fome who are on the other fide of the question.

NUMB. XLVII. Tit. ii. 11, 12.

For the grace of God, that bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that denying all ungodliness and wo-ldiv lufts, we should live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world.

TH

HIS fcripture also appears among the very many clear and expreís ones in which the doctrine of univerfal redemp tion is thought to be contained, It is obferved, "That the grace here mentioned, is the grace of God, even of that God who Spared not his Son; but freely gave Lim up for us; that it is ftiled, en i see ja ving grace; and that this grace hath appeared to all men "; all which is readily granted. The argument formed on thefe obfervations ftands thus; "If the apoftles did in their preaching, tender it to all without exception, they either tender'd it to them,

a Volkelius de vera Relig. I. 2. c. 7. p. 10. Seç alfo Cre lius de Deo, c 19. p. 133.

▸ Whitby, p. 113. Curcellaeus, p. 359.

to whom, by God's intention, it did not belong, and fo exceeded their commiffion, or else it belongs to all men; and fince it. only could belong to them by virtue of Chrift's paffion, it follows, that the benefit of his paffion must belong to all". What foundation there is in the text for fuch kind of reafonings, will be feen when it is confider'd,

I. That, by the grace of God, we are not to understand the grace which lies in his own heart, or his free love, favour and good-will to any of the fons of men through Chrift; which, though it is productive of falvation, and inftructive in real piety, yet does not appear, nor has it been, nor is it made manifeft to all men ; neither is that grace defigned by it, which lies in the hearts of believers, being implanted there by the Spirit of God; for though this alfo brings falvation, or has it ftrictly connected with it, and powerfully influences the lives and converfations of fuch as are partakers of it; yet it neither has appeared to, nor in all men ; for all men have not faith nor hope, nor love, nor any other graces of the fpirit; but, by the grace of God, is meant the grace which lies in the gofpel, or which is the gofpel of the grace of God, in which sense it is often used; as in Acts xx. 28. 2 Cor. yi. . Heb. xii. 15. and is indeed owned to Į.

be

be the fense of it here by the earned
ahora I am concerned with. Jow,

II. This doctrine of the grace of God bringeth jaluation; it brings the news of I to the ears of men, in the external miniftration of it, and brings that it telf to the hearts of men, under the powerful induences and application of the Spirit of God; and fo may be rightly called Javing grace, as being the power of God unto Jalation to all them that believe; though it is not, not was it defigned to be fo, to all to whom it is externally preached; nor does the text lay that it brings falvation to all men's and if je did, or if it should be render'd, as it is by fome, the grace of God, that bringeth falas tion to all men; to which agrees the Syriac verfion, no, that quickeneth or Janeth all; fo the Arabic; this cannot be underftood of every individual perfon, every min and woman; for the gospel has not brought falvation to every one, in any fen a the external miniftry of in, for menta been multitudes who hang head "by sister in heard the outward fount of al

fus Christ, and fewer kill m'aty wn

application of in

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III. It is indeed said, that this doctrine of the grace of God bath appeared to all men ; but by all men, cannot be meant every man and woman that has been in the world; for it would not be true, that the grace of God has appeared to all in this fenfe. The whole Gentile world, for many hundred years, was in darkness, without the light of the gospel ;' it neither shined upon them, nor in them; In the times of the apoftles, when the doArine of the gospel appeared the most illuftrious, and fhone out moft extenfively, as well as moft clearly, it reached not every individual perfon; nor has it in ages fince; nor does it in ours, no, not in our own nation; nor in this great city, where the gofpel is most fully preached; for of the preachers, they are the feweft who preach the doctrine of the grace of God; and so of hearers, they are the feweft who attend unto, and embrace this doctrine; multitudes know nothing of it, are under neither the form nor power of it: Since then matter of fact ftands inconteftably against this sense of the words, we muft look out for another. By all men, therefore may be meant all forts of men, men of every rank and condition of life, high and low, rich and poor, bond and free, mafters and fervants; which fenfe of the phrafe well agrees with the context;' in which the apostle charges Titus to exhort fer

servants to be obedient to their own makers, and to please them well in all things; m2 anfwering again, not purloining, but showing all fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, ver. 9, 10, and gives this as the reafon of all; for the grace of God, that bringeth falsation, bath appeared to all men, fervants as well as mafters, teaching us who have believed, whether we be mafters or fervants, of whatfoever state and condition, to live a godly and religious life, whilft we are in this world; or by all men, we may, with Dr. Hammond, understand the Gentiles, before the times of the apostles. The gospel was like a candle lighted up in one part of the world, in Judea only; but now it fhone out like the fun in its meridian glory, and appeared to all men, Gentiles as well as Jews; it was no longer confined to the loft sheep of the boufe of Ifrael, but preached to every creature under heaven; but though it appeared to all, it was not applied to all; though it shined out upon them all, yet not into the hearts of them all; nor is this univerfal appear ance of the gospel, in the external miniftra tion of it, any proof of univerfal redemption, nor was it fo defigned by the apostle; and it is easy to obferve, that when he comes to speak of redemption, and the perfons redeemed, in ver. 14. he makes ufe of a different form of expreffion; where he fays,