is foreign to the purpofe; fince it speaks not of redemption by Chrift, nor of fpiritual and eternal life through him, but of the refurrection of the dead, as is evident from the whole context; and that not of every individual man, only of fuch as are Chrift's, and who fleep in him, of whom he is the first fruits, ver. 20, 23. who will be raised by virtue of union to him, and come forth unto the refurrection of life; which all will not ; for fome will awake to fhame and everlasting contempt; yea, to the refurrection of damnation; which, by the way, is a proof that the word all, does not always defign every individual of mankind.

NUMB. XXXV. Rom. xi. 32.

For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Τ'

HIS paffage of fcripture is produced as a proof of God's will, that all men fhould be faved, and to fhew that he has rejected none from falvation by an abfolute and antecedent decree, and confequently that Chrift died for all men; seeing as God hath concluded all men in unbelief, none excepted; fo by the rule of oppofition, he

hath

hath mercy on all, none excepted. I: which I answer;

I. That God fhews mercy to all men in a providential way, is granted, for big tomar mercies are over all his works; but ther men are partakers of his freca. 1. 7 through Chrift, must be denies. veffels of mercy are manifeft, from the veffels of wrath tion; and certain i fome, whom, be that ma have mercy on them; them, will few then r God does exrend..

a

and unbelievers, or puts them into the prifon of fin and unbelief; but that he proves, demonstrates, and convinces them, that they are in fuch a state and condition, as Chryfofrom on the place, obferves; and which is the fenfe that Grotius and Vorftius, who were both on the other fide of the question, give of these words; for fuch who are favingly convinced of fin, are held and bound down by a sense of it in their confciences, that they can find no by way to creep out, or make any excufe for it. Now all men are not in this fenfe concluded under fin, or fhut up in unbelief; none but those whom the Spirit of God reproves and convinces of these things; which convictions are wrought in them, on purpofe that they may flee, not to their own merits, but to the mercy of God, which they may hope to share in, fince with the Lord is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption ©.

III. It is not faid abfolutely, God hath concluded, návlas, all in unbelief, that he might have mercy, návlas, on all; but God hath concluded, Tès malas, them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy, Tos návlas, on them all; which limits and reftrains the all, to the perfons the apostle is speaking of in the context; who were the elect of God a

In Pareus in loc.

b In loc.

C

Pfal. cxxx. 7.

mong