1. For all, without exception, has God given his
only dear Son —
[This is affirmed by our Lord himself: " God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that tvhosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life0." And with this agrees what God spoke to the Messiah by the Prophet Isaiah ; " I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth6-." With this agrees also what is spoken in immediate connexion with my text : " Christ gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due timee."]
2. To all has he commanded also his Gospel to be
preached —
[" Go into all the world" says our Lord, " and preach the Gospel to every creature f." How amazing is it, that, after such a command, any should call in question the propriety of offering salvation indiscriminately to every child of man ! Nor is it the mere tidings of the Gospel that we are to proclaim ; but we are to " preach expressly repentance and remission of sins, in the name of Christ, to all the nations upon earth," and to every individual under heaven g. Wherever there is a sinner doomed to wrath, there is a person in whose ears the voice of mercy should be made to sound.]
3. Nor is there a human being whom God is not
willing to receive —
[What can be the meaning of that invitation, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earthh9." or of that, " Ho ! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters ; come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price1?" What can our Lord mean, when he says, " Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast outk?" It can import nothing less than what St. Paul has said: " There is no difference be- tween the Jew and the Greek : for the same Lord is rich unto all that call upon him : for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved1."]
4. God has made these things the subject of the strongest possible asseveration —
[To the whole world does God appeal respecting it: " Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord, and not that he should return from his ways and
c John hi. 16. d Isai. xlix. 6. e ver. 6.
f Matt, xxviii. 9. Mark xvi. 15. e Luke xxiv. 47.
h Isai. xlv. 22. ' Isai. lv. 1. k John vi. 37.
i Rom. x. 12, 13.