and delufive, ground of reconciliation. And can that be any thing fhort of the death of Chrift? If the gospel calls to its great fupper, "the poor and "the maimed, the halt and the blind;" if it invites many who "pray to be excufed," and never come; the provision must have been defigned for them; as much defigned as a dinner is for one invited to it who fends a message that "he cannot come."

§7. The mediatorship, atonement, and merits of Chrift, are the foundation of all gospel offers; and the refloral defignation of them extends to all human characters on earth: but the furetyship of Chrift, the exertion of his power, and the application of his grace, is the foundation of justification, regeneration, fanctification, and perfeverance; and the decretive defignation of them extends only to perfons who eventually love GOD and enjoy heaven; the chofen, the called, the faithful. Every new-covenant blef fing flows through the mediation and merits of Chrift; when therefore overtures of pardon and reconciliation, righteoufnefs and peace, are made to finners as fuch, and not merely to elect finners, can the consequence be avoided, that these blefings, purchased by the death of Chrift, are rectorally defigned for them? Muft not the provifion be equally extenfive with the overture? Is the propofal made, delufive or real? If the latter, muft not the advantages propofed be the purchase of the mediator? Or is the overture made founded on the foreseen averfion of the finner to the thing propofed, and the certainty of a refufal if left in the hand of his own

counfel?

be

counfel? And then the propofal would be hypothetical; thus: If you perform, what it is certain you will not, you fhall be faved. That is, if you lieve a falfhood, that there is provifion made for finners, as fuch, when, on the fuppofition, there is provifion only for elect finners, which election cannot be known as a qualification for believing, GoD is willing to bestow pardon! But is fuch a propofal worthy of the great Supreme, or better than delufive? We conclude, therefore, that the rectoral defign of the death of Chrift (whatever higher speciality there is in it) extends to all the human race;

not

That illuftrious reformer and admirable writer, CALVIN, has treated much of predeftination and the doctrines of special grace; but though his works confift of nine volumes folio, I do not think that there is one fentence in them all that militates against the above representation; and in many places he expreffes himself in a manner that abundantly juftifies it, particularly his comments on feveral paffages of the New Testament. To inftance only the following: "Matt. xxvi. 8. Sub multorum nomine non partem mundi "tantum defignat, fed totum humanum Rom. v. 18. Etfi genus. "paffus eft Chriftus pro peccatis totius mundi, atque omnibus indif"ferenter Dei benignitate offertur, non tamen apprehendunt." The great Mr. CHARNOCK, who for depth of penetration and accuracy of judgment was equalled by few, expreffes himself, in his Difcourfe of the acceptableness of Chrift's death, thus: ""Tis "fufficient for the falvation of all finners, and the expiation of

all fins. The wrath of GoD was fo fully appeafed by it, his "juftice fo fully fatisfied, that there is no bur to a re-admission "into his favour, and the enjoyment of the privileges purchased "by it, but man's unbelief. The blood of Chrift is a ftream, "whereof all men may drink; an ocean, wherein all men may "bathe. It wants not value to remove our fins, if we want not "faith to embrace and plead it. - 'Tis abfolutely fufficient in itself,

not merely to those who have been, or actually fhall be, but also fuch as may be evangelized or difcipled - that is, all the nations, past, prefent, and future; and with St. John we may affirm, without

46

either

"fo that if every fon of Adam, from Adam himself to the last man "that fhall iffue from him by natural descent should by faith fue out "the benefit of it, it would be conferred upon them. If any "perished by the biting of the fiery ferpent, it was not for want "of a remedy in God's Inftitution, but from wilfulness in them"felves. The antitype answers to the type, and wants no more a fufficiency to procure a spiritual good, than that to effect the cure of the body. He is therefore called the Saviour of the "World, 1 John iv. 14. When the apoftle faith, (Rom. x. 9.) "If thou fhalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and "believe with thy heart, thou shalt be faved; he speaks to every 66 man that fhall hear that fentence. If any man believe, this "facrifice is fufficient for his falvation. If all men in the world

were united to him by faith, there could not be any more "required of Chrift for their salvation than what he hath already "acted; for it is a facrifice of infinite value, and infinite knows

66

no limits. Since it was fufficient to fatisfy an infinite justice, 'tis fufficient to fave an inexpreffible number, and the virtue "of it in faving one, argues a virtue in it to fave all upon the "fame condition. If men therefore perifh, 'tis not for want of "value, or virtue, or acceptablenefs in this facrifice, but for want of "anfwering the terms upon which the enjoyment of the benefits. " of it is propofed. If a man will fhut his eyes against the light "of the fun, it argues an obftinacy in the perfon, not any defect "in the fun itfelf." CHARNOCK's Works, Vol. II. p. 564. Lond. 1699. His admirable Difcourfe on Reconciliation is full of the fame fentiment, of which I fhall fubjoin only a few specimens. "The world is fundamentally reconciled; there being a founda❝tion laid for the world to be at peace with GoD,if they accept of "the terms upon which this amity is to be obtained." Ibid. 170. "Ifa. liii. 6. The Lord hath laid upon him, &c. He gathered "together the debts of man, put them into one fum, and trans"ferred them upon Chrift, as to guilt and punishment." Ibid. 212.

