III–V. Paternal mercy as first principle; object is the whole human race as miserable and stained by sin
III. The grace of paternal MERCY is the first principle of human salvation, by which God so embraces the whole human race that He wills all humans to be saved, and according to His wisdom and justice orders and determines for them the amplest means of salvation. The proper seats of this first principle are Genesis 3:8,15; John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:4; Titus 2:11; 2 Peter 3:9.
IV. Here its object and mode are to be considered. V. The object of the grace of mercy is the whole human race, as miserable and stained by sin. Our Savior teaches this by the word world in John 3:16. For it is certain that world here does not mean the whole system of heaven and earth with all its inhabitants produced from nothing by God, but only the human race. In the sacred writings this word sometimes signifies the human race universally, sometimes a certain part of it — either only believers gathered from the whole world into Gods kingdom, or only the impious condemned from the whole world.
It is also plain that world here is not taken in that last sense of John 17:9 and 14:17. Nor does Christ here mean by world only the elect as already separated from the world, but the whole human race taken universally, as by nature it lies in sin, and as it is commonly called through the gospel to repentance and faith in Christ (Mark 16:15; 1 John 2:2). Yet although God so loved the whole world universally, this love peculiarly and chiefly regards believers.
We distinguish three post-fall states of the human: first, of nature or common corruption; second, of grace or regeneration; third, of impenitence or final hardening, where at last Gods love stops and sheer wrath and judgment overflow upon the obstinate.
Latin
III. Gratia paternae MISERATIONIS est primum humanae salutis principium, quo Deus totum genus humanum ita complectitur, ut velit omnes homines salvos fieri, eisque secundum sapientiam & iustitiam suam media salutis amplissima ordinet ac determinet. Huius primi salutis nostrae principii propria sedes est Gen. 3:8,15; Ioh. 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:4; Tit. 2:11; 2 Pet. 3:9. IV. Est autem hic considerandum eius obiectum & modus. V. Obiectum gratiae miserationis est totum genus humanum, ut miserum & peccato inquinatum. Hoc enim Servator noster Ioh. 3:16 docet vocabulo mundi. Nam certum est, hic voce mundi intelligi non totum systema caeli & terrae cum omnibus incolis, divinitus e nihilo productum, sed genus humanum duntaxat. Iam vero in sacris literis haec vox aliquando significat genus humanum universe, aliquando certam illius partem, & quidem vel credentes duntaxat, qui e toto mundo ad regnum Dei colliguntur, vel impios duntaxat, qui e toto mundo condemnantur. Manifestum etiam est, vocem mundi hic non intelligi hoc ultimo significatu, quo accipitur Ioh. 17:9 & Ioh. 14:17. Nec tamen Christus hic per mundum intelligit electos tantum, prout iam a mundo separati sunt: sed totum genus humanum universe sumtum, prout natura in peccato iacet, & prout communiter per euangelium ad poenitentiam & fidem in Christum vocatur, secundum illud Marci 16:15 & 1 Ioh. 2:2. Quanquam vero Deus totum mundum universe ita dilexerit: tamen haec dilectio peculiariter ac praecipue respicit credentes. Distinguimus tres status hominis post lapsum: primus naturae seu communis corruptionis; alter gratiae seu regenerationis; tertius impoenitentiae sive finalis indurationis, ubi tandem dilectio Dei sistit & mera ira & iudicium in contumaces redundat.