tree was cast out of Paradise, so the second Adam by dying on the tree cast the devil out of his usurped dominion in the world.
Bucer thinks there is a latent reference to our Lord's former words about the " strong man armed keeping his house," till a stronger comes upon him and spoils him. (Luke xi. 21, 22.)
82. — [And I... lifted up... draw all men unto me.~\ In this remark- able verse our Lord plainly points to His own crucifixion, or being lifted up on the cross. It is the same expression that He used to Nicodemus : "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." (John iii. 15.)
The promise, " I will draw all men unto Me," must, I think, meau that our Lord after His crucifixion would draw men of all nations and kindreds and tongues to Himself, to believe on Him and be His disciples. Once crucified, He would become a great centre of attraction, and draw to Himself, and release from the devil's usurped power, vast multitudes of all peoples and countries, to be His servants and followers. Up to this time all the world had blindly hastened after Satan and followed him. After Christ's crucifixion great numbers would turn away from the power of Satan and become Christians.
The promise doubtless looks even further than this. It points to a time when every knee shall bow to the crucified Son of God, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Lord. The whole world shall finally become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ.
Of course the words must not be pressed too far. We must not think that they support the deadly heresy of universal sal- vation. We must not suppose them to mean that all men shall be actually saved by Christ's crucifixion, any more than we must suppose that Christ actually "lights" everyone iu the world. (See John i. 9.) The analogy of other texts shows \ plainly that the only reasonable sense is, that Christ's cruci- I fixion would have a " drawing " influence on men of all nations, Gentiles as well as Jews. Scripture and facts under our eyes both show us that all persons are not actually drawn to Christ. Many live and die and are lost in unbelief.
The word " draw " is precisely the same that is used in John vi. 44 : " No man cau come to Me except the Father draw him." Yet I doubt whether the meaning is precisely the same. In the one case it is the drawing of election, when the Father chooses and draws souls. In the other case, it is the drawing influence which Christ exercises on labouring and heavy-laden sinners, when He draws them by His spirit tc come to Him and believe. The subjects of either " drawing " ar \ the same men and women, and the drawing in either case is irresistible. All who are drawn to believe are drawn both t y the Father and the Son. Without this drawing no one would ev er come to Christ.
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