SER M. into the Church, and according to the apoftolical doctrine III. baptized into the death of Chrift, is by his blood washed -from their fins Becaute there could be no true regeneration, unless there were made alfo a true redemption; fince in the facraments of the Church there is nothing empty (or vain), nothing ludificatory; but all thoroughly true, and fupported by its own very truth and fincerity. Yet that out of the very company of believers and the redeemed, fome are eternally faved, because by God's grace they faithfully abide in their redemption, bearing the Lord's fpeech in their hearts, He that perfeveres to the end shall be faved; and that others, because they would not abide in the falvation of the faith, which they at first received, and did rather choose to fruftrate the grace of redemption by eyil doctrine or life, than to keep it, do nowife arrive to the plenitude of falvation, and to the perception of eternal beatitude. 'Tis then. a catholick and true doctrine, that at least Christ is a Saviour of all appearing Chriftians; and fuppofing the truth thereof, I say that by confequence he is allo the Saviour of all men. For it appeareth thence, that the defign of our Saviour's performances did not flow from, or was not grounded upon any special love, or any abfolute decree concerning thofe perfons who in event fhall be faved; fince according to that fuppofition it extendeth to many others; wherefore it proceeded from God's natural goodness, and common kind affection toward mankind; from the compaffion of a gracious Creator toward his miferable creature, whence all men are concerned and interested therein. Why God's merciful intentions were not explicitly declared and propounded to Socrates and Epictetus, as they were to Judas Iscariot and Simon Magus, is another question, which we may afterward in fome manner affoil; at present, it fuffices to fay, that the overture of mercy made to fuch wretches doth argue God's kind difpofition and good intention toward all men; fo it did in St. Am brofe's III. brofe's opinion*; who fays, that our Lord ought S ER M. not to pass by the man who fhould betray him, that all men might take notice, that in the choice even of his traitor, he did hold forth a pledge or mark of all men's being to be faved. But the truth of this doctrine will farther appear by the declaration and furveyal of those respects according to which Chrift is represented the Saviour of men, as alfo by confidering how useful and conducible to piety this doctrine is, as ministering grounds and obligations, encouragements and motives to the practice of moft confiderable duties required from all men. But these things must be referved to another occafion. * Et ideo nec proditurum debuit præterire, ut adverterent omnes, quod in electione etiam proditoris fui fervandorum omnium infigne prætendit. Ambr. de Parad. 8. SERMON SERMON IV. The Doctrine of Universal Redemption afferted and explained. I TIM. iv, 10. -The living God; who is the Saviour of all men, TH IV. HAT our Lord Jefus is the Saviour of all men, s ER M. we have before from plain teftimonies of holy Scripture, and from fome arguments grounded there, affayed to fhew. The fame will be made farther apparent by confidering the refpects according to which he is fuch; and those we may firft confider generally and in the grofs, then survey them more particularly and distinctly. 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 obstacles 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. 33. bath defcended from heaven, that he might give life to the world, IV. S ER 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 chafms, and rectifying the obliquities, and smoothing 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, so that who Lukeiv. 18. pleafed might enter in; all the bonds and restraints Axunder which men lay, he fo far loofed, that any man τοις άφεσιν might be free, who would concur to his own liberty and enlargement. All the protection and encouragement which was needful toward obtaining falvation, 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 styled a deliverer, although the captive will not go forth; as he that ministers an effectual remedy, although the patient will not use 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 * Η γῆ ἀντὶ κατάρας εὐλόγηται, ὁ παράδεισος ἠνοίγη, &c. Athan. in pall. piness) |