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Nay, the mission of Christ is founded in that donation. "And this is the Father's will who hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose none, but should raise it up again at the last day." Had there not been a fixed number contemplated by God when he appointed Christ to die, then the effects of Christ's death would have been uncertain, and the mystery of our redemption might have been rendered utterly vain and fruitless, by the perverseness of man, in refusing to accept it.

Though in Eph. v. 25. and Tit. ii. 14. it is not expressly said that Christ gave himself for none others but his church and people, yet, from the expressions used in these passages, and from the nature of the thing, it is clearly deducible that his offering of himself was so restricted. Because, the giving of himself, which the apostle describes, arises from the love of Christ towards his church as his spouse, and such a love necessarily excludes a similar love to others. In the preceding verse the apostle gives this commandment, "husbands love your wives." Now, though the apostle does not add "let your love of women be confined to your wives," yet all will acknowledge that such a restriction is necessarily implied in the apostle's command. Who would hear, without indignation, the adulterer plead thus in vindication of his crime," It is indeed said, husbands love your wives, but it is not said, love those alone!" The giving of himself which is here attributed to Christ, is one which has for its object the sanctification of his church, and its salvation: both the procurement and application of salvation, which belong to the elect, and to the elect only. Since he delivered himself up for none except for this purpose, how can he be said to have delivered himself for those who will not attain to that end?

In vain is it objected to the passages quoted, from Matthew's gospel, and from the epistle to the Hebrews, "that many is not opposed to all, but to one or a few, as is done Rom. v, 19. and Daniel xii. 1. and that many is often put for

* John vi. 39.

+ Matt. xx. 28. and xxvi. 28. Heb. ix. 28.

all." The many of which the apostle and the evangelist treat, are described by such characters as cannot be applied to all men of all nations. For, of the many here spoken of, it is said, "that he gave himself a ransom," or actually substituted himself in their room,-that he shed his blood for the remission of their sins, and “that he offered himself to bear the sins of many,” i. e. that their sins might be through his atoning sacrifice really taken away. Though many is sometimes opposed to one or a few, yet it is not necessary on that account, to understand it so in these passages, for it is often used when all cannot be included. Hiero, in his comment on Matthew xx. says, "The evangelist does not say that Christ gave himself for all, but for many, i. e. for all those who would believe, (who are none other than the elect in whom God works, both to will and to do,*) for many, not for all; but for those only who were predestinated to life."

2. We farther agree in favour of restricting the atonement to a limited and definite number, from the destination of Christ to the mediatorial office. He was destined to die for those only who were given him by the Father. All men universally were not given to Christ, but a limited number only. When, in the council of the Father, which regulated Christ's death, and defined its object, not only Christ was set apart as Mediator, but also those for whose redemption and salvation he was to suffer; it is plain that he could die for those only who were, in this sense given him. Here we may remark a twofold donation. One of Christ to men, another of men to Christ. Christ was given to men for the purpose of saving them, and men to Christ, that through him they might be saved. The former is referred to in Isa. ix. 6., and xlix. 6. as well as in all those places, in which he is said to be given and sent to us; the latter is alluded to in the places where mention is made of those given to Christ; as in John xvii. 2. 6. 12. and vi. 37. Seeing this twofold

*These words in the parenthesis are interlined as a glossary on this passage of Hiero's book.

giving is reciprocal, each of them must be of the same extent, so that Christ is given for none others, but those who are given to him, and all those are given to Christ for whom he is given. Now, it is abundantly plain, that some men only, and not all men were given to Christ. This is asserted in many texts of scripture, where those who are given to him are distinguished from other men.* "Thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he might give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.—I have manifested thy name unto the men whom thou hast given me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them me." Christ designates those whom the Father gave him by such phrases as these, the people whom he foreknew,t heirs and children of promise, the seed of Abraham, not carnal but spiritual, both of the Jews and Gentiles, his people and body, the church, vessels of mercy, prepared to glory,¶ elect, chosen in Christ, and predestinated to the adoption of sons, and to conformity to his image,** and the posterity of the second Adam, all of whom are to be quickened in Christ, in opposition to the posterity of the first Adam, in whom all die.tt From all which it appears, that Christ was not given for all of all nations, but for a limited number only.

