III. SER M. Profper himself: Setting afide, faith he, that distinction, which the divine knowledge contains within the fecret of bis justice, it is moft fincerely to be believed and profeffed, that God wills that all men fhall be faved; fince the Apostle, whofe fentence that is, doth most folicitously enjoin that which is in all the Churches moft piously obferved, that God fhould be implored for all men. So doth be atteft the common practice, and declare the ground thereof. 7. For which practice, and for the confirmation of its ground (God's ferious willingness and defire that men fhould be faved) we have the pattern of our Lord himfelf praying to his Father for the pardon of the worst of men, his Murtherers; which as it demonstrated his charity toward them, fo it argues that he was their Saviour, for that otherwise he knew they could not be in any capacity of having pardon. His praying for them implies the poffibility of their receiving forgiveness; and fuch a poffibility doth prefuppofe a difpofition in God to grant it, and confequently a fatisfaction provided, fuch as God requires and accepts, and which fhall avail to their benefit, if toward the application thereof they perform their parts. 8. Indeed it is not easy to conceive, how we can heartily pray for pardon, or for any other bleffing, either for ourselves or for others, without fuppofing Chrift to be our Saviour and theirs; without fuppofing God placable and well affected toward us and them in Chrift, upon the account of his performances and fufferings in our and their behalf. We are to offer up all our devotions in the name of Chrift, and for his fake muft implore all mercies and bleffings * Remota ergo difcretione, quam divina scientia intra secretum juftitiæ fuæ continet, finceriffime credendum atque profitendum eft Deum velle, ut omnes homines falvi fiant; fiquidem Apoftolus, cujus ifta fententia eft, folicitiffime præcipit quod in omnibus Ecclefiis piiffime cuftoditur, ut Deo pro omnibus hominibus fupplicetur. Prof. ad. Obj. Vincent. 2. from III. from God; which how can we do ferioufly and with S ER M. faith, if we may reasonably question whether Chrift's merits do refpect us, and confequently whether they can be available in our behalf? I will, faith St. Paul, that men should pray in every place, lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting: which precept 1 Tim. ii. 8. how can any man obferve; how can any man pray with calmnefs and confidence of mind, who is not affured that Chrift is his Saviour, or that God for Chrift's fake is difpofed to grant his requests? But this point we may be obliged to profecute fomewhat farther in the application. Luke xxiv. 47. 9. Either our Saviour's performances do refpect all men, or fome men (the far greateft part of men) do ftand upon no other terms, than thofe of the firft creation, or rather of the fubfequent lapfe and condemnation; being fubject to an extremely rigorous law, and an infallibly certain guilt, and confequently to inevitable punishment; being utterly fecluded from all capacity of mercy, and having no place of repentance left unto them (the place of repentance being a moft fignal part of Chrift's purchase); fo that As v. 31. if any fuch man fhould, according to the proportion of his light and ability, perform what is agreeable to God's law, doing what is poffible to him (this may be fuppofed, for what is poffible to a man he may do, what is poffible is poffible) in order to his falvation, he notwithstanding fhould be incapable of any mercy, favour, or acceptance. But, befide that it is exprefsly faid, that God did fhut up all men under finl, Rom. xi. that he might have mercy upon all; and that we are 32. plainly enough informed, that our Lord did reverse the firft fatal sentence, and hath, as the mediator between God and man, evacuated all former covenants by eftablishing a new one (for if any former covenant had Heb. viii. been good, there had been no place fought for a new one, 7. as the Apostle to the Hebrews difcourfeth)-befides thefe confiderations, I fay, and befide that fuch fuppofitions do not well fuit to the nature of God, and da SER M. do not well confift with the tenour of his proviIII. dence; God pofitively and vehemently difclaimeth this rigour of proceeding; he both under Law and Acts xvii. Gospel declares himself ready to admit any man's reEzek. xviii. pentance; yea, earnestly invites all men thereto; yea, xxxiii. 11. grievously explains and expoftulates with men for Mic. vii. 8. not repenting; yea, not only fays it, but fwears it by Rom. ii. 4. his own life, that he defires any wicked man fhould 30. Ifa. lv. 3, 7. 12. Matt. xxv. 25. 17. xvi. 10. 