to all its spiritual seed. v. The parallel place in 1 Cor. xv. 22. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive; which is similar to the preceding in some respect. Though these words have no respect at all to justification of life, but to the resurrection of the dead, as by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead; as death came by the first Adam, the resurrection of the dead comes by the second Adam. But though all shall be made alive or raised from the dead, by Christ; only the members of his body shall be raised to everlasting life; others will be raised to shame and everlasting contempt. vI. The text in 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. is sometimes brought as a proof of Christ's dying for all men in an unlimited sense; if one died for all, then were all dead: now let it be observed, that in the supposition, if one died for all, the word men is not used: it is not all men, but all, and may be supplied, all the sheep, all the sons whom he brings to glory. Let it be further observed, that the same persons Christ died for, for them he rose again: if he rose for the justification of all men, then all would be justifi ed; whereas they are not. VII. The words in 1 Tim. ii. 4. Who will have all men to be saved, &c. It is certain that all that are saved, it is the will of God, they should be saved; but if it was the will of God that every individual of mankind should be saved, they would be saved; for who hath resisted his will? It is easy therefore to understand by all, some of all sorts, as the word all must be understood in many places, par ticularly in Gen. vii. 14. and this sense agrees with the context, in which the apostle exhorts that prayers and thanksgiv ings be made for all men. Though it is best of all to under stand this of the Gentiles. vIII. Another passage in the same context, in which Christ is said to give himself a ransom for all; but this cannot be understood of all and every individual man; for then all would be ransomed, or else the ransom price must be paid in vain ; but of many, as it is expressed by Christ, Matt. xx. 28. and particularly of the Gentiles as before. IX. Another passage in the same epistle is sometimes brought in favour of the general scheme, 1 Tim. iv. 10. where God is said to be the Saviour of all men; but the pas T T

sage is to be understood of God the Father, and of temporal salvation by him. His providence is extended in a special manner towards those that trust and believe in him; he leads them about by his wisdom, and keeps them as tenderly as the apple of his eye. x. So the words of the apostle, in 1 Tit. ii. 11, 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men; but it is not said, that this grace brings salvation to all men, but only to us, to whom the gospel of the grace of God comes with power; for that is to be understood by it; not the grace and love of God, in his own heart, towards men: this had been like a candle lighted up in a small part of the world, in Judea; but now as it was like the sun in its meridian glory. n. Likewise what the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, says, chap. ii. 9. That he (Christ) by the grace of God, should taste death for every man; but the word man is not in the text; it is only for every one; and is to be interpreted and supplied, by the context, for every one of the sons Christ brings to glory, 10. for every one of the brethren whom he sanctifies, 11. and for every one of the members of the church. Besides, the words may be rendered, that he should taste of every death, of every kind of death, which it was proper he should, in bringing many sons to glory, 10. and as he did; of the death of afflictions; of corporal death; and of spiritual and eternal death. XII. One passage more, is in 2 Pet. iii. 9. God is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish; but that all should come to repentance. This cannot be understood of every individual of every individual of mankind; for certain it is, that God is willing that some should perish; What if God willing, &c. Rom. ix. 22. Nor is it true, that it is the will of God that all men should have repentance unto life, for then he would give it to them. The key to this text, lies in the phrase, to us-ward, to whom God is long suffering; these design a society, to which the apostle belonged, and not all mankind, who are distinguished in the context, from scoffers and mockers, that would be in the last days, 3, 4. and are described by the character of beloved.

II. A second class of scriptures, which may seem to favour, and are sometimes brought in support of the universal scheme, are such in which the words world, and the whole world are used; when the death of Christ, and the benefits of it, are spoken of. 1. The words of John the Baptist to his hearers, in John i. 29. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world! which are to be understood neither of original sin, which is common to the whole world; but is not taken away, with respect to all: nor of the actual transgressions of every person; which is not true in fact, 1 Tim. v. 24. they are the sins of many, and not all, which have been made to meet on Christ 11, The words of Christ himself, in John iii. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. But all the individuals in the world are not loved by God in such a manner, since many will go into everlasting punishment: but by the world, is meant the Gentiles; whosoever believes, be he of what nation soever, shall be saved with an everlasting salvation. 11. The words of the Samaritans to the woman of Samaria, in John iv. 42. We know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world, of Gentiles as well as Jews. iv. The words of our Lord in his discourse about himself, as the bread which giv eth life unto the world; now no more can be designed by the world, than those who are quickened by this bread applied unto them, since even the gospel, which exhibits the heavenly manna, and holds forth Christ, the bread of life, is to some the savour of death unto death, whilst to others it is, the saviour, of life unto life, 2 Cor. ii. 16. v. The words of the apostle, in 2 Cor. v. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto bimself: these are the same with us, in the preceding verse, which were a special and distinct people, by various circum. stances in the context it seems, that by the world the Gentiles are meant. VI. The famous, and well-known text in this controversy, is 1 John ii. 2. where Christ is said to be, the propitiation for the sins of the world. Now let it be observed, that these phrases, all the world, and the whole world, are often

