(Eph. iii. 9), appears to me, evidently, to be the same as the Gentiles (ver. 8). So Titus ii. 11: The grace of God which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, &c. Here also the expression, all men, seems to be used in reference, not to individuals, but to the preaching of the Gospel of grace among the Gentiles, as well as the Jews. [Note EE.]

Thus

[EE] It was from interpreting such expressions as those noticed above, in reference to individuals, that I formerly believed that Christ died for every human being. I now, however, conceive, that when these expressions occur in passages which refer to the atonement, they are to be understood, not in reference to individuals, as signify ing every individual of the human species; but in reference to nations, as signifying persons of various nations, by way of contradistinction to the one nation, the Jews. Thus (John i. 29) John the Baptist said to his disciples, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. I conceive a contrast is implied between the lambs provided by men under the ceremonial law, and which had respect to the sins of only one nation, the Jews; and between Christ, who, as the Lamb of God, was fore-ordained by him before the foundation of the world (1 Pet. ii. 19, 20), and whose sacrifice extends to all nations. So Rom. v. 18, 19, as compared with the reference made to the law in vers. 13, 14, appears to me to signify the same. also, in 2 Cor. v. 19, the world appears to be used in reference to the reconciliation of the Gentiles. Paul himself had formerly known Christ after the flesh (ver. 16), which, I conceive, signifies that he had made a distinction between Jew and Gentile, by preaching only to the Jews, of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came (Rom. ix. 5). But now, after he had been expressly set apart by the Holy Ghost, and sent forth to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts xiii. 1-4), he no longer knew Christ after the flesh, no longer adhered to this distinction in his preaching, but invited Gentiles as well as Jews to be reconciled to God in and through Christ (ver. 20). So also in 1 Tim. ii. 1, 4, 6, I conceive the term, all men, to be used in reference to the Gentiles (compare ver. 7). The first object of the passage seems to me to exhort Timothy and other Jewish converts to pray for their Gentile rulers and magistrates (vers. 1, 2); and (ver. 8) to lay aside both those doubtings and distinctions, which their prejudices would lead them to entertain against praying for any except their own nation; and also that wrath, which the oppressions of their heathen governors might produce in their minds, and which would make them unwilling to pray for the heathen kings and rulers (ver. 2), by whom they were then governed. And this appears to me to be enforced in vers. 5, 6, by the consideration that there is only one God, and one Mediator, and one ransom, whether for Jew or Gentile; a testimony to which was now openly borne in the Gospel, in consequence of the Lord's own, or the due times (xapos idios) being come for making this openly known, and for which purpose the Apostle was sent to preach to the Gentiles, ver. 7. I make these observations, however, merely for the reader's consideration upon this subject.

I have made these observations, in order to bring before the reader my reasons for no longer entertaining the same opinion as formerly, that the Scriptures foretell a time when every human being will know the Lord. I felt convinced, even then, that these prophecies must have been already fulfilled in some sense. As, however, that was not the sense in which I understood such terms as the world, all flesh, all men, &c. which I interpreted with reference to individuals, as implying every indivi dual of the human race; so I used to imagine there must be two fulfilments of the same kind: the one incipient, which they received at that time; the other complete, which was still future. Thus, when Christ says, I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me, I conceived that this had an incipient fulfilment in great numbers having been brought to believe in him after his death; and that it would hereafter have a second fulfilment, by every individual of the human race being converted. So with regard to Acts ii. 17, I conceived, from the declaration in ver. 16, that this prophecy received an incipient fulfilment by the Spirit being poured out at that time upon a great number of persons. As, however, this did not come up to my idea of the term, all flesh, I concluded that it was hereafter to receive a second and complete fulfilment, by the Spirit being poured out upon every individual of the human race. Such a view, however, now appears to me to be erroneous; not merely because I feel convinced that the Holy Ghost has pointed out that these prophecies are not to be understood in reference to the number of individuals, but in reference to the number of nations; but also because what I have described as the incipient fulfilment, appears to me to be, in effect, no fulfilment at all. The terms all men, all flesh, &c. if interpreted with respect to the number of individuals, cannot, I conceive, have two meanings; namely, some of all men, and all of all men; some of all flesh, and all of all flesh. And yet the idea of two fulfilments of the same kind, the one incipient, the other complete, does in effect involve two such meanings. For, if we interpret Christ's drawing all men to him, in reference to individuals, the term all men, in the incipient fulfilment, can only signify some of all men, or a great number of all men; but in the complete fulfilment it would

