Abraham had learned that to address himself to God's justice was better even than to appeal to His mercy. And for this reason, it is a stronger basis. Justice is a more definite thing than mercy. Every man who feels his sins should lay firm hold on the thought that "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." Then we stand upon a rock.
I. The greatest requisite of a judge is justice. The last great judgment will be characterised by the most exquisite justice. All the justice of this world is merely a reflection of this attribute of the Almighty.
II. It seems essential to the dignity and uprightness of that tribunal that we believe equally two things: (1) That God having been pleased to lay down only one way of salvation, no man who, having been made acquainted with that way, attempts to get to heaven by any other, can be admitted; (2) that no man, who is in earnest about his salvation, can or shall be lost.
III. Here the question arises, What is the state before God now? what will be the final condition of those who have never heard the name of Christ? We must keep to the one thought the justice of the last judgment shall be vindicated. We inherit from Adam an entail of condemnation. Jesus Christ by His death rolled back the entail of condemnation from all mankind. These two facts are co-extensive. No man perishes because of Adam's sin: God has cancelled that evil by the death of His Son. From the second chapter of Romans we gather that every man will be judged and dealt with according to his conscience;and if any man have really lived up to the light that was in him, even though that light was only the light of reason and nature, that man will not eternally perish. The man who does not perish because he has obeyed his own conscience is saved for Christ's sake, even though he never heard His name. He owes his salvation to an unknown Saviour.
IV. Does this view affect injuriously the work of missions? No; because (1) it does not follow, because a heathen who obeys his conscience will not perish, that therefore he can attain the same degree of eternal happiness as a Christian. By making him a Christian we put him in a better position. (2) Consider the very small chance there is that any heathen will follow his conscience. Christ bids us "preach the Gospel to every creature."
J. Vaughan, Sermons,15th series, p. 117.
References: Genesis 18:25. T. Birkett Dover, A Lent Manual,p. 15; R. H. Story, Good Words,1877, p. 128; S. Cox, Expositions,1st series, p. 54; W. Hubbard, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xxi., p. 376.