CHA P. IX.

A further Argument from the Univerfality of the Subject to whom the Gospel is fent forth to be Preached.

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HE Texts that fhew this are Col. i. 23, Mat. xxviii. 19, and Mark laft, and laft ver. Rev. xiv. 6, Eph. i. 16, Chap. iii. 9, Col. i. 20, Tit. ii. 11. The first of thefe Places, Col. i. 23, fpeaking of that Gospel whereof Paul faith he was made a Minifter, affirms it was preached to every Creature under Heaven, a Term large enough, yet no larger than the Commiffion and Charge was from our Saviour's own Mouth in the two next Places of Matthew and Mark; in the firft of which he enjoins them to go and teach all Nations, baptizing them with this Light of Salvation, for fo it is called Sprinkling, Ifa. lii. 15, which by the Words following is interpreted of the Rain of Knowledge, as Knowledge and Doctrine is elsewhere refembled to Rain and Dew, Deut. xxxii. 2. With this Light they were to baptize all Nations, not in their own Name, or of their own Good-will only, but in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft a Name and Authority fufficient to bear them out; and in the latter of thefe Two Evangelifts it is more emphatically exprefs'd: Go ye into all the World, and preach the Gospel to every Creature; he that believeth and is baptized, shall be faved, and be that believeth not shall be damned. I expect it will be here faid, the Gofpel carries forth Damnation as well as Salvation; which is moft true, and more terrible Damnation than the Law: but this oppofeth not what we fay, nor do we deny this,

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but more of this in its Place. These Scriptures fhew Chrift's Commiffion, and the Apoftle's Exc-.

cution.

The next Scripture fhews it to be fo again towards the fall of Babylon. The Words are these ; I faw another Angel fly in the midft of Heaven, hav ing the Everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the Earth, and to every Nation and Kindred, and Tongue, and People, with which agrees that in Rev. i. Every Eye fhall fee him, and all the Tribes and Kindreds of the Earth, fhall wail because of him, which in Zachary is likened to the Mourning for an only Son, or for a Firft-born, which is a Mourning of Compunction, not of Defperation, as if towards the end, the Gofpel, which had been pinioned and ftreightened by the churlifh Difpenfers or Monopolizers rather of it, as Ifaiah calls them, Chap. xxxii. 5, 6, 7, fhould recover its Wings, and fly abroad, according to its first Frankness and Largenefs.

Now to draw our Argument from thefe Scriptures, before we come to the others, which are of another Clafs, the Gospel is fent into all the World, and commanded to be Preached to all Nations, to every Creature under Heaven, and this in the Name of the whole Trinity. What is this Gofpel? The Apoftle gives us, the proper Character of it, As XX. 24, calling it the Gospel of the Grace of God, and fo in feveral other Places, the Word of his Grace, ver. 32, of this Chapter, and Chapter xiv. 3. But what is the Word, what are the Tidings, the good Tidings of this Grace? See 1 Tim. i. 15, that Chrift came into the World to fave Sinners, yea the chief of Sinners; this is a faithful Saying, and worthy of all Acceptation. This is that that anfwers, that' Ballances the ill Tidings of Adam's Fall, that loft us all; and nothing but fuch a Thing as this can anfwer and ballance it. This is to be preached to all the World, and every Creature. So God loved the World, He is the Propitiation for the Sins of the

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whole World, The Bread that I will give is my Flefb, that I will give for the Life of the World. He that believes not this fhall be damned, This is the Sanction of the Holy Gofpel, it is to be believed on the Pain of Damnation. Is it not then a Truth that Chrift died for all Men, (not a Truth by Infe rence, but by the exprefs Affertion of Scripture, 2 Cor. v. 14, 15,) and gave himfelf a Ranfom for all Men, paid the Price of all Mens' Redemption, not one excepted? Then it is not true that Chrift died only for the Elect, and that the Gofpel is only fent to them, and only propounded Indefinitely, but intended only to the Elect, who are fecretly guided to lay hold upon it, and to believe; for it is true of Judas, and of the verieft Reprobate, that Chrift died for him Intentionally, as well as the choiceft Saint; and it is not for want of a part in Chrift's Blood allotted him of Grace, but for not believing it, that he is damned. It were no Ways congruous or agreeable to the Righteoufnefs and Juftice of a Holy God, the Judge of all the Earth, to damn Men for not believing that which doth not belong to them, or to which they have no Right, no Claim, no Intereft lawfully given and conferred upon them; for not believing the Gofpel, which belongs to other Men, and not to themfelves. Therefore every Man, as a Man, as the Son of Adam, Reprobate as well as Elect, hath a Share and Intereft in the redeeming Blood of the Son of God, and may affume and fay truly, Chrift died for him, and is the Propitiation for bis Sin, and hath borne his Iniquity, and the Chafiifement of his Peace was upon Chrift, elfe there is no Gofpel preached to every Creature. Now therefore here is the Argument, If Chrift died for all Men, and this is the Gofpel, then he is the Saviour of all Men; and if he be the Saviour of all Men, then there is no Man but first or laft muft partake of the Fruits, and Advantages of this Death, otherwife Chrift died in vain; as to

