fignify every individual Person in the World, but only a great Number of Perfons of different Nations, or all forts of Perfons, viz. both Jews and Gentiles.

Again, St. Paul has this paffage. How then fhall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a Preacher? Rom. 10. 14. And how fall they preach, except they be fent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace, that bring glad Tidings of good things? v. 15. But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Efaias faith, Lord, who hath believed our report ? v. 16. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, v. 17. But I say have they not heard? Yes verily, their found went into all the Earth, and their Words unto the Ends of the World, v.18. 'Tis plain that the Apostle speaks of outward preaching, v. 14, 15. For the Word here used does never import immediate Revelation. Befides, the Preachers are they whofe report was not believed, v. 16. and those whofe report was not believed, were certainly Men, and confequently their preaching was outward. For Ifaiah faies, Lord who has believed our report, that is, the report which we the preachers make? 'Tis plain alfo, that he speaks of hearing with the bodily Ears. For the hearing here mentioned cannot fignify obedience. Becaufe Ifrael, who had heard, v. 18. was notwithftanding a Difobedient and Gainfaying People. v. 21.

Since then the preaching which the Apostle fpeaks of is outward, and heard with the bodily ears; 'tis plain, that the preaching which they are faid to have heard, v. 18. is that outward preaching which they had heard with their bodily ears. And whofe preaching was that? Why,

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the preaching of the Apoftles and other Ministers of the Gofpel, which St. Paul proves they had heard, by applying the Words of the Pfalmift, Pf. 19. 4. to the Apostles and other Minifters of the Gospel, faying, Their found is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the Ends of the World. By which words the Apoftle does not infinuate, as Mr. Barclay wou'd fain (c) perfuade us, that a Divine inward preacher is meant. For that which our Adverfaries mean by the inward Divine preacher is but one: whereas the Apostle speaks of Preachers in the Plural Number, faying Their Sound, and Their Words. And confequently he muft of neceffity mean thofe outward Preachers, whom he had been mentioning before, viz. the Apostles and other Ministers of the Gofpel, even them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things, v. 15. and he affirms, that their found, viz. the found of the Apoftles and other Minifters of the Gofpel, went into all lands, and their Words unto the Ends of the World. But in what fenfe? The Apoftles and other Minifters of the Gospel did not preach to every individual Perfon in the World; but only to a great number of Perfons of different Nations, or all forts of Perfons, viz, both Jews and Gentiles; and confequently thefe comprehenfive phrafes do not imply any thing more.

(c) This he answers v. 18. faying, But I fay, have they not heard? Yes verily, their found is gone out into all lands, and their Words unto the Ends of the World; infinuating, that this Divine Preacher hath founded in the Ears and Hearts of all Men. For of the outward Apoftles that faying was not true, neither then, nor many hundred years after. Yea, for ought we know, there may be yet great and fpacious Nations and Kingdoms, who have never heard of Chrift, nor his Apostles, as outwardly. Barclays Apol. prop. 5, 6. p. 350.

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Nay, in the 6th verfe of that very Chapter, upon the 23d. of which the objection I am now anfwering is grounded, the Apoftle faies which (Gofpel) is come unto you, as it is in all the World. Now 'twas outwardly come to thofe whom the Apoftle writes to, and confequently 'twas outwardly come in all the World. But our Adverfaries deny (as Mr. Barclay's words already quoted in the Margin prove) that the Gospel was at that time outwardly preached to every individual Perfon living in the World; and confequently by all the World the Apostle there means only a great Number of Perfons of Different Nations, or all forts of Perfons, viz. both Jewsand Gentiles.

Thus then I have fhewn, that these phrases, every Creature, all the World, all lands, and the Ends of the World; frequently fignify, not every individual Perfon living in the World, but only a great Number of Perfons of different Nations, or all forts of Perfons, viz. both Jews and Gentiles. And accordingly, when the Gospel is faid to be preached to every Creature in this controverted place, we must understand nothing more, than that it was very much spread upon the face of the Earth; as it certainly was, when St. Paul writ the Epiftle to the Colloffians.

21. St. John fpeaking of our Savior faies, that was the true light, which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World, John. 1. 9. from whence our Adverfaries infer, that all Mankind is enlightned, that is, taught and inftructed, by Jefus Chrift. Now, fay they, all Mankind has not been enlightned by the outward preaching of our Lord; and confequently the enlightning, teaching or inftrution here meant, muft be performed by immediate Revelation. Now I grant, that the enlightning

here

here spoken of does fignify teaching and inftru&ing. For Chrift is therefore faid to be a light of the Gentiles, If. 42. 6. and a light to the Gentiles, ch. 49. 6. and a light to lighten the Gentiles, Luke 2. 32. because he does teach and inftruct the Gentiles. But then I deny, that Chrift does enlighten, teach and inftruct all Mankind in our Adverfaries fenfe, that is, every individual Man; nor do the Words of the Evangelift prove it. For, 1. Tho' our Savior be faid to lighten every Man that cometh into the World; yet every Man that cometh into the World cannot import more than every Creature or all the World; which phrafes, as I have fhewn, are to be understood in a limited fenfe. And therefore when our Savior is faid to enlighten every Man that cometh into the World; 'tis meant that he teaches and Inftructs a great Number of Perfons of different Nations, or all forts of Perfons, viz. both Jews and Gentiles, 2. St. Paul faies, Whom (viz. our Savior) we preach, warning every Man, and teaching every Man in all wisdom; that we may prefent every Man perfect in Chrift Jefus, Col. 1. 28. Now the Every Man of the one Apoftle is as comprehenfive as the Every Man that cometh into the World of the other. And can our Adverfaries imagine, that St. Paul taught and warned every individual Perfon then living? If not; then 'tis plain, that St. Paul muft mean only a great Number of Persons of different Nations, or all forts of Men, viz. both Jews and Gentiles. And accordingly, when St. John faies, that Chrift enlightens every Man, he means only a great Number of Perfons of different Nations, or all forts of Men, viz. both Jews and Gentiles. And in this fenfe the Words are exactly true. For Chrift's Doctrine was not confined to one

fingle

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fingle Nation, as that of the Prophets under the Law was: but indifferently fpread abroad amongst all forts of People, and taught all Nations, viz. the Gentiles as well as the Jews, Matt. 28. 14. Luke 24. 47:

These words therefore of St. John being underftood in a limited fenfe, are to be extended no farther, than to those Perfons, who have had the Gospel outwardly preached to them. For our Savior, by preaching the Gofpel outwardly to Men,and caufing his A poftles and other Ministers of the Gospel to do the fame, did, and does, and fhall to the Worlds End, enlighten every Man, that is, a great Number of Perfons of different Nations, or all forts of Perfons, viz. both Jews and Gentiles. For thofe who never faw our Savior in the flesh, and never heard his Voice, are as truly inftructed and taught by Chrift, when they learn his Will from the Apoftles and other infpired Writers; as the Ifraelites were commanded by Almighty God, tho' they received his precepts, not immediately from himself, but mediately from the Mouth of his Servant Mofes.

CHAP. VIII.

Jer. 31. 31, 32, 33, 34. Isaiah 59. 21. explain'd.

22 · TH HE Prophet Jeremy faies, Behold the daies come, faith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Ifrael, and with the house of Judah, Jer. 31. 31. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out

of