To all men. — That is, to all sorts of men, bond or free, to servants as well as others; for in the context he doth discourse of servants. I shall only in brief observe this note —
Bocf. 4. That this salvation which the grace of God bringeth is free for all that will accept of it.
God excludes none but those that exclude themselves. It is said to appear to all men —
1. Because it is published to all sorts of men ; they all have a like favour in the general ofi'er : John vi. 37, ' All that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me ; and him that cometh to me, I wiirin no wise cast out.' There are two things in that description—there is the doctrine of election, and the offer of grace. It is certain the elect shall come ; but then, in the offer or tender of grace, they have all alike
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favour. Therefore be not discouraged, for whoever comes shall be sure of welcome ; by this means the reprobate are left without excuse. The gospel is wisely contrived ; it gives no ground of despair to any ; one hath as fair ground to believe as the other ; there is no monopoly in the offer. God doth not say, Come you, and not others, and I will not cast you out ; but, Whosoever comes. The wicked have as fair a ground to believe as others ; in the general offer God speaks pro- miscuously.
2. All that accept have a like privilege ; therefore this grace is said to appear to all men. There is no difference of nations, nor of conditions of life, nor of lesser opinions in religion, nor of degrees of grace. See all summed up by the apostle : Col. iii. 11, * There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all.' We are taken with the admiration of outward privileges, and are altogether for empaling and enclosing ' the common salvation,' as it is called, Jude 3. The Lord accepts of all, be they Jew or Greek, &c. To go over these distinctions : The several conditions of life make no difference, bond or free, rich or poor. Servants or bondmen in those times were in a miserable case ; they were but animata instrumenta, used as living instruments ; every master had potestafem vita' et necis, power over the life and death of his servants, as over his cattle. But now free grace doth overlook this dis- tinction ; bond or free are all one in Christ. In the account of God there is none poor but he that wants the righteousness of Christ. Then, for other differences in moral excellences, some nations are more civil than others ; but, saith he, * neither Scythian nor barbarian ; ' that doth not vary the case. He doth not mention only the barbarian, but the Scythian, which were of all people most rude and savage, the very dross and dregs of barbarism itself ; they had little knowledge in the arts, letters, and civilities of other nations, yet all these are one in Christ. Then there is no difference of nation, Greek or Jew ; some may live in a colder, some in a warmer climate, as they are nearer or further off from the sun ; but all are alike near to the Sun of right- eousness. God hath broken down the partition wall, and enlarged the pale of the church. Indeed, Rome would fain rear up a new partition wall, and confine God to their own precincts, as if out of their church there was no salvation. Envious natiu'e cannot endure to hear that all nations should stand upon the same level. So again for some lesser differences in religion, that do not destroy the foundation ; circumcision and uncircumcision, all is one in Christ, provided they submit to the main duties of Christianity. They were the two known parties and factions in those times, but yet such as did not exclude from the benefit of the common salvation. When there was a schism at Corinth, 1 Cor. iii. 4, 'One saith, I am of Paul, another, I am of Apollos ;' Christ is only ours, and not yours ; Paul writeth to them, 1 Cor. i. 2, 'To all that call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.' We anathematise one another, and impropriate Christ by sacrilegious censures. It is very natural to us to confine grace within the circuit of our own opinions ; and the worst sort of christians for the most part do so, as if none should go to heaven but those of their party. Ter- tuUian, speaking of the times in which he lived, It is holiness enough
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witli some, saith he, to be of such a party, as if none could be saved but men of their own persuasion. Now, saith the apostle, ' neither circumcision nor uncircumcision ; ' all have the same common privi- lege. Once more, though tliere be a difference in the degrees of grace, yet all have an interest in the common privileges of christians. Some have a stronger, some a weaker faith ; but saith the apostle, Eom. iii. 22. ' The righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, is unto all and upon all that believe ; for there is no difference ; ' they all take hold of the same righteousness. Look, as a jewel held by a man and by a child, though the man holds it more strongly than the child, yet it is the same jewel, and of the same worth and value ; so the righteousness of Christ is of the same worth before God ; the stronger believer holds it faster than the weaker believer ; but though he cannot be so high in faith as Abraham, and as other worthies of God, yet he hath his holdfast upon God. Differences of nations and outward condition do neither help nor hinder salvation, and different degrees of grace, though they occasion some accidental difference in the spiritual life, as some have more comfort than others, yet as to the main, all that accept have a like privilege. The reasons of it are partly because the same grace is the cause of all. Free grace acts for the good of all upon the same terms : Isa, xliii. 25, ' I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins.' God doth not take notice of differences in them whom he forgives. God may pardon the sin of Andrew and Thomas, as well as of Abraham and Paul ; grace's motives lie within itself. And partly, because they have the same Redeemer, Jesus Christ, theirs and ours. Under the law you shall find the rich and poor were to give the same ransom : ' The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel,' Exod. xxx. 15, to signify the price of Christ's blood for all souls is equal ; they have not a nobler Redeemer, nor a more worthy Christ than thou hast. And partly because your faith is as acceptable to God as theirs ■ 2 Peter i. 1, ^ To them who have obtained like precious faith with us ; ' that is, for kind, though not for degree. It is of the same nature, worth, and property with the faith of the apostle^ though every one cannot believe as strongly as Peter, nor come up to his height.