have (not the same, but) a different meaning; namely, literally, all men. I now, however, conceive, that the same terms, all flesh, all men, &c. cannot be used in two different senses of the same kind, and that they can only have one meaning in reference to individuals; namely, every human being. Consequently, what is called an incipient fulfilment in this sense, appears to me no fulfilment at all. I use the term, the same kind, because I feel assured that the same terms in the same prophecy may be understood in different senses, if they are not of the same kind; such as the one sense literal, the other figurative: as appears to me to be the case by comparing Isai. xlii. 1-3 with Matt. xii. 15-21; Isai. liii. 4 with Matt. viii. 17 and 1 Pet. ii. 24; Hos. xi. 1 with Matt. ii. 15; Jer. xxxi. 15 with Matt. ii. 17, 18. And while, on the one hand, the Holy Ghost appears to me to point out that the terms all men and all flesh in these prophecies refer to the extension in the number of nations, rather than in the number of individuals; on the other hand, the only ground that I can discover for expecting that there will be a second or complete fulfilment of them in reference to the number of individuals, is, not any declaration of Scripture that there are two fulfilments of this kind signified, but the sense which we ourselves annex to the terms all flesh, all men, &c. which we meet with in Scripture. Upon the whole, therefore, I conceive that these prophecies will not receive another fulfilment in reference to the number of individuals; and that they do not imply that every human being will know the Lord, and that his Spirit will, at some future time, be poured out upon all flesh, in the sense of every individual of the human race, on the following grounds :First, Because the Holy Ghost has indicated that these prophecies were fulfilled at the period of Christ's first coming; and the fulfilment which then took place was, I conceive, the extension of the Gospel among the Gentiles. Secondly, Because some parts of the context in each of these prophecies, as I have endeavoured to shew, contain allusions to the calling in of the Gentiles, and are quoted in the New Testament with especial reference to that subject. Thirdly, Because to interpret the terms all flesh, and the whole earth, in these prophecies, with reference to every individual of the

human race, as foretelling the future conversion of every human being, appears to me liable to the following objections: (1) It puts a different sense upon these expressions from that which the Holy Ghost has, I conceive, given to them, and refers them to individuals, whereas he appears to me to refer them to nations (2) It would leave these prophecies entirely unfulfilled to the present day; because, in the sense assigned to these terms by this interpretation, as denoting every individual of the human race, they never have been fulfilled, though eighteen hundred years have passed away: (3) Because such an idea appears to me to rest upon no other foundation than that we affix our own sense to the words all flesh, all the earth, all the ends of the earth, &c. and make this the ground of our interpretation, in opposition to the different sense which the Scriptures themselves appear to me to give us of these words. Fourthly, Because I find similar terms, such as the world, the whole world, all men, &c. occurring in the New Testament with reference, as it appears to me, to the very same subject; namely, the calling in and salvation of the Gentiles. On these grounds, therefore, I do not conceive that these prophecies foretell any future period when the Lord will pour out his Spirit upon every human being, and bring every one to know him, and see his saving glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

While, therefore, I no longer understand these passages as I formerly did, to imply that there will be any such period, the considerations, which I have brought before the reader in the early part of this chapter, appear to me to shew that there will not be any such period of universal holiness; but that, whatever increase the church of Christ may yet receive, the world in general will remain, as it did before the Flood, carnal, careless, and secure in a false peace, until the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night. With a sincere prayer that all who read this little work, may be, not the children of darkness, but the children of light (1 Thess.iv. 1—10), I close this chapter.

CHAPTER V.

CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTER.

General observations respecting the view brought before the reader in this chapter. Suggestions respecting the translation of ver. 4. An outline of the view which the Author conceives may be intended in the passage, and the various considerations brought forward, upon which it is grounded. Some suggestions, as to the possible fulfilment of the prophecy respecting the first resurrection. The Author's view respecting the second resurrection. Observa

tions relative to the binding of Satan, the resurrection of the two witnesses, the seventh trumpet, and the seven vials.

CONTENTS OF THE NOTES.

FF. On Rev. v. 10.-GG. On the translation of Rev. x. 6.—HH. On Rev. ii. 20.-II. On Rev. xx. 9.-KK. On the seven vials.

IN the preceding chapters I have endeavoured to lay before the reader those reasons which convince my own mind, that the first resurrection does not signify either that of the saints at the second coming of Christ, or an universal spiritual resurrection, in consequence of which every human being will be renewed after the image of God, during the period of a thousand years. I would now proceed to suggest some considerations respecting this prophecy which have occurred to me as my attention has been more particularly called to the different parts of the chapter. I cannot, however, do this without entreating the reader to bear in mind the following observations respecting the view of the subject which I now bring before him. First, I see in the passage itself such objections to either of the above interpretations, as lead me to conceive they cannot be right. Secondly, Whatever I propose is merely in the way of suggestion. The view I bring before him has its difficulties even in my own mind; but they appear to myself to be fewer than those which exist against the others; and a consideration of other Scriptures leads me, upon the whole, to conceive that such may be the real meaning of the passage. Did I not believe this, I would not advance any thing further upon the subject; for my object is not to set up any view of my own, but to endeavour, however