V. SER M. withstanding, by the voluntary neglect or abuse of these means, (the guides being blind, negligent, unfaithful; or the people being indocile, fluggish, refractory; or both perverted with bad affections,) often ignorance, error, and impiety prevail, love is cool and dead, fchifms and factions are rife in the church. Which events are not to be conceived derogatory to God's good will and good intentions, or to his kind and careful providence toward men ; but we are notwithstanding to esteem and acknowledge him the author and donor of thofe good things; in refpect to them no lefs bleffing and praifing him, than if they were really accomplished by man's concurrence and compliance; he having done his part in that due measure and manner which wifdom prompts; having indeed done the fame, as when they are affected. So God having expressly declared, that he would have all men to know and embrace the Gospel, having made a univerfal promulgation thereof, having fent forth Apoftles to diffeminate it every where, having obliged every man to confer his best endeavour toward the propagation thereof; if by the want of fidelity, zeal, or induftry in them, to whom this care is entrufted, or upon whom this duty is incumbent; or if by the careleffness and ftupidity of thofe, who do not regard what is done in the world; or if by men's voluntary fhutting their eyes, or ftopping their ears, (as the Jews did of old to the prophetical inftructions and admonitions,) God's heavenly truth becometh not univerfally known, it is not reasonable to impute this defailance to God, or to conceive him therefore not univerfally to defire and defign men's inftruction and falvation confequent thereon. Let me, for the illuftration of this matter, put a cafe, or propound a fimilitude. Suppofe a great kingdom, confifting of several provinces, fhould have revolted from their fovereign, difclaiming his authority, neglecting and difobeying his laws; that the good prince, V. prince, out of his goodness and pity toward them, S E R M. (and upon other good confiderations moving him thereto, fuppose the mediation of his own fon,) inftead of profecuting them with deferved vengeance, fhould grant a general pardon and amnefty, in these terms, or upon thefe conditions; that whoever of thofe rebels willingly fhould come in, acknowledge his fault, and promife future loyalty, or obedience to his laws declared to them, fhould be received into favour, have impunity, enjoy protection, and obtain rewards from him. Farther, for the effectuating this gracious intent, fuppofe that he should appoint and commiffionate meffengers, empowering and charging them to divulge the purport of this act of grace to all the people of that kingdom. Admit now, that these meffengers fhould go forth, and feat themselves only in fome provinces of that kingdom, proclaiming this univerfal pardon (univerfal as to the defign, and as to the tenour thereof) only in thofe, neglecting others; or that, ftriving to propagate it farther, they fhould be rejected and repelled; or that from any the like cause the knowledge thereof should not reach to fome remoter provinces; it is plain, that indeed the effect of that pardon would be obftructed by fuch a carriage of the affair; but the tenour of that act would not thereby be altered; nor would the failure in execution (confequent upon the minifters' or the people's misbehaviour) detract from the real amplitude of the prince's intent; no more, than the wilful incredulity, refufal, or non-compliance of fome perfons, where the bufinefs is promulged and notified, would prejudice the fame. It is plain the prince meant favourably toward all, and provided carefully for them; although by accident (not imputable to him) the defigned favours and benefits do not reach all. The cafe fo plainly fuits our purpose, that I need not make any application. The holy Fathers do by feveral like fimilitudes endeavour to illuftrate this matter, and fomewhat to affoil the difficulty. They V. SER M. compare our Saviour to the Sun 2, who fhines indifferently to all the world, although there be fome private corners and fecret caves, to which his light doth not come; although fome fhut their windows or their eyes, and exclude it; although fome are blind, and do not fee it. That myftical Sun of Righteoufnefs (faith St. Ambrofe) is rifen to all, came to all, did fuffer and rofe again for all-but if any one doth not believe in Chrift, he defrauds himself of the general benefit. As if one fhutting the windows fhould exclude the beams of the Sun, the Sun is not therefore not rifen to all. C They compare our Lord to a phyfician, who profeffes to relieve and cure all that Thall have recourse to his help; but doth cure only those who seek for remedy, and are willing to take the medicine; because all (faith St. Ambrofe again) do not defire cure, but most do fhun it, left the ulcer should smart by medicaments; therefore volentes curat, non aftringit invitos; he cures only the willing, doth not compel those that are unwilling; they only receive health, who defire medicine. Evangelical grace, 8 ̓Ακούσατε οὖν οἱ μακράν· ἀκούσατε οἱ ἐγγύς· οὐκ απεκρύβη τινὰς ὁ λόγος φῶς ἐσι κοινὸν, ἐπιλάμπει πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις· ἐδεὶς Κιμμέριος ἐν λόγῳ. Clem. Alex. Protrep. ye Hear that are far: bear ye that are near: the word is not bid to any: it is a common light: it fbinetb to all men; there is no Cimmerian in the Word. b Myfticus Sol ille juftitiæ omnibus ortus eft, omnibus venit, omnibus paffus eft, et omnibus refurrexit-fi quis autem non credit in Chriftum, generali beneficio fe fraudat, ut fi quis claufis feneftris radios Solis excludat, non ideo Sol non ortus eft omnibus, &c. Amb. in Pfal. cxviii. Ser. viii. Si dies omnibus æqualiter nafcitur, et fi Sol fuper omnes pari et æquali luce diffunditur, quanto magis Chriftus Sol et dies verus, in Ecclefia fua lumen vitæ æternæ pari æqualitate largitur. Cypr. Epift. 