SERMON V. The Doctrine of Univerfal Redemption afferted and explained. I TIM. iv. IO. The living God; who is the Saviour of all men, V. 5. JESUS is the Saviour of all men, as the con- s E R M. ductor of all men into and through the way of falvation. It is a very proper title, and moft due to those brave captains, who by their wisdom and valour have freed their country from ftraits and oppreffions. So were thofe judges and princes, who anciently delivered Ifrael from their enemies, commonly ftyled: In the time of their trouble (fay the Neh. ix. 27. Levites in Nehemiah,) when they cried unto thee, thou heardeft them from heaven; and, according to thy manifold mercies, thou gaveft them Saviours, who faved them out of the hand of the enemy; fo are Othniel and Ehud Judg. iii. 9. particularly called; and Mofes fignally: The fame, kas vii. 35. faith St. Stephen of him, did God fend to be dexovra xal huτewτny, a Commander and a Saviour (or Redeemer) to the children of Ifrael; for that he by a worthy and happy conduct did free them from the Egyptian flavery. And thus was Demetrius by the Athe nians 15. V. SER M. nians (for his delivering them from the Macedonian fubjection, and reftoring their liberty to them) entitled, spyrns xai owing, a benefactor and faviour. Thus with greatest reason is Jefus fo called, as beHeb. ii. 10. ing apxnyos τns owτngias, the Captain of Salvation, (fo Acts vii. 35. he is called by the Apoftle to the Hebrews,) apxnyòs Heb. xii. 2. Cwns, (the Captain of Life, as St. Peter names him, the chief Leader unto eternal life,) αρχηγὸς πίσεως, (the Captain of our Faith; he that hath revealed that Rom. i. 16. faving doctrine, which is the power of God to falvation :) and these titles we have conjoined by St. A&ts v. 31. Peter in the Acts; Him hath God exalted, dexnyov xai wτnga, as a Captain and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Ifrael, and remiffion of fins. This he is to us feveral ways, by direction both inftructive and exemplary; by his protection and governance; by his mating and quelling the enemies of man's falvation; which things more fpecially and completely he hath performed in respect to faithful Chriftians, yet in a manner alfo he hath truly done them for and toward all men; as we fhall diftinctly confider. 6. Jefus is the Saviour of all men, we fay, as having perfectly discovered and demonftrated the way and means of falvation; the gracious purposes of God concerning it; the duties required by God in order to it: the great helps and encouragements to feek it ; the mighty determents from neglecting it; the whole will of God, and concernment of man in relation thereto; briefly, all faving truths he hath revealed Col. i. 26. unto all men: myfteries of truth, which were hidden from ages and generations, which no fancy of man could invent, no understanding could reach, no reafon could by difcuffion clear, (concerning the nature, providence, will, and purpose of God; the nature, original, and state of man; concerning the laws and rules of practice, the helps thereto, the reward thereof, whatever is important for us to know in order to happiness,) he did plainly difcover, and bring to light; he did with valid forts Rom. xvi. 25. of I 16. 22. V. 2 Tim. iii. σωτηρίαν. iii. 4. 2 Tim. i. 10. Luke iii. 6. of demonstration affert and confirm. The doing S ER M. which, as having fo much efficacy toward falvation, and being ordinarily fo neceffary thereto, is often called faving; as particularly by St. James; when he faith, He that turns a finner from the error of James v.20. his way, fhall fave a foul from death. And by St. Paul; Take heed to thy word and doctrine; for fo doing 1 Tim. iv. thou shalt fave thyself, and thy hearers. That our Lord hath thus, according to his defign, and according to reasonable efteem, faved all men, we are 1 Cor. ix. authorized by the holy Scripture to fay; for he is Rom. xi. there represented to be the light of the world; the 14true light that enlighteneth every man coming into the 15. world; the day-Spring from on high, which hath visited a sis us, to give light to them that fit in darkness and the John viii. Shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of 12. i. 9. peace. By him the faving grace of God hath appeared Tit. ii. 11. unto all men. By him (as Isaiah prophefied, and St. John the Baptift applied it) all flesh did fee the falvation of God. Of him it was alfo foretold, (as St. Aats xiii. Paul teacheth us,) I have fet thee for the light of the 47. nations, that thou shouldeft be for falvation unto the Eph. ii. 17. ends of the earth. Coming he preached peace rois pangàv nai roîs iyyùs (longe lateque) to them that were far, and them that were near, that is, to all men every where. While I am in the world, faid he, I am the John ix. 5. light of the world; fhining, like the fun, indifferently unto all; and when he withdrew his corporal prefence, he farther virtually diffused his light, for he fent his meffengers with a general commiffion and command to teach all men concerning the benefits procured for them, and the duties required from them; Going into the world, make all nations difciples, Matt. teaching them to obferve all that I commanded you. 20. Going into the world, preach the Gofpel unto every crea- Mark xvi. ture, (or, to the whole creation: fo it ought to be.) That 15: in his name fhould be preached repentance and remission of 47. fins unto all nations. And fuch was the tenor of the Acts xxii. apoftolical commiffion; Thou shalt be witness for him 15. xxvi. G 2 A xxviii. 