1. Because all men in some sort have benefit by him. So far Christ suffered his Father's wrath that was due to all men's sins, that in a large sense they have benefit by him. All the common mercies we enjoy we have by virtue of ChrLst's death. You know how the threatening ran, 'In the day thou eatest thereof, thou slialt die,' Gen. ii. 17; nay, it is ' surely die.' And all mankind might have been lost ; but yet you see the absolute accomplishment of the sentence, even to wicked men, is referred to the day of judgment. The worst, at least, enjoy a reprieve by Christ. In this sense it is said, 1 Tim. iv. 10, ' We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, esj)ecially of them that believe.' Such as is spoken of, Fs. xxxvi. G, ' 0 Lord, thou pre- servest man and beast ;' by a common salvation and preservation. And the word o-coTrjp, which is usually a|)plied to Christ as Mediator, is used there to hint tliat it cometii by Christ; though it be a common mercy, it is from iiim. Tiuis it is said, Epli. i. ID, ' That in the dis- pensation of the fulness of time he might gather together in one all things in Cluist, lK>th which are in heaven, and wliich are on earth, even in him.' Some understand it of collecting the scattered i)arts of the world, and renewing the creature, which, had it not been for Christ,
ISA. LIII. G.] THE FIFTY-THIKD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 329
would have been lost. As an orator collects the heads of a discourse, that nothing be lost, and bringeth it into one sum. So the heathens, all their mercies come to them swimming in the blood of Christ ; so the word, ordinances, covenant, and outward graces to the church. Thus he suffered for the sins of the whole world, that the whole should enjoy these common favours and blessings by him.
2. Because there is a sufficiency in the merits of Christ for all, so that if it had pleased God to give Christ to all mankind, his justice had been sufficiently satisfied. For there is no defect in the Redeemer, and therefore there are so many general expressions in scripture to set out the value of Christ's sacrifice ; so that if there were ten thousand times more sins committed than there are, here is enough to expiate them all, the person that suffered being so eminent, and the suflerings so great and infinite. Those that perisli do not perish out of any defect or insufficiency in the merit of Christ, as if enough were not done to save them ; but out of their own fault, because they did not believe it. Thus it is said, 1 Cor. xv. 22, ' For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive ;' that is, as there was a sufficiency in Adam, the first common person, to ruin all his posterity, so there was a sufficiency in Christ to save all that Adam ruined ; for it must needs be understood so, for take it literally and it is against all common experience. Many know not Christ, many hate him and will not come unto him : ' Ye will not come unto me, that ye may have life ; ' Rom. v. 18, ' Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all to condemnation ; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life.' The text proveth nothing but that there was as much sufficiency in Christ to justify, as there was in Adam to condenm. That we may not have too low and undervaluing thoughts of Christ's sufferings, the scripture speaks thus generally: there is enough for me and thee, and all the world. It is a great in- jury done to Christ to lessen and extenuate him beneath Adam, as if he were not as able to recover as the other to ruin us.
3. Therefore it is expressed thus generally, that all conditions of men might be included. God would not have any enclosure of his mercy within the bounds of any nation, persons, and conditions of men, that he might take off all outward exceptions, and comprise every be- liever, of what condition and rank soever ; and therefore he expresseth himself promiscuously to all of every state, every nation, every order. It is the nature of man to confine privileges to their own nation and order. We would be singular and shine alone, and have none share with us ; envy, I say, grudgeth at the commonest mercies. We see in common things nothing is so welcome to us as that which we enjoy alone. The Romans would be the only civil nation, all else were barbarians. The Romish clergy would have all learning and knowledge confined within their function ; and the Jews could not endure to hear of a general savation for other nations. It was the harshest note that could be sounded in their cars, that Christ died for all. It is much urged by the apostle, because of the rage of the Jews, for the enlargement of the pale of God's church. Therefore I conceive the apostle did incul- cate, and so largely insist upon it, to meet with this perverseness of the Jews, as that which they would never hear of. In this sense it is