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the moft of Men Chrift's Travel mifcarries. died for all, but faves but few. Yet we fay, and it is most true, that his Blood is fo precious, that one. Drop of it is of more value than the whole World, being the Blood of God, Acts xx. 28. Therefore we conclude, that the Damnation of Men, for not believing, how long, how grievous foeyer (as it is both) and that which is unexpreffible, and weighs down all the Pleasures of Sin. Yea the whole World is not worth, nor can compenfate the Lofs of a Soul; yet it muft not, it cannot finally and for ever prevent them of partaking of the Benefit. It is but a Sanction of the Golpel. Now the Sanction of a Law, is a Confirmation of it, not the Fruftration of it. And this is the utmoft the Apoftle fpeaks of the worst and highest Offenders against the Gofpel, even of wilful Sinners and Apoftates, Heb. x. 26, to 30. He that defpifed Mofes's Law, died without Mercy under Two or Three Witneffes, of how much forer Punishment fuppofe ye fhall he be thought worthy who bath trodden under Foot the Son of God, &c. So that when this Punishment hath had its Courfe, (as its Courfe it must have, and it is bounded) Grace fhall return to its Courfe, as the Waters of Fordan did when Ifrael was paffed over: Elfe Grace Thould be frustrated after great Coft, fuch as the whole World cannot balance, and be defeated for ever: Which is a Confequence not once to be imagined, viz. that Grace, which is the Choice, the fupreme Glory of God, the Word, that he hath magnified above all his Names, fhould be thus muffled up and difappointed. Nay rather, this Damnation of thofe that believe not, cis for the Ratification, the Confirmation of this Gofpel and Grace of God, and the Illustration of the Glory of it; being the Punishment of not believing it; it is the Vengeance of Grace; Grace must not therefore deftroy itfelf by its own Vengeance: for why is the Vengeance, but for the refifting and refufing of

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Grace? therefore when Grace hath taken Vengeance, it must break forth again, and caft up the Cloud. And thus the Lord gives us a little Model of his Plot in that particular Difpenfation of his to Ifrael, Ifaiah xxx. 15. to whom he faid, In Returning and Reft fhall ye be faved, in Quietness and Confidence fhall be your Strength, but ye would not; yet ye faid No, for we will flee upon Horfes. Will ye 2 faith God, and ye fhall flee till ye be left as a Beacon upon the top of a Mountain, and as an Enfign on a Hill defolate enough, and this for not believing. But fhall this be for ever? Mark the next Words, And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have Mercy upon you; for the Lord is a God of Judgment, bleffed are all they that wait for him. The Lord is a God of Judgment, and therefore knows when to have done; he waits to be gracious, he longs to be at that Work. Which feems to be the meaning of those Words we meet with, Rom. ix. 22. What, if God, willing to fhew his Wrath, and make his Power known, endured with much Long-Suffering the Veffels of Wrath fitted to Deftruction, &c. As if the Sufpenfion of himself from the Exercife of this Grace, were great Long-Suffering. For this Enduring the Veffels of Wrath with much LongSuffering, must be understood either of God's enduring them before he ftrikes them, or his enduring of them, before his changing and returning them. Now if we take it in the former Senfe, how doth it agree with or anfwer thefe Two Ends: First, Of Thewing his Wrath, and making his Power known. And Secondly, Making known the Riches of his Glory on the Veffels of Mercy, for these Ends are not answered thereby, his Wrath is concealed whilft he spares them, and the Riches of his Glory to the Veffels of Mercy, are not made known: For while the wicked profper they fuffer; but in the latter Senfe both thefe Ends are answered. God fhews his Wrath on thofe Veffels of Wrath, while

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