All men are in need of the saving Gospel, and it should be preached to
all. We read in _De Servo Arbitrio_: "Paul had said just before: 'The
Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first and also to the Greek,' These words are not obscure or
ambiguous: 'To the Jews and to the Greeks,' that is, to all men, the
Gospel of the power of God is necessary, in order that, believing, they
may be saved from the revealed wrath." (E. 322; St. L. 1915.) "He [God]
knows what, when, how, and to whom we ought to speak. Now, His
injunction is that His Gospel, which is necessary for all, should be
limited by neither place nor time, but be preached to all, at all times,
and in all places." (E. 149; St. L. 1709.)
The universal promises of the Gospel offer firm and sweet consolation to
poor sinners. Luther: "It is the voice of the Gospel and the sweetest
consolation to poor miserable sinners when Ezekiel says [18, 23. 32]: 'I
have no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but rather that he be
converted and live,' Just so also the thirtieth Psalm [v. 5]: 'For His
anger endureth but a moment; in His favor is life [His will rather is
life].' And the sixty-ninth [v.16]: 'For Thy loving-kindness is good
[How sweet is Thy mercy, Lord!]' Also: 'Because I am merciful,' And that
saying of Christ, Matt. 11, 28: 'Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will refresh you,' Also that of Exodus [20, 6], 'I
show mercy unto thousands of them that love Me,' Indeed, almost more
than half of Holy Scripture,--what is it but genuine promises of grace,
by which mercy, life, peace, and salvation are offered by God to men?
And what else do the words of promise sound forth than this: 'I have no
pleasure in the death of a sinner'? Is it not the same thing to say, 'I
am merciful,' as to say, 'I am not angry,' 'I do not wish to punish,'
'I do not wish you to die,' 'I desire to pardon,' 'I desire to spare'?
Now, if these divine promises did not stand [firm], so as to raise up
afflicted consciences terrified by the sense of sin and the fear of
death and judgment, what place would there be for pardon or for hope?
What sinner would not despair?" (E. 218; St. L. 1791.)
God, who would have all men to be saved deplores and endeavors to remove
death, so that man must blame himself if he is lost. Luther: "God in His
majesty and nature therefore must be left untouched [unsearched] for in
this respect we have nothing to do with Him, nor did He want us to deal
with Him in this respect; but we deal with Him in so far as He has
clothed Himself and come forth in His Word, by which He has offered
Himself to us. This [Word] is His glory and beauty with which the
Psalmist, 21, 6, celebrates Him as being clothed." Emphasizing the
seriousness of universal grace, Luther continues: "Therefore we affirm
that the holy God does not deplore the death of the people which He
works in them, but deplores the death which He finds in the people, and
endeavors to remove (_sed deplorat mortem, quam invenit in populo, et
amovere studet_). For this is the work of the proclaimed God to take
away sin and death, that we may be saved. For He has sent His Word and
healed them." (E. 222; St. L. 1795.) "Hence it is rightly said, If God
wills not death, it must be charged to our own will that we perish.
'Rightly,' I say, if you speak of the proclaimed God. For He would have
all men to be saved, coming, as He does, with His Word of salvation to
all men; and the fault is in the will, which does not admit Him, as He
says, Matt. 23, 37: 'How often would I have gathered thy children
together, and ye would not!'" (E. 222; St.L. 1795.)