As he was a

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to transact that great business of man's salvation; SERM. but was engaged, and in a manner obliged to do it; for as he was a man, he surely was endued with the best of human affections, universal charity and compassion, which would excite him to promote the welfare of all; as he was a man, he was subject to the common law of humanity, which obliges to endeavour the common benefit of men. brother in relation, so he could not, he would not be otherwise in affection; he is not to be conceived deficient in performance of the offices suitable to that condition. That good-will which he requires us to Matt. v. 44. bear toward all men indifferently, good and bad, Acts x. 38. friends and enemies, he questionless did bear himself in the highest degree, and to the utmost extent; the general beneficence, which in his conversation and practice he did express, doth signify how large his desires and intentions were in regard to the welfare of men; so that we may thence well aver with St. Ambrose: Incarnationis Dei mysterium est uni- Ambr. de versæ salus creaturæ; The mystery of God's incarnation doth respect the salvation of all mankind, according to his desire and design.

Gal. vi. 10.

Parad. 8.

5. We are taught that our Lord hath by his Rev. xvii. saving performances acquired a rightful propriety 14. in, and a title of dominion over all men living %; to him is committed the governance and protection of all mankind, as the reward of what he did and suffered for its sake. He is called the Lord of all Acts x. 36. men; and the head of every man. It is said that Mat. xxviii. all things by his Father are given into his hand,

Β “Ανθρωπον αὐτὸν ποιήσας ὁ Πατὴρ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐποίησεν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλ ̓ εἰς τὸ κυριεύσαι πάντων αὐτὸν, καὶ ἁγιάζειν πάντας διὰ τοῦ χρίσματος πεποίηκεν. Ath. Orat. 3. in Arr. 385.

1 Cor. xi. 3.

18. xi. 27.

John iii. 35.

xiii. 3.

i. 2.

2. V. 22.

Phil. ii. 9.

Psal. cx. 7.

SERM. and put under his feet; that power is given him LXXI. over all flesh; that all authority is given him in Heb. ii. 8. heaven and earth; all judgment is committed to John xvii. him. Which privileges, rights, dignities, are declared to have been procured by the virtue of his saving performances, and purchased by the price of Rom. xiv. 9. his blood. For, to this end, saith St. Paul, Christ both died and rose again, and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living, (or might exercise lordship over both the dead and I Cor.vi.20. living, "va kai vekpův kaì Çávτwv kupievoŋ:) and, We are not our own, (saith he again,) we are bought with a Heb. ii. 9. price: and, We see Jesus, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that by the grace of God he might taste death for every man, (or, for the suffering of death, that by God's grace he might taste death for every man, crowned with glory and honour; for there seems to be such a traPhil. ii. 8, 9. jection in the words :) and, He was obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross; therefore hath God exalted him, and given him a name above every name. Subjection then and redemption, as they have one ground, so they are implied to have the same extent; as every one must call Christ Lord, so he may call him Saviour; therefore his Lord, because his Saviour. And since Christ hath got an authority over all men, a propriety in every man; since he hath undertaken to govern and protect the world, he questionless, as a prince of incomparable benignity and clemency, doth seriously intend and desire the best welfare of all his people; it surely cannot be a small benefit to the community of men, that they are his subjects; the objects of his Strom. vii. princely care, and of his mercy.Kdetaι twv ovμ

12.

Clem.

p. 505.

συμ

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πάντων, ὅπερ καὶ καθήκει καὶ κυρίῳ πάντων γενομένῳ· σωτὴρ SERM. γάρ ἐστιν, οὐχὶ τῶν μὲν, τῶν δ ̓ οὐ. He taketh care of all, which doth become him that is Lord of all; for that he is indifferently the Saviour of all, saith Clem. Alexand.

1, 4.

