836 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK IV.
but the Roman empire, short enough of comprising all singular per- sons in the world. It were needless to repeat the rest, being all of the same indefinite importance and signification. If, then, the ex- pression itself doth not hold out any such universality as is pretended, unless the matter concerning which it is used and the circumstances of the place do require it (neither of which enforcements has any appearance in this place), there is no colour to fasten such an accep- tation upon it; rather may we conclude that all the world, and the tvhole ivorld, being in other places taken indefinitely for men of all sorts throughout the world, the same words are no otherwise here to be understood. So that SXog 6 xog/j^og is here no more than JxxXjjff/a ■/.aSo'kiKri.
Secondly, The whole world can signify no more than all nations, all the families of the earth, all flesh, all men, all the ends of the world. These surely are expressions equivalent unto, and as compre- hensive of particulars as the whole world; but now all these ex- pressions we find frequently to bear out believers only, but as of aU sorts, and throughout the world. And why should not this phrase also be affirmed to be, in the same matter, of the same and no other importance? We may instance in some places: "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God," Ps. xcviii. 3; "All the ends of the world shall rememljer and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee," Ps. xxii. 27; "All nations shall serve thee," Ps. Ixxii. 11 ; — which general expres- sions do yet denote no more but only the believers of all the several nations of the world, who alone see the salvation of God, remember and turn to him and serve him. So Joel ii. 28, "I Avill pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh;" as the words are again repeated on the accomplishment of the promise. Acts ii. 1 7 ; — Luke using the same expression, as part of a sermon of John Baptist, "All flesh shall see the salvation of God." What a conquest should we have had proclaimed, if it had been anywhere afiirmed that Christ died for all flesh, all nations, all kindreds, etc.! which yet are but liveries of believers, though gai-ments as wide and large as this expression, the whole world. Believers are called " all nations," Isa. ii. 2, Ixvi. 18; yea, "all men," Tit. ii. 11: for to them alone the salvation- bringing grace of God is manifest. If they, then, the children of God, be, as is apparent in the Scripture phrase, all flesh, all na- tions, all kindreds, all the ends of the %vorld, all the ends of the earth, all men, why not also tlie whole world?
Thirdly, The u^liole xuorld doth sometimes signify the worser jiart of the world ; and why may it not, by a like synecdoche, signify the better part thereof? Rev. xii. 9, "The Devil, and Satan, which de- ceiveth the whole w'orld, is cast out;" that is, the wicked and repro- bate in the whole world, others rejoicing in his overthrow, verse 10.
OBJECTIONS AND TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE CONSIDERED. 837
1 John V. 19j 'O MGij^oc, iiXog, "Tlie whole world lieth in wickedness;" where " the whole world" is opposed to them which are " of God," in the beginning of the verse. The contrary sense you have Col. i. 6.
This, then, being spoken, to clear the signification of the expression here insisted on, will make it evident that there is nothing at all in the words themselves that should enforce any to conceive that all and every man in the world are denoted by them, but rather be- lievers, even all that did or should believe, throughout the whole wox'ld, in opposition only to believers of the Jewish nation : which, that it is the meaning of the place, besides what hath been clearly demonstrated, I prove by these reasons : —
First, This place treateth not of the ransom of Christ in respect of impetration, but of application; for it affirms Christ to be that by his death which he is only by faith, as was manifested from Rom. iii. 25. Also, from application only ariseth consolation; now, never any said that the application of the death of Christ was uni- versal : therefore, this place cannot have regard to all and every one.
Secondly, Christ is here said to be a propitiation only for such as are intended in the place, which is apparent; but now believers only are here intended, for it is to give them consolation in their failings (in Avhich case consolation belongeth to them alone) : there- fore, it is believers only, though of all sorts, times, places, and con- ditions, for whom Christ is said to be a propitiation.
Thirdly, This kind of phrase and expression in other places can- not possibly be tortured to such an extension as to com2:)rehend all and every one, as was apparent from the places before alleged ; to which add, Matt. iii. 5, "Then went out to him -raca tj 'lovdaia, xai rraffa r\ Tripi'^ojpog tou 'lopddvou" — "all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan ; " among whom, notwithstanding, the Pharisees rejected his baptism. Why, then, should it be so understood here, especially all circumstances (as hath been showed) being contrary to such an interpretation ?