be to their detriment as well as to the dishonour of God: that it is not true, that the apostle speaks of any of these elect he writes to, that they had forsaken the right way, but of some other persons; and, though he prophesies that false teachers should make merchandize of them, the meaning is, that, by their fine words and fair speeches, they should be able to draw money out of their pockets, not that they should destroy the grace of God wrought in their hearts. As to the church at Babylon being said to be elected with them, the apostle might say this of the church in general, as he does, in a judgment of charity, of the church at Thessalonica, and others, though every member of it in particular was not elected to salvation, without any prejudice to the doctrine of absolute election. Besides, the persons he writes to were not visible members of any one particular church or community, professing Christianity, but were strangers scattered abroad in several parts of the world, and were such who had obtained like precious faith with the apostles, and is a strong evidence of their being men absolutely designed for eternal happiness. And whereas it is suggested, that these persons were come to repentance, and therefore cannot be the same to whom God is long-suffering, that they might come to repentance; I answer, that though they are not the same individual persons, yet are such who belong to the same body and number of the elect on whom the Lord waits, and to whom he is long-suffering, until they are all brought to partake of this grace, having determined that not one of them should ever perish. 5. Hence it follows, that these words do not furnish out any argument in favour of universal redemption, nor do they militate* against absolute election and reprobation, or unfrustrable grace in conversion; but, on the contrary, maintain and establish them, since it appears to be the will of God, that not one of those he has chosen in Christ, given to him, and for whom he died, shall ever perish; and, inasmuch as evangelical repentance is necessary for them, and they cannot come at it of themselves, he freely bestows it on them, and, by his unfrustrable grace, works it in them; and, until this is done unto and upon every one of them, he keeps the world in being, which is reserved unto fire, against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men. SECTION LVII. And he is the propitiation for our sins; and rot for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.-1 JOHN ii. 2. A VERY considerable argument for the universal extent of Christ's death is thought to arise+ from this passage of scripture, as well as from all those which represent Christ as the Saviour of the world, and the whole world; and it is observed, that whereas these scriptures are all, save one, in the writings of St. John, the sense which the world beareth in St. John's gospel and epistles, must be esteemed, in reason, Whitby, p. 13, 75; ed. 2. 74. Remonstr. in Coll. Hag. art. ii. p. 133; Curcellæus, p. 358; Limborch, p. 321. the proper import of the word, where it never signifies the elect only, in opposition to the wicked of the world, but the wicked of the world in opposition to the faithful Christian*. To which I answer, I. That there would be some weight in this observation if the word world was always used in one uniform and constant sense in the writings of the apostle John, whereas it admits of a variety of senses; and, therefore, the sense of it in one place cannot be the rule for the interpretation of it in another, which can only be fixed as the text or context determine: sometimes it signifies the whole universe of created beings, John i. 10; sometimes the habitable earth, John xvi. 28; sometimes the inhabitants of it, John i. 10; sometimes unconverted persons, both elect and reprobate, John xv. 19; sometimes the worser part of the world, the wicked, John xvii. 9; sometimes the better part of it, the elect, John i. 29, and vi. 33, 51; sometimes a number of persons, and that a small one in comparison of the rest of mankind, John xii. 19; in one place it is used three times, and in so many senses, John i. 10; he, that is, Christ, was in the world, the habitable earth, and the world, the whole universe, was made by him, and the world, the inhabitants of the earth, knew him not; and which is not to be understood of them all, for there were some, though few, who did know him: and I will venture to affirm, that the word world is always used in the apostle John's writings, in a restricted and limited sense, for some only, unless when it designs the whole universe, or habitable earth, senses which are out of the question, for none will say Christ died for the sun, moon, and stars, for fishes, fowls, brutes, sticks, and stones; and that it is never used to signify every individual of mankind that has been, is, or shall be in the world; in which sense it ought to be proved it is used, if any argument can be concluded from it in favour of general redemption. II. It is most manifest that the word world, used by the apostle John when speaking of redemption and salvation by Christ, is always used in a limited and restrained sense, and signifies some persons only, and not all the individuals of human nature, as will appear from the consideration of the several