394 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK IV.
in the general made known to us, Rom. ix. 11, 12, 15, xi. 7, where evidently our praying for all is but for all sorts of men, excluding none, and that those may believe who are ordained to eternal life. Fourthly, It supposeth that there is nothing else that we are to pray for men but that they may be saved l)y Christ; which is apparently false, Jer. xxix. 7. Fifthly, That our ground of prapng for any is an assurance that Christ died for them in particular; which is not true, Acts viii. 22, 24. Sixthly, It most splendidly takes for gi-anted that our duty is to be conformed to God's secret mind, his purpose and counsel. Until every one of these supposals be made good, (which never a one of them will be very suddenly), there is no help in this proof nor strength in this argimient, " We must pray for all ; therefore God intends by the death of Christ to save all and every one," its sophistry and weakness being apparent. From our duty to God's purpose is no good conclusion, though from his command to our duty be most certain.
Proof 11. "The Lord hath given forth his word and promise to be with his servants so preaching the gospel to all, and with his people so praying for all where they come, that they may go on with confidence in both, Matt, xxviii. 20 ; 1 Tim. ii 8, 8 ; Luke x. 5 ; Isa. liv. 17.
A ns. That God will be with his people, whether preaching or pray- ing, according to his will and their own duty, is as apparent as it is that this makes nothing for universal redemption; than which what can be more evident.
Proof 12. " The Lord hath already performed and made good his Avord to his servants and people, upon some of all sorts of men and all sorts of sinners, showing them mercy to the very end, that none might exclude themselves, but all be encouraged to repent, believe, and hope thereby. Acts ii., iii., viii.-xi., xvi., xix., xxviii. ; 1 Cor. vi. 10, 11; 1 Tim. i. 13-16."
Ans. If ye had told us that God had already made good his word to his servants, in saving all and every man, and proved it clearly, ye had evidently and undeniably confirmed the main opinion ; but now, affirming only that he hath showed mercy to some of all sorts, and all sorts of sinners, that others of the like sort (as are the remainder of his elect, yet uncalled) might be induced to believe, ye have evidently betrayed your own cause, and established that of your adversaries, showing how the Lord in the event declareth on their side, saving in the blood of Jesus only some of all sorts, as they afiirm, not all and every one, which your tenet leads you to.
Proof 13. " The blessing of life hath streamed in this doctrine of the love of God to mankind ; yea, in the tender and spiritual discovery of the grace of God to mankind (in the ransom given and atonement made by Christ for all men, with the fruits thereof) hath God, in the
OBJECTIONS. AND TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE CONSIDERED. 395
first place, overcome his chosen ones to believe and turn to God, Acts xiii. 48; Titus ii. 11, 13, iii. 4, 5."
Ans. First, That the freedom of God's grace, and the transcen- dency of his eternal love towards men, with the sending of his Son to die for them, to recover them to himself from sin and Satan, is a most effectual motive, and (when set on by the Spirit of grace) a most certain operative principle of the conversion of God's elect, we most willingly acknowledge. It is that wherein our hearts rejoice, whereby they were endeared, and for which we desire to return thank- ful obedience every moment. But that ever this was effectual, extend- ing this love to all, or at least that any efiectualness is in that aggTa- vation of it, we utterly deny; and that, — 1. Because it is false, and a corrupting of the word of God, as hath been showed ; and of a lie there can be no good consequence. 2. It quite enervates and plucks out the efficacy of this heavenly motive, by turning the most intense and incomparable love of God towards his elect into a common desire, wishing, and affection of his nature (which, indeed, is opposite to his nature), failing of its end and purpose; whicli might consist with the eternal destruction of all mankind, as I shall abundantly demonstrate, if Providence call me to the other part of this controversy, concerning the cause of sending Jesus Christ. Secondly, There is nothing of this common love to all in the places urged; for, — 1. The "grace" men- tioned. Tit. ii. 11, 13, is the grace that certainly brings salvation, which that common love doth not, and was the cause of sending Christ, "that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works ;" where our redemption and sanctifi- cation are asserted to be the immediate end of the oblation of Jesus Christ; which how destructive it is to universal redemption hath been formerly declared. 2. So also is that "love and kindness" mentioned, chap. iii. 4, 5, such as by which we receive the " washing of regenera- tion and renewing of the Holy Ghost," verse 5 ; and justification, and adoption to heirship of eternal life, verse 7 ; — which, whether it be a common or a peculiar love, let all men judge. 3. Acts xiii. 47 (for verse 48, there cited, contains as clear a restriction of this love of God to his elect, as can be desired) sets out the extent of the mercy of God in Christ, through the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles also, and not only to the Jews, as was foretold by Isaiah, chap. xlix. 6 ; which is far enough from giving any colour to the universality of grace, it being nothing but the same affirmation which ye have John xi. 52, of " gathering together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad."