text and so they are read in the old translation and in the margen also of our new translation Here also the greatest difficulty lyeth in the word all They say wee are here to understand it to bee spoken universally concerning persons that is All persons I say we are to understand it generally and under another consideration The words cleared by some reasons That we cannot understand it according to their sence I shall prove from three or four reasons in the words themselves and those depending upon them The first reason is taken from the consideration of the end and power of the death of Christ the death of Christ is of a ransoming redeeming saveing power This is the power of it and this is the end of it Thus he saith himselfe of himselfe Mat. 20.28 The Sonne of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransome for many Those for whom Christ died hee ransometh them from the power of Sathan to God from death to life from captivity to liberty from darknesse to light from sinne to grace by the power of his death So he saith by Peter Ye know that ye were not redeemed Pet. 1.8.19 or ransomed with â—orruptible things but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish and without spot And so it is said Heb. 9.12 By the shedding of his own blood he hath obtained eternall redemption This is the end and power of the shedding of his bloud And so hee saith also in the 15. verse That by meanes of death for the redemption of the transgressions under the first Testament that is This is the end and power of his death to ransome and redeeme us from the transgressions which the first Testament could not redeem us from Now if this be the end and power of his death to ransome redeeme or save if all those for whom he died be ransomed redeemed and saved by the power of his death then by the word all in this place we cannot understand all persons The second reason is taken from the consideration of the nature and force of the word for in this place It signifieth in this place interest or propriety and carrieth the force of an application in it He gaue himself a ransome for all that is He gave himselfe to death for the redemption and salvation of all that is All shall be certainly ransomed redeemed and saved by the power of his death In Matth. 20.28 Christ saith of himselfe The Son of Man came to give his life a ransome for many And Chapter 26.28 This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes And Luke 22.20 He saith This cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you Who will not acknowledge with me that the word for in these Scriptures signifieth interest and propriety and carrieth the force of an application and communication in it that is Many shall certainly and powerfully perfectly be ransomed by the power of my death Many shall certainly and perfectly enjoy remission of all their sins by the shedding of my blood for them So in this place when he saith He gave himselfe a ransome for all It signifieth All shall be certainly ransomed redeemed and saved by the power of his death And therefore this cannot agree to all persons The third reason is taken from the mediation of Christ Those for whom Christ is the ransome he is for them the Mediator also This is manifest from the connexion of these words with the former There is one Mediatour betweene God and men the man Christ Iesus who gave himselfe a ransome for all Whence it is evident that for whomsoever Christ is a ransome he is for them a Mediatour also And indeed his Mediatourship dependeth yea inseperably dependeth upon his giving himselfe to be a ransome as is manifest Heb. 9.15 Now the efficacie of his Mediatorship is to apply unto the hearts and mindes of all those for whom he shed his blood all the grace blessings and promises of the new Covenant for of that he is the Mediatour He writes his lawes in their hearts calles them to God makes them his people gives them remission of sins and the promise of an eternall inheritance Heb 8.6.10.11.12 and 9.14.15 Thus the Mediatourship and ransome do agree in one and inseperably de depend on each other And therefore this cannot agree to all persons Fourthly Because the word all in the 4. verse which hath its dependance upon the 5. and 6. verses cannot be understood to be spoken concerning all personsâ— The words are these following Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth These words are rendred absolutely He will have all men to be saved It is not said All men may or might be saved but he will have all men to be saved Now the will of God is free absolute powerfull righteous and unchangeable whatsoever he doth will he performes allwayes with full power Whence I conclude that if by all men in this place we understand all persons then it will follow that all persons shall certainly powerfully and undoubted be saved because God doth so will it But this is unagreeable to the word of truth Therefore as by all men in this 4. verse we cannot understand all persons neither so can we understand the word all in verse 6. for they depend sweetly and inseparably upon one another But we are to understand it in both places under another consideration The naturall meaning of this Scripture It is observable in another case that the same thing which by Mark. 13.13 and Luke 21.17 is rendred All men is by Mat. 24.9 rendred All nations this explaining those according to the matter in hand that is by all in these places we are to understand all degrees of men but chiefly all nations or kindreds of men not of the Iewes onely but of the Gentiles also According to what is written Is he the God of the Iewes onely is he not also of the Gentiles yes of the Gentiles also Rom. 3.29 This interpretation of this place as it is agreeable to other Scriptures so to this Scripture it selfe also The which thing is evident from the 7. verse of this chapter for when it is said in the 6. verse He gave himselfe a ransome for all he saith in the next words Whereunto I am appointed a Preacher and an Apostle a Teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity The grace of God by the death of Christ or by the giving of himselfe to be a ransome was now or at this time magnified and manifested unto all nations of the world and now God appointed or commanded his Servants to declare remission of sins and everlasting life to all nations of the world through faith in Christ And hence it is that the giving of himselfe a ransome for all is said to be a
this Scripture to wit That God so loved that uncircumcised forlorn hopelesse far-off people the Nations of the Gentiles the world aliens strangers common and unclean wilde beasts creeping things fowles of the aire so called as standing in opposition to the Jewish Church that he gave his onely begotten Sonne for them that they might certainly besaved throughhim The second glorious mystery held forth in these words is this to wit That the onely way to life everlasting is through beleeving in the Sonne of God This is that rightousnesse which is of faith which stands in opposition to the righteousnesse of the Law The righteousnesse which is of the Law saith on this wise The man which doth these things shall live by them But here is another a new a blessed lesson which the Lord Iesus teacheth Nicodemus is written for our learning to wit That the Son of Man is lifted up that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life We are not to understand beleeving in this Scripture or any other of the like nature to be mentioned as a condition or worke wrought by us but we are to understand it as standing in opposition to working for life and salvation The way to life is not by our workings or our righteousnesse but in receiving the righteousnesse of another to wit of the Lord Jesus through the faith of the operation of God And thus we are to understand all these Scriptures which speak of justification by faith We are not justified and saved by our own working or our own righteousnesse but in receiving the righteousnesse of another through the faith of the operation of God And thus through the helpe of God I have cleared this Scripture from that corrupt sense which they put upon it and have declared the minde of God in it And thus that fore-named Scripture Ioh. 1.29 and this doe agree in one A Seaventh Scripture propounded The 7th Scripture by them is 1 Iohn 2.2 The words are these following And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world In which words that I may declare the minde of God in them he opeing of it and cleare them from that corrupt sense which they put upon them these things are considerable to wit First the propitiation it selfe and that is Iesus Christ the righteous as he is here expressed Secondly The end and benefit of this propitiation and that is here expressed to be for sins that is for the remission of sins Thirdly The persons who are concern'd in the benefit of this propitiation and they are here expressed to be We and the whole world He is the propitiation for our sins and the sins of the whole world But what are we to understand in this place by the whole world They say We are here to understand all persons in the world or every man and woman in the world from first to last And hence they conclude That Jesus Christ the righteous is the propitiation for the sins of all persons in the world from first to last I shall shew the unsoundnesse of this opinion Some reasous to clear thiâ— Scripture and of this interpretation of this Scripture from two or three considerations in the words themselves with these depending upon them First In the very same sense that Jesus Christ the righteous is the propitiation for our sins in the very same sense and in no other hee is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world that is he is the propitiation for fins under one and the same consideration onely Now the holy Spirit teacheth us and it is best to cleave to his testimony Rom. 3.25 That God set forth Jesus Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood The holy Spirit here teacheth us in what sense or under what consideration Jesus Christ is the propitiation or reconciliation for sinnes to wit through faith in his blood that is he is the propitiation for the sins of those and those onely who do beleeve in him for remission of sins And thus we are to understand the word Our in this place of John Iohn 5.3 He is the propitiation for OVR sins that is for us who through his power doe beleeve in him unto righteousnesse For it is well known that John writes here unto beleevers such as beleeved in Christ unto remission of sinnes And in the very same sense wee are to understand that in the fourth chapter of this Epistle verse 10. Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to bee the propitiation for our sinnes that is such or so great is the love of God that he hath given us remission of sinnes and reconciliation with himselfe through faith in the blood of his Sonne To the same purpose also is that in Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son that is through faith in his death as is most plain from the former part of the chapter And verse 11. We joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Wee have received the atonement that is we are reconciled to God through faith in Christ Now then if the holy Spirit witnes that Jesus Christ is the propitiation or reconciliation for sinnes through faith in his blood and no otherwise and that he is no propitiation reconciliation or redemption to any but through faith in his blood only I then conclude that by the whole world in this place we can in no wise understand all persons or every man and woman in the world The second reason is taken from the consideration of the end and benefit of this propitiation and that is here expressed to be for sins that is for the remission of sins Whosoever have a part or interest in this propitiation they have all their sins fully and perfectly remitted to them washed away in his precious blood There is not one person to or for whom Christ is a propitiation or reconciliation but he hath all his sins washed away in his pretious blood and shall certainly be saved Therefore this cannot agree to all persons in the world Thirdly something is to be learned from the connexion of these words with those before-going If any man sin saith he we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world Hence I conclude that all those for or to whom Jesus Christ is the propitiation he is for them an Advocate also And though some do separate between the propitiation and advocation saying That hee is the propitiation for many for whom hee is not an Advocate yet certainly these two are so inseparably linked together that though we must distinguish them yet we must not yea we cannot separate them There is no
advocation without propitiation such a weak empty and beggarly benefit as that it goeth alone without advocation And surely those who doe understandingly know what is the end and benesit of this propitiation and under what consideration Jesus Christ is the propitiation for sinnes to wit through faith in his blood they will acknowledge with me that all those for or to whom Jesus Christ is the propitiation he is for them an Advocate also And how this can agree to all persons or to every person in the world I leave to the consideration of the understanding Reader And having thus farre cleared the words from that corrupt sense it is needfull that I shew what is the true and naturall meaning of them I desire therefore it may be considered that this expression the whole world is diversly taken in Scripture Sometimes for the whole compasse of the earth with the creatures in it So wee are to understand that expression of Elihu in Iob. 34.13 Sometimes for the glory riches and pleasures of this present world So it is taken in Math. 16.26 Mark 8.36 Luke 9.25 Sometimes for the generality of all Nations as standing in opposition to a little or small number amongst them So it is to bee taken in Rev. 12.9.10 and 11. verses compared together And chapt 16.14 1 John 5.19 In these Scriptures the generality of people of all nations of the world as wicked and ungodly doe stand in opposition to the little or small number of beleevers among them Sometimes this expression the whole world is taken for all nations and kindreds of people as standing in opposition to one nation or kindred of people onely So it is taken Matth. 26.13 Mark 14.9 Rom. 1.8 And so wee are to understand that of Mark 16.15 Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospel unto every creature that is Goe yee amongst all nations and kindreds The natual meanâ—ng of the vvords and tongues and people and preach the Gospel to them And thus by the whole world in this place of Iohn we are to understand all nations kindreds of the world as standing in opposition to one corner or one part or one nation of the world onely This then is the meaning to wit Iesus Christ the righteous who is our advocate with the Father he is the propitiation or reconciliation for our sinnes It is well knowne that Iohn did nextly vvrite unto the beleevers amongst the Ievvs A tvvofold mystery in the vvords who amongst the Jewish nation doe beleeve in him unto righteousnesse and not for ours onely but also he is the propitiation or reconciliation for the sinnes of those who amongst all nations of the whole world do and shall hereafter beleeve in him unto righteousnesse The words thus considered doe hold forth unto us a two-fold glorious mystery to wit First That there is no remission of sinnes reconciliation or redemption but onely through faith in the blood of Christ which cleanseth us from all sinne This is the meaning of that place in Rom. 3.25 God hath set forth his Son to be a propitiation through faith in his blood And so it stands in opposition to the Law of works which saith on this wise The man that doth these things shall live by them This indeed is a glorious mystery which is the summe of the Gospel Jesus Christ is the propitiation or reconciliation through faith in his blood Neither is there any remission of sins reconciliation or redemption but onely through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ Secondly that the grace of God by the death of Christ is more abundantly enlarged and stretched forth then in former ages and generations Untill the death of Christ that which was revealed which was in figures and shadowes was limited and bounded unto the Jewish nation onely as it were in a corner of the world but in these after ages and generations by the death of Christ it was enlarged and extended unto all nations of the world And this is the meaning of that place in the fourth chapter of this Epistle v. 14. We have seen and doe testifie that the Father sent the Sonne the Saviour of the world Where it is to bee noted â—hat the saving redeeming or reconâ—iling of the world that is the maâ—ifestation of the rich love grace of God to the nations of the Gentiles in giving remission of sins salvation to them by Jesus Christ doth directly and properly belong to the Father's sending of his Sonne Wee have seene and doe testifie that the Father sent â—his Sonne the Saviour of the world This is indeed a glorious mystery And thus Jesus Christ the rignteous is the propitiation reconcihation or redemption for the full and perfect remission of the sinnes of the whole world And thus the whole world without any difference shall have remission of sins and everlasting life through faith in the blood of Christ Now judge thou understanding Reader whether this that I have said be not agreeable both to this Scripture in hand and many others also Another Scripture propounded by them is that in John 6.51 The 8th Scripture The words are these following The bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the World By World here they understand as before all persons or every man and woman in the world I shall propound one or two reasons from these words The cleating of the vvords by reasons and those before-going to cleere them from that corrupt sence which they put upon them First I desire the Reader warily to observe that whereas it is said in this verse I will give my flesh for the life of the world It is said above in the 33. verse The bread of God is he which cometh down from Heaven and giveth life VNTO the World So that to be life for the world it is to be life unto the world in Christs meaning Secondly if any shall doubt what life is here meant Let them know that it is no other then everlasting life or life for ever as it is expressed in the 47 and 51. verses I therefore conclude That if Christ thus give himself to be life for the world that is to be everlasting life unto the world we cannot understand that by the world in this place is meant all persons The naturall meaning of them or every person in the world But by world in this place we are to understand as I conceive the Nations of the Gentiles who are here called the world and in other places the Heathen the uncircumcision as standing in opposition unto the Jewish Church who alone in their times had the enjoyment of many glorious priviledges And thus there is a glorious mystery held forth in these words A mystery in them to wit That Manna as all other things also which were for the time present shadowes figures of Christ was appropriated by God unto the Jewish Nation only And therefore they