Christ all shall be made alive;' yet, ver. 23. he plai stle here treats of, which certainly all shall AND P glory by virtue of the resurrection of Christ lieth, in what part, or word of the principles which they had and from the scope, 23. it is said, but only by th belonged but to h; Isa. xliv. 26. Ixi rength of this proof is not ist commanded his apostles to ons and every creature;' to tell them Acts xvi. 6, 7. warning them e confines of Jewry; tain also it is, that with a lie to offer but to speak the what can be is not easily AU. 3. To the counsel and nown to us; Rom. ix. our praying for all, is but for one, and that those may believe, ernal life. Fourthly, It supposeth, else that we are to pray for men, but aved by Christ, which is apparently false; thly, That our ground of praying for any, is that Christ died for them in particular, which ; Acts viii. 22. 24. Sixthly, It most splendidly mand granted, that our duty is to be conformed to God's ever mind, his purpose and counsel. Until every one of these liev osals be made good, which never a one of them will be and upo Jew or Pr by y suddenly, there is no help in this proof, nor strength 2 this argument, we must pray for all, therefore God intends try no good conclusion, though from his command e most certain. The Lord hath given forth his word and pro's servants so preaching the gospel to all; so praying for all where they came; ith confidence in both; Matt. xxviii. x. 6. Isa. liv. 17.' ith his people, whether preachwill and their own duty, is as 's nothing for universal remore evident? AND PLACES OF SCRIPTURE OPENED. 517 rist commanded his apostles to th; Isa. xliv. 26. lxi. 8. 1 Tim. i. 12.' preach ons and xvi. 6, 7. warning them is also true, that in en all over the 's did beseech men ey were for the ends ewry; hat performed and made le, upon some of all wing them mercy mselves, but all eby; Acts ii. im. i. 13-17.' already made good all and every man, and y and undeniably confirmed ., affirming only that he hath . all sorts, and all sorts of sinners, sort (as are the remainder of his elect, ..t be induced to believe, ye have evidently own cause, and established that of your adshewing how the Lord in the event declareth on e, saving in the blood of Jesus, only some of all sorts, ney affirm; not all and every one, which your tenet .eads you to. Proof 13. The blessing of life hath streamed in this doctrine of the love of God to mankind, yea, in the tender and spiritual discovery of the grace of God to mankind (in the ransom given, and atonement made, by Christ for all men, with the fruits thereof), hath God in the first place overcome his chosen ones to believe and turn to God; Acts xiii. 48. Titus ii. 11. 13. iii. 4, 5.’ Ans. First, That the freedom of God's grace, and the transcendency of his eternal love towards man, with the sending of his Son to die for them, to recover them to himself from sin and Satan, is a most effectual motive, and (when set on by the Spirit of grace) a most certain operative principle of these had need be well proved themselves, or they will conclude the thing intended very weakly. Proof 10. The Lord willeth believers to pray even for the unjust and their persecutors; Matt. v. 44. 48. Luke vi. 28. Yea, even for all men; yea, even for kings and all in authority, when few in authority loved Christianity; yet he said, not some of that sort, but for all in authority, and that on this ground: it is good in the sight of God, who will have all men saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth; Luke x. 5. 1 Tim. ii. 1. 4. Surely there is a door of life opened for all men; 2 Tim. i. 10. For God hath not said to the seed of Israel, seek ye me in vain; Isa. xliv. 19. He will not have his children pray for vain things.' Ans. The strength of this proof lieth in supposing: First, That indefinite assertions are to be interpreted as equivalent to universal, which is false; Rom. iv. 5. Secondly, That by all, 1 Tim. ii. 1. is not meant all sorts of men, and the word all not to be taken distributively, when the apostle, by an enumeration of divers sorts, gives an evident demonstration of the distribution intended. Thirdly, That we are bound to pray for every singular man that he may be saved; which, 1. We have no warrant, rule, precept, or example for. 2. It is contrary to the apostolical precept; 1 John v. 16. 3. To our Saviour's example; John xvii. 9. 4. To the counsel and purpose of God in the general made known to us; Rom. ix. 11, 12. 15. xi. 7. where evidently our praying for all, is but for all sorts of men, excluding none, and that those may believe, who are ordained to eternal life. Fourthly, It supposeth, that there is nothing else that we are to pray for men, but that they may be saved by Christ, which is apparently false; Jer. xxix. 7. Fifthly, That our ground of praying for any, is an assurance that Christ died for them in particular, which is not true; Acts viii. 22. 