ANSWERS TO ARGUMENTS FOR UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION. 809
Sundry other instances might be given to manifest that this is the most usual and frequent signification of the word all in the holy- Scripture ; and, therefore, from the bare word nothing can be inferred to enforce an absolute unlimited universality of all individuals to be intimated thereby. The particular places insisted on we shall afterward consider. I shall conclude all concerning these general ex- pressions that are used in the Scripture about this business in these observations : —
First, The word all is certainly and unquestionably sometimes restrained, and to be restrained, to all of some so7'ts, although the qualification be not expressed which is the bond of the limitation : so for all believers, 1 Cor. xv. 22; Eph. iv. 6; Rom. v. 18, " The free gift came upon all men to justification of life:" which " all men," that are so actually justified, are no more nor less than those that are Christ's, — that is, believers ; for certainly justification is not without faith.
Secondly, The word all is sometimes used for some of all sorts, Jer. xxxi. 34. The word ^^^^ is by Paul rendered 'rravng, Heb. viii. 11 ; so John xii. 32; 1 Tim. ii. 1-3 ; which is made apparent by the mention of "kings," as one sort of people there intended. And I make no doubt but it will appear to all that the word must be taken in one of these senses in every place where it is used in the business of redemption ; as shall be proved.
Thirdly, Let a diligent comparison be made between the general expressions of the New with the predictions of the Old Testament, and they will be found to be answerable to, and expository of, one another; the Lord affirming in the New that that was done which in the Old he foretold should be done. Now, in the predictions and prophecies of the Old Testament, that all nations, all flesh, all people, all the ends, families, or kindreds of the earth, the luorld, the whole earth, the isles, shall be converted, look up to Christ, come to the mountain of the Lord, and the like, none doubts but that the elect of Gofl in all nations are only signified, knowing that in them alone those predictions have the truth of their accomplishment. And why should the same expressions used in the Gospel, and many of them aiming directly to declare the fulfilling of the other, be wire-draAvn to a large extent, so contrary to the mind of the Holy Ghost? In fine, as when the Lord is said to wipe tears from all faces, it hinders not but that the reprobates shall be cast out to eternity where there is weeping and wailing, etc. ; so when Christ is said to die for all, it hinders not but that those reprobates may perish to eternity for their sins, without any effectual remedy intended for them, though occa- sionally proposed to some of them.
6. Observe that the Scripture often speaketh of things and persons according to the appearance they have, and the account that is of
SIO THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK IV.
them amongst men, or that esteem that they have of them to whom it speaketh, — frequently speaking of men and unto men as in the condition wherein they are according to outward appearance, upon which human judgment must proceed, and not what they are indeed. Thus, many are called and said to be luise, just, and righteous, ac- cording as they are so esteemed, though the Lord knows them to be foolish sinners. So Jerusalem is called " The holy city," Matt, xxvii. 53, because it Avas so in esteem and appearance, Avhen indeed it was a veiy "den of thieves." And 2 Chron. xxviii. 23, it is said of Ahaz, that wicked king of Judah, that " he sacrificed to the gods of Damas- cus that smote him." It was the Lord alone that smote him, and those idols to which he sacrificed were but stocks and stones, the Avork of men's hands, which could no way help themselves, much less smite their enemies; yet the Holy Ghost useth an expression answering his idolatrous persuasion, and saith, "They smote him." Nay, is it not said of Christ, John v. 18, that he had broken the Sab- bath, which yet he only did in the corrupt opinion of the blinded Pharisees?
Add, moreover, to what hath been said, that which is of no less an undeniable truth, — namely, that many things which are proper and peculiar to the children of God are oft and frequently assigned to them who live in the same outward communion with them, and are partakers of the same external privileges, though indeed aliens in respect of the participation of the grace of the promise. Put, I say, these two things, which are most evident, together, and it will easily appear that those places which seem to express a possibility of perish- ing and eternal destruction to them who are said to be redeemed by the blood of Christ, are no ways advantageous to the adversaries of the effectual redemj)tion of God's elect by the blood of Christ; be- cause such may be said to be redeemed xara rnv d6t,av, not xara T'^v aXyjOsiav, — xara to (pahsddai, not Tiara ro iJvai, — in respect of appear- ance, not reality, as is the use of the Scripture in divers other things.