To no purpose will our opponents reply, that " the giving of Christ was conditional, not absolute-that the condition was that all who would by faith receive the offered salvation, should be made partakers of it, which was not to be the case with all, and hence, it is not surprising that they derive no advantage from it." This is a begging of the question; it is without foundation in scripture, which no where mentions such a conditional giving of Christ. Though faith is proposed as a means and condition necessary to the reception of Christ, and the enjoyment of the blessings of

*John xvii. 2, 6.
Rom. ix.
Matt. i. 25.

**Rom. ix. 24.

† Rom. xi. 2.
Rom. i. 4. 13.
Rom. ix. 24.

tt 1 Cor. xv. 22, 23.

fered in the gospel, yet, it does not follow, that it was a condition to the giving of Christ, since faith itself is a gift of grace, and one of the fruits of Christ's being delivered up for sinners. Further, if the giving of Christ rested upon any condition, the condition must either depend on God or upon. man. The latter of these can be affirmed by none but a Pelagian;* if the former be affirmed, then the opinion embraced by our opponents will be, that Christ is said to be given to us as a Saviour by God on these terms, that he will bestow him on us, on condition of his working faith in us, which faith however, he will not give, though he alone is able to give it. How glaring an absurdity!

The doctrine for which we here contend, is farther con firmed from the connection of that twofold relation to us, which Christ sustains, the relation of a surety, and the relation of a head. He is our surety, that he may acquire salvation for us, by rendering to justice that satisfaction which it demands. He is our head, in order to apply this salvation to us, by working in us faith and repentance, through the effectual operations of his Holy Spirit upon our hearts. Hence, as he is not given as a head to all men, but to his members only, or, which is the same thing, to the elect, who are actually to partake of salvation, he cannot be the surety or sponsor of any other than these. Of whomsoever he is the surety, he is also the head. The one cannot be extended farther than the other. The same doctrine is proved from the connection between the death and resurrection of Christ, in which also there is a twofold relation. Since he died as surety, he must rise as head, as the reason for his death and resurrection are the same; nor can any reason be given, why the ground of the one should be more extensive than that of the other. Hence it is, that the apostle Paul speaks of these as being equal in efficacy and extent: "Christ died for our sins, and rose again for our justification." "That he died for all, that they which live, should not live unto themselves, but unto him who died for

* It is not now affirmed by the Hopkinsians.

+ Rom. iv. 25.

them, and rose again."* Hence it cannot be said, that he died for any others than those for whom he rose, because no one will be a partaker of the fruits of Christ's death, unless by his resurrection. But that he did not rise as a head to confer salvation upon all, is a truth incontrovertible.

The same doctrine is established by the connection between the atonement, and the intercession of Christ. As they are both parts of his priestly office, they must be of the same extent, so that for all for whom he made satisfaction, he should also intercede, and not make atonement for those who will never have a place in his intercession. The object of his propitiation and of his appearance in the presence of God ought to be one. The apostles Paul and John represent their connection as indissoluble. That he does not intercede for all but only for those who are given him by the Father, Christ himself expressly declares;t" I pray not for the world but for those whom thou hast given me out of the world." When it is so much more easy to pray for any one than to lay down life for them, will any one say that Christ would die for those for whom he would not pray? Will they say that at the very moment before his death he would refuse his prayers on behalf of those for whom he is just about to shed his blood? Those who assert that Christ died for all men of all nations must say so, or otherwise that in consequence of the atonement all men shall be made partakers of life, and a blessed immortality; for the Father always hears Christ. If he prays for all, all will be saved.

The objection which the Remonstrants, or Arminian's offer, is frivolous, "that there is a twofold intercession of Christ, one universal, which is made for the whole world, of which intercession Isaiah speaks in the fifty-third chapter, and twelfth verse of his prophecy, and agreeably to which he is said to have prayed for his murderers; another particular which is made for believers only, which is spoken of, John ix. and Rom. viii." I answer that the objection rests not on any foundation, either in scripture or reason. As was hinted

*

2 Cor. iv. 15.
Luke xxiii. 24.

†1 John ii. 1, 2. Rom. viii. 34.

‡ John xvii. 9.

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