1 Pet. i. 17. do it; he strongly afferts, he earnestly inculcates, he loudly proclaims to all his readiness to pardon, and his delight in fhewing mercy; the riches of his 2 Cor. viii. goodness, and forbearance, and long fuffering. He declares, that he will exact an account of men, according to proportion, answerable to their willingness to do what they could; and to the improvement of those talents (those measures of light and ftrength) Luke xix. which they had, or might have had; that whoever is ἐν ἐλαχίσῳ πισὸς, faithful in ufing the fmallelt power, shall be accepted and rewarded. He represents himActs x. 34. felf impartial in his judgment, and acceptance of men's perfons and performances; any man, in any nation, his fincere, though imperfect, piety and righteoufnefs being acceptable to him: the final ruin of men is not imputed to any antecedent defect lying in man's ftate, or God's will, to no obstacle on God's part, nor incapacity on the part of man, but wholly to man's blameable neglect, or wilful abuse of the means conducible to his falvation : no want of mercy in God, or virtue in the paffion of our Lord are to be mentioned or thought of; infidelity (formal or interpretative) and obftinate impenitency, disappointing God's merciful intentions, and fruftrating our Lord's faving performances and endeavours, are the fole banes of mankind; Here John iii. 19. (faith our Lord) is the condemnation, that light is come John v. 34 into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, Matt. xxiii. because their deeds are evil. And, I fpeak these things, that ye might be faved; but ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. And, How often have I willed to 40. 17. gather 30. 6. gather thy children, as a hen gathers ber chickens under s ER M. her wings, but ye would not? Of the Pharifees and III. Lawyers our Saviour said, that they defeated the counfel of God toward themfelves (ἠθέτησαν τὴν βαλὴν Θεῖ εἰς ἑαυ- Luke vi. Tès), the counsel of God, who defigned to bring them to repentance by the inftruction and exhortation of St. John the Baptift. Our Saviour invited many to the participation of the Gospel (that great feaft of fat fa. xxvi things to all people, as the Prophet Ifaiah calleth it) ;' but they would not come, faith the text: he iterated his meffage, but they carelessly neglecting it (aueλnoarres) went away, one to his farm, another to his Matt. xxii. merchandife, and the reft took his fervants, and intreated t xiii. them fpitefully, and flew them. The fower (our Lord) 37, 38. did fow in the field (the world) the good feed of heavenly truth; but fome would not admit it into their heads or hearts; from others temptation bare it away; in others worldly cares and defires choaked it; our Lord fpake the most convincing words, fuch John vii. as no man ever fpake, fuch as drew publicans and 46: xv. 22. barlots into the kingdom of heaven; he performed Matt. xxi. most astonishing works, fuch as never the like were John vii. done, which were fufficient to convert Tyre and Si- 31; don, yea to have preferved Sodom, but without ef- John v. 44. fect; fuch were the invincible obftinacy, the grofs Luke xvi. ftupidity, the corrupt prejudices, and perverfe affec- Matt. xiii. tions of his auditors and fpectators, upon which 13. xxiii. cause our Lord chargeth the inefficacy and unfuccessfulness of his endeavours for their falvation. So doth St. Stephen call the Jews, unto whom the Gofpel was offered, hard-necked, uncircumcifed in heart and A&s vii. ears; fuch as did always refift the Holy Spirit. St. Paul 5 gives the fame character of them, and affigns the 26. fame cause of their rejecting the Gospel. And of the Jews of Antioch it is faid, that they did thrust Acts xiii. away the word of falvation, judging themselves unworthy 46. of everlasting life (that is, difdaining to embrace the overture of everlasting life made unto them). And, Defpifeft thou the riches of God's goodness, and forbear- Rom. ii. 4. 24. ix. 32. 31. xii. 43. 14. 14. Acts xxviii. SER M. ance, and long-fuffering, being ignorant that the goodness 111. of God leadeth thee to repentance? So St. Paul expof tulates with the incredulous Jew. And, How, faith Heb. ii. 3. the Apostle to the Hebrews, fhall we escape, if we neglect fo great falvation? So do our Lord and his Apoftles ftate the reafon of men's mifcarrying in this great affair; fignifying all requifite care and provifion to be made on God's part for their falvation; and imputing the obftruction folely to their voluntary default of compliance with God in his conduct and management thereof. Pfal. ii. 8. 35. Neither are the dealings and declarations of God toward those who lived under the Law and Prophets, impertinent to this purpose; they are applicable upon confideration of parity in reason, or likeness in case. What remonftrances concerning the gentleness, kindness, and equity of his dealings, what exprobrations of their ftubbornness and ftupidity God did anciently make to Ifrael under that particular difpenfation (which yet in tendency and in reprefentation may be deemed general), the fame he might now use toward all mankind, under this univerfal economy, wherein God hath given to his Son, the beathen for his inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth Apoc. xi. for his poffeffion; whereby all the kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of the Lord, and his Chrift; which hath erected an unconfined kingdom of grace; to which all men in defign and of right are fubject; in respect to which every nation is in obligation and Ifa. v. 4. duty become the people of God. What (faid God to them) could I have done more to my vineyard than I have done? Wherefore, when I looked for grapes, did it Hof. xii. 9. bring forth wild grapes? O Ifrael, thou haft deftroyed Ifa. lxv. 2. thyfelf; but in me is thy help. I have fpread out my hands all the day long to a rebellious and gainfaying peo-. ple. I fpake unto you rifing up early and speaking, but Prov. i. 24, ye heard not; I called, but ye answered not; I have called, and ye have refufed; I have ftretched out my band, and no man regarded. But ve have fet at nought Rom. x. 21. Jer. vii. 13. 29. all |