SERMON IV. The Doctrine of Universal Redemption afferted and explained. I TIM. iv. 10. -The living God; who is the Saviour of all men, THAT our Lord Jefus is the Saviour of all men, S ER M. In general we may fay, that our Lord is the Saviour of all men, for that he hath rendered all men falvabiles, capable of falvation; and falvandos, defigned to falvation. For that he hath removed all obftacles peremptorily debarring men from accefs to falvation, and hath procured competent furtherances to their attainment of it. For that he hath rescued mankind out of that dead and defperate condition, wherein it lay involved; being the bread of God, who John vi. 33hath defcended from heaven, that he might give life to the world, IV. Αἰχμαλώ τοις ἄφε SER M. world, as he faith of himself. For that he hath performed whatever on his part is neceffary or fit in order to falvation, antecedently to the acceptance and compliance with those reasonable conditions, which by God's wisdom are required toward the inftating men into a full and immediate right to falvation, or to a complete and actual fruition thereof. He made the way to happiness plain and paffable: levelling Luke iii. 5. the infuperable cliffs, and filling up the chasms, and rectifying the obliquities, and fmoothing the afperities thereof, as the Prophet foretold; fo that all men, who would, might conveniently walk therein. He fet the doors of paradife wide open, fo that who Luke iv. 18. pleafed might enter in; all the bonds and restraints under which men lay, he fo far loofed, that any man might be free, who would concur to his own liberty and enlargement. All the protection and encouragement which was needful toward obtaining salvation, he afforded and exhibited to every one, that would embrace and make use of them. In refpect to which performances he might be justly esteemed and truly called a Saviour, although all men do not in effect become faved. For the estimation and denomination of performances are to be grounded upon their own nature and defign, not upon events depending upon the contingent and arbitrary behaviour of men. As he that freely offers a rich boon is no lefs to be accounted a benefactor and liberal, although his gift be refused, than if it were accepted; as he that opens the prison is to be ftyled a deliverer, although the captive will not go forth; as he that minifters an effectual remedy, although the patient will not ufe it, deferves the honour and thanks due to a phyfician; fo is our Lord in regard to what he hath performed for men, and offered to them, (being fufficient to prevent their misery, and promote their hap 2 Ἡ γῆ ἀντὶ κατάρας εὐλόγηται, ὁ παράδεισος ἠνοίγη, &c. Athan. in paff. piness,) Καταγγέλο 1 Cor. i. 18. 24. 1 Cor. xv.2. pinefs,) to be worthily deemed, and thankfully ac-s ER M. knowledged, their Saviour, although not all men, yea IV. although not one man fhould receive the defigned benefit. Accordingly we may obferve, that in the A&ts xvi. Scripture-ftyle, thofe perfons are faid to be faved, who are only in a way toward falvation, although λυσιν ὁδὸν they do not arrive thither; and the means conduc-gas. ing to falvation are said to fave, although their effect Aas ii. 47. may be defeated ; σωζόμενοι and σεσωσμένοι are terms Apoc. xxi. applied to all Chriftians, and Chrift is owcas, he that Eph. ii. 5. hath faved them; and faith is faid to have faved 2 Tim. i. 9. them, although fome of them six inístuσav, have be- Tit. iii. 8. lieved in vain, or to no effect, forfaking and renouncing their faith; and baptifm faves them who partake 2 Pet. ii. 22. it, although being washed, they return to their wallowing in the mire. And as our Lord is fo termed a Saviour in refpect to them, who are, by faith and admiffion into the Church, put into a more near capacity of falvation, as St. Paul fpeaketh: iyyúτegov nμwv ǹ σwτngíae ἐγγύτερον σωτηρία ἢ ὅτε ἐπιςεύσαμεν, (Now is our falvation nearer than when Rom. xiii. we believed;) fo is he in refpect of all those, who are in any capacity thereof, although a more remote one. 1 Pet. iii. 21. II. But let us now view more nearly and diftinctly the respects in which he is a Saviour of all men, or the particular benefits and advantages conducing to falvation, which by his performances accrue to mankind; for πάμπολυ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἁπάσῃ χαρίζεται τῇ dv-Clem. Αlex. SpwróτNTI, In very many ways he beftoweth falvation upon all mankind, as Clemens Alexandrinus speaks. 1. Our Lord is the Saviour of all men, as having effected that Almighty God (who upon great provocations was juftly difpleafed and angry with man, who had averted his face, and withdrawn his favour from mankind, whom our apostasy and rebellion had rendered a stranger and an enemy to us) hath depofed his wrath toward mankind, hath conceived a kind affection to it, doth caft a favourable afpect upon it; being throughly reconciled and made a friend thereto by our Saviour's mediation. This is my beloved Matt. iii. Son, 17. xii. 18. 14. 29. IV. Rom. v. 10. SER M. Son, ev evdoxnoa, in whom I have been well pleafed, was the atteftation given from God to our Lord; the meaning whereof in regard to men, the holy choir of angels did interpret, when after the gladfome report Luke ii. 10, of his birth, (that great joy, which should be to all people,) they fang, Glory be to God on high, on earth peace, Col. i. 20. good-will toward men. Which St. Paul farther deEph. i. 10. clareth, when he faith, that by him dónσe, God pleased to reconcile unto himself all things, upon 2 Cor. v. earth, and in heaven; and when he faith, That God was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their fins. And, When we were enemies, (faith he again,) we were reconciled to God by the death his Son: When we were enemies, that implies God antecedently to any man's converfion to have been appeafed, and become favourably difpofed toward all men, or toward those whom St. Paul fpeaketh unto, as men; fo the reason of the cafe doth import, and fo the analogy which St. Paul immediately after propounds between the refults of Adam's tranfgreffion and our Saviour's obedience (as to provocation and reconciliation, to condemnation and abfolution, to the intents of bringing death and life upon all men) doth enforce. Whence it is, that God declareth himself now to bear an univerfal good-will to mankind, that he doth earneftly defire the welfare of all men, and is displeased with the ruin of any man; that he 1 Tim. ii. would have all men to be faved, and to come to the 2 Pet. iii. 9. knowledge of the truth, because there is one Mediator between God and man; that he would not have any peHeb. vi 16, rish, but that all should come to repentance; this he affirms, yea (for the confirmation of our faith and our confolation therein) he in the Evangelical Prophet fwears it, As I live, faith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. So far toward our falvation is done, God meets us half way; he is reconciled unto us, it remains only that we be reconciled to him; that we 2 Cor. v.20. hearken to the embaffy from him: Be reconciled to God. 2. Jefus 4. 18. Ezek. xxxiii. 11. |