(2.) No consolation can accrue unto believers from that which is common unto them with those whom, — first, God Avould not have comforted; secbndly, that shall assuredly perish to eternity; thirdly^ that stand in open rebellion against Christ; fourthly, that never hear one word of gospel or consolation. Now, to all these, and such as these, doth the foundation of consolation, as proposed with and arising from the general ransom, equally appertain with the choicest of believers.
(3.) Let a man try in the time, not of disputation, but f>{ deser- tion and temptation, what consolation or peace to his soul he can obtain from such a collection as this, " Christ died for all men ; I am a man: therefore, Christ died for me." Will not his own heart tell him, that notwithstanding all that he is assured of in that conclusion, the wrath of God may abide on him for evermore ? Doth he not see that, notwithstanding this, the Lord showeth so little love unto millions of millions of the sons of men, of whom the former collec- tion (according to the present opinion) is ti-ue as well as of himself, as that he doth not once reveal himself or his Son unto them? AYhat good will it do me to know that Christ died for me, if notwith- standing that I may perish for ever ? If you intend me any conso- lation from that which is common unto all, you must tell me what it
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is which all enjoy which will satisfy my desires, which are carried out after assurance of the love of God in Christ. If you give me no more to comfort me than what you give, or might have given, to Judas, can you expect I should receive settlement and consolation ? Truly, miserable comforters are ye all, physicians of no value, Job's visitors, — skilful only to add affliction unto the afflicted.
" But be of good comfort," will Arminians say; " Christ is a propi- tiation for all sinners, and now thou knowest thyself so to be." Ans. True ; but is Christ a propitiation for all the sins of those sinners ? If so, how can any of them perish ? If not, what good will this do me, whose sins perhaps (as unbelief) are such as for which Christ was not a propitiation ? " But exclude not thyself; God excludeth none ; the love which caused him to send his Son was general towards all." Tell not me of God's excluding; I have sufficiently excluded myself. Will he powerfully take me in ? Hath Christ not only pur- chased that I shall be admitted, but procured me ability to enter into his Father's arms ? " Why, he hath opened a door of salvation to all." Alas! is it not a vain endeavour, to open a grave for a dead man to come out ? Who lights a candle for a blind man to see by ? To open a door for him to come out of prison who is blind, and lame, and bound, yea dead, is rather to deride his misery than to procure him liberty. Never tell me that will yield me strong consolation, under the enjoyment whereof the gxeatest portion of men perish everlastingly.
2. The opinion concerning a general ransom is so far from yield- ing firm consolation unto believers from the death of Christ, that it quite overthrows all the choice ingredients of strong consolation which flow therehence; and that, — first, By strange divisions and divul- sions of one thing from another, which ought to be conjoined to make up one certain foundation of confidence ; secondly, By denying the efficacy of his death towards them for whom he died : both which are necessary attendants of that persuasion.
First, They so divide the impetration of redemption and the ap- 2)licati on theveoi, — the first being in their judgments the only proper immediate fruit and effect of the death of Christ, — that the one may belong to millions who have no share in the other; yea, that redemp- tion may be obtained for all, and yet no one have it so applied unto them as to be saved thereby. Now, the first of these, such as it is, is an ineffectual possible redemption, notwithstanding which all the sons of men might perish everlastingly, being the whole object of the death of Christ (as is asserted), separated and divided from all such application of redemption unto any as might make it profitable and useful in the least measure (for they deny this application to be a fruit of the death of Christ ; if it were, why is it not common to all for whom he died?) What comfort this can in the least degree afford
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to any poor soul will not dive into my apprehension. " What shall I do?" saith the sinner ; "the iniquity of my heels compasseth me about. I have no rest in my bones by reason of my sin: and now, whither shall I cause my sorrow to go?" Be of good cheer; Christ died for sinners. " Yea, but shall the fruits of his death be certainly applied unto all them for whom he died? If not, I may perish for ever." Here let them that can, answer him, according to the principles of Universalists, without sending him to his own strength in behoving, or that which, in the close, will be resolved into it, " et erit mihi magnus Apollo:" and if they send him thither, they acknowledge the consolation concerning which they boast properly to proceed from ourselves, and not from the death of Christ.