76. Numquid non medicus idcirco proponit in publico, ut omnes fe oftendat velle falvare fi velint. Ambr. I. Tom. 2. d Venit―ut vulnera noftra curaret, fed quia non omnes medicinam expetunt, fed plerique refugiunt, ne medicamentis compungatur vis ulceris, ideo volentes, &c. Ambr. de David. 3. II. say γ. fay they, is like a fountain ftanding openly, to which s E R M. all men have free access; at which all men may quench their thirft, if they will inquire after it, and go thereto. e The fountain of life, faith Arnobius, is open to all; nor is any man hindered or driven from the right of drinking it. The covenant of Grace is, fay they, a door ftanding open to all, whereinto all have liberty to enter-When an entrance, faith St. Chryfoftom f, being opened to all, and there being nothing that hinders, fome being wilfully naught abide without, they have no other but their own wickedness to impute their deftruction unto. g And again he puts the queftion, & If Chrift enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, how is it that fo many remain unenlightened? &c. To which he anfwers, That if fome wilfully fhutting the eyes of their minds, will not receive the beams of this light, it is not from the nature of light that thofe remain ftill in darknefs, but from the wickedness of those who wilfully deprive themfelves of the gift of it, &c. h St. Gregory Nazianzen refembles the grace of baptifm (as to its community and freedom of use) to the breathing of the air, to the spreading of light, • Patet omnibus fons vitæ, neque ab jure potandi quifquam prohibetur, aut pellitur. Arnob. lib. 2. 1 Οταν τῆς εἰσόδου πᾶσιν ανεωγμένης, καὶ μηδενὸς τοῦ κωλύοντος ὄντος, ἐθελοκακήσαντές τινες ἔξω μένωσι, παρ' οὐδένα ἕτερον, ἀλλ ̓ ἢ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν πονηρίαν ἀπόλλυνται. Chryf. in Job. i. Homil. 7. 8 Εἰ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, πῶς ἀφώτισοι μεμενήκασι τοσοῦτοι ; οὐ γὰρ δὴ πάντες ἐπέγνωσαν τοῦ Χρισοῦ τὸ σέβας· πῶς οὖν φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ; τόγε εἰς αὐτὸν ἧκον· εἰ δέ τινες ἑκόντες τὲς τῆς διανοίας ὀφθαλμοὺς μύσαντες, οὐκ ἐθέλησαν παραδέξασθαι τοῦ φως τὸς τούτου τὰς ἀκτῖνας, οὐ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ φωτὸς φύσιν ἡ σκότωσις ἐκείνοις, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν κακουργίαν τῶν ἐκοντὶ ἀποσερούντων ἑαυτοὺς τῆς δωρεᾶς· ἡ μὲν γὰρ χάρις εἰς πάντας ἐκκέχυται-πάντας δὲ ὁμοίως προσειεμένη καὶ μετὰ τῆς ἴσης καλοῦσα τιμῆς· οἱ δὲ μὴ θέλοντες ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς δωρεᾶς ταύτης, ἑαυτοῖς δίκαιοι ταύτην ἂν εἶεν λογίσασθαι τὴν πήρωσιν. Chryf. in Job. i. Homil. 7. ὡς αέρος πνεῦσιν, ὡς φωτὸς χύσιν, καὶ ὡρῶν ἀλλαγὰς, καὶ κλίσεως Νaz. Οrat. 40. to SER M. to the viciffitude of feafons, to the afpect of the creation; things most obvious and common to all. V. If this anfwer do not fully fatisfy, I adjoin farther, 2. That God, befide that ordinary provifion, is ready to interpofe extraordinarily in difclofing his truth to them who are worthy of fuch favour, and fit to receive it; and that God's general defire and defign of revealing his truth to all men is very well confiftent with his providential (not only negative and permiffive, but even pofitive and active) withholding the discovery thereof from fome persons, yea fome nations; for that neither his wifdom, goodness, or juftice might permit him, that he should impart that revelation to fuch perfons whom he feeth altogether indifpofed to comply therewith, and unfit to profit thereby; who have extremely abused the leffer graces, and not improved or mifimproved the leffer talents afforded them; detained inferior truths in Rom. i. 18, unrighteoufnefs, and have not liked to retain God in their knowledge, have therefore juftly been delivered up to a reprobate fenfe; who have fo depraved their minds with wicked prejudices and affections, that the truth being offered to them, they would certainly either ftupidly neglect it, or fcornfully reject it; or if admitting it in fhew, would unworthily abuse it; so that from the imparting the means of knowing it, no glory to God, no benefit to man would accrue, but rather contempt of God and prejudice to men would enfue upon it: there are fome perfons of that wicked and gigantick disposition, (contracted by evil practice,) that, fhould one offer to inftruct them in truth, or move them to piety, would be ready to fay with Polyphemus in Homer, Odyff. '.. 28. lía. xxx. 10. 273, 4. Νήπιος εἶς, ὦ ξεῖν, ἢ τηλόθεν εἰλήλουθας, Friend, you are a fool, or a great stranger to me, Or 1 |