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SER M. fect kind of falvation, which they owe to our Lord, and in regard whereto he may be called in a fort their Saviour.

IV.

Gen. vi. 3.

Pet, iii. 20.

Pfal. xiv.

But although the torrent of natural pravity hath prevailed fo far, as that we cannot affign, or nominate any (among thofe, who have lived out of the pale) who certainly or probably have obtained falvation, yet doth it not follow thence, that a fufficient grace was wanting to them. The most universal practice contrary to the intents of grace doth not evince a defect of graces. For we fee that the fame cause hath in a manner univerfally overborne and defeated other means and methods defigned and difpenfed by God for the inftruction and emendation of mankind.

God's Spirit did long strive with the inhabitants of the old world; yet no more than one family was bettered or faved thereby. God by his good spirit inNeh, ix. 20. ftructed the Ifraelites in the wilderness (as Nehemiah faith); yet no more than two perfons did get into Canaan: that people afterward had afforded to them great advantages of knowledge and excitements to piety (fo that God intimates, that he could not have done more for them, in that regard, than he had done). Ifa.. 4. Yet, There is none that underftandeth, or feeketh after God, was a complaint in the best times. The Pagans Rom. i, 21. had the means of knowing God, as St. Paul affirmeth, yet generally they grew vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened; from which like cafes and examples we may infer, that divine grace might be really imparted, although no effect correfpondent to its main defign were produced. Neither, because we cannot alledge any evident inftances of perfons converted or faved by virtue of this grace (this parcior occultiorque gratia, more Sparing and fecret grace, as the good writer de Vocatione Gentium calls it), are we forced to grant there Kings xix. were none fuch; but as in Ifrael when Elias faid, the Children of Ifrael have forfaken God's covenant, thrown down his altars, and flain his prophets with the fword;

14. 18.

and

IV

and 1, I only am left; there were yet in Ifrael, living S ER M. clofely, feven thousand knees, who had not bowed to Baal: fo among the generations of men, commonly overgrown with ignorance and impiety, there might, for all that we can know, be divers perfons indifcernible to common view, who, by complying with the influences of God's grace, have obtained competent

to know God, and to reverence him; fincerely to love goodnefs, and hate wickedness; with an honest heart, to obferve the laws of reafon and righteoufnefs, in fuch a manner and degree which God might accept; fo that the grace afforded might not only fufficere omnibus in teftimonium (fuffice to convince all men), but quibufdam in remedium (to correct and cure fome), as that writer de Voc. Gent. fpeaks. The confideration of God's nature and providence doth ferve farther to per- Pfal.cxlv.g fuade the truth of this affertion. If God be rich in mercy and bounty toward all his creatures, as fuch, (and fuch he frequently afferts himself to be) if he be allprefent, and all-provident, as he certainly is, how can we conceive him to ftand as an unconcerned fpectator of what men do, in affairs of this confequence? That he should be prefent beholding men to run precipitantly into defperate mifchiefs and mifcarriages, without offering to ftay or obftruct them; ftruggling with their vices and follies, without affording them any relief or furtherance; affaulted by ftrong temptations, without yielding any fupport or fuccour; panting after reft and eafe, without vouchfafing fome guidance and affiftance toward the obtaining them? How can he fee men invincibly erring and inevitably finning, without making good what the Pfalmift fays of him: Good and upright is the Pfal.xxv. Lord, therefore will be teach finners in the way; to withhold his grace in fuch cafes, feemeth inconfiftent with the kind and compaffionate nature of God, efpecially fuch as now it ftands, being reconciled to mankind, by the Mediator of God and men, Chrift Jefus. He alfo, that is fo bountiful and indulgent toward all men in regard to their bodies and tempo

ral

cxlv. 16.

evii. 9.

Acts xiv.

17.

Diff. 22.

