announces the birth of Jefus, the Saviour; and declares his advent to be gospel, good tidings, to all people. At the annunciation of the angel, all heaven was moved, and a multitude of angelic natures inftantly leave their bright abode, join the heavenly meffenger, tune their golden harps, and enter on the glorious theme, "Glory to God in the higheft, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

If the advent of Jefus were to be falvation to a part of the people only; the angel was furely miftak. en in his report to the fhepherds; for he fays, which fhall be unto all people. Further, the divine glory, which fhone around the angel and the fhepherds, when the declaration of good tidings was made, which fhould be to all people, gave a fanction to the declaration. So that we have double, or treble, teflimony from heaven, that the birth of Chrift was defigned for good tidings to all people; and, if so, for falvation to all people.

"The next

Another paffage of fcripture, moft plainly denoting the univerfality of the effect of Chrift's blood, and of the love of God, is John i. 29. day John feeth Jefus coming unto him, and faith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fin of the world."

Could language be more general, than this John ufes? the fin of the world. Do you not think, my kind reader, that St. John really fuppofed, that the effect of our Saviour's blood would be, to take away all the fins of all men? If he did not, he certainly

was

was inexcufable for ufing fuch universal language. He might very easily have adopted language which would have clearly expreffed the partial effect of Chrift's blood. He might have faid, Behold the Lamb of God who will take away the fins of a part of the world.

Thus we have the four Evangelifts, and the multitude of the heavenly hoft, that appeared to the fhepherds of Judea; and, what is more, we have Jefus bimfelf; all declaring, in plain, unfigured language, the univerfal falvation of the gospel.

It is not my defign to multiply direct proofs of the univerfal benevolence of God; but only to adduce a few plain texts, which every honeft, though unlettered, mind may underftand, which speak directly to the purpose. Origin, Grotius, Whifton, Hallet, Chauncy, and many others, as great and good as thefe, have handled the fubject largely, and confidered an infinitude of paffages of Scripture, both against the doctrine of eternal mifery, and for the univerfal benevolence of God.

What I principally intended was, to examine Mr. S.'s piece, and to fhow the falfehood and abfurdity of his principles; fince, to find out what is false is one good step towards truth.

Rom. v. 6. "For when we were yet without ftrength, Chrift died for the ungodly." If St. Paul had faid "when we were without ftrength, Chrift died for us;" meaning him felf, and a felect number of others, this text would not be in point, for univer

fal

fal benevolence; but as the words now ftand, the fense is clear and undeniably plain in favor of univerfal falvation. If there were any perfon, among the Jews, or the Gentiles, who were not ungodly, in St. Paul's fenfe, we cannot prove, from this text, that Chrift died for him; otherwife, Chrift died for all men; and, if he died for all men, all men will cer tainly be faved. Rom. v. 8. mendeth his love towards us, in

"

"But God comthat while we were

yet finners, Chrift died for us. All mankind were in the fame predicament, they were all finners. If Christ died for finners, he died for all finners; unless there be fome exprefs exception made, which does not appear to be the cafe.

1 Cor. xv. 22. "For as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive."

Here is a text whofe language is plain, intelligible, and pofitive. And, were it not for creeds, confeffionals, catechisms, and systems, there could be no doubt respecting the apoftle's meaning. The apoftle undoubtedly intends fome benefit, by being made alive. If fo, the benefit is enjoyed by all. That all, who died in Adam, fhall be made alive by Chrift, is pofitively afferted. Whatever all men loft, by their death in Adam; all men fhall recover, by their life in Chrift. This is the plain fenfe of the words.

1 Tim. ii. 6. "Who gave himfelf a ransom for all, to be teftified in due time." It feems that prej udice itself could not remain unconvinced any longer; especially if it be confidered, that Chrift's

having given himself a ranfom for all, is one reafon the apoftle affigns why we should pray for all. Now, if Chrift hath given himself a ransom for all, all will eventually be faved; according to the idea in the last clause of the verfe. Chrift hath given himself a ransom for all, as will appear, be made manifest, in a proper time, or in the clofe of the mediatorial kingdom.

Heb. ii. 9. "But we see Jefus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the fuffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God fhould tafte death for every man." Here it is afferted, that, by the grace, or free favor, or love of God, Chrift tafted death, or died for eve→ ry man. Since this language cannot be evaded, every man will be saved, or the design of Chrift's death will be defeated.

1 John ii. 2. "And he is the propitiation for our fins; and not for ours only, but also for the fins of the whole world."

To reafon on fuch a text as this, to fhow that the whole human race, which is the meaning of the whole world, will eventually be faved, would be an unpardonable impofition on the judgment of the

reader.

God hath, in the most explicit manner, declared that it is his will that all men, fhould be faved; and this is perfectly fufficient, if there were no other proof to establish the doctrine, that all men will be faved.

Ezek.

Ezek. xxxiii. 11. "Say unto them, As I live, faith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way, and live turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O houfe of Ifrael." The last words of this text may be ufed, as an argument that will die, though God is willing they Not to take up the matter here, I shall endeavor to prove, hereafter, that the fecond death, which many of the Ifraelites, and millions of others will doubtlefs, die, is no objection of any validity, against the final falvation of all men.

some men fhould live.

1 Tim. ii. 3, 4. After St. Paul had directed that fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, fhould be made for all men'; he adds, as a reason and motive to the practice of the duty of praying for all men ; "For this is good and acceptable in the fight of God our Saviour; Who will bave all men to be faved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

If we suppose that God the Father spoke in the prophet, and that the Saviour, Chrift Jefus, is the perfon referred to by the apoftie; this, certainly, does not weaken, but rather ftrengthen the argument for the falvation of all men; fince their wills are in perfect and eternal harmony.

For my own perfonal fatisfaction, I defire no more proof from scripture of the extent of the divine be nevolence, and the falvation of all men, than I have adduced. Every perfon of reading is fenfible that I

M

have