God towards them, nor of the grace of God in them, but of the doctrines of grace which they had received; the duty enjoined them being a mutual one, in which they were ἐπισκοπενίες, to aft the part of a bithop, or

overfeer over each other.

When the apostle Paul cautions the Colof fans, to beware, left any man should beguile them with enticing words, Spoil them through philofophy and vain deceit, and beguile them of their reward; he does not defign a final and total feduction of them from Chrift their head, in whom they were compleat, ver. 10. nor a destruction of grace in them, but a corruption of the doctrine of grace received by them; which might be unawares introduced by falfe teachers, under the specious pretences of humility and holiness.

When the apostle Peter exhorts those he wrote to, to beware, left being led away with the error of the wicked, they fell from their own fedfaftness; his meaning is not as though there was danger or a poffibility of falling from the like precious faith they had obtained; but that they might be in danger of falling from fome degree of fted fastness in the doctrine of faith, through the ensnaring errors of wicked men; and therefore fhould guard against it.

Col. ii. 4, 5, 15.

2 Pet. iii. 17.

Lastly,

demption is concluded from hence, by the following arguments now to be examined.

I. The first is taken from the word all », here used, if, or fince one died for all. But it ought to be observed,

1. That the text does not fay that Chrift died for all men, but for all; and therefore, agreeable to other fcriptures, may be understood of all the people, whom Jefus faves from their fins, of all the sheep for whom he laid down his life, of all the members of his church, whom he loved, and for whom he gave himself; or of all the fons, for whom he tafted death, and, as the captain of their falvation, brings to glory.

2. That it is faid in the latter part of the text, that those for whom Chrift died, for them also he rose again; who therefore ought to live τ α αὐτῶν ἀποθανόντι κι ἐγερθέντι to him that died and rofe again for them. Chrift died for no more, nor for others than those for whom he rofe again; fuch for whom he rofe again, he rofe for their juftification; if Chrift rofe for the juftification of all men, all men would be juftified, or the end of Chrift's refurrection would not be anfwer'd; but all men are not,

Y Whitby, p. 113.

Matt. i. 21. John x. 15. Eph. v. 25. Heb. ii. 9, 10. a Repere a avlev ficut ratio hypozeugmatis requirit. Verft. in loc.

nor

nor will be justified; fome will be condemned: It follows, that Chrift did not rife from the dead for all men, and confequently did not die for all men.

3. That the all for whom Chrift died, died with him, and through his death are dead, both to the law and fin; then were all dead. Befides, the end of his dying for them was, that they might live, not to themfelves, but to bim that died for them; neither of which is true of all mankind: Nor to take any notice of the nature or manner of Chrift's dying for these all; which was for, in the room and ftead of them; and denotes a substitution made, a farisfaction given, which iffues in the full discharge, acquittance, and juftification of them, and is not the cafe of every individual of human

nature.

4. That the context explains, the all of fuch who are in Chrift, are new creatures, reconciled to God, whofe trefpaffes are not imputed to them, for whom Chrift was made fin, and who are made the righteouf ness of God in him; which cannot be faid of all men.

II. It is obferved, that "the words, all were dead, muft certainly be taken in their greatest latitude; wherefore, the work prese