in scripture to be taken in a limited sense; as in Luke ii. 1. that all the world should be taxed; and in Rom. i. 8. it can only design the christians, when the gospel is said to be in all the world, and bring forth fruit, Col. i. 6. it can only intend true believers in Christ, and when it is said, all the world wondered after the beast, Rev. xiii. 3. at that same time, there were saints he made war with. As John was a Jew, he spake in the language of the Jews, who frequently in their writings, use the phrase the whole world, in a limited sense: sometimes it only signifies a large number of people *; sometimes a majority of their doctors †; sometimes a congregation ‡: or a whole synagogue ; and sometimes very few : John was a Jew, and wrote to Jews; and in the text speaks of them, and of the Gentiles, as to be distinguished; and therefore says of Christ, he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for our only, for the sins of us Jews only; but for the sins of the whole world. Nothing is more common in Jewish writings, than to call the Gentiles the world, the whole world, and the nations of the world; as they are by the apostle Paul, in distinction from the Jews, Rom. xi. 12-15.

III. Another class of scriptures, which may seem to favour the universal scheme, and are usually brought in support of it, are such which it is thought, intimate that Christ died for some that may be destroyed and perish. 1. The first passage is in Rom. xiv. 15. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died: which can never design eternal destruction; for none but God can destroy soul and body in hell, Matt. x. 28. But the passage is to be understood of the destruction of a weak brother's peace and comfort, through the imprudence use of things indifferent, and is to be taken in the same sense as the phrase in 20, for meat destroy not the work of God. II. A similar passage, and to be understood in much the same manner, is in 1 Cor. viii. 12. And through thy knowledge.

T. Bab. Yoma. fol. 71. 2 + Ibid. Bava Metzia, fol. 33. 2. Ibid. Megillah, fol. 22. 2. Ibid. Horaiot, fol. 33 2. || Vid. Mill. Form. Talmud, p. 41, 42.

shall thy weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? which intends, not the perishing of his immortal soul, for then the death of Christ would be so far in vain; and not be a security from condemnation; contrary to Rom, viii. 33. but intends, the perishing of his peace for a time; through the imPrudent use of christian liberty, in those who had stronger faith and greater knowledge, of which they should be careful, a weak brother is as near and dear to Christ, since he died for him, as a stronger brother is. 111. Another passage urged for the same purpose, is in 2 Pet. ii. 1. which speaks of false teachers that should be among the saints, who would bring in damnable heresies, denying the Lord that bought them, &c. from whence it is concluded, that such as are bought by Christ may be destroyed; but Christ is not here spoken of, but God the Father; and of him the word despotes is always used, when applied to a divine Person, and not of Christ. The buying, spoken of in the text, respects temporal deliverance, particularly the redemption of Israel out of Egypt; who are therefore called, a purchased people, Exod. xv. 16. The phrase is borrowed from Deut. xxxii. 6. where, to aggravate the ingratitude of the people of Israel, it is said, Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? And this is not the only place Peter refers to in this chapter; see verse 12, and 13. compared with Deut. xxxii. 5. From what has been observed concerning redemption; the nature and properties of it may be learnt. 1. That it is agreeable to all the perfections of God: it springs from his love, it is planned and conducted by his infinite wisdom, it is wrought out to declare his justice and all the perfections of God meet in it, mercy and truth, peace and righteOusness: the glory of all his attributes is great, in the redemption and salvation of his people. 2. It is what a creature could obtain, neither by power nor by price: not by power, he could not have loosed the fetters of sin; nor by price, for the infinite justice of God being offended by sin, required an infinite satisfaction. 3. The redemption obtained by Christ, resides in him, as the subject of it, who is the author of it; In