"The

either trembling for the cause of orthodoxy, or throwing duft in the eyes of its enemies by farfetched criticisms: "He is the propitiation for our "fins; and not for ours only, but also for the "fins

"The intreaty and arguments used to perfuade men to the accept"ance of it, could have no validity without this foundation, that "a reconciliation is wrought, and the expiatory fufferings of "Chrift accepted by GoD." Ibid. 219.

I fhall here fubjoin fome extracts from a writer, who, though a layman, poffeffed abilities and acquirements of the first rank; with a fublime spirit of devotion; this author is EDWARD POLHILL, Efq. The fentiment of the text, corroborated by CALVIN and CHARNOCK, this acute writer defends in the following manner.

"I argue from the will of God. God's will of falvation as the 66 fontal cause thereof, and Christ's death as the meritorious cause "thereof, are of equal latitude. God's will of falvation doth not "extend beyond Christ's death; for then he should intend to fave "fome extra Chriftum; neither doth Christ's death extend beyond "God's will of falvation, for then he should die for fome whom "GOD would upon no terms fave; but these two are exactly "co-extenfive. Hence it is obfervable, that when the apostle fpeaks of Chrift's love to the church, he speaks alfo of his giving himfelf for IT, EPH. v. 25. and when he faith GOD will have ALL MEN to be faved, 1 TIM. ii. 4. he faith withal, Christ gave himself a ransom for ALL, ver. 6.

"I argue from the covenant of grace, and the promises comprized "therein. - If Chrift did no way die for all men, which way "fhall the truth of thefe general promifes be made out? Who"foever will may take of the water of life. What, though Christ

never bought it for him? Whosoever believes shall be saved. "What, though there were no alpov, no price paid for him? "Surely the gospel knows no water of life but which Christ pur"chafed, nor way of falvation but by a alpov, a price paid. "If Chrift's death (though of immenfe value) had been paid for none, it had been no price at all; and if it were paid but for 16 • 10me

And with St. Paul:

"fins of the whole world."* "We thus judge, that if one died for all then were "all dead; and (we further judge) that he died

"

66

for all," with the fame rectoral intention by

which

"fome, it was no price for the reft, for whom it was not paid. "These things premised, if Christ no way died for all men, how "can those promises ftand true? All men, if they believe, fhall "be faved; faved, but how? Shall they be faved by a pov, or "price of redemption? there was none at all paid for them; the " immense value of Christ's death doth not make it a price as to "them for whom he died not; or fhall they be saved without

a λulpov, or price?. God's unsatisfied justice cannot suffer it, his "minatory law cannot bear it, neither doth the gospel know any "such way of falvation; take it either way, the truth of those "promises cannot be vindicated, unless we say, that Christ died "for all men. - If it be yet further demanded, to what purpose "is it to argue which way reprobates fhall be faved, feeing none "of them ever did or will believe? Let the apostle answer, "What if fome did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith "of God of none effect? God forbid; yea, let God be true, but every man a liar, Rom. iii. 3, 4. And again, If we believe not, yet "he abideth faithful, and cannot deny himself, TIM. ii. 13. No ? "reprobate ever did or will believe, yet the promise must be 66 true, and true antecedently to the faith or unbelief of men; true, "because it is the promife of GoD, and antecedently true, because ❝ else it could not be the object of faith."

66

"I argue from the minifter's commiffion, which is, Go preach "the gofpel to every creature. By virtue of this, they command "all men every where to repent; and to induce them there"unto, they open a door of hope to them, and to raise up "that hope, they fet forth Jefus Chrift evidently before their eyes, as if he were crucified among them. In all their "pathetical beseechings, God himself befeeches, 2 COR. v. 28. in "all their loud out-cries, Wisdom herself cries out, PROV. viii. 1, 4. in all their earnest expostulations, Chrift himself stands at "the door and knocks, REV. iii. 20. But if Chrift no way "died

1 John ii. 2.