OBJECTIONS AND TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE CONSIDERED. 401
that knowledge which they might have had, by the works of creation and providence, of God, as eternal, almighty, and powerful, without the least intimation of any ransom, atonement, and redemption), — that all the rest, I say, are spoken to and of those that enjoyed the means of grace, who, in the days wherein those expostulations were used towards them, were a very small portion of all men ; so that from what is said to theni nothing can be concluded of the mind and purpose of God towards all others, Ps. cxlvii. 19, 20, — which is destructive to the general ransom. Thirdly, That there are no men, especially none of those that enjoy the means of grace, but do receive so many mercies from God, as that he may justly plead with them about their unthankfuhiess and not returning of obedience propor- tionable to the mercies and light which they received. Fourthly, It is confessed, I hope by all, that there are none of those things for the want whereof God expostulateth with the sons of men, but that he could, if it so seemed good before him, effectually work them in their hearts, at least, by the exceeding greatness of his power: so that these things cannot be declarative of his purpose, which he might, if he pleased, fulfil ; " for who hath resisted his will," Rom. ix. 19. Fifthly, That desires and wishings should properly be ascribed unto God is exceedingly opposite to his all-sufficiency and the per- fection of his nature ; they are no more in him than he hath eyes, ears, and hands. These things are to be understood SgoTpsTw?. Sixthly, It is evident that all these are nothing but pathetical decla- rations of our duty in the enjoyment of the means of grace, strong convictions of the stubborn and disobedient, with a full justification of the excellency of God's ways to draw us to the performance of our duties ; ergo, Christ died for all men, ootp Ihu hit.a.i. Seventhly, Some particular places, that seem to be of more weight than the rest, have been already examined.
Proof 16. " The Scripture's manner of setting forth the sin of such as despise and refuse this grace, and their estate, and the persons perishing ; as to say they ' turn the grace of God into wantonness/ Jude 4 ; ' tread under foot the Son of God, profane the blood of the covenant, with which they were sanctified, offer despite to the Spirit of grace,' Heb. x. 29 ; ' deny the Lord that bought them,' 2 Pet. ii. 1 ; 'they perish for whom Christ died," 1 Cor. viii. 11; 'trees twice dead, plucked up by the roots,' Jude 12, 13; ' and bring upon them- selves swift destruction,' 2 Pet. ii. 1. And how could all this be if God had given his Son in no sort for them? if Christ had shed no blood to procure remission for them? if he had not bought them, nor had any grace or life by his Spirit to bestow on them?"
Ans. First, There are in this proof three places of ScriiDture which are frequently urged in this cause, — namely, Heb. x. 29 ; 2 Pet. ii. 1 ; 1 Cor. viii. 11: and, therefore, they have been considered already
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apart at large ; where it was evidenced that they no way incline to the assertion of that whereunto they are violently wrested, and their sense for that end perverted. Secondly, For those other places out of Jude 4, 12, 13, I cannot perceive how they can be hooked into the business in hand. Some are said, verse 4, to " turn the gi'ace of God into wantonness," — that is, to abuse the doctrine of the gospel and the mercy of God revealed thereby, to encourage themselves in sin ; whence to conclude that therefore Jesus Christ died for all men is an uncouth inference, especially the apostle intimating that he died not for these abusers of his grace, affirming that they were "before of old ordained to condemnation ;" which ordination standeth in direct opposition to that love which moved the Lord to send his Son Christ to procure the salvation of any. The strength of the proof lieth in the other places, which have been already considered.
Proof 17. "Jesus Christ, by virtue of his death, shall be their judge, and by the gospel, in which they might have been saved, will he judge them to a second death; and how can that be, if he never died the first death for them, and if there were not truth in his gos- pel preached to them ? Rom, xiv. 9-12; Phil, ii. 7-11; Rom, ii. 16; John xii. 47, 48, 50."
Ans. First, That Jesus Christ shall be judge of all, and that all judgment is already committed to him, is confessed: that it doth not hence follow that he died for all hath been already declared, unless ye will affirm that he died for the devils also, because they also must be judged by him. Secondly, That all shall be judged by the gospel, even such as never heard word of it, is directly contrary to the gospel : " For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish with- out law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged l)y the law," Rom. ii. 12. Every man, doubtless, shall be judged according to the light and rule which he did or might have enjoyed, and not according to that whereof he was invincibly deprived. Thirdly, That Christ should be said to die only the first death is neither an expression of the word, nor can be collected from thence ; he died the death which was in the curse of the laAv: but of this only by the way. Fourthly, Ye intimate as though there were no truth in the gosi)el preached unless Christ died for all, Avhen indeed there is no assertion more opposite to the truth of the gospel. The places urged mention Christ being Lord of all, exalted above all, being Judge of all, judging men according to the gospel, — that is, those men who enjoy it; but how they may be wrested to the end proposed I know not.