Moreover, in all eminent effects and fruits of love, in all the issues and ways of it, for the good of and towards the sons of men, God abundantly manifests that his eternal love, that regards the ever- lasting good of men, as it was before described, is peculiar, and not universally comprehensive of all and every one of mankind.
556 VINDICIiE EVANGELIC.^.
1. In tlie pursuit of that love lie gave his Son to die: " God com- mendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," Kom. v. 8. " Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins," 1 John iv. 10. Now, though he died not for the Jews only, but for all, for the whole world, or men throughout the whole world, 3'et that he died for some only of all sorts throughout the world, even those who are so chosen, as is before mentioned, and not for them who are rejected, as was above declared, himself testifies: John xvii. 9, " I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me;" "Thine they were, and thou gavest them me," verse 6; "And for their sakes I sanctify myself," verse 19: even as he had said before, that he came to " give his life a ransom for many," Matt. xx. 28 ; which Paid afterward abundantly confirms, affirming that " God redeemed his church with his own blood," Acts XX. 28. Not the world, as contradistinguished from his church, nor absolutely, but his church throughout the world. And to give us a clearer insight into his intendment in naming the church in this business, he tells us they are God's elect whom he means: Rom. viii. 32-34, " He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that jus- tifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." They are the elect for whom God gave his Son, and that out of his love (which the apostle emi- nently sets out, verse 32), those to whom with his Son he gives all things, and who shall on that account never be separated from him.
Farther, to manifest that this great fruit and effect of the love of God, which is extended to the whole object of that love, was not uni- versal,— (1.) The promise of giving him was not so; God promised Christ to all for and to whom he giveth him : " The Lord God of Israel by him visited and redeemed his people, raising up an horn of salvation for them in the house of his servant David ; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began," Luke i. 68-70. In the very first promise of him, the seed of the serpent (as are all reprobate unbelievers) are excluded from any interest therein, Gen, iii. 15. And it Was renewed again, not to all the world, but to "Abraham and his seed," Gen. xii 2, 3; Acts ii. 39, iii. 25 And for many ages the promise was so appro- priated to the seed of Abraham, Rom. ix. 4, with some few that joined themselves to them, Isa. Ivi. 3-7, that the people of God prayed for a curse on the residue of the world, Jer. x. 25, as they which were "strangers from the covenants of promise," Eph. ii. 12; they belonged not to them. So that God made not a promise of
OF UNIVERSAL GRACE AND ELECTION. 557
Christ to the universality of mankind ; which sufficiently evinceth that it was not from a universal but a peculiar love that he was given. Nor, —
(2.) When Christ Avas exhibited in the flesh, according to the pro- mise, was he given to all, but to the church, Isa. ix. 6 ; neither really as to their good, nor ministerially for the promulgation of the gospel to any, but to the Jews. And therefore when " he came unto his own," though " his own received him not," John i. 11, yet as to the minis- try which he was to accomplish, he professed he was "not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," and gave order to them whom he sent forth to preach in his own lifetime "not to go into the way of the Gentiles, nor to enter into any city of the Samaritans," Matt. x. 5. Yea, when he had been "lifted up" to "draw all men unto him," John iii. 14, xii. 32, and, being ascended, had broken down the partition wall and taken away all distinction of Jew and Gentile, circumcision and uncircumcision, having died not only for that nation of the Jews (for " the remnant according to the election of grace," Rom. xi. 5), but that he " misfht orather tos^ether in one the children of God that were scattered abroad," John xi. 52, — whence the language and ex- pressions of the Scripture as to the people of God are changed, and instead of " Judah and Israel," tliey are expressed by " the world," John iii. 16, "the whole world," 1 John ii. 1, 2, and "all men," 1 Tim. ii. 4, in opposition to the Jews only, some of all so7'ts being now taken into grace and favour with God, — yet. neither then doth he do what did remain for the full administration of the covenant of grace towards all, namely, the pouring out of his Spirit with effi- cacy of power to bring them into subjection to him, but still carries on, though in a greater extent and latitude, a work of distinguishing love, taking some and refusing others. So that, being " exalted, and made a prince and a saviour," he gives not repentance to all the world, but to them whom he " redeemed to God by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation," Bev. v. 9.