been ready to acknowledge a Messiah assisting them in the recovery of their righteousness, and removing, more or less, their forfeiture of earthly happiness. But all this is quite foreign to the gospel; which shows, that Christ's people suffer the punishment of Adam's sin, as well as other men : yea, it sets forth the certainty of their hope, by this argument, That they shall as effectually partake of the reward of Christ's righteousness, as they suffer the penalty of Adam's transgression. Compare what is said, Rom. v. with 1 Cor. xv. 22. We had best take care, then, how we weaken the latter point, lest we undermine the former; lest, seeking to open a window to let in more light upon the life that now is, we darken the prospect of that which is to come. And if we look to the matter of fact, we shall find the apostles themselves, who, we are sure, were the favourites of heaven, acknowledging that, take away the life to come, the balance, in point of happiness, lay much in favour of unbelievers; as is evident from the chapter last referred to, and from the whole of the New Testament.

The first Christians were distinguished from other men, not by any greater share of earthly comforts, as must have been the case if their peculiar Redeemer, who says, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, had removed the forfeiture of them; but in their patiently submitting to that forfeit ure, taking up their cross daily, and following Christ unto death, in the hope of eternal life from the dead; life of quite a different nature from that which was forfeited: whereas, other men, conceited of their own worth, are always showing their dissatisfaction with the forfeiture, and struggling against it, accordingly as they are impelled by their ambition, avarice, or other worldly lusts; and, consequently, must be disaffected to the gospel, which affirms the forfeiture, and makes it to be more especially felt and experienced by them who believe and obey it.

This topic calls to mind a remark I lately heard made by some of your readers on the general air of your writings. That you seemed desirous to have Christianity make a respectable appearance in high life. They seemed to be of the mind, that Jesus Christ would not have vied with you as to the elegant figure of the personages to be pitched upon for a specimen of his kingdom and subjects, considering what a strange contrast he once drew, in a parable recorded by Luke, chap. xvi. 19. The chief design of which seems to be, as hinted, v. 15, to give a standing portrait of what is most sightly in the eyes of God, and what is so in the eyes of men.

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But the first words of the note, In this sense, at least, Christ is the Saviour of all men," deserve my attention most at present, as they take hold of a text of Scripture, and as they indicate some bias toward the sentiments of those, who, seeking to extend Christ's redemption beyond the limits fixed in Scripture, do most effectually exclude all men from the benefit of it. Perhaps no words in the Bible have been oftener punned upon than these, the Saviour of all men. It will be proper, therefore, to quote the whole verse: 1 Tim. iv. 10. For therefore we both labour, and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. If our translators had been as careful here to prevent punning, as they have been in many other places, this plain text had perhaps never been the subject of any dispute. I shall only produce, out of many, one instance of their caution from the Old Testament, and another from the New. In Psal. xxxvi. 6, they say, O Lord, thou preservest man and beast; instead of saying, thou shalt save man and beast. In Acts iv. 9, they render the words of Peter thus: if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; instead of saying, by what means he is saved. Had they showed the same caution about the text in question, we should have had this plain truth before our eyes, that the living God is the preserver of all men, especially of those that believe; that he who giveth to all life and breath, and all things, has a peculiar care about those who were redeemed from among men. And whatever way this peculiar care about them was exercised, one thing is evident, even from the very text in question, that it did no issue in making their lives less subject to pain and trouble than those of other men.

One thing remarkable as to this text is, the great inclination which many who have occasion to point at it, show, to present us with a different form of expression from that used by the Apostle: some choosing rather to use the name descriptive of the Son of God, as redeeming from the curse, saying, "Christ is the Saviour of all men;" others in the same view, "God in Christ is the Saviour," &c. What is the reason of all this shyness and aversion to speak as the Apostle does? Is there any obscurity in his words? or have they any purpose in view which his words will not so conveniently answer? Are they afraid, lest any Christian will dream, that there is any other God but he who is made manifest in Christ? Or are they afraid lest any Christian will scruple to say, that whatsoever things the Father doth, these also doth the Son likewise? or does it not rather proceed from an inclination to give us

some other view of the redemption which is by Christ, than the Scripture gives?

