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appeared to, nor in all men; for all men have not faith, nor hope, nor love, nor any other graces of the Spirit: but, by the grace of God, is meant the grace which lies in the gospel, or which is the gospel of the grace of God, in which sense it is often used; as in Acts xx. 24; 2 Cor. vi. 1; Heb. xii. 15; and is indeed owned to be the sense of it here by the learned author* I am concerned with. Now,

2. This doctrine of the grace of God bringeth salvation: it brings the news of it to the ears of men, in the external ministration of it, and brings that itself to the hearts of men, under the powerful influences and application of the Spirit of God; and so may be rightly called saving grace, as being the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe; though it is not, nor was it designed to be so, to all to whom it is externally preached; nor does the text say that it brings salvation to all men; and if it did, or if it should be rendered, as it is by some, the grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men; to which agrees the Syriac version, מחית כל, that quickeneth or saveth all; so the Arabic; this cannot be understood of every individual person, every man and woman; for the gospel has not brought salvation to every one, in any sense ; not in the external ministry of it, for there have

been multitudes who have never so much as heard the outward sound of salvation by Jesus Christ, and fewer still who have had an application of it to their souls by the Spirit of God: to many to whom it has come, it has been a hidden gospel, and the savour of death unto

death.

3. It is indeed said, that this doctrine of the grace of God hath appeared to all men; but by all men cannot be meant every man and woman that has been in the world, for it would not be true that the grace of God has appeared to all in this sense. The whole Gentile world, for many hundred years, was in darkness, without the light of the gospel; it neither shined upon them, nor in them: in the times of the apostles, when the doctrine of the gospel appeared the most illustrious, and shone out most extensively, as well as most clearly, it reached not every individual person, nor has it in ages since, nor does it in ours, no, not in our own nation; nor in this great city, where the gospel is most fully preached; for of preachers, they are the fewest who preach the doctrine of the grace of God; and so of hearers, they are the fewest who attend unto and embrace this doctrine; multitudes know nothing of it, are under neither the form nor power of it. Since, then, matter of fact stands incontestably against this sense of the words, we must look out for another. By all men, therefore, may be meant all sorts of men, men of every rank and condition of life, high and low, rich and poor, bond and free, masters and servants; which sense of the phrase well agrees with the context, in which the apostle charges Titus to exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again, nor purloining, but showing all fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, ver. 9, 10; and gives this as the reason of all, for the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men,

Whitby, p. 165; ed. 2. 161.

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servants as well as masters; teaching us who have believed, whether we be masters or servants, of whatsoever state or condition, to live a godly and religious life, whilst we are in this world: or by all men, we may, with Dr. Hammond, understand the Gentiles, before the times of the apostles. The gospel was like a candle lighted up in one part of the world, in Judea only; but now it shone out like the sun in its meridian glory, and appeared to all men, Gentiles as well as Jews; it was no longer confined to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but preached to every creature under heaven; but though it appeared to all, it was not applied to all, though it shined out upon them all, yet not into the hearts of them all; nor is this universal appearance of the gospel, in the external ministration of it, any proof of universal redemption, nor was it so designed by the apostle; and it is easy to observe, that when he comes to speak of redemption, and the persons redeemed in ver. 14, he makes use of a different form of expression: where he says, who gave himself for us, not for them*, or for all; that he might redeem us, not them, or all men, from all iniquity; and purify unto himself a peculiar, distinct people, zealous of good works. The argument above cited, is founded on a manifest falsehood, that the apostles tendered the saving grace of God to all men, without exception; whereas they tendered it to none, but preached the gospel to all, without any distinction of persons who came to hear it. The Arminians frequently argue from an universal offer of the gospel to an universal redemption; such whose ministrations run in the strain of offers and tenders, would do well to consider this, and deliver themselves from this argument, who only are pinched by it.