passages following, as when the Baptist says, John i. 29, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world! By the world cannot be meant every individual of mankind; for it is not true, it is not fact, that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, takes away the sin or sins of every individual man, since there are some who die in their sins, whose sins go beforehand to judgment, and others they follow after, for which they will be righteously and everlastingly condemned; which can never be, if Christ has taken away their sin. Should it be saidt, as it is, "That the Baptist speaks this in allusion to the lambs daily offered up for the sins of the whole Jewish nation; and, therefore, intimates, that as they were offered up to expiate the sins of the whole nation, so was this Lamb of God offered to expiate the sins of the whole world in general;" I reply, that as the lambs daily offered were typical of Christ, the Lamb of God, so the *Whitby, p. 127, 128, 134; ed. 2. 124, 125, 131. Ibid. p. 134. people, for whom they were offered, were typical, not of the whole world in general, but of the true Israel and church of God, for whom Christ gave himself an expiatory sacrifice, and whose sins he so takes away as that they shall not be seen any more. When our Lord says, that God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life*,-by the world he cannot mean every son and daughter of Adam; for this world is represented as the object of God's love, even of his special love, which all men are not as such to and for whom God has given his only-begotten Son, which is not true of all mankind; who are brought to believe in Christ, in consequence of God's love, and the gift of his Son, but all men have not faith; as such who shall never perish, though it is certain that some men will; and as such who shall have everlasting life, whereas some will go into everlasting punishment, and die the second death. The similitude of the brazen serpent lifted up for the preservation of the Jews, is insufficient to prove the redemption of all mankind: nor is it supposed, of this world, so beloved of God, that some would not believe, and therefore perish; and that others would, and be saved; for the phrase whosoever believeth, does not design a division of different persons, but a distinction of the same persons; who, in their unconverted state, believe not, but, through the power of divine grace, are brought to believe in Christ for life and salvation; and so it points out the way in which they are secured from perishing, and have everlasting life. Nor will it be the condemnation of Infidels among the Heathens that they believed not in Christ, but their transgressions of the law of nature; nor of the unbelieving Jews, that they believed not Christ died for them, but because they did not believe him to be the Messiah: nor do these words, taken in the universal sense, more magnify the love of God than when taken in a more restrained one; since according to this general scheme, men may be the objects of God's love, and have an interest in the gift of his Son, and yet finally perish, and come short of everlasting life. The words in the following verset, and which are elsewhere in the same manner expressed, that Christ came into the world not to condemn it, but to save it, are designed to point out the different ends of Christ's first and second coming. Again, When the Samaritans declared their belief in Christ, that he was the Saviour of the world; and the apostle John says, that we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world; by the world, cannot be intended every man and woman that has been, is, or shall be in the world, since every one is not saved; and Christ cannot be the Saviour of more than are saved. Besides, was he the Saviour of the world in this universal sense, he must be the Saviour both of believers and unbelievers, contrary to his own words; He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned. Moreover, When Christ says, The bread of God is he that cometh down from * John iii 16. † John iii. 17; chap. xii. 47. ‡ John iv. 43; 1 John iv. 14. § Mark xvi. 16. heaven and giveth life to the world*; no more can be designed by the world than those to whom this bread of God gives life. Now it is certain, that spiritual life here, and everlasting life hereafter, are not given to all men, and therefore all men cannot be intended here; only such who are quickened by the Spirit of God, and shall enjoy eternal life; and these are the world, for the life of which Christ promised to give his flesh, in this same chapter+. Now from the consideration of all these passages, it will appear how weak, trifling, and inconclusive is the argument taken from hence in favour of universal redemption. But, III. It may be said, if the world does not include every individual person in it, yet surely the phrase, the whole world, must: and when the beloved disciple says, And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world, these, his words, will not admit of a restrained sense, but must extend to all men §. To which I reply: כולי עלמא 1. The phrase, the whole world, is frequently used by the Jews in a limited and restrained sense; as when they report, "That it happened to a certain high priest, that when he went out of