24. Sixthly, It most splendidly takes for granted, that our duty is to be conformed to God's secret mind, his purpose and counsel. Until every one of these supposals be made good, which never a one of them will be very suddenly, there is no help in this proof, nor strength in this argument, we must pray for all, therefore God intends by the death of Christ to save all and every one, its sophistry and weakness being apparent; from our duty to God's purpose is no good conclusion, though from his command to our duty be most certain. Proof 11. The Lord hath given forth his word and promise to be with his servants so preaching the gospel to all; and with his people so praying for all where they came; that they may go on with confidence in both; Matt. xxviii. 20. 1 Tim. ii. 3. 8. Luke x. 6. Isa. liv. 17.' Ans. That God will be with his people, whether preaching or praying, according to his will and their own duty, is as apparent, as it is that this makes nothing for universal redemption; than which what can be more evident? Proof 12. 'The Lord hath already performed and made good his word to his servants and people, upon some of all sorts of men, and all sorts of sinners; shewing them mercy to the very end, that none might exclude themselves, but all be encouraged to repent, believe, and hope thereby; Acts ii. iii. viii-xi. xvi. xix. 28. 1 Cor. vi. 10, 11. 1 Tim. i. 13-17.' Ans. If ye had told us, that God had already made good his word to his servants, in saving all and every man, and proved it clearly, ye had evidently and undeniably confirmed the main opinion; but now, affirming only that he hath shewed mercy to some of all sorts, and all sorts of sinners, that others of the like sort (as are the remainder of his elect, yet uncalled) might be induced to believe, ye have evidently betrayed your own cause, and established that of your adversaries; shewing how the Lord in the event declareth on their side, saving in the blood of Jesus, only some of all sorts, as they affirm; not all and every one, which your tenet leads you to. Proof 13. The blessing of life hath streamed in this doctrine of the love of God to mankind, yea, in the tender and spiritual discovery of the grace of God to mankind (in the ransom given, and atonement made, by Christ for all men, with the fruits thereof), hath God in the first place overcome his chosen ones to believe and turn to God; Acts xiii. 48. Titus ii. 11. 13. iii. 4, 5.' Ans. First, That the freedom of God's grace, and the transcendency of his eternal love towards man, with the sending of his Son to die for them, to recover them to himself from sin and Satan, is a most effectual motive, and (when set on by the Spirit of grace) a most certain operative principle of the conversion of God's elect, we most willingly acknowledge; it is that wherein our hearts rejoice,' whereby they were endeared, and for which we desire to return thankful obedience every moment; but that ever this was effectual, extending this love to all, or at least that any effectualness is in that aggravation of it, we utterly deny: and that, first, because it is false, and a corrupting of the word of God, as hath been shewed; and of a lie there can be no good consequence. 2. It quite enervates and plucks out the efficacy of this heavenly motive, by turning the most intense and incomparable love of God towards his elect into a common desire, wishing, and affection of his nature (which indeed is opposite to his nature), failing of its end and purpose, which might consist with the eternal destruction of all mankind, as I shall abundantly demonstrate, if Providence call me to the other part of this controversy concerning the cause of sending Jesus Christ. 3. There is nothing of this common love to all in the places urged; for, first, The grace mentioned, Tit. ii. 11. 13. is the grace that certainly brings salvation, which that common love doth not, and was the cause of sending Christ' that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works;' where our redemption and sanctification is asserted to be the immediate end of the oblation of Jesus Christ, which how destructive it is to universal redemption hath been formerly declared. 2. So also is that love and kindness mentioned, chap. iii. 4, 5. such as by which we receive the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; ver. 5. justification and adoption to heirship of eternal life; ver. 7. which, whether it be a common or a peculiar love, let all men judge. 3. Acts xiii. 47. (for ver. 48. there cited, contains a clear restriction of this love of God to his elect, as can be desired) sets out the extent of the mercy of God in Christ, through the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles also, and not only to the Jews, as was foretold by Isa. xlix. 6. which is far enough from giving any colour to the universality of grace, it being nothing but the same affirmation which ye have John xi. 52. of gathering together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Proof 14. Those that when the gospel comes and any spiritual light therein to them, when they refuse to believe, |