1. I argue from the Will of God. Christ's Death is the meritorious Cause of Salvation, and respects men more or less proportionably as God's Will (which is the fontal Cause thereof) doth more or less respect them: God wills that all men should be saved if they believe, & proportionably Christ died for them all; God wills that the Elect should infallibly believe and be saved, and suitably Christ died for them in a special way; there is a peculiarity in Christ's Redemption answering to the peculiarity of God's Love. God eternally resolved with himself that he would have a Church and a peculiar people, and Christ gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself à ⟨p. 323⟩glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, Eph. 5. 25, 26, 27. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, Tit. 2. 14. If Christ had given himself thus far for all, all would have been his Church and People. You will say, Unbelief is the only Obstacle. I answer, that if Christ had given himself for all, that he might wash them as he washes the Church, and redeem them from all iniquity as he redeems his peculiar ones, there would have been no such thing as Unbelief left among men; that Christ, who washes out every spot and wrinkle, would not have left Unbelief; that Christ, who redeems from all iniquity, would not have left Unbelief, no, not in any one man's heart; nay, I may truly say, he could not leave it there, because he could not lose his end, nor shed one drop of his Blood in vain. There are among men some chosen ones, such as are chosen out from among men, and chosen out of the World, Joh. 15. 19. and Christ in his Death had a special eye upon these: Hence, proportionably to their Election, they are said to be redeemed from among men, Rev. 14. 4. and redeemed out of every kindred and tongue and people and ⟨p. 324⟩nation, Rev. 5. 9. Now how is it possible that all men should be thus▪ redeemed? Christ's Death as it respects all men, redeems them (as I may so say) from among Devils, for that it renders them capable of mercy which Devils are not; but Christ's Death as it respects the Elect redeems them even from among men, for that it procures Faith for them, and thereby pulls them out of the unbelieving World;
1. I argue from the Will of God. Christ's Death is the meritorious Cause of Salvation, and respects men more or less proportionably as God's Will (which is the fontal Cause thereof) doth more or less respect them: God wills that all men should be saved if they believe, & proportionably Christ died for them all; God wills that the Elect should infallibly believe and be saved, and sutably Christ died for them in a special way; there is a peculiarity in Christ's Redemption answering to the peculiarity of God's Love. God eternally resolved with himself that he would have a Church and a peculiar people, and Christ gave himself for it, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself à ⟨p. 323⟩glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, Eph. 5. 25, 26, 27. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, Tit. 2. 14. If Christ had given himself thus far for all, all would have been his Church and People. You will say, Unbelief is the only Obstacle. I answer, that if Christ had given himself for all, that he might wash them as he washes the Church, and redeem them from all iniquity as he redeems his peculiar ones, there would have been no such thing as Unbelief left among men; that Christ, who washes out every spot and wrinkle, would not have left Unbelief; that Christ, who redeems from all iniquity, would not have left Unbelief, no, not in any one man's heart; nay, I may truly say, he could not leave it there, because he could not lose his end, nor shed one drop of his Blood in vain. There are among men some chosen ones, such as are chosen out from among men, and chosen out of the World, Joh. 15. 19. and Christ in his Death had a special eye upon these: Hence, proportionably to their Election, they are said to be redeemed from among men, Rev. 14. 4. and redeemed out of every kindred and tongue and people and ⟨p. 324⟩nation, Rev. 5. 9. Now how is it possible that all men should be thus▪ redeemed? Christ's Death as it respects all men, redeems them (as I may so say) from among Devils, for that it renders them capable of mercy which Devils are not; but Christ's Death as it respects the Elect redeems them even from among men, for that it procures Faith for them, and thereby pulls them out of the unbelieving World;
