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SERMON LXXIII.

THE DOCTRINE OF UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION
ASSERTED AND EXPLAINED.

I TIM. iv. 10.

-The living God; who is the Saviour of all men, efpecially of thofe that believe.

JESUS is the Saviour of all men, as the conductor of SERM. 5. LXXIII. all men into and through the way of falvation. It is a

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Acts vii. 35.

very proper title, and most due to those brave captains, who by their wisdom and valour have freed their country from ftraits and oppreffions. So were those judges and princes, who anciently delivered Ifrael from their enemies, Neh. ix. 27. commonly ftyled: In the time of their trouble, fay the Levites in Nehemiah, when they cried unto thee, thou heardeft them from heaven; and, according to thy manifold mercies, thou gavest them Saviours, who faved them out of Judg. iii. 9, the hand of the enemy; fo are Othniel and Ehud particularly called; and Mofes fignally: The fame, faith St. Stephen of him, did God fend to be ἄρχοντα καὶ λυτρωτήν, α 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 Athenians (for his delivering them from the Macedonian subjection, and restoring their liberty to them) entitled, EvepyÉTMns xai σwrǹp, a benefactor and faviour. Thus with greatest reafon is Jefus fo called, Heb. ii. 10. as being άexnyòs tñs owτnplas, the Captain of Salvation, Acts iii. 15. (so he is called by the Apostle to the Hebrews,) ¿pxnyòs

Sans, (the Captain of Life, as St. Peter names him, the SERM. chief Leader unto eternal life,) ȧpxnyòs TiσTews, (the Cap- LXXIII. tain of our Faith; he that hath revealed that faving doc- Heb. xii. 2, trine, which is the power of God to falvation :) and these Rom. i. 16. titles we have conjoined by St. Peter in the Acts; Him A&s v. 31. hath God exalted, ἀρχηγὸν καὶ σωτῆρα, 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 instructive and exemplary; by his protection and governance; by his mating and quelling the enemies of man's falvation; which things more specially and completely he hath performed in respect to faithful Christians, yet in a manner also he hath truly done them for and toward all men; as we shall diftinctly confider.

Rom. xvi.

6. Jefus is the Saviour of all men, we say, 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 unto all men: myfteries of truth, Col. i. 26. which were hidden from ages and generations, which no 25. 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 rewards thereof, whatever is important for us to know in order to happiness,) he did plainly discover, and bring to light; he did with valid forts of demonstration affert and confirm. The doing which, (as having fo much efficacy toward falvation, and being ordinarily so neceffary thereto,) is often called faving; as particularly by St. James; when he faith, He Jam. v. 20. that turns a finner from the error of his way, fhall fave a foul from death. And by St. Paul; Take heed to thy Tim. iv. word and doctrine; for fo doing thou shalt fave thyself, and thy hearers. That our Lord hath thus (according to his defign, and according to reasonable efteem) faved all men, 1 Cor. ix.

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22.

SERM. we are authorized by the holy Scripture to fay; for he is LXXIII. there represented to be the light of the world; the true Rom. xi. light that enlighteneth every man coming into the world: the day-fpring from on high, which hath vifited us, to give 2 Tim. iii. light to them that fit in darkness and the fhadow of death, opia is and to guide our feet in the way of peace. By him the John viii. Saving grace of God hath appeared unto all men.

15.

σωτηρίαν.

12. i. 9.

Luke i. 79.

Tit. ii. 11.

iii. 4.

2 Tim. i.

10.

Luke iii. 6. Acts xiii. 47.

Mat. xxviii. 19, 20.

By him

(as Isaiah prophefied, and St. John the Baptist applied it) all flesh did fee the falvation of God. Of him it was alfo foretold, as St. Paul teacheth us, I have fet thee for the light of the nations, that thou shouldest be for falvation unto the ends of the earth. Coming he preached peace τoïs paxpàv xaì Toïs èyyùs (longe lateque) to them that were far, Eph. ii. 17. and them that were near, that is, to all men every where. John ix. 5. While I am in the world, faid he, I am the 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 sent his messengers 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, teaching them to obferve all that I commanded Mark xvi. you. Going into the world, preach the Gospel unto every creature, (or, to the whole creation: fo it ought to be.) Luke xxiv. That in his name should be preached repentance and remifhon of fins unto all nations. And fuch was the tenor of the apostolical commiffion; Thou shalt be witness for him toward all men, faid Ananias to St. Paul. Accordingly, in compliance with those orders, did the Apostles, in God's name, inftruct and admonish all men, plainly teaching, seriously inviting to, ftrongly perfuading, and earnestly entreating all men to embrace the truth, and enjoy the Acts xvii. benefits of the Gospel, and consequently to be faved: The times of ignorance, faith St. Paul, God having winked at, 2 Cor.v. 20. doth now invite all men every where to repent: and, We are ambassadors for Chrift; as though God did befeech you by us, we pray you in Chrift's ftead, be reconciled to GodWe pray you, you as members of that world, which God Colof. i. 28. was in Chrift reconciling to himfelf; and, We preach

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47.

Aas xxii. 15. xxvi.

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30.

Chrift-warning every man, and teaching every man in SERM. all wisdom, that we may prefent every man perfect in Chrift LXXIII. Jefus, (or, render every man a good Chriftian.) Thus was A&ts ii. 40, the Gospel, according to our Saviour's intent and order, preached, as St. Paul faith of it, ἐν πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν ougavòv, in the whole creation under heaven; thus did God Col. i. 23, shew, that he would have all men to be faved, and to come 1 Tim. ii. 4. 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 common master of truth, and enlightener of the world, and proclaimer of John i. 18. God's will to mankind.

If now it be inquired or objected; why then is not the Gospel revealed unto all 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 sparing execution? What benefit can we imagine them capable to receive from this performance of our Saviour, who ftill Luke i. 74. do fit in total ignorance of the Gospel, in darkness, and the fhadow of death? How can they call upon him in Rom. x.14. whom they believe not? And how can they believe in him

of whom they have not heard?

To this fuggeftion I answer,

1. That God's intentions are not to be interpreted, 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 himfelf 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 efteem, 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 reafon, with virtue

Matt. iv.16.

SERM. and juftice; and in the best state toward happiness: for LXXIII. these purposes he hath endued them with reasonable fa

culties, 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 dispenfations of providence, and, probably, by internal influences of grace: yet often all thofe means, by the perverseness and stupidity of men, do prove ineffectual, so that wars, diforders, difeafes, vices, iniquities and oppreffions, troubles and miferies, do commonly abound in the world. Likewise 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 admonish 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 present and ready to promote those ends by his grace: yet notwithstanding, by the voluntary neglect or abuse of thefe means, (the guides being blind, negligent, unfaithful; or the people being indocile, sluggish, refractory; or both perverted with bad affections,) often ignorance, error, and impiety prevail, love is cool and dead, fchifms and factions are rife in the church. Which events are not to be conceived derogatory to God's good-will and good intentions, or to his kind and careful providence toward men; but we are notwithstanding to esteem and acknowledge him the author and donor of those good things; in refpect to them no lefs bleffing and praifing him, than if they were really accomplished by man's concurrence and compliance; he having done his part in that due measure and manner which wisdom prompts; having indeed done the fame, as when they are effected. So God having exprefsly declared, that he would have all men to know and embrace the Gospel, having made a universal promulgation thereof, having fent forth Apoftles to diffeminate it every where, having obliged every man to confer his best

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