6. We are commanded to pray, intercede, and Tim. ii. give thanks (indifferently) for all men, even for heathens and persecutors; as for the objects of God's benevolent affection; whom he would have to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of his truth ; expressing our charity in conformity to the unconfined goodness of God. Very good reason (argues St. Chrysostom) there is why we should pray for all men; for if God doth will the salvation of all men, we, in imitation of him, should will the same; and, if we desire it, we should pray for ith. Upon which score the catholic church hath constantly and carefully observed this precept; so the learned writer de Vocatione Gentium assures us: Which law of supplication, saith he, the devotion of all priests and of all the faithful people doth so observe, that there is no part of the world, in which such prayers are not solemnized by the Christian people. The church of God doth therefore supplicate, not only for the saints, and the regenerate in Christ, but also for all infidels, and enemies of the cross of

i

Η Μιμοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ - εἰ πάντας θέλει σωθῆναι, εἰκότως ὑπὲρ πάντων δεῖ εὔχεσθαι· εἰ πάντας αὐτὸς ἐθελήσε σωθῆναι, θέλε καὶ σύ· εἰ δὲ θέλεις, εὔχου. Chrysost.

1 Quam legem supplicationis ita omnium sacerdotum, et omnium fidelium devotio, concorditer tenet, ut nulla pars mundi sit, in qua hujusmodi orationes non celebrentur a populis Christianis. Supplicat ergo ubique ecclesia Dei non solum pro sanctis et in Christo jam regeneratis, sed etiam pro omnibus infidelibus, et inimicis crucis Christi, &c.

SERM. Christ; for all idolaters, all persecutors, all Jews, LXXI. heretics, and schismatics. And Prosper himself:

* Setting aside, saith he, that distinction, which the divine knowledge contains within the secret of his justice, it is most sincerely to be believed and professed, that God wills that all men shall be saved; since the apostle, whose sentence that is, doth most solicitously enjoin that which is in all the churches most piously observed, that God should be implored for all men. So doth he attest the common practice, and declare the ground thereof.

7. For which practice, and for the confirmation of its ground, (God's serious willingness and desire that men should be saved,) we have the pattern of our Lord himself praying to his Father for the pardon of the worst of men, his murderers; which as it demonstrated his charity toward them, so 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 possibility of their receiving forgiveness; and such a possibility doth presuppose a disposition in God to grant it, and consequently a satisfaction provided, such as God requires and accepts, and which shall 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 blessing,

* Remota ergo discretione, quam divina scientia intra secretum justitiæ suæ continet, sincerissime credendum atque profitendum est Deum velle, ut omnes homines salvi fiant; siquidem apostolus, cujus ista sententia est, solicitissime præcipit quod in omnibus ecclesiis piissime custoditur, ut Deo pro omnibus hominibus suppliceretur. Pros. ad Obj. Vincent. 2.

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either for ourselves or for others, without supposing SERM. Christ to be our Saviour and theirs; without supposing God placable and well affected towards us and them in Christ, upon the account of his performances and sufferings in our and their behalf. We are to offer up all our devotions in the name of Christ, and for his sake must implore all mercies and blessings from God; which how can we do seriously and with faith, if we may reasonably question whether Christ's merits do respect us, and consequently whether they can be available in our behalf? I will, 1 Tim. ii. 8. saith St. Paul, that men should pray in every place, lifting up pure hands, without wrath or doubting: which precept how can any man observe; how can any man pray with calmness and confidence of mind, who is not assured that Christ is his Saviour, or that God for Christ's sake is disposed to grant his requests? But this point we may be obliged to prosecute somewhat further in the application.

9. Either our Saviour's performances do respect all men, or some men (the far greatest part of men) do stand upon no other terms, than those of the first creation, or rather of the subsequent lapse and condemnation; being subject to an extremely rigorous law, and an infallibly certain guilt, and consequently to inevitable punishment; being utterly secluded from all capacity of mercy, and having no place of repentance left unto them, (the place of repentance being Acts v. 31. a most signal part of Christ's purchase ;) so that if any such man should, according to the proportion of his light and ability, perform what is agreeable to God's law, doing what is possible to him (this may be supposed, for what is possible to a man he may do, what is possible is possible) in order to his salva

BARROW, VOL. IV.

Luke xxiv.

47.