Refurrection, which he extends to all Men, tho' not to all at firft, but each in their Order, and that making alive would be fmall Comfort, if it' were only a raifing them to Judgment, looks on it as fo harsh a Confequence, that Chrift fhould die in vain, that he makes an Argument of it: And I confefs it is fo harfh an Hypothefis, that Chrift fhould give himself a Ransom for all, and that neither firft nor laft, the greatest part of Men fhould have the Fruit of it, that is, be fet free by it, that without better Reafon than I yet fee, I cannot admit it. He that forbids Ifrael to detain the Wages of the Hireling paft the end of the Day, will not furely deny Chrift the Price of his Blood: But before he give up the Kingdom, which is the end of his Day, as Mediator, he fhall fee the full Travail of his Soul, and be fatisfied. So that here we fee Man Indefinitely defigned for the Advantages of this Mediation, which is inftituted between God and Man, not between God and the Elect, but between God and Man, now an Indefinite is equal to an Univerfal. Then,

4. We fee in executing this Mediation, Chrift gave himself a Ranfom for all, not reftraining it to a part.

There are Two more Particulars which lie couched in this Text.

1. That this Ranfom is that which all Men have à Share and Intereft in; for he gave himself, who was a public Perfon, that took the Nature of Man; in which all Men have joint Intereft; not the Perfon of any Man, not the Propriety of any Man; fo that it was the Life of the World that was offered up in Sacrifice, the Life of Man in the Perfon of the Son of God, enobled and made valuable by the Union, to be a Ranfom for all Men ; therefore, faith the Apoftle, if one died for all, then were all dead; they were dead criminally in Adam, they were dead penally in Chrift, elfe how could

Believers

Believers reckon themselves dead in him, if his Death were not their Death, Sacramentally, as I may fay, and fo the Death of all, though all receive it not, apprehend it not: Therefore Christ faith, The Bread which I will give is my Flesh, which I will give for the Life of the World.

2. The fecond thing is the Effect of this Tranfaction, and gave himself a Ranfom for all; which is an Advantage and Benefit fo large, fo extenfive, as is too great for the prefent Faith of Men: Therefore it is faid to be a Teftimony for its proper Times or Seafons, and what is the meaning of that? but although this Extent of the Ranfom appear not now, and fo the Teftimony of it cannot be received, which may be the Reason why we have been fo dark in it, yet there fhall be Times wherein it fhall appear; and then, as is faid of the Vifion, it fhall be made plain upon Tables, that he may run that reads it, in the mean time it is a Mystery fealed up with a Seal of Secrecy, as that which the Seven Thunders uttered was, till the founding of the Seven Trumpets; and as the Vifion of Christ's Glory in the Mount of Transfiguration, which was enjoined to be told to no Man till Chrift fhould be rifen from the Dead, because Chrift was yet in a State of Humiliation: So the World is yet in an unreconciled State, and the Time for this Reconciliation to operate upon all, is not yet come, but only upon the Elect, the reft as we fhall fee will follow in their Order.

མ་ར་

CHAP V.

An Argument from 1 Tim. iv. ro. God a Saviour of all, but in a more especial Manner of them that Believe the Gof

pel.

M

Y fecond Proof is from i Tim. iv. 1o. where God is faid to be the Saviour of all Men, especially of them that believe. The Words are thefe; For therefore we both labour and fuffer Reproach because we truft in the Living God, who is the Saviour of all Men, &c. I thought to have paft by this Scripture, for that it may be apprehended to refer only to Temporal Salvation, but the Context carries it further, for ver. viii. he speaks of the Promife of this Life, and that which is to come, which is annexed to Godliness, and then ver. ix. faith, This is a faithful Saying, and worthy of all Acceptation, which is the fame Eulogy that he ufhers in the Gospel with, Chap. i. 15. This a Faithful Saying, and worthy of all Acceptation, That Jefus Chrift came into the World to fave Sinners, whereaf I am Chiefs where undoubtedly he speaks of Eternal Salvation. The Queftion is, what this disa imports, chiefly of them that believe; wherein it is, that fome, even thofe that believe, have the Advantage of the reft of Men. Before we look farther, let us take what the Place affords : We read, ver. 8. that Godlinefs hath the Promise of this Life, and of that which is to come; this is the Advantage of Believers above other Men that are faved which is commonly taken for the Advantages of this World, but without Ground; for the Text contradicts this Exception; for then what means the Labour of the Apoftles, and their fuf

fering Reproach if they had the Promife of this Life in that Senfe? it was a Promife not performed to them who yet were eminent in Godliness; therefore the Promife of the Life (now) is fuch as Chrift promifes to them that forfake Father and Mother, House and Lands for his fake, that they fhall have an hundred fold in the prefent time with Perfecution. This hundred fold with Perfecution is in the Spirit, and can be no otherwife, Mark x. 30. This Promife they that believe not are deprived of, which is fufficient to ground that difference which the Greek Word sa imports, in God's being the Saviour chiefly of them that believe that he is their Saviour.

They have the Promife of the Life that now is, the others muft ftay for it; but they that believe are faved already, as Unbelievers are condemned already, John iii. 18. yet God is the Saviour of all Men; how this is, cannot be better expreft than by the Apoftle, I Cor. xv. 22. where he fpeaking of the Refurrection, As in Adam all die, fo in Chrift Thall all be made alive, but every one in his own Order, Chrift the, Firft-Fruits, afterwards they that are Chrift's at his coming, then cometh the End. Where we have three Seafons in which the Refurrection is accomplished: Firft in the rifing of Chrift the First Fruits of the Elect or Believers Secondly in the Refurrection of Belièvers; that are, as James faith, a kind of Firft- Fruits of his Creatures. Then,

Thirdly and Laftly, in the Refurrection of the reft of Men, for fo and in this Order fhall the Refurrection proceed: The dead in Christ shall Rife firft, and those that fleep in Jefus fhall God bring with him, not all the dead, but thofe that fleep in Jefus, fo that great is the Odds for Believers above other Men, for they are faved in the prefent Time, or have the Promife of the Life that now is; that Life in the Spirit which is an hundred-fold beyond all the Pleasures of Sin, or

bare

bare Temporal Enjoyments of natural Men. Then when they die they fleep in Jefus, in his Bofom, until the Resurrection; not that their Souls fleep, or are fealed up in an Inactivity, as their Bodies in their Graves; but they reft fweetly, as in the sweeteft Sleep from all that molefted them here, both Sin and Sorrow, and are with Chrift in Paradife.

And then Thirdly, at Chrift's coming their Bodies are raised too, and they enjoy the Kingdom with him during his whole Reign, which the reft of Men are excluded from, being not raised, as the Creation is not delivered till the Sons of God are manifefted, Rom. viii. 19, 21, but answerably in a way of Oppofition and Contradiftinction; the reft of Men they are dead while they live, they go to Hell when they die, and are not faved or made alive till Chrift's Kingdom on Earth hath its Accomplishment, which is called the End; Then cometh the End, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father.

From all that hath been faid, it appears, that this Term pása is not quiefcent, idle, or infignificant, but importing a great Difference between Believers and others; yet not excluding the reft altogether, or for ever from Salvation; nay, it ftrongly implies the contrary, it implies, that all are or must be faved in one degree or another, at one Time or another."

CHAP.

VI.

Several Objections against this Hypothefis anfwered.

B

UT this Truth (if foit fhall prove after all confidered that may be alledged in the Cafe) will pass the more current when we fhall have folved all

those