Who will have all men to be saved
The salvation which God wills that all men should enjoy, is not a
mere possibility of salvation, or a mere putting them into a
salvable state; or an offer of salvation to them; or a proposal
of sufficient means of it to all in his word; but a real,
certain, and actual salvation, which he has determined they shall
have; and is sure from his own appointment, from the provision of
Christ as a Saviour for them, from the covenant of grace, in
which everything is secured necessary for it, and from the
mission of Christ to effect it, and from its being effected by
him: wherefore the will of God, that all men should be saved, is
not a conditional will, or what depends on the will of man, or on
anything to be performed by him, for then none might be saved;
and if any should, it would be of him that willeth, contrary to
the express words of Scripture; but it is an absolute and
unconditional will respecting their salvation, and which
infallibly secures it: nor is it such a will as is
distinguishable into antecedent and consequent; with the former
of which it is said, God wills the salvation of all men, as they
are his creatures, and the work of his hands; and with the latter
he wills, or not wills it, according to their future conduct and
behaviour; but the will of God concerning man's salvation is
entirely one, invariable, unalterable, and unchangeable: nor is
it merely his will of approbation or complacency, which expresses
only what would be grateful and well pleasing, should it be, and
which is not always fulfilled; but it is his ordaining,
purposing, and determining will, which is never resisted, so as
to be frustrated, but is always accomplished: the will of God,
the sovereign and unfrustrable will of God, has the governing
sway and influence in the salvation of men; it rises from it, and
is according to it; and all who are saved God wills they should
be saved; nor are any saved, but whom he wills they should be
saved: hence by all men, whom God would have saved, cannot be
meant every individual of mankind, since it is not his will that
all men, in this large sense, should be saved, unless there are
two contrary wills in God; for there are some who were before
ordained by him unto condemnation, and are vessels of wrath
fitted for destruction; and it is his will concerning some, that
they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned; nor is
it fact that all are saved, as they would be, if it was his will
they should; for who hath resisted his will? but there is a world
of ungodly men that will be condemned, and who will go into
everlasting punishment: rather therefore all sorts of men,
agreeably to the use of the phrase in ( 1 Timothy
2:1 ) are here intended, kings and peasants, rich and poor,
bond and free, male and female, young and old, greater and lesser
sinners; and therefore all are to be prayed for, even all sorts
of men, because God will have all men, or all sorts of men,
saved; and particularly the Gentiles may be designed, who are
sometimes called the world, the whole world, and every creature;
whom God would have saved, as well as the Jews, and therefore
Heathens, and Heathen magistrates, were to be prayed for as well
as Jewish ones. Moreover, the same persons God would have saved,
he would have also
come to the knowledge of the truth:
of Christ, who is the truth, and to faith in him, and of all the
truth of the Gospel, as it is in Jesus; not merely to a notional
knowledge of it, which persons may arrive unto, and not be saved,
but a spiritual and experimental knowledge of it; and all that
are saved are brought to such a knowledge, which is owing to the
sovereign will and good pleasure of God, who hides the knowledge
of Gospel truths from the wise and prudent, and reveals them to
babes: whence it appears, that it is not his will with respect to
every individual of mankind; that they should thus come to the
knowledge of the truth; for was it his will they should, he
would, no doubt, give to every man the means of it, which he has
not, nor does he; he suffered all nations to walk in their own
ways, and overlooked their times of ignorance, and sent no
message nor messenger to inform them of his will; he gave his
word to Jacob, and his statutes unto Israel only; and the Gospel
is now sent into one part of the world, and not another; and
where it does come, it is hid to the most; many are given up to
strong delusions to believe a lie, and few are savingly and
experimentally acquainted with the truths of the Gospel; though
all that are saved are brought to the knowledge of such truths as
are necessary to salvation; for they are chosen to it through
sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.
