But the wicked who may have passed through life under the shades of darkness, been mistaken, perhaps, for the righteous, will rise at the great day, “to shame, and everlasting contempt.”  Their sins will then find them out.  For “God’s eyes art on the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.  There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.”  And all are written in God’s book, and reserved to judgment; when he “will give to every one, according to his works.  Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him.”  This will be enough to make miserable.  There needs no more than the withdrawing of mercy, and leaving justice to take its course.  This will be the portion of those who neglect offered salvation.  But,

IV.  Sinners who have, at all, denied themselves, out of regard to the divine authority, or done aught which God required, though ever so partially, will not loose the benefit of it.  Proportioned to its nature, and the degree of rectitude found in it, it will deduct from the punishment which the want of it would have occasioned.  The condemned will stand speechless before the judge—­have no reason to offer why judgment should not be executed upon them.  By the clear manifestation of their guilt, and the impartial justice of God, they will be constrained to acknowledge the perfect fairness and equity, yea, the moral necessity of the sentence by which the last gleam of their hope will be extinguished!

Thus will both the mercies and judgments of God be justified of all, when he shall bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts.

* * * * * *

SERMON XVII.

God willing that all Men should be saved.

1 Timothy ii. 4.

“Who will have all Men to be saved,—.”

In verse first, the apostle directs “prayers and thanksgivings to be made for all men;”—­which he declares to “be good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved.”  Had salvation been provided for only a part of the human race, prayer and thanksgivings could have been, consistently made only for a part.  Those for whom no provision was made, would be in like state with persons who have committed the sin unto death, for whom St. John intimates prayer is not to be offered up.  “There is a sin unto death; I do not say that he shall pray for it.”  But such is naturally the state of none of the children of Adam.  Divine goodness is extended to all, and salvation offered to them; therefore is prayer and praise to be offered up for all men.

It is now proposed, briefly to consider the divine goodness expressed in the text—­Who will have all men to be saved—­then some abuses of the revelation which is made of this goodness to mankind.

I. We are to consider the divine goodness here expressed—­Who will have all men to be saved.