SERMON PREACHED AT St. MICHAELS Wood-street At the request of some Friends And new Published to prevent MISTAKES BY Titus Oates D. D. There is one God and one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransome for all 2 Tim. 2.5 6. Reprinted at Dublin M DC.LXXIX Licensed March 11. 1678 9. WIILIAM JANE To his Illustrious Highness Prince RUPERT Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria and Cumberland Vice-Admiral of all England Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter Constable of his Majesties Castle and Honour of Windsor and one of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council c. The Publisher humbly Dedicates the ensuing Discourse SIR I Have presumed to Dedicate this plain Discourse touching the Eternal Deliverance of the World to your Illustrious Highness to whom under God and our Gracious Soveraign is chiefly owing a very considerable Temporal Deliverance to this Nation For without your Highness's great Zeal and Interest and generous Example to several Right Noble and willing Lords and Patriots to support the Evidence and some miraculous Providences intervening it hardly had fail'd but that Might and Craft had quite stifled and over-laiden the Truth in weak Hands and brought a dismal Deluge of Blood and slavery upon the Nation both our Princes and People in an instant before Men had been awake or aware It is not for my weak Pen to recount the Merits of your Highness and your renowned Courage and innumerable hazards and perils and sufferings in our behalf whereby you are most great and dear to all by being so cheap to your self nor the Loveliness of your generous sincerity and Patronage of the Protestant Religion without changing or doubting or fear whereby you are under his Most Gracious Majesty a great Darling to all English Hearts â—lessing God for you throughout the Nation not any perhaps of the most seduc'd Sects amongst us dissenting in this common Vote and Acclamation Yea well might I blush at the meanness of this Present to so great a Prince but that I trust through your Highness's candid Construction and Acceptance to convey therein for want of a better Instance some representation and assurance of that large and eternal Gratitude of my Heart and Soul which I trust no Power on Earth can ever make me ashamed to acknowledge and maintain amongst the rest of his Majesties good Subjects towards your Highness while I am what I ever ought and shall be Your Highness's most humble and most faithful Servant To the READER Christian Reader THIS Discourse comes forth not for any ostentation but for general satisfaction upon occasion of some Exceptions raised against it by some open and some secret Enemies which my present Affair hath raised against me in great numbers as God in his goodness hath relieved me likewise on the other hand with no fewer Friends Necessary therefore and just it was to represent it here in the same form and manner it was delivered from a very few Notes as near as memory could reach and recover for which gift and happiness as for all other mercies I owe special acknowledgment to God Wherein the consideration of my so little leisure to recollect or pen in my present Circumstances and multitude of other Affairs and Visits may gain for me some grains of allowance for the Style with favourable and candid Judges though had I more it ever was and should be my Rule and Principle as the best Method of success and blessing from God upon my Labours to be serious rather than light in such a Work and to affect a naked pertinent Solidity above any vain-glorious Digressions of Wit and Eloquence and the Edification of my meanest Auditors rather than my own Fame For the Points of Doctrine therein maintained it was my special aim and care in this great Embassie between God and Souls as usually it is in others to follow my Instructions and to utter nothing as God's Word what was not manifestly grounded on clear Scriptures according to the best of my skill and former Studies wherein if my sincere apprehensions of God's Mind concur not in every branch and circumstance with other men's thought or opinion if such be of equal degree I both humbly beg as I shall yield with honour a mutual fraternal liberty of sincere Sentiment and pursuit after the best and most certain knowledge of God's Truth if my Superiours any way in Age or Studies and especially in Authority over me in the Church I count it Duty to alter my Liberty into Submission in Points Controversial for the sake of publick Peace and Order whereby Truth it self in the end is best preserved And no Church more deserves this deference and submissive Trust of her Sons than our own Mother of Britain which merits this Confidence from her Disciples not only for her hoary and Apostolical Antiquity but for a right discharge of her Trust and Government insisting Truth from Error as is sufficiently asserted and made to appear by many its Right Learned Defenders both Ancient and Modern from the Reformation to this present to whom I refer thee and more particularly to Mr. Jones his excellent and learned Treatise of the Soveraign of the Heart which I have perused with much satisfaction and benefit wherein amongst many good Notions and Principles two main boasts and pretences of the Idolatrous and heartless Synagogue of Rome wherewith both the wise and sincere have been often captivated are fully refuted and overthrown those of first Plantation and after Ordinations pretended to be conveyed from that Abominable Strumpet to England our true Mother-Church Yet much it were to be wished 1. That Sion in some respects were as wise in its Generation as Babylon and that we of this Church had that submission to Governours and Brotherly Vnion and nearness to one another and of publick spirit to shew for the Truth which they of Rome express to propagate their Errors which would be true Christian charity and zeal and regular Order in us out of conscience to Christ which in them it is too much to be fear'd is but spiritual slavery and a riotous combination for the interest and ambition of their Pope and Clergy 2. That those also who are gone astray in Schism and separation from this Church would seriously bethink themselves how injurious they are and have been therein to God and the Countrey by weakning and undermining the Protestant Interest by their Divisions and infinitely gratifying and advancing the Papal though I trust against their Intentions and Design And that the Reverend Fathers of our Church would by meekness smooth the way for their repentance and return and like the tender Father in the Gospel meet them afar off to fall upon their Necks and kiss them 3. That all sorts and degrees amongst us would be more careful to verifie and adorn their excellent Protestant Principles and Doctrines with a suitable Christian Conversation and Reformation of Life without which there
