In the New Testament, every expression which can denote Universality is applied to the merits and sacrifice of Christ: at the birth of our Saviour, the Angel of the Lord declared to the shepherds, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people (c).” The aged and devout Simeon, when supernaturally guided to the Temple, in the spirit of prophecy, pronounced the infant Jesus to be the "Salvation of God, prepared before the face of all people (d); " and John the Baptist, under the same divine influence, called him, before he entered upon his ministry, "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (e)." Christ denominated himself "the Son of Man," as bearing in his mediatorial capacity an equal relation to the whole human race; and in allusion to the nature and efficacy of his death, he said, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me (f)." St. John, in his Gospel, says, that Christ is "the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world (g);" and that he is "the Saviour of the world (h);" and, in writing to his Christian brethren, he says, "Christ is the propitiation " (c) Luke, c. 2. v. 10. (e) John, c. I. v. 29. (g) John, c. 1. v. 9. for (d) Luke, c. 2. v. 30 & 31. for our sins and not for ours only," that is, not for the sins of us Christians only, "but also for the sins of the whole world (i).' St. Peter says, "that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (k).” St. Paul tells us, that "God will have all men to be saved ();" that he is "the Saviour of all men (m);" and that "the grace of God, that bringeth Salvation, hath appeared to all men (n);" and he further says, that "Christ, by the grace of God tasted death for every man (o);" that he " gave himself a ransom for all (p); and "died for all (q).” To these plain and positive declarations we may add the train of reasoning pursued by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans. The Apostle first takes a comprehensive view of the conduct and (i) I John, c. 2. v. 2. (1) 1 Tim. c. 2. v. 4. (k) 2 Pet. c. 3. v. 9. (n) Tit. c. 2. v. II. This passage is stronger in the original than in our translation, Ἐπεφάνη ἡ χάρις τ8 Θε ἡ σωτήρι πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ; it should have been translated, "the grace of God, which bringeth (or offereth) Salvation to all men, hath appeared." Mr. Wakefield gives this construction in his Silva Critica, and supports it by two passages from the Orestes of Euripides; he might have added a third from the Orestes, ao awrnpia, and a fourth from the Phoenissæ, de y owτhpiov. There are other instances of the same construction in Euripides. (0) Heb. c. 2. v. 9. (p) 1 Tim. c. 2. v. 6. (q) 2 Cor. c. 5. v. 15. and condition of men under the different dispensations of Providence; he shews, as was observed in the last Chapter, that all mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, were under sin, and liable to the wrath of God; and therefore that as all had sinned, all required to be redeemed from the penalty of sin. And to prove that peace with God was now obtained for the whole human species, through the precious blood of Christ, he represents Adam as "the figure of him that was to come (r)," that is, a type of Christ: he then describes the analogy between the first and second Adam, by declaring that the former brought death upon all men, and the latter restored all to life; that universal sin and condemnation were the consequence of Adam's disobedience, and universal righteousness and pardon the effect of Christ's obedience, As by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condeinnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men to justification of life; for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous (s)." The sin of Adam and the merits of Christ are here pronounced to be co-extensive; the words applied to both are precisely the same; "Judgement came upon all men," (r) Rom. c. 5. v. 14. (s) Rom. c. 5. v. 18 & 19. men, "the free gift came upon all men""Many were made sinners," "Many were made righteous. "Whatever the words "all men men" and "many" signify, when applied to Adam, they must signify the same when applied to Christ. It is admitted, that in the former case the whole human race is meant; and consequently in the latter case the whole human race is also meant. The force of the argument is destroyed, and the most acknowledged rules of language are violated, by so interpreting this passage, as to contend, that all men are liable to punishment on account of the sin of Adam, and that a few only are enabled to avoid that punishment through the death of Christ. Nay, we are even told, that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound(s):" but how can this be, if sin extends to all, and grace is confined to a part only of mankind? Salvation was offered to the whole Jewish nation, without any discrimination, though it is certain that many of them rejected the offer: "Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this Salvation sent; ... Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto (s) Rom. c. 5. v. 20. you you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses (t)." When some of the Jews asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" he answered, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent (u). If God had decreed that the Jews should not believe, it could not have been said, that it was his work, that they should believe on him whom he hath sent. Upon another occasion Christ declared to them, "These things I say, that ye might be saved (x):" How could Christ endeavour to promote the Salvation of men, in opposition to the decree of his Father, whose will he came down from heaven to fulfil? “ Why do ye not understand my speech?... And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me (y)?" which questions imply, that the Jews had a power of understanding and believing, and cannot be reconciled with the doctrine of a divine decree, rendering their conversion impossible. And the exhortations of the Apostles, after the ascension of our Saviour, speak the same language: "Repent ye, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out... Unto you first, God having raised (t) Acts, c. 13. v. 26, 38 & 39. up (u) John, c. 6. v. 28 & 29. (*) John, c. 5. v. 34. (y) John, c. 8. v.43 & 46. |