those who went astray, were laid upon Christ And to him the testimony of all the other prophets agreeth; Acts x. 43, To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whoseever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.' The same saith that great prophet, John the Baptist, who (John i. 7) came to bear witness of the light, that all men through it might believe.'

And again, ib. ver. 29, Behold, (saith he,) the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world.' Thus have all the prophets with one consent, testified that God laid upon Christ the iniquities of all that were gone astray; that he is "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world; that all men through him may believe;' and that through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins.'

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Secondly, The angel of God testifieth the same thing, saying, Luke ii. 10, Fear not, for I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to alt people,' which was, that there was • born unto them a Saviour, even Christ the Lord.' By this also it appears, that Christ died for all men. For else it could not have been glad tidings of great joy to all people; but rather sad tidings to all those for whom he died not.

Thirdly, We come now to the words of Christ himself, who knew his own business better than any man else; and therefore if his testimony agree with these, we must needs be convinced that they are true. Now he speaks thus :-

John iii. 14, &c. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." Thus we see the words of Christ agree with the words of the prophets; therefore it must needs be owned that Christ died for all.

Fourthly. And now we will hear what the apostles say concerning this thing; Cor. v. 14, &c. The love of Christ,' saith the Apostle Paul, constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again.' And to Timothy he saith, 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6, There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.' Again he saith to Titus, Tit. i. 11, The grace of God, which bringeth salvation to all men, hath appeared.' And yet again to the Hebrews, Heb. ii. 9, That be, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man. And to this agreeth St. John, witnessing, 1 John ii. 2, He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.' And again speaking of himself and the rest of the apostles, he saith, 1 John iv. 14, We have seen and do

testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.' Thus we have the testimony of all the prophets, of the angel of God, of Christ himself, and of his holy apostles, all agreeing together in one, to prove that Christ died for all mankind.

18. What then can they, who deny this, say? Why, they commonly say, All men in these scriptures, does not mean all men, but only the elect; that every man here does not mean every man, but only every one of the elect; that the world does not mean the whole world, but only the world of believers; and that the whole world in St. John's words, does not mean the whole world, but only the whole world of the elect.

19. To this shameless, senseless evasion, I answer thus:

If the scripture no where speaks of a world of believers or elect, then we have no ground, reason, pretence, or excuse for saying, Christ died only for a world of believers or elect. But the scripture no where speaks of such a world.Therefore we have no ground or pretence for speaking thus.

Nay, the scripture is so far from calling believ ers or elected persons, the world, that they are every where in scripture plainly and expressly distinguished from the world: John xv. 29,

If ye were of the world, (saith Christ) the world would love its own; but because I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.'

20. But let the scripture itself speak, what world Christ died for: Rom. v. 6-10, When we were yet without strength, Christ died for

the ungodly. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son." From all which we may clearly see, that Christ died for the world of the ungodly, for the world of sinners, for the world of his enemies, the just one for the world of the unjust. But the elect, as elect, are not unjust. Therefore he died not for the elect, as elect; but even for that world St. John speaks of, when he says, 'The whole world lieth in wickedness.'

21. If it be said, "The elect were sinners once as well as others :" I answer, true; but not as they are elect in Christ, but as they were out of Christ, without hope and without God in the world. Therefore to say that Christ died for the elect, as elect, is absolute nonsense and confusion.

22. To put this matter out of doubt, I would commend these following considerations to all sober-minded men.

1. The scripture saith, 'Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost.'

But the elect, as elect, were not lost.

Therefore Christ died not for the elect, as, or because they were elect; for that had been to seek and save what was found and saved before. 2. The scripture saith Christ died for the unjust.

But the elect, as such, are not unjust.

Therefore Christ died not for the elect, as elect; for that had been to justify them who were just before.

3. The scripture saith, He came to preach deliverance to the captives.'

But the elect, as elect are not captives, for Christ hath set them free.

Therefore he died not for the elect, as elect; for that had been to set them at liberty who were at liberty before.

The scripture saith, He quickened them who were dead in trespasses and in sins, such as were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise, without hope and without God in the world.'

But the elect, as such, are not dead in trespasses and sins, but alive unto God. Neither are they without Christ, for they are chosen in him; nor are they aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise. But they are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

Therefore Christ died not for the elect, as, or because they were elect. For that had been to quicken them that were alive before, and to bring them into covenant, who were in covenant before. And thus, by these men's accounts, our Lord lost his labour of love, and accomplished a

SOLEMN NOTHING.

13. Thus having shown the grievous folly of those who say, that Christ died for none but the elect, I shall now prove by undeniable reasons that he died for all mankind.

Reason 1. Because all the prophets, the angel of God, Christ himself, and his holy apostles, with one consent affirm it.