was fent; he applies himself to All men SER M. without reserve; Matt. xi. 28. Come unto XIV. me All ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest: And John vii. 37. If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. unto Luk. iv. But 23-27. Matt. xv. 24. IN one place indeed, we find him af- Joh. xvii. firming, that he was not fent, fave the loft Sheep of the house of Ifrael. the occafion, and manner, of his affirming this; and his Treatment of the perfon afterwards, to whom he has faid this; and the whole History and Tenour of Scripture, plainly show, that his Meaning herein was not to affirm, that he was not sent to Others at all; but only that, in order of Time, he was not fent to Others fo foon, as to the loft Sheep of the Houfe of Ifrael. The Gofpel was to be preached firft to the Jews; and our Lord was first to be the Glory of God's people Ifrael : But afterwards he was to be alfo a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be their Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth. The Apostles themfelves, at the Beginning, were under very ftrong Prejudices concerning this Matter: But they were convinced Z 3 SER M. vinced afterwards by frequent AdmoniXIV. tions from our Lord: And then they Ful ly and Clearly teftified this Great Truth. The Grace of God, faith St Paul, which bringeth Salvation, hath appeared to All men, Tit. ii. 11: And 1 Tim. ii. 4. Who will have All men to be faved, and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth. St Peter in like manner, in his Second Epistle, ch. iii. 9. The Lord, faith he, is not willing that Any should perish, but that All Should come to Repentance: To Repentance; That is, to a real and effectual Amendment and Reformation of Life; Which is Always the meaning of Repentance in Scripture. Some Writers have contended, that, in these feveral Texts, the words, Al men, must be understood to fignify only, Some of All forts of men, Some from among the Jews, Some from among the Gentiles, Some from among the Rich, Some from among the Poor; and the like. But This interpretation arifes merely from a great Unfkilfulness in Language. For though the words All men, do indeed in Scripture, as in vulgar Speech, fignify very frequently, not All men abfolutely, but, in a limited fenfe, SER M. All against whom no exception is plainly XIV. understood; yet in no language, according to Any vulgar manner of speaking, can they mean, Some only out of every Sort of men; and confequently in Scripture, which always expreffes itself in the language of the Vulgar, the words cannot poffibly have That Meaning. But the Sense plainly is, that God really and fincerely intends the Salvation of All men; and that 'tis for his Own Fault only, for Wickedness only, and deliberate Unrighteoufness, that Any man fhall be condemned. Besides the places before-cited, This great and fundamental Truth is ftill more clearly (if more clearly it can be,) expreffed in the xxiid chapter of the Revelation, ver. 16, 17; I Jefus have fent mine Angel to testify unto you these things in the Churches: And the Spirit and the Bride fay, Come; And let him that beareth, fay, Come: And let him that is athirst, come; And whosoever will, (i. e. whofoever will live a virtuous life,) let him take the Water of Life freely. And, to add still greater Weight to this folemn decla Z 4 SER M.declaration; God, even the Father himXIV. felf in Person, is introduced as affirming the fame thing from the Throne of his Glory; ch. xxi. 5, 6. And he that fat upon the Throne, faid; these words are true and faithful; I will give unto him that is athirst, of the Fountain of the Water of Life freely: He that overcometh, (that is, who refifts the temptations of a wicked and debauched World,) shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my Son. The Senfe is the fame, as in the words of my Text; He that hath an Ear, let him hear, what the Spirit faith unto the Churches. THIS therefore is the First Particular, God offers to All men the gracious Terms and Poffibilities of Salvation. II. THE Second is: That This Offer, though graciously made to All, yet in Event becomes effectual to Thofe only, who are qualified and capable to receive it. But referring This to a further Opportunity, I fhall conclude at prefent with This One Inference from what has been already faid; viz. That from hence all unrighteous, all wicked and debauched perfons, " being convinced that the deftruction is SER M. of themselves, if they continue in the XIV. Practice of Unrighteoufnefs; and not from any Appointment of God; may be prevailed with to reform their Lives, while they have yet Time. That fo they may escape the Wrath of God, from which there is no other poffible Means of escaping, SERMON |