that Spâ—â—â— which beareth witness in their hearts that they are or may be Sons of God the same Spâ—â—â— also beareth witness that they are or may be heirs that an inheritance is designed 〈◊〉 them that man may be possessor of this earnest of his inheritance thus designed by 〈◊〉 coming of Christ into the World God hath given in his word such a power and energy this spirit to attend it that unless he be wilfully obstinate and shutteth his eyes against 〈◊〉 truth revealed in this Gospel he cannot otherwise choose but receive the same receiveâ—â— the same he receiveth the spirit in some degree or other by which he is secured of this 〈◊〉 heritance thus revealed in the Gospel of our Lord Christ 6. Some have this inheritance already in possession by vertue of Christs coming into 〈◊〉 world to save that which was lost Now all these considerations are now made use of prove that man is designed an heir of everlasting salvation and the way for the attainâ— hereof is made by the Birth Life Death and Resurrection of Christ Secondly we are to inquire what is here understood by the word Lost the Son of 〈◊〉 is come to save that which was lost Here two things are to be considered 1. the persons 〈◊〉 who they are 2. the Loss it self 1. Let us consider the persons lost who they were and we find them to be the whâ—â— posterity of Adam 1 Cor. 15.22 For as in Adam all dyed so in Christ shall all he made all Death it passed upon all for that Adam first sinned then all his posterity after him and wâ—â— lost for sin was propagated upon that root and vicious example for they sinning in Adâ—â— dyed and suffered the punishment of their sins now these were those whom Christ caâ—â— to save The son of man came to save that which was lost 2. The loss it self they had lost their acquaintance with God and were gone all 〈◊〉 from the wayes of his Laws and acted contrary to the commandments given them whâ—â— were written in their hearts they were enemies to God and acted open hostility against him and this was their sad and dismal State in which they must have perished to all eternity had not God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to recover man thus fallen out of this lost state into which they had rushed headlong and by this means had exposed themselves to everlasting punishment 3. We now come to inquire how those persons here in the Text expressed by the word Lost were lost Some have asserted and believed imprudently that it was by the Decree and will of God that man was thus lost now that we may not be deceived in this particular let us inquire what God threatned and what he inflicted In the day that thou catest thereof thou shalt dye He threatned death and did accordingly inflict it for by reason of the Fall of our first Parents their whole posterity became mortal and both he and all that were before Christ came into the World were lest to a meer natural state that is in a state attended with the greatest imperfections without those means that we through the abundant grace of God do or may enjoy for it is plain that it was a State so defective by this that none could ever enjoy the Hopes of Heaven by any means it could afford in order thereunto but to take away the evil state of affairs into which man was introduced by the transgression of Adam in the fulness of time God sent his Son into the World to save man from this Ruine Again it cannot be conceived by any man that will but consult the dictates of Reason that it should be the pleasure of the most high and holy God to lay a necessity of finning upon Adam or upon any of his posterity because from that time to the very appearing of the ever blessed Jesus in the world he by those Lawes he proposed to the sons of men hath required innocency of life repentance and holiness and when Jesus did appear all the means of attaining a happy end were provided even such means as were consistent with the grace of God to give or the necessity of mankind to enjoy The premises considered I now shall sum up what hath been spoken in reference to the explicatory part of the Text into this one intire proposition That Jesus Christ the Son of man came to save the whole posterity of Adam or thus that the design of Christ's coming into the world was to save all men for take notice of my Text where Christ's himself saith the Son of man is come to save that which was Lost and for the better understanding of which I will show you First how far the Scripture doth with an high hand prove it Secondly what rationall arguments will appear to defend the same 1. How far the Scriptures do with an high hand prove it though I now speak with great grief that it is a doctrine that hath been looked on by some to be a meer novelty even by those whom I respect for their Learning and Piety though true it is that many good men have opposed this great truth yet their believing to the contrary never made them so for certainly their holiness in their practices doth oppose their Errors in their judgments in reference to this particular I will therefore begin with those Scriptures which in plain terms do prove this Doctrine laid down by me in this Discourse Consider the saying of our ever blessed Lord to Nicodemus John 3 16. So God loved he World that be gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believed on him should not perish â—ut might have everlasting life By the word World here we must understand the Posterity of Adam to whom God the Father was pleased to shew this favour of sending his Son â—oth good and bad for true it is that the wicked of the World are sometimes put for he whole World as 1. Joh. 5.19 We know we are of God and the whole World lyeth in â—ickedness in which words the World represents to us only the Wicked in the World who in respect or their vast numbers and multitudes and the inconsiderable number of the Godly are termed the whole world but more frequently the word World comprehends Good and Bad be they many or few but never used for the Elect or Godly party considered by themselves and then consider this Particle Whosoever which setteth forth the universaâ—itie of the grace of God to mankind in giveing his Son Christ Jesus to the World For certain it is that this Particle would appear very unnecessary were it not that we understand by the word World the whole Posterity of Adam and it would devest the whole Verse now recited of its sence Again consider the Context as first the two precedent Verses As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever
believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Now when it pleased God to direct Moses to make a Brazen Serpent and lift it up he did it not with an intent only of healing a few persons but that whosoever did look upon it should be healed by it Numb 21.8 So Christ who was sent into the World to save man was not sent to some few nor listed up on the Cross for some few but lifted up that all might look upon him with an eye of Faith and live Then consider the following Verse For God sent not his Son to condemn the World Now it is impossible to expound the word World here to be the Elect but all men who by sin were in a state of Condemnation till Jesus Christ came into the World therefore the taking the word world in this fence doth set forth and magnifie the love of our holy good God for certainly it can't appear so lovely in the apprehensions of men when intended but for a few in respect of the sons of Adam as when designed to be extended to all Again consider how God in all the Holy Scriptures hath been pleased to express himself to have abundance of grace sweetness love mercy pity and kindness to hate nothing that he hath made and wills the salvation of them that die and perish for ever look upon those compassionate expressions of his to the vilest of men Why will ye die ye House of Israel c. Now if we take the word world in its genuine latitude we shall find it to have an â—â—exact consistency with all those lively intimations nay demonstrations of those excellencies of the eternal God we find them confirmed in giving his Son to the world to save that which was lost otherwise we must of necessity judge that Jesus Christ did come in his own Name and not in the Name of the great God and to preach Doctrines of his own invention and not the Will of his Heavenly Father or else we must look upon God who â—s Truth it self to pretend very fairly to men in the Old Testament unkindly in the New 〈◊〉 And besides all this let us consider what the learned have said in all Ages upon this very Text now in debate see Gualter in his 20. Homily on the Gospel according to St. â—ohn Et hoe quidem clarius exprimit quando cos nominaturus quos it a dilexerit Deus non Abrahami aut Isaacci aut Jacobi aut Mosis aut Davidis Prophetarum Mariae virginis Apostoloâ—um deniq sanctorum martyrum meminit sed mundi quem totum in malo jacere Evangelist a â—oster testatur cujus principem esse diabolum ipse Christus non uno loâ—o affirmat From which words I do observe that this judicious and reverend Divine doth not terminate Gods â—ove to some few particular persons but according to the sence of our blessed Redeem â—r doth by the word world understand the generality of all Mankind and by this means â—oth rende Jesus Christ to speak that which was consistent with the Intentions Decrees â—nd Predeterminations of the most High God who before Christ did appear in the world had manifested himself o be gracious and merciful in pardoning sins and transgressions Quarâ— Salvator dictus est mundi saith St. Augustine speaking of Christ Nisi at mundum solver so that both modern and ancient Writers have with one consent upon these word now in hand viz. God so loved the world understood by the word world the whole posterity of fallen Adam who was the beginning of sin and entailed the misfortune of dying and being subject to sorrow upon his whole posterity which brings to mind that saying of S. Paul Rom. 5.18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the feâ—â—gist came upon all men to justification of life see vers 19. For as by one mans disobedience many word made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous In which you may see two sorts of persons represented to your consideration the one condemned to death by reason of Adam's offence and the other justified to life by Christ our Lord Now who were they that were condemned they were no more than all and who were they that were justified no fewer than all in the other verse no more than many were made sinners by Adam nor any fewer than many made righteous by Christ God certainly suted the salve not only in respect of its quality but also in respect to its quantity to the sore the larger the malady was the larger extent the remedy was to be of therefore we may see the coextensiveness of the Grace of God in his Son Jesus in order to the justification of men with the sin of our first Parent in respect of the condemnation of men so that as we are induced to believe that by the disobedience of one many have been made sinners and so guilty of and liable unto death that is that all â—â—en as they come respectively to be conceived and born are now made liable to death by the disobedience of one being long since acted and should have perished for ever had â—ot the abundant grace of a good God prevented it so certainly it will appear and be â—ound true in due time that many even as many yea the self same both number and â—ersons in their successive conceptions also and comings into the world with those that â—re already past shall be made righteous that is have been and shall be delivered from â—â—e guilt of that sin and liableness to death by the obedience of one man that is by the â—bmissive deportment of Jesus Christ towards the most high and eternal God in yielding â—imself up to death From all which I draw this conclusion remembring the voice from â—eaven to St. Peter Acts 10.15 Call not thou common that which God hath cleansed that is not safe for any man to make that number less which God hath made greater nor 〈◊〉 assert a signal disproportion between two numbers which God hath computed and â—â—awn up to a perfect equality Another Text appears also ready to vindicate the truth of this Proposition now in â—bate and that is the words of St. Paul in his Epistle to Timothy 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3 4 5 6. I â—hort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made 〈◊〉 all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that under them we may lead a quiet â—d peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviâ—r who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth for there is one â—d and one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransâ—â— for all In which words confider the duty enjoyned and that we find in the first