Fourthly, " But," says he, " the reason is deceitful and erroneous, for the Scripture doth nowhere say, — 2. "^Those many he died for are his sheep (much less his elect, as the reason intends it). As for the place, John x. 15, usually instanced to this end, it is therein much abused : for our Sa\dour, John x., did not set forth the difference be- tween such as he died for and such as he died not for, ^ or such as he died for so and so, and not so and so; "but the difference between those that believe on him and those who believe not on him, verses 4, 5, 14, 26, 27. One hear his voice and follow him, the other not. " Nor did our Saviour here set forth the privileges of all he died for, or for whom he died so and so, but of those that believe on him
' These figures are designed by the author to connect each argument ivhich he is re- futing with the answer he supplies to it in the succeeding paragraphs. — En.
218 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK II.
through the ministration of the gospel, and so do know him, and approach to God, and enter the kingdom by him, verses 3, 4, 9, 27. * Nor Avas our Saviour here setting forth the excellency of those for whom he died, or died for so only, wherein they are preferred before others ; but the excellency of his own love, with the fruits thereof to those not only that he died for, but also that are brought in by his ministration to believe on him, verses 11, 27. ' Nor was our Saviour here treating so much of his ransom-giving and propitiation-making as of his ministration of the gospel, and so of his love and faithfulness therein; wherein he laid down his life for those ministered to, and therein gave us example, not to make propitiation for sin, but to testify love in suffering."
Hep. I am persuaded that nothing but an acquaintedness with the condition of the times wherein we live can afford me sanctuary from the censure of the reader to be lavish of precious hours, in considering and transcribing such canting lines as these last repeated. But yet, seeing better cannot be afforded, we must be content to view such evasions as these, all whose strength is in incongruous expressions, in incoherent structure, cloudy, windy phrases, all tending to raise such a mighty fog as that the business in hand might not be perceived, being lost in this smoke and vapour, cast out to dai'ken the eyes and amuse the senses of poor seduced souls. The argument undertaken to be answered being, that Christ is said to die for " many," and those many are described and designed to be his " sheep," as John x., what answer, I pray, or any thing like thereunto, is there to be picked out of this confused heap of words which we have recited? So that I might safely pass the whole evasion by without farther observation on it, but only to desire the reader to observe how much this one argument presseth, and what a nothing is that heap of confusion which is opposed to it ! But yet, lest any thing should adhere, I will give a few annotations to the place, answering the marks wherewith we have noted it, leaving the full vindication of the place until I come to the pressing of our arguments.
I say then, First, " That the many Christ died for were his sheep, was before declared. Neither is the place of John x. at all abused, our Saviour evidently setting forth a difference between them for whom he died and those for whom he would not die, calling the first his " sheep," verse 15, — those to Avhom he would " give eternal life," verse 28, — those " given him by his Father," chap. xvii. 9 ; evidently distm- guishing them from others who were not so. Neither is it material what was the primary intention of our Saviour in this place, from which we do not argue, but from the intention and aim of the words he uses, and the truth he reveals for the end aimed at ; which was the consolation of believers.
Secondly, " For the difference between them he "died for so and so,"
THE PROPER END OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST ASSERTED. 219
and those lie " died for so and so/' we confess lie puts none ; for we suppose that this " so and so" doth neither express nor intimate any thing that may be suitable to any purpose of God, or intent of our Saviour in this business. To us for whom he died, he died in the same manner, and for the same end.
Thirdly, " We deny that the primary difference that here is made by our Saviour is between believers and not believers, but between elect and not elect, sheep and not sheep ; the thing wherein they are thus differenced being the believing of the one, called " hearing of his voice and knowing him," and the not believing of the other; the foundation of these acts being their different conditions in respect of God's purpose and Christ's love, as is apparent from the antithesis and opposition which we have in verses 26 and 27, "Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep," and, " My sheep hear my voice." First, there is a distinction put, — in the act of believing and hearing (that is, therewithal to obey) ; and then is the foundation of this dis- tinction asserted, from their distinguished state and condition, — the one being not his sheep, the other being so, even them whom he loved and gave his life for.