3. When those for whom Chrift died, are faid to be dead through his dying for them, the meaning is, either that they were dead with him, or in him, as the Ethiopic verfion reads it, their head and reprefentative; when he was crucified, they were crucified with him; and fo was their old man, that the body of fin might be destroy'd ; that henceforth they should not ferve fin; or that they were dead to the law by the body of Christ, as to the curfe of it, and condemnation by it; and dead to fin, as to its damning power, fo that they were acquitted, discharged, and juftified from it; the confequence of which is, a deliverance from the reigning power and dominion of it. Hence being thus dead to the law and fin, they are capable, through the affiftance of divine grace, of living unto righteousness, and to the glory of Chrift; all which is the faints privilege, and the fruit and effect of Chrift's death. Now as the former sense of the words concludes nothing in favour of Chrift's dying for every individual of mankind; this latter fenfe, which is most genuine, ftrongly concludes against it; fince all men are not, nor will be dead to the law, and to fin.

1

III. Universal redemption is pleaded for from the end of Chrift's death; which is, that they which live, should not live unto themfelves, but unto him that died for them. Up

on

on which it is obferved; "This fure muft be the duty of all Chriftians in particular (unless there be any Chriftians not obliged to live to Chrift, but rather at liberty to live unto themselves) and fo that death, which is the motive to it, muft be intended for them all ". To this I add, instead of anfwering, that this is a way of reasoning which cannot be contradicted: Certainly it is the duty of all Chriftians, to live to Chrift; nor are any at liberty to live to themselves: And it will not be denied, that the death of Chrift was intended for them all; fince all Christians, who are really fuch, are true be lievers, and these are the elect of God. But then there is a wide difference between these two propofitions; Chrift died for all Chriftians; and Chrift died for all men; unless it can be thought, that all men, Turks, Jews, and Indians, are Chriftians. The argument from the end of Chrift's death, here menti oned, is formed in a much better manner, and to better purpose, by the Remonftrants', thus; " Those who ought to live to Chrift, for them Chrift died; but not the cleft othe ly ought to live to Chrift; therefore Chrikk did not die for the elect only". To wonh I answer; That however plaufibie d gument may feem to be, yet it does so bouw. dation in the text; which do not key, st

Christ died for all them who ought to live to him; but only, at moft, proves, that those for whom he died, ought to live to him: All men ought to live to Chrift as God, as their Creator, they are obliged to it by the laws of creation, and ties of nature, whether he died for them or no, and indeed, fuppofing he had never died for any : but befides the obligation from creation, there's a fresh one upon fuch for whom he died to live to him: Hence it follows not that "to fay that Chrift died, for fome only of all nations, Jews and Gentiles, is to exempt all others of those nations from living to Chrift"; for though they are not bound to live to Chrift on the account of redemption by him; yet, because they are his creatures, and are fupplied with temporal mercies from him: And as to what is further obferved", that "to fay he died for all the elect, that they of them who live, might not live to themselves, is to fuppofe that fome of the elect might live, not to Chrift, but to themselves; which cannot truly be imagined of the elect of God". I reply, that there is a proneness in all the elect of God, even after they are made spiritually alive, to live to themfelves, and not to Chrift; and therefore fuch an argument, taken from Christ's dying for them in parti

Whitby, p. 119.

n Ibid.

cular,

NUMB. XL. 2 Cor. v. 19.

To wit, that God was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himfelf, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them.

TH

HIS text is produced to confirm the truth of general redemption 3 and it is faid to do it beyond exception; which, whether it does or no, will better appear, when,

1. It is confider'd, that the word world, cannot be understood of every man or woman that have been, are, or shall be in the world. For,

1. All, and every one of these, are not reconciled to God. The text fays, God was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himself; which must be understood of his doing it either intentionally, or actually; if intentionally only, that is, if he intended to reconcile the world to himself by Chrift, and drew the fcheme of reconciliation in him, can his intentions be frustrated? shall not his counsel stand? will he not do all his pleafure? fhall a scheme fo wifely laid by him in his fon, come to nothing; or at least, only in part be executed? which must be the case, if it

k Whitby, p. 129.

was