John iii. 17. For God sent not his Son into the ivorld to condemn the world ; but that the world through him might be saved.
AN expectation generally prevailed among the Jews that their Messiah would interpose on behalf of their nation alone, and bring all other kingdoms into sub- jection to them. Our Lord took frequent occasions to rectify this mistake, and to shew, that he was to be the Saviour, not of one people only, but of the whole world. In this discourse with Nicodemus, he intro- duces this important subject in such a way as to inform his mind, without shocking his prejudices. Having explained to him the nature and necessity of regeneration, and shewn him, by reference to a well- known type, the way of salvation, he declares, that the whole world, Gentiles as well as Jews, were to par- ticipate the benefits of his coming ; and that God, in sending him into the world, had as much respect to the welfare of the benighted heathens as of his chosen and peculiar people. To elucidate the words before us, we shall shew,
I. That, supposing God to send his Son into the world, it was far more probable that he should send him to condemn the world than to save it — That God should ever send his Son into the world at all is such a mystery as must for ever fill the whole universe with amazement. But supposing him to make known his determination to do so, the proba- bility certainly was that it should be for our destruc- tion rather than our salvation —
1. Consider what was the state of the world at the time he did send his Son —
[Had he seen the greater part of mankind lamenting their fall, wishing earnestly that some way could be devised for their recovery, and struggling, but with unsuccessful efforts, to get free from sin, we might have supposed that God would exercise mercy towards us, and open a way for our restoration through the sacrifice of his Son. But when the whole mass
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