Christ's Father, and which he came down from heaven to accomplish. 1st, "Of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." Not to be raised up at the last day, is the same as to be lost, or to perish, comp. 1 Cor. 15: 18. It is equally evident from these verses, that if any are lost, or are not raised up at the last day, they never were given to Christ, for he says "of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." The question is, how many were given to him? Ancient orthodoxy said, a few of the human race were given to him. Modern orthodoxy says, a great part of them were given to him. Yea, it says, he died for them all; was a propitiation for the sins of the whole world. But did he die for any not given of the Father? Well, how many were given? Just as many as the Father gave him power over, which was-all flesh, John 17: 2. That this phrase expresses the whole human race, see Isai. 