Christ Jesus;
SERMON XIV.
1 TIMOTHY, Chap. ii. verses 5 and 6.
5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6. Who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time.
At all times and seasons, the world hath been so far from God, that all people have deserved banishment from his kingdom. Thus we see, in the time of the law, he chose a certain people, and gathered them to himself; leaving the rest of the world in confusion. Although men were so separated from God, yet do they all naturally belong to him; and as he made them all, so doth he govern and maintain them by his virtue and goodness. Therefore, when we see men going to destruction, God not having been so gracious as to join them with us in the faith of the gospel, we must pity them, and endeavour to bring them into the right way.
St. Paul saith, For there is one God: as if he had said, God hath made all mankind, and hath them under his protection; therefore it cannot be but that there is some brotherhood existing between us. It is true, that those who do not agree with us in faith, are at a great distance from us; yet the order of nature showeth us that we must not utterly cast them off, but take all the pains we can to bring them again to the unity of the body; because they are, as it were, cut off. When we see men thus scattered, well may we be astonished, when we reflect that we are all of the selfsame nature; the image of God was imprinted in them, as well as in us. Moreover, that which should have been the strongest band to hold us together, hath caused the division, and made us enemies; namely, the service of God, the religion of Jesus Christ.