Let us make a trial of their method of commenting here, on other parallel passages of Scripture, and see where it will carry us. Having only premised this much, which every Christian will own, viz. that that Divine person, who in due time was found in fashion as a man, and who was called Christ, or the Anointed, on account of his being anointed of God with the Holy Spirit to attend him in fulfilling all righteousness, and redeeming from the curse; and on account of his being again anointed with that same Spirit as the oil of joy and gladness, in testimony of his having completed his work; that that Divine person, I say made the world, and could with the greatest propriety say, as to all divine works, from the creation downward, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

In making the trial, I shall go no further than to a passage I lately glanced at, Acts xvii. 24, 25. Here I shall only vary the first word, and, instead of God, say, Christ that made the world, and all things therein-giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. Now, I freely declare, that my real purpose and intention, in this deviation from the words of the text, is to introduce the consideration of the Son of God as doing what he does, and giving what he gives, as the Redeemer from the curse of the law, mentioned Gal. iii. 10, and in virtue of the price of redemption which he paid. Having thus modelled my text, I proceed to deduce a few plain inferences. 1. Hence it is manifest, that all men, at least, are as much indebted to the Redeemer for their life and breath, as for all other things which they enjoy. 2. If, then, the enjoyments of all men are redeemed by a price, so are their lives. 3. Suppose enjoyments only are redeemed, yet the having of children has always been considered as none of the least of these; therefore all men are redeemed, as having been once granted as children to their parents, the first pair only excepted. It is easy to see what a wide field is opened for imagination here: and how much wider it would be, if I should proceed to consider what would follow from saying, in the same view, Christ made the world, and all things therein; and, In Christ we live, move, and have our being, &c.-But I forbear.

IN speaking of the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, we had need to keep clear of all human systems, and hold close by the Scriptures. Jesus Christ, by the price of redemption, which he paid, delivers his people from the wrath to come, and he entitles them to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled,

and which fadeth not away: all the pains from which he delivers are eternal, and so are all the blessings he procures; every thing which takes place, by virtue of his redemption, is eternal; as he redeems not by corruptible things, when he redeems by laying down his own precious life, so nothing restored by his redemption can ever be subject to corruption. He is indeed appointed heir of all things, and the divine appointment hath put all things under his feet; but now we see not yet all things put under him. He is Lord of lords, and King of kings; but at present he rules in the midst of his enemies, until they be made his footstool. His people are comforted in the midst of their sufferings by the hope of what they see not, waiting for the redemption of their bodies, at the resurrection, and for the restitution of all things, or the deliverance of the whole creation, from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God. I content myself at present with glancing at a few passages of Scripture on this subject, as I go along; a more particular notice of them would lead me too far off from my plea with Aspasio.

Some who espouse the doctrine of the two gentlemen above pointed at, as warmly as Aspasio, finding some difficulty in pressing men to believe, what cannot be called true before it be believed, have fallen upon an expedient to ease themselves, not unlike what is asserted in the note we have been considering. They maintain, "That Christ satisfied so for the sins of all men, as to procure many temporary benefits to them, and so as ministers might have sufficient ground to call every man to believe that Christ died for him." And to show what absurdities would follow upon the denying of this, they say, "But now, if Christ, in no sense died for any but the elect, how are these glad tidings to every creature? How shall this good news, this great salvation, be offered unto them through the blood of the Lamb, if he in no sense satisfied for them?" Hereupon I shall only observe, that it must be extremely difficult for any who maintain the appropriation in question, to maintain at the same time, the account which Christ himself gives of his death, and peculiar connection with his people therein.

This observation is confirmed to me, when I look into the sentiments of the adversaries of the above-mentioned expedient, who are as zealous for the ministerial offer and the appropriation, as their opponents. I find them, indeed, maintaining strongly, that in no sense Christ died for any but the elect; and yet at the same time affirming, as Aspasio's two friends have taught them, that Christ, by his taking on the human

some other view of the redemption which is the Scripture gives?

Let us make a trial of their method of com other parallel passages of Scripture, and see w us Having only premised this much, which will own, viz. that that Divine person, who found in fashion as a man, and who was calle Anointed, on account of his being anointed o Holy Spirit to attend him in fulfilling all r. redeeming from the curse; and on account anointed with that same Spirit as the oil of j testimony of his having completed his wor.. person, I say made the world, and could w priety say, as to all divine works, from the My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

In making the trial, I shall go no furth I lately glanced at, Acts xvii. 24, 25. H the first word, and, instead of God, say, C world, and all things therein-giveth t and all things. Now, I freely declare, : and intention, in this deviation from the introduce the consideration of the Son of he does, and giving what he gives, as th curse of the law, mentioned Gal. iii. 10 price of redemption which he paid. I my text, I proceed to deduce a few plair it is manifest, that all men, at least, the Redeemer for their life and brea which they enjoy. 2. If, then, the redeemed by a price, so are their ments only are redeemed, yet t always been considered as none all men are redeemed, as havin to their parents, the first pair of what a wide field is opened f much wider it would be, if would follow from saying world, and all things and have our being