ȘER M, ral eftate; who preferveth their life from deftruction, IV. who protecteth them continually from danger and mifchief; who openeth his hand, and fatisfieth the dePfal. ciii. 4. fires of every living thing, who fatisfieth the longing foul, and filleth the hungry foul with goodness; who (as St. Paul fpeaketh) filleth men's hearts with food and gladness; is it likely that he fhould altogether neglect their spiritual welfare, and leave their fouls utterly deftitute of all fuftenance or comfort; that he fhould fuffer them to lie fatally expofed to eternal death and ruin, without offering any means of redress or recovery? To conceive fo of God, feeined very unreasonable even to a Pagan philofopher: Do Max. Tyr. you think (faith Max. Tyrius) that divination, poetry, and fuch like things, are by divine infpiration infinuated into men's fouls, and that virtue (fo much better, and fo much rarer a thing) is the work of moral art? * You have forfooth a worthy conceit of God, who take him to be liberal in beftowing mean things, and fparing of betAs xvii. ter things. He that (as St. Paul faith) giveth to all men life, breath, and all things, will he withhold from any that beft of gifts, and moft worthy of him to give, that grace whereby he may be able to ferve him, to praise him, to glorify him, yea, to please and gratify him; to fave a creature and fubject of his; Acts xiv. the thing wherein he fo much delighteth? From Rom. i. 19. hence alfo, that God hath vouchfafed general teftimonies of his goodness, inducements to feek him, footsteps whereby he may be discovered and known, a light of reafon and law of nature written upon men's hearts; attended with fatisfactions, and checks of confcience; fo many difpofitions to knowledge and obedience (as St. Paul teacheth us), we may collect that he is not deficient in communicating interior affiftances, promoting the good use and improvement of those talents; for that otherwise the bestow

25.

17. xvii. 27.

ii. 15.

* Η πολλοῦ ἄξιον νομίζεις τὸ θεῖον, πρὸς μὲν τὰ φαῦλα καλῶς καὶ ἄφε 20 ως παρεσκευασμένον, πρὸς δὲ τὰ κρείτίω ἄπορον.

IV.

ing them is fruftraneous and ufelefs; being able to SER M. produce no good effect; yea, it rather is an argument of unkindnefs, being apt only to produce an ill effect in those, upon whom it is conferred; an aggravation of fin, an accumulation of guilt and wrath upon them.

If it be faid, that having fuch grace is inconfiftent with the want of an explicit knowledge of Chrift, and of faith in him; why may not we say, that as probably (fo St. Chryfoftom, vid. Mont. App. I.) moft good people before our Lord's coming received grace without any fuch knowledge or faith; that as to idiots and infants, our Saviour's meritorious performances are applied (in a manner unknowable by us) without fo much as a capacity to know or believe any thing; that fo we (to whom God's judgments are infcrutable, and his ways uninveftigable) know not Rom.xi. 33how grace may be communicated unto, and Christ's merits may avail for other ignorant perfons. In respect to whom we may apply that of St. John; The John i. 5. light fhineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. However, that fuch perfons may have a grace capacitating them to arrive to that knowledge and faith, to which fuller communications of grace are promised; fo that in reasonable efteem (as we fhall, prefently fhew) the revelation of evangelical truth, and the gift of faith, may be supposed to be conferred upon all men-fo that we may apply to them that in the Revelation; Behold, I ftand at the door and Apoc. iii. knock; if any man will hear my voice, and open the Eupha door, I will come in unto him, and fup with him, and TE, be with me; (that is, Behold, I allure every man to the knowledge and embracing of Chriftianity; if Joh. ix. 41. any man will open his mind and heart, fo as to comply with my folicitations, I am ready to bestow upon him the participation of evangelical mercies and bleffings) and to fuch perfons thofe promises and rules in the Gospel may appertain; He that afketh, Luke xi. receiveth; he that feeketh, findeth; to him that knocketh 10. 13.

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IV.

SERM. it fhall be opened: The heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that afk him. He that is iv inaxisw #150s (faithful in the use of the leaft grace) fhall be reLuke xix. warded. And, to him that bath (or that diligently keepeth and husbandeth what he hath) fhall more be given.

17. 19. 26.

And how God fometimes dealeth with fuch perfons the eminent inftances of St. Paul and Cornelius do fhew. But concerning this point I fpake fomewhat before, and have perhaps been too large now; I fhall only add that faying of the wife writer de Voc. Gen. A pious mind (faith he) should not, I think, be troubled at that question, which is made concerning the converfion of all, or not all men; if we will not obfcure thofe things which are clear, by those things which are fecret; and while we wantonly infift upon things shut up, we be not excluded from thofe which are open and plain : Which in effect is the fame with this; that fince we are plainly taught, that our Lord is the Saviour of all men; and it is confequent thence, that he hath procured grace fufficiently capacitating all men to obtain falvation; we need not perplex the business, or obfcure fo apparent a truth, by debating how that grace is imparted; or by labouring overmuch in reconciling the difpenfation thereof with other difpenfations of Providence.

Puto quod pius fenfus non debeat in ea quæftione turbari, quæ de omnium et non omnium hominum converfione generatur; fi ea quæ clara funt non de his quæ occulta funt obfcuremus, et dum procaciter infiftimus claufis excludamur ab apertis, &c. Lib. i. cap. 8.

SERMON

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