the sanetuary, soy, the whole world went after him;" which could only design the multitude in the temple; and where ¶ it is said, “by, the whole world has left the Misnah and gone after the Gemara;" which at most can only intend the Jews, and perhaps only a majority of their doctors; and in another** place, "by, the whole world fell upon their faces; but Raf did not fall on his face;" where it means no more than the congregation. Once more ++ it is said, "when R. Simeon Ben Gamaliel entered, that is, into the synagogue, by, the whole world, that is, all the synagogue, stood up before him." Such phrases as these by, the whole world does not dissent; by, the whole world confesseth; and by, the whole world are of opinion, are frequently met with in the Talmud; by which is designed an agreement among the Rabbins in certain points; nay, sometimes two doctors only are meant by sby, the whole world‡‡. 2. This phrase in scripture, unless where it signifies the whole universe, or habitable earth, is always used in a limited and restrained sense; a decree went out that all the world should be taxed; which was no other than the Roman empire, and such countries as were subject to it. The faith of the church at Rome, was spoken of throughout the whole world, that is, throughout all the churches, and among all the saints in the world. All the world is said to become guilty before God by the law which can be said of no more than were under that law, and so not true of all mankind; who, though all guilty by the law of nature, yet not by the law of Moses. The apostle tells the Colossians, that the gospel was come into all the world, and bringeth forth fruit; which can design only real saints and true believers, in whom alone it brings forth fruit. An hour of temptation is spoken of, which shall * John vi. 33. tt Horaiot. fol. 13. 2. 1 John ii. 2. S Whitby, p. 132; ed. 2. 129. ¶ Bava Metzia, fol. 33. 2. ** Megilla, fol. 22. 2. # Vid. Mill, Formul. Talmud, p. 41 42. come upon all the world, to try them which dwell upon the earth; who can be no other than such who will then be in being, and cannot be thought to include all the individuals that have been in the world. All the world wondered after the beast; and yet there were some who did not receive his mark, nor worship him. Satan deceiveth the whole world; and yet it is certain, that the elect cannot be deceived by him. The whole world will be gathered together to the battle of the great day of God Almighty; who are distinct from the saints, whom they will oppose*. 3. This phrase in the writings of the apostle John, is used in a restrained sense, and does not extend to every individual of human nature, that has been, is, or shall be in the world, as it should be proved it does, to conclude an argument from it in favour of universal redemption. Now it is used but in one place besides the text under consideration, when it designs men, in all his writings, and that is in 1 John v. 19. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness; where the whole world lying in wickedness, is manifestly distinguished from the saints who are of God, and belong not to the world; and consequently the whole world is not to be understood of all the individuals in it. And it is easy to observe the like distinction in the text before us; for the sins of the whole world are opposed to our sins, the sins of the apostle, and others to whom he joins himself; who therefore belonged not to, nor were a part of the whole world, for whose sins Christ was a propitiation, as for theirs. That the whole world, for whom Christ is a propitiation, cannot intend every man and woman that has been, is, or shall be in the world, appears from his being their propitiation; for, for whose sins he is a propitiation, their sins are atoned for and pardoned, and their persons justified from all sin, and so shall certainly be glorified; which is not true of the whole world, taken in the large sense contended for. Besides, Christ is set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood+. The benefit of his propitiatory sacrifice, is only received and enjoyed through faith; so that in the event, it appears that Christ is a propitiation only for believers, a character which does not agree with all mankind. Add to this, that for whom Christ is a propitiation, he is also an advocate, ver. 1, but he is not an advocate for every individual in the world; yea, there is a world he will not pray for, and consequently is no propitiation for. Once more, the design of the apostle in these words, is to comfort his little children, who might fall into sin through weakness and inadvertency, with the advocacy and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ; but what comfort would it yield to a distressed mind, to be told that Christ was a propitiation, not only for the sins of the apostles, and other saints, but for the sins of every individual in the world, even of those that are in hell? would it not be natural for persons in such circumstances, to argue rather against than for themselves; and conclude, that inasmuch as persons might be damned, notwithstanding Christ's propitiatory sacrifice, that this might and would be their case? But, * Luke ii. 1; Rom. i. 8, and iii. 19; Col. i. 6; Rev. iii. 10, and xii. 9, and xiii. 3. Rom. iii. 25. |