19, Luke xxiv. toward17. 30. V. SER M. toward all men, faid Ananias to St. Paul. Accordingly, in compliance with thofe orders, did the Apoftles, in God's name, inftruct and admonish all men, plainly teaching, feriously inviting to, ftrongly perfuading, and earnestly entreating all men to embrace the truth, and enjoy the benefits of the GofA&ts xvii. pel, and confequently to be faved: The times of ignorance (faith St. Paul) God having winked at, doth 2 Cor. v. 20. now invite all men every where to repent: and, We are ambaffadors for Chrift; as though God did befeech you by us, we pray you in Chrift's ftead, be reconciled to God- -We pray you, you as members of that world, which God was in Chrift reconciling to himself; Colof.i. 28. and, We preach Chrift-warning every man, and A&ts ii. 40. teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Chrift Jefus, (or render every man a good Chriftian.) Thus was the Gospel, according to our Saviour's intent and order, preached (as St. Paul Col. i. 23. faith of it) ἐν πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν, in the whole creation under heaven; thus did God fhew, 1 Tim. ii. 4. that he would have all men to be faved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth; whence our Lord (in regard to the nature and design of his performance in this kind) is the common Saviour, as the John i. 18. common mafter of truth, and enlightener of the world, and proclaimer of God's will to mankind. If now it be required or objected; why then is not the Gospel revealed unto men? How comes it to pass, that no found of this faving word, no glimpse of this heavenly light, doth arrive to many nations? How can fo general and large intention confift with fo particular and fparing execution? What benefit can we imagine them capable to receive from this performance of our Saviour, who ftill do fit in total ignorance of the Gospel, in darkLuke i. 74. nefs, and the fhadow of death? How can they call Rom. X. 14. upon him, in whom they believe not? And how can they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? To this fuggeftion I answer, Matt. iv. 16. 1. That V. 1. That God's intentions are not to be inter- S ER M. preted, nor his performances estimated by events, depending on the contingency of human actions, but by his own declarations and precepts, together with the ordinary provifion of competent means, in their own nature fufficient to produce those effects which he declares himself to intend, or to perform. What he reveals himself to defign, he doth really defign it; what he fays, that he performeth; he (according to moral esteem, that is, fo far as to ground duties of gratitude and honour, proceedings of juftice and reward) doth perform, although the thing upon other accounts be not effected. Thus, for inftance, God would have all men to live together here in peace, in order, in health, conveniently, comfortably, cheerfully; according to reason, with virtue and justice; and in the best state toward happiness: for thefe purposes he hath endowed them with reasonable faculties, he hath engraven on their minds a natural law, he hath furnished them with all forts of inftruments and helps conducible to thofe ends; he promoteth them by difpenfations of providence, and, probably, by internal influences of grace: yet often all thofe means, by the perverfeness and ftupidity of men, do prove ineffectual, fo that wars, diforders, difeafes, vices, iniquities and oppreffions, troubles and miferies, do commonly abound in the world. Likewife God defires, that in his church, knowledge and piety, peace and charity, and good order fhould grow and flourish; to which purposes he hath appointed teachers to inftruct, and governors to watch over his people; he hath obliged each man to advise and admonith his brother; he hath declared holy precepts and rules of practice; he hath propounded vaft encouragements and rewards, and threatened dreadful punishments; he hath promised and doth afford requifite affiftances; being himself always prefent and ready to promote those ends by his grace: yet notwithstanding, G 3 |