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and fo he might wish, as man, for the temporal happiness of this city; though he knew that the defolations determined, would be poured upon the defolate, both in a temporal and fpiritual fenfe; and yet his tears over them are tears of charity, and true compaffion; and not crocodile's tears, as they are impiously called, on a fuppofition of God's decree of reprobation, or act of preterition. Hence,

III. We shall not meet with so much difficulty to reconcile thefe words to the do&trine of particular redemption, as is fuggested ; when it is faid, "You may as well hope to reconcile light and darkness as these words of Chrift, with his intention to die only for them who fhould actually be faved"; unless it can be thought irreconcileable, and what implies a contradiction, that Chrift, as man, fhould, with temporal good to the inhabitants of Jerufalem, and yet not intentionally die for all mankind: Should he intentionally die for them who are not actually faved, his intentions would be fo far fruftrated, and his death be in vain.

IV. It does not follow from hence, that because these people might have known the

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P Dan. ix. 26, 27.

a Curcell. Relig. Chrift. Inftit. 1. 6. c. 6. §. 7. p. 470. &

c. 13. §. 5. p. 402.

* Whitby, p. 162.

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which was a day of vengeance, and not of grace, that was haftening on, and near at hand, though hid from them, and was the occafion of Chrift's compaffionate tears and wishes.

NUM B. XXVIII. John i.

7.

The fame came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through bim might believe.

A

Confiderable argument in favour of the extent of Chrift's death to all men, is thought to arise from the obligation which is, and always was, upon all perfons to whom the gospel is, or was revealed, to believe in Chrift, that he came to fave them, and died for them; for if he died not for them, they are bound to believe a lye; and if condemned for not believing, they are condemned for not believing an untruth '. I obferve,

I. That the argument is most miserably lame and deficient. The thing to be proved is, that Chrift died for every individual man and woman, that have been, are, or shall be in the world. The medium by which

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this is attempted to be proved is, the obligation that lies on fuch to whom the gospel is revealed, to believe that Chrift, died for them; and the conclufion is, that therefore Christ died for all men. Now the gospel has not been, nor is it revealed to all men, only to fome; wherefore was there any truth in the medium, the conclufion would not follow. The argument itands thus; all men to whom the gofpel is revealed, are bound to believe that Christ died for them: Some men have the gospel revealed to them, therefore Chrift died for all men. The weakness and fallacy of fuch an argument must be seen by every one: A most miserable argument this, which proceeds upon a partial revelation of the gospel to an univerfal redemption. I obferve,

II. That the obligation to believe in Chrift, and fo the faith to which men are obliged, are in proportion, and according to the nature of the revelation of the gospel, which obliges them. Now the gofpel revelation is either external or internal: The external revelation is by the word, and the miniftry of it; which refpecting Chrift, lies in these things, that he is really and properly God, and truly man; that he is the fon of God, and the mediator between God and men; that he is the Meffiah, who is actually come in the flesh, that he died L 3 and

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