The Law in all respects satisfied by our Saviour, in regard to those only who belong to him; or, None but Believers saved, thro' the all-sufficient Satisfaction of Christ.

A SERMON,

DELIVERED AT WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT,

WITH A VIEW TO THE UNIVERSALISTS, BY JOHN SMALLEY, D. D.

ROMANS x. 4.

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth.

THE capital argument of many who maintain that

every one who believeth not shall be saved, we have particularly considered. That salvation is not a matter of just debt, on account of the redemption of Christ, hath been shown, it is presumed, beyond dispute.This then being supposed a settled point, that God is at liberty to have mercy on whom he will have mercy; it remains that we must have recourse to the revelation of his sovereign will in his holy word, as the only way to determine, whether all, or only a part of mankind, shall be saved.

Nothing can be concluded from the universal benevolence of God, unless we knew, as he does, what would be for the greatest universal good. At first thought it may perhaps be imagined, that if it be only consistent with justice for God to give grace and salvation to all men, his infinite goodness must necessarily incline him to save all. But it ought to be remembered, that the operations of infinite goodness are ever under the direction of infinite wisdom. God will give eternal life to every rebel creature, however deserving of eternal death, if it be best; otherwise he will not. Its being at his sovereign option whether to do a thing or not, by no means make it certain what he will think proper to do. He was no more obliged in justice to permit any sin or misery ever to take place, than he is now to permit some to be forever sinful and miserable. From his goodness and power, we should have been ready to conclude he would have prevented the former, as we now are that he will prevent the latter. "His thoughts are not our thoughts. How unsearchable are his judgments," says the apostle, "and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?" Were our understanding infinite, we might be able to judge, with great certainty, what he will think proper to do, on all occasions: but this not being quite the case, all conjectures respecting his determination, from what appears most desirable to us, must be very precarious. From his perfections we may be certain, in general, that he will ever do that which is wisest and best: but what is wisest and best, on the large scale of his universal administration, he alone can bo supposed a competent judge.

Not leaning, then, to our own understanding, in a matter so evidently too high for us, let us, with unbias

sed minds, attend to revelation as our only guide on the important question-Who of fallen creatures shall be saved?-Whether it seem good in the sight of God, to save mankind universally, without any conditions; or with certain limitations, and on certain terms.This question is so abundantly resolved in the inspired scriptures, that to quote all the plain proofs that only particular characters in this world, shall have any part or lot in the salvation of the next, would be to quote, as it were, the whole bible. In the text now chosen, there is evidently implied, a restriction of deliverance from the law, to believers in the gospel; and in discoursing upon the words, among other things, occa`sion will naturally be given to adduce some part of the abundant scripture proof, limited in opposition to universal salvation.

The apostle having spoken, in the preceding chapter, of the rejection of the Jews for their unbelief, he begins this with expressing his sincere concern for them, and his most devout wishes that they might be recovered from their delusion, and not be lost. Ver.

1.

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." However opposed any may be to us, we ought to feel entirely friendly towards them to wish them no ill, but the greatest possible good. We ought also to entertain a charitable opinion concerning them, as far as the nature of the case will any way fairly admit. Such was the apostle's charity in regard to his deluded countryHe had no doubt that many of them acted conscientiously in their zealous opposition to the gospel, really believing it to be subversive of the divine law, and a system not according to godliness. He was once of the same way of thinking, as he confessed before king Agrippa. I verily thought with myself, says

men

he, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth From his own experience, therefore, as well as from much personal acquaintance, he could testify for them that their way was right in their own eyes, though really very erroneous and wrong. Ver. 2. "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." He goes on to take notice whence their prejudices against the Christian revelation originated; namely, from wrong ideas of God. From not understanding his infinite and inflexible justice, the high demands of his holy law, and the absolute perfection required in order to legal justification in his sight.Ver. 3. "For they, being ignorant of God's rightcousness, and going about to establish their own rightcousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Then in the text he observes, that the cause of righteousness, for which the Pharisees were so full of anxiety, was in safe hands. That effectual care had been taken that the law should sustain no dishonour, but that the spirit of it should be supported, and its ultimate design be fully obtained. For, says he, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth. For the illustration of what is here asserted, I propose,

I. To show, in general, how Christ is the end of the law for righteousness; and

II. In what respects he is so, in a particular manner, to believers in him.

I. I shall endeavour to show, in general, how Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.

He was the end of the ceremonial law of the Jews, as that was wholly typical of him, and was abolished by his death. But I cannot think the apostle here speaks merely, if at all, of the ceremonial law. That