a fenfe and degree which is inconfiftent with his being caft off without hope; and is a ftanding evidence to all who have proper difcerning, that God is propitious to the human race; and that there is fome way in which he may be reconciled, and fhow mercy to finners. This feems to be the fentiment expreffed by St. Paul in the following words. "Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful feafons, filling our hearts with food and gladnefs.* The witness or teftimony of which the Apostle here fpeaks, which was given to mankind in general by God, in his doing them good, and which was conftantly held up in divine providence, was not merely of his exiftence; but of his kind care of man, and his readiness to be reconciled to him; without particularly pointing out the way and method in which this could be effected. This was a fufficient ground to excite their hope, and induce them to feek after him, and make all poffible inquiries and search after the way in which they might obtain mercy; and to find what was neceffary in order to their being faved. And God has fo ordered the fituation and bounds of mankind, both under the Mofaic and chriftian difpenfation, that all who would take proper notice of this witnefs in divine providence, and improve it as they ought, and might do, might come to the knowledge of the truth. They who lived before the incarnation of Christ, could not fail of coming to the knowledge of the revelation given to the Ifraelites. And all mankind who have lived fince, might have come to the knowledge of the truth revealed by Chrift and his Apoftles. This is afferted by St. Paul. "And hath made of one blood all nations of men, to dwell in all the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds Acts, xiv, 16, 17, bounds of their habitation; that they fhould feek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him.”* Many who pay no regard to a written revelation, have fuppofed that the dictates of reason, without any particular revelation from God, did affure them that he must pardon and receive to favour every penitent finner, as it would be inconfiftent with his goodnefs not to do it; therefore mankind want no other revelation from God to give them a certainty of this. But they have never been able to give any fatisfactory evidence of this, to those who properly attend to the matter; and what they call reafon, appears to be prefumption, when examined by impartial enlightened reason. There is nothing within the reach of the reafon and knowledge of creatures that can afford the leaft evidence that God will pardon the penitent finner, merely because he repents; or that this could be done confiftent with the most perfect moral government; but the contrary appears moft reafonable, viz. that the repentance of the criminal is not fufficient to give him any claim to forgivenefs. And it is very evident and certain that fuch an opinion is inconfiftent with real repentance; and that while a finner thinks that his repentance will give a claim to forgivenefs and favour, he is a ftranger to true repentance, and never will repent, until he gives it up. Nor can he have the leaft evidence that any of mankind will ever repent, if left to themselves, and are not the subjects of those divine influences to which they have no claim, and which But they have no reason to conclude God will grant. this matter will be made more evident as we proceed on the fubject of Redemption. II. REDEMPTION does not extend to all finful, fallen creatures, but many are left to fuffer the just confequence of their rebellion, in everlasting punishment. No has been extended to the fallen angels, of whom mercy * Aûs, xvii. 26, 27. there there are vast numbers. "For God fpared not the angels that finned, but caft them down to hell, and hath reserved them in everlasting chains of darkness, unto the judgment of the great day,' "*when they are to receive their final fentence to eternal punishment. And it is exprefsly and repeatedly declared in divine revelation that a part of mankind fhall also be punished forever. To which they fhall be sentenced, together with the fallen angels, at the judgment of the great day.‡ This distinction, made between the fallen angels and mankind, and in favour of the latter, is not because man might not have been justly left to eternal ruin, or becaufe he was lefs unworthy of mercy, and not fo ill deferving, as the Apoftate angels; but for reafons in the view of infinite wildom, which may, at leaft the most of them, be wholly out of our fight at prefent. As light and knowledge fhall increase in the church, the wisdom of God in this difpenfation of fovereign grace, will be more and more feen; and there will be an increafing discovery of this to angels and the redeemed in the eternal kingdom of God. We are also certain that infinite wifdom saw it best that redemption fhould not extend to all mankind, fo that every one of the human race fhould be actually faved, though we were not able to fee the reafon of this, and the contrary fhould appear to us to be moft wife and beft; for we are infinitely far from being competent judges in this cafe; and there is the highest reason that we should acquiefce, and be fatisfied with the declaration and conduct of the infinitely wife and benevolent Being, who is able, and to whom it belonged to determine whether all the human race fhould be faved or not. For we are fure that it is determined perfectly right, and that all mankind could not be actually redeemed, confiftent with the good of the whole, or confiftent with wisdom and goodness. It 2 Pet. ii. 4.-Jude 6. Matth. xxv. 41.-Rev. xx. 1Q. 2 It also belongs to the fupreme, infinitely wife and be nevolent Being to determine what number and proportion of mankind fhall be faved, and fix upon every indi vidual perfon, fince all this depends upon him, and he has a right to do as he pleases, and he only knows what is most wife and beft. "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the fame lump to make one veffel unto honour, and another unto difhonour ?" We are not in exprefs words of revelation informed what proportion of mankind fhall be faved, whether the greater or lefs part of them, on the whole. But perhaps more is revealed with refpect to this than has been fuppof ed, and which is contrary to what has been generally thought to be afferted in the fcriptures. It has been thought by many, that when Chrifl fays, "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Many are called, but few chofen. Fear not little flock," he declares that but few, a very fmall part of mankind, fhall be faved. But when we attend to these words of Chrift, we fhall find that they are spoken of the then present time; and nothing is af ferted concerning that which fhall take place in future ages; and therefore have no relation to the point before us, and determine nothing about it. When this ques tion was put to him, "Lord, are there few that fhall be faved?" He did not think proper to answer it then, by exprefsly affirming or denying; but only faid, that many should not be faved; and improved this truth to excite all to fecure their own falvation, without delay: Which is confiftent with there being many more faved than loft. When we attend to the many predictions of the flourifhing, greatnefs and extent of the church and kingdom of Chrift in the last days, so as to fill the whole world, when "the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, fhall be given to the people of the faints of the Moft High ;" and are affured that this ftate of profperity fhall continue, at leaft, a thoufand thoufand years, we shall find no reason to conclude that but few of mankind will be faved, in comparison with those who shall perish; but fee ground to believe that the number of the former will far exceed that of the latter. But were there nothing revealed by which we could determine any thing with refpect to this, we might well reft fatisfied that God, who is infinitely wife and good, has fixed the number of thofe who fhall be faved, and of those who fhall not be faved, fo as exactly to answer the best end, and promote the greatest general good: And may be as certain that many of mankind will perifh forever, as we can be that the Bible is a revelation from God, fince this is there fo exprefsly, abundantly, and in fuch a variety of ways declared and established. III. THE Redemption of man is the greatest inftance of the exercise and manifeftation of the benevolence, or the love and goodnefs of God, that ever took place, or that ever will. It is the greatest possible exercise and display of divine benevolence; in which there is the best and moft ample ground and fcope for the highest increafing and endless discovery of the love and goodness of the infinitely benevolent Being. The benevolence of the Deity is exercised, and appears in all his works; but in the work of redemption is the fullest, most perfect and bright display of the divine love, as all the works of God have reference to this as their refult and end, in which his defign in all is manifefted. This is every where fet in this light, in the Holy Scripture. "God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish but have everlasting life."+ God is LOVE. In • The reader may fee this more fully confidered in Dr. Bellamy's DifTourfe on the Millenium. Some attention is alfo paid to this point; and the reafons are fuggested, why redemption does not include the falvation of all men, in "An Inquiry concerning the future ftate of those who die in Heir fins." Page 182, &c. ↑ John, iii, 16. |