sex, male and female; of every age, young and old, and all forts of finners, greater and lefs. It is indeed faid, that according to this limitation and sense of the words, God is willing fome of all kindred and people should be faved, it may more truly and properly be faid, that God would have all men to be damned, and that Chrift died for none; fince they for whom he died, are none, according to this doctrine, comparatively to the greater number for whom he died not. To which I anfwer; It does not become us to say what might be more truly and properly faid by God, or an inspired writer. However, this is certain, that as there is a whole world that lies in wickednefs, fo there is a world that shall be damned; which agrees with what the apoftle Paul fays in fo many words, that the world hall be condemned; " We are chaftened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned or damned with the world. Moreover, though they, for whom Chrift died, are but few, comparatively; yet they cannot be faid, in a comparative fenfe, or in any fense at all, to be none; and indeed, when confidered by themselves, are a number which no man can number. But, Whitby, p. 114. To the fame purpofe Curcellaeus, p. 365. and Limborch, p. 332. t 1 John v. 19. u I Cor. xi. 32* VII. I rather think, that by all men, are meant the Gentiles, who are fometimes called the world, the whole world, and every creature, Rom. xi. 12, 15. 1 John ii. z. Mark xvi. 15. which is the fenfe, I apprehend, in which it is ufed in ver. 1. where the apostle exhorts, that jupplications, pray ers, interceffions, and giving thanks be made for all men; for kings, and for all in autiority; which was contrary to a notion that obtained among the Jews, of whom there were many in the primitive churches, that they should not pray for Heathens and Hea then magiftrates. The apoitle enforces this exhortation from the advantage which would accrue to themfelves, that we may lead a peaceable and quiet life, in all godlinefs and honefty: Befides, fays he, This is good and acceptable in the fight of God our Saviour, who will have all men, Gentiles as well as fews, to be faved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth; and therefore has fent his minifters to preach the gospel a mong them, and the doctrine of the grace of God has appeared to thefe, all men, in order, to bring them to it; for there is one God of Jews and Gentiles, who, by his golpel, has taken out of the latter a people for his meme and glory; and there is one mediator between God and man, the man Chrift Jefus; who, not like Mojes, that was the mediator for the Jews only, but is for the Gentiles alfo; and is become our peace, that hath made both one, reconciled both in one body on the cross; preached peace to them that were afar off, and to them that were nigh; through whom, as the mediator, both have an access by one Spirit to the Father; who also gave himself a ranfom for all, to redeem the Gentiles as well as Jews; which was to be teftified in due time to them, as it was by the apostle, who adds; Whereunto I am ordained a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth in Chrift, I lye not) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity; and then concludes, I will therefore that men pray every where; and not be confin'd to the temple for publick prayer, another Jewish notion and practice, lifting up holy bands without wrath and doubting. Seeing then there are fome Jewish notions pointed at in the context, and the whole is adapted to the state and cafe of the Gentiles, under the gospel difpenfation, . there is a good deal of reafon to conclude that they are defigned here; whereby another principle of the Jews is confuted; which is, that the Gentiles fhould receive no benefit by the Mefliah when he came; and is the true reafon of moit, if not of all y Eph. ii. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. thofe those univerál expreffion. rating a death of Chr, we net v From the wide, ince tee VÕITU be understood of ever indma mam te cannot be thongir a milate wint righteous decree of ormaron maintain and Support universi edemption. NUMB. XLVI. 1 Tim. iv. 13. For therefore we bat's labour, ani infor proach, because we trust in the liang Gud, who is the Saviour gf a.. nen, efpectully st those that believe. TH HESE words fand among others; which are faid to contain, in ex prefs terms, the doctrine of general redemption. But, I. If these words reprefent God as the Sa viour of all men, in the tente of a fpiritual and eternal falvation, they prove more than any, unless Origen and his followers, contend for, namely, an univerfal falvation. To fay that Chrift is the Saviour of all men, with respect to the impetration of falvation for them, though not with respect to the application of it to them all, is a diftin 2 Whitby of redemption, p. 113. &ion ction which muft, in part, make the death of Chrift in vain; nor can a mere poffibility of falvation, or a conditional one, or a putting of men into a falvable ftate, be intended; for then they that believe, would be only in fuch a precarious and uncertain ftate; whereas 'tis certain, that be that believeth fhall be faved. Befides, if God is the Saviour of all men, in the fenfe of eternal falvation, then he must be the Saviour of unbelievers, contrary to many exprefs paffages of fcripture; fuch as John iii, 18, 36. Mark xvi. 16. Rev. xxi. 8. II. The words are to be understood of providential goodness and temporal falvation; which all men have a fhare in, more or lefs. God the Father, and not Chrift, iş here called the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, that is, the preferver of men; who fupports them in their being, and fupplies them with all the neceffaries of life; and especially them that believe, who are the particular care of his providence; for tho he is good, and does good to all men, yet more especially to the boushold of faith; which was the foundation of the apoftles truft in him, under all their labours and reproaches, which attended the preaching of the gofpel. Which fenfe of the words is perfectly agreeable both to the analogy of faith, and to the context, and is owned by fome |