4. The doctrine of the grace of God is represented as teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. Observe, the apostle does not say, teaching them, all men, to whom it appeared, which is the sad mistake of a learned writer+; but 'teaching us, to whom it has come, not in word only, but in power; and so taught them not only doctrinally, but influentially, both negative and positive holiness; which lesson, all who learn will be undoubtedly saved, though not by learning this lesson, or doing these things, but by our Lord's salutary passion; to which things they are obliged by the grace of God and sufferings of Christ; though all men are not obliged by them, of which many are ignorant, but by the law of nature; from whence this absurdity therefore does not follow‡, "that there are some yet, yea, the greatest part of Christians, who are not, on the account of this grace appearing to them, or of these sufferings, obliged to the performance of these duties." Since all men are not Christians, and all that are true and real Christians Christ suffered for, and the grace of God appears to with powerful influences, engaging them to the discharge of these things.

* Whitby, p, 122; ed. 2. 119.

+ Ibid. See also p. 51, 205; ed. 2. 200.

‡ Ibid. p. 123; ed. 2. 120.

SECTION XLVIII.

THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

It is said, "That the Epistle to the Hebrews was manifestly written to prevent the apostacy of the believing Jews; and that, as the excellent Dr. Barrow used to say, it was written against the doctrine of perseverance, and that it certainly contains many cogent arguments against that doctrine, as is evident from the exhortations, cautions, promises, declarations, and threats, to true believers, of whom the apostle there speaks; which suppose that they unquestionably might fall away, both finally and totally *."

1. It is very awkwardly expressed, and sounds a little oddly, that this epistle should be written to prevent the apostacy of believing Jews, and yet written against the doctrine of the saints' perseverance, since all means to prevent apostacy tend to establish and secure perseverance, and can never be contrary to the doctrine of it; and among the means of perseverance may be reckoned the exhortations, cautions, promises, declarations, and threats mentioned, and, therefore, ought not to be considered as so many cogent arguments against the doctrine of it. Besides, this church of the Hebrews, like other churches, no doubt, consisted of real and nominal professors, true believers and hypocrites; and, perhaps, with a particular view to the latter, many of these exhortations, cautions, promises, and threats are given out; and, supposing them to be all true believers, these directions were not unseasonable and improper, but very useful to stir them up to duty, diligence, care, and watchfulness, since there might be danger of a partial, though not of a total and final falling away; and, at most, these can only imply a possibility or danger of such a falling, considered in themselves, and if left to themselves, through sin, Satan, and false teachers, but prove no matter of fact, or furnish out any instance of any one true believer that ever did finally and totally fall away.

2. It seems strange that this epistle should be written against the doctrine of perseverance, when there are so many strong proofs of this doctrine in it; the author of it represents the unchangeableness of God's counsel, purpose, and promise, respecting the salvation of his people, in the strongest light, when he says, Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before ust; but where would be the immutability of God's counsel, or the strong consolation of the saints, if the heirs of promise could possibly perish? In it, also, Christ is set forth as having, by one offering, perfected for ever them that are sanctified; as able, and as one that will save to the uttermost, all that † Heb. vi. 17, 18.

* Whitby, p. 414-417; ed. 2. 404-406, 408.

Heb. x. 14, and vii. 25, and ii. 10, 13.

come unto God by him; as one that ever lives to make intercession for the saints; and, as the Captain of their salvation, who has brought, and will bring, many sons safe to glory, even all the sons of God; for, at the great day, he will say, Behold, 1, and the children which God hath given me, which he would not be able to do should any of them be lost and perish. The graces of the Spirit are spoken of as sure and certain things; faith is said to be the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen; and hope, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast*; yea, the apostle says of these believing Hebrews, as well as of himself, that they had received a kingdom which cannot be moved, and knew in themselves that they had in heaven a better and a more enduring substance; that they were not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul: and that the just shall live by faith. He was persuaded better things of them, and things that accompany salvation, when such who were not true believers, finally and totally fell away, to whom alone the threats in this epistle are directed. From all which it is plain, that this epistle was not written against the doctrine of perseverance; nor are the exhortations, cautions, promises, and declarations, made to true believers, cogent arguments against it, since these were designed as means to promote and secure it, and do not in the least imply that any of the true believers in this church might, or should, finally and totally fall away.

SECTION XLIX.

