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God, in hopes of acceptance: and, from a sense of his own wants, and of the glory and all-sufficiency of the divine nature; of the blessedness there is in being the Lord's, devoted to him, and living upon him, he does return with all his heart; and to God he gives himself, to be for ever his and if the gospel be true, surely he must be safe. The truth of the gospel is the foundation of all; for upon that, and that only, he builds not upon works of righteousness which he has done; not upon any immediate revelation of pardon, or the love of Christ to him in particular; but merely upon gospel-principles. If they, therefore, prove true, in the coming world, then will he receive the end of his faith; the salvation of his soul. But to return:

Thus we see that, by the death of Christ, there is a wide door opened for divine mercy to exercise and display itself: the supreme Governor of the world may, consistently with his honour, now seat himself upon a throne of grace, and proclaim the news of pardon and peace through a guilty world; and it is perfectly safe for any of the guilty race of Adam to return unto him through Jesus Christ. And now, were mankind in a disposition to be heartily sorry for their apostacy from God, and disposed to esteem it their indispensable duty, and highest blessedness, to return; were this the case, the joyful news of a Saviour, and of pardon and peace through him, would fly through the world like lightning, and every heart would be melted with love, and sorrow, and gratitude; and all the nations of the earth would come, and fall down in the dust before the Lord, and bless his holy name, and devote themselves to him for ever, lamenting, in the bitterness of their hearts, that ever they did break away from their subjec tion to such a God. And were mankind sensible of their sinful, guilty, undone state by LAW, and disposed to justify the law, and condemn themselves; and were they sensible of the holiness and justice of the great Governor of the world, they would soon see their need of such a mediator as Christ Jesus, and soon see the wonderful grace of the gospel, and soon see the glory of this way of salvation, and so know it to be from God, believe it, and fall in with it; and all the world would repent and convert of their own accord; and so all the world

might be saved without any more to do. But, instead of this, such is the temper of mankind, that there is not one in the world, that, of his own accord, is disposed to have any such regard to God, or sorrow for his apostacy, or inclination to repent and return; nor do men once imagine that they are in a state so wretched and undone, and stand in such a perishing need of Christ and free grace; and therefore, they are ready to make light of the glad tidings of the gospel, and go their ways; one to his farm, another to his merchandise: nor is there one of all the human race disposed, of his own accord, to lay down the weapons of his rebellion, and return to God by Jesus Christ. So that all will come to nothing, and not one be ever brought home to God, unless something further be done; unless some methods, and methods very effectual, be used.

But that God should come out after such an apostate race, who, without any grounds, have turned enemies to him, and, without any reason, refuse to be reconciled; and that after all the glorious provision and kind invitations of the gospel; that God, I say, should come out after such, and reclaim them by his own sovereign and all-conquering grace, might seem to be going counter to the holiness and justice of his nature, and to tend to expose his law, and government, and sacred authority, to contempt; inasmuch as they so eminently deserve to be consumed by the fire of his wrath. Therefore,

(2.) Jesus Christ did, by his obedience and death, open such a door of mercy, as that the supreme Governor of the world might, consistently withh is honour, take what methods he pleased, in order to recover rebellious, guilt, stubborn sinners to himself.

That he might take what methods he pleased, I say; for he knew, from the days of eternity, how mankind would be disposed to treat him, his Son, and his grace; and he knew, from eternity, what methods he intended to take to reclaim them and these are the methods which he now pleases to take; and the methods, yea, the only methods which he actually does take. So that it is the same thing, in effect, to say that, by what Christ has done and suffered, a door is opened for the MOST HIGH, consistently with his honour, to take, 1.

What methods he actually does take; or, 2. What methods he pleases; or, 3. What methods he, rom eternity, intended; for all amount to just one and the same thing: for what pleas ed him from eternity, the same pleases him now; and what pleases him now, that he actually does. The infinite perfection of his nature does not admit of any new apprehension, or alteration of judgment. By his infinite understanding he always had, and has, and will have, a complete view of all things, past, present, and to come, at once. And by his infinite wisdom, and the perfect rectitude of his nature, he unchangeably sees and determines upon that conduct which is right, and fit, and best. For with him there is no variableness, nor shallow of turning. James i. 17.

Now, that what Christ has done and suffered, was sufficient to open a way for the honourable exercise of his sovereign grace, in recovering sinners to himself, is evident, from what has been heretofore observed. And that it was designed for this end, and has, in fact, effectually answered it, is plain, from God's conduct in the affair: for otherwise he could not, consistently with his honour, or the honour of his law, use those means to reclaim sinners which he actually does. For all those methods of grace would else be contrary to LAW, which does not allow the sinner to have any favour shown him, without a sufficient security to the divine honour, as has been before proved. The law, therefore, has been satisfied in this respect, or these favours could not be shown. For heaven and earth shall sooner pass away, than the law be disregarded in any one point. It follows, therefore, that not only special and saving grace, but also that all the common favours which mankind in general enjoy, and that all the means of grace which are common to the elect and non-elect, are the effects of Christ's merits. All were purchased by him; none of these things could have been granted to mankind, but for him. Christ has opened the door, and an infinite sovereign goodness has strewed these common mercies round the world. All those particulars wherein mankind are treated better than the damned in hell, are over and above what mere LAW would allow of, and therefore are the effects of Christ's merits and gospel-grace. And for this, among other reasons, Christ is called the Saviour of the world.

And hence, also, God is said to be reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. 2 Cor. v. 19. Because, for the present, their punishment is suspended, and they are treated in a way of mercy; are invited to repentance, and have the offers of pardon, and peace, and eternal life made unto them hence, I say, God is said not to impute their sins unto them; agreeably with that parallel place in Psalm lxxviii. 38, where God is said to forgive the iniquity of his people, because he destroyed them not.

Upon the whole, then, this seems to be the true state of the case; God is through Christ ready to be reconciled to all and every one that will repent and return unto him through Jesus Christ. He sends the news of pardon and peace around a guilty world, and invites every one to come, saying, He that believeth, shall be saved; and he that believeth not, shall be damned and, on this account, it is said that he will have all men to be saved, and is not willing that any should perish; because he offers salvation to all, and uses arguments to dissuade them from perdition. But, inasmuch as mankind will not hearken, but are obstinately set in their way, therefore he takes state upon himself, and says, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and a sinful, guilty world are in his hands, and he may use what methods of grace with all, that he pleases. Some he may suffer to take their own way, and run their own ruin, if he pleases; and others he may subdue and recover to himself, by his own all-conquering grace. And, unto a certain number, from eternity, he intended to show this special mercy and these are said to be given to Christ. (John vi. 37.) And with a special eye to these sheep did he lay down his life, (John x. 15.) his Father intending, and he intending, that they, in spite of all opposition, should be brought to eternal life at last and hence the elect do always obtain. (Rom. xi 7. compared with John vi. 37.) And here we may learn how to understand those places of scripture which seem to limit Christ's undertaking to a certain number. Mat. i. 21. Thou shalt call his name JESUS; because he shall save HIS PEOPLE from their sins. Eph. v. 23. He is the head of the CHURCH; and he is the Saviour of the BODY. Ver. 25. Christ loved the CHURCH, and gave himself FOR IT. Acts xx. 28. He

hath purchased his CHURCH with his own blood. John x. 15. I lay down my life for the SHEEP. There were a certain number which the Father and Son, from all eternity, designed for vessels of mercy, to bring to glory. Rom. ix. 23. With a view to these, it was promised in the covenant of redemption that Christ should see of the travail of his soul. Isai. liii. 11. And Christ says, in John vi. 37, 38, 39. All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. See, also, Tit. ii. 14. Rev. v. 9, 10. Eph. i. 4, 5, 6.

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Thus Christ's merits are sufficient for all the world, and the door of mercy is opened wide enough for all the world; and God, the supreme Governor, has proclaimed himself reconcileable to all the world, if they will believe and repent. And if they will not believe and repent, he is at liberty to have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and to show compassion to whom he will show compassion; according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace. He sits SOVEREIGN, and a rebellious, guilty world, are in his hands and at his disposal; and the thing that seems good in his sight, that he will do: and it is infinitely fit, right, and best he should; that the pride of all flesh may be brought low, and the Lord alone be exalted for ever. And as this view of things seems exactly to harmonize with the whole tenour of the gospel in general, and to agree with the various particular representations of our redemption by Christ; and to reconcile those texts which seem to speak of an universal redemption, with those which seem to speak of a particular redemption, so it will naturally suggest an easy answer to any objections which may be made against it.

OBJ. 1. If Christ has suffered the penalty of the law, not only for the elect, but also for the non-elect, how can it be just that they themselves should be made to suffer it over again for ever in hell?

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