong to all those to whom this gospel doth come; yet the office of preaching of it, with authority, belongeth to none, but to fuch only as God doth call to his ministry, and sendeth out with commiffion for this work. This the apostle holdeth forth, ver. 18. in these words, 'He hath committed to us the word of reconciliation.' Sixth, That the minifters of the gospel should behave them

felves as Christ's meffengers, and fhould closely follow their commiffion fet down in the word, Mat. xxviii. 19, 20. and, when they do so, they should be received by the people as ambaffadors from God; for here the apostle, in all their names, faith, 'We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God 'did befeech you by us.'

Seventh, That ministers, in all earnestness of affections, fhould deal with people to acknowledge their fins, and their natural enmity against God, more and more seriously; and to confent to the covenant of grace and embaffage of Christ more and more heartily; and to evidence more and more clearly their reconciliation, by a holy carriage before God. This he holdeth forth, when he faith, We pray you be reconciled ' to God.'

Eight, That, in the minifters affectionate dealing with the people, the people should consider that they have to do with God and Chrift, requesting them by the ministers to be reconciled: now, there cannot be a greater inducement to break a finners hard heart, than God's making request to him for friendship; for when it became us, who have done fo many wrongs to God, to feek friendship of God, he preventeth us: and (O wonder of wonders!) he requesteth us to be content to be reconciled to him; and therefore most fearful wrath must abide them who do fet light by this request, and do not yield when they hear minifters with commiffion, faying, "We ⚫ are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to

'God.'

Ninth, To make it appear, how it cometh to pass that the covenant of reconciliation fhould be so easily made up betwixt God and a humble finner fleeing to Christ, the apostle leads us unto the cause of it, holden forth in the covenant of redemption, the fum whereof is this; "It is agreed betwixt God "and the Mediator Jefus Chrift the Son of God, furety for "the redeemed, as parties-contracters, that the fins of the re

"deemed

"deemed fhould be imputed to innocent Christ, and he both condemned and put to death for them, upon this very condition, that whofoever heartily confents unto the covenant "of reconciliation offered through Chrift, fhall, by the imputation of his obedience unto them, be justified and hold"en righteous before God; for God hath made Chrift," whe knew no fin, to be fin for us, faith the apostle, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

66

Hence may a weak believer ftrengthen his faith, by reafoning from this ground after this manner;

"He that, upon the loving requeft of God and Christ, "made to him by the mouth of ministers (having commiffion "to that effect) hath embraced the offer of perpetual recon"ciliation through Christ, and doth purpose, by God's grace, "as a reconciled perfon, to strive againft fin, and to serve God "to his power conftantly, may be as fure to have righteous"nefs and eternal life given to him, for the obedience of "Christ imputed to him, as it is fure that Christ was con"demned and put to death for the fins of the redeemed im"puted to him...

"But I (may the weak believer fay) upon the loving re"queft of God and Chrift, made to me by the mouth of his "ministers, have embraced the offer of perpetual reconcilia"tion through Chrift, and do purpose, by God's grace, as a "reconciled perfon, to strive against fin, and to ferve God to "my power conftantly.

"Therefore I may be as fure to have righteoufnefs and "eternal life given to me, for the obedience of Chrift imput"ed to me, as it is fure that Chrift was condemned and put "to death for the fins of the redeemed imputed to him."

The

The third warrant and special motive to believe in Christ, is the ftrait and awful command of God, charging all the hearers of the gospel to approach to Chrift, in the order fet down by him, and to believe in him; holden forth, 1 John iii. 23.

THIS is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jefus Chrift, and love one another, as he gave

us commandment.

Wherein the apostle giveth us to understand these five doctrines;

1. That if any man shall not be taken with the sweet invitation of God, nor with the humble and loving request of God, made to him to be reconciled, he fhall find he hath to do with the fovereign authority of the highest Majesty; 'for this is his commandment, that we believe in him,' faith he.

2. That if any man look upon this commandment, as he hath looked heretofore upon the neglected commandments of the law; he must confider that this is a command of the gofpel, pofterior to the law, given for making use of the remedy of all fins; which, if it be disobeyed, there is no other command to follow but this, Go, ye curfed, into the everlasting 'fire of hell: For this is his commandment,' the obedience of which is moft pleafant in his fight, v. 22. and without which it is impoffible to please him, Heb. xi. 6.

3. That every one, who heareth the gofpel, must make confcience of the duty of lively faith in Chrift: the weak believer must not think it prefumption to do what is commanded. The perfon inclined to defperation must take up himself, and think upon obedience unto this sweet and faving command. The strong believer muft dip yet more in the sense of his need he hath of Jesus Christ, and more and more grow in the obedience of this command; yea, the most impenitent, profane and wicked perfon must not thurst out himself, or be thurst out by others, from orderly aiming at this duty, how desperate foever his condition feem to be; for he that com

mands