That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. - НЕВ. іі. 9. THE doctrine of universal redemption is said to be contained in express terms in these words, and it is observed upon them, that "here is no restraint at all, nor any seeming limitation of the comprehensive phrase, he tasted death for every man, distributively taken;" and that there is something "which doth seem to strengthen the general intendment of the phrase, for this is said to magnify the grace of God, in sending his Son to die for men; now sure the grace of God will be more magnified by this general extent of our Saviour's death, than by contracting the intendment of it to a few; for, if the grace of God be great in sending his Son to die for a few chosen persons, it must be greater in sending him to die for many, and greater still in giving him up to die for us all." To which I reply;

1. That the word man is not in the original text; which says not that Christ should taste death, ὑπερ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου, for every man, but ὑπερ παντὸς, which may be taken either collectively, and be rendered for the whole, that is, for the whole body, the church, Eph. iv. 16, for which Christ died, and of which he is the Saviour; or distributively, and be translated for every one, that is, for every one of the sons, Christ, the Captain of salvation, brings to glory, ver. 10; for every one of the brethren, whom he sanctifies, is not ashamed to own, and to * Heb. xi. 1, and vi. 19. † Chap. xii. 28, and x. 34, 38, 39, and vi. 9. Remonstr. in Coll. Hag. art. ii. p. 134, 135; Curcellæus, p. 360; Limborch, p. 319; Whitby, p. 143; ed. 2. 111. § Ibid, p. 123; ed. 2. 120.

whom he declares the name of God, ver. 11, 12; for every one of the members of the church, even the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, in the midst of which he sang praise, ver. 12; for every one of the children God has given to him, and for whose sake he took part of flesh and blood, ver. 13, 14; and for every one of the seed of Abraham, taken in a spiritual sense, which are Christ's, whose nature he assumed, ver. 16. Moreover, supposing there is a change of number, and that ὑπερ παντὸς is instead of ὑπερ παντῶν, for all, that is, for all men, there is, in the context, a plain restraint and limitation of the phrase, to all the sons, the brethren, the members of the church, the children, the seed of Abraham, for all whom Christ tasted death, that is, he really died, and became the author of eternal salvation to them, which does not in the least help the cause of general redemption.

2. It deserves consideration, whether the words ὑπερ παντὸς γεύσηται θανάτου, may not be rightly rendered, that he should taste of every death, or of the whole of death. This hint I have received from an author* referred to in the margin. If this reading of the words can be established, as I think it may, agreeable to their grammatical construction, the context, and the analogy of faith, the argument, and any colour of or pretence for one from hence, in favour of the universal scheme, are entirely removed: should it be objected, that if this were the sense of the words, they would have been placed thus, γεύσηται ὑπερ παντὸς θανάτου, and not the verb between the adjective and substantive; it may be observed, that there is in the very text itself a like position of words, as ἠλαττωμένον βλέπομεν ̓Ιησοῦν; therefore, such an objection would have no weight in it : ὑπερ is sometimes put for περὶ, and signifies de, of, instances of which the lexicons themselves. will furnish us with; and, though the verb γεύομαι governs a genitive case without a preposition, yet it is well known that the Greek language abounds in pleonasms of this kind. The context also favours this sense of the words; for if they be considered in connexion with the phrase, made a little lower than the angels, or that other, crowned with glory and honour, they contain a reason for either; for if it should be asked, Why was Christ so greatly depressed and humbled in the human nature? the answer is ready, that he might be capable of tasting of every death, or of the whole of death; and should it be inquired, wherefore he is exalted in such a glorious manner, it may be replied, Because he has tasted it; for, as in ver. 10, the Captain of salvation is made perfect through sufferings. And it is certain, that Christ has tasted of every death, or of the whole of death, the law required he should, in the room and stead of his people: hence we read of his deaths in the plural number, Isa. liii. 9, He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich, במתיו,in his deaths; he tasted of the death of afflictions, being all his days a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs; of a corporal death, being put to death in the flesh, in the body or human nature; and of eternal death, or what was equivalent to it, when his Father hid his face from him, poured out his wrath upon him, * Obadiah How's Universalist Examined, c. 11, p. 149, 150. † Vide R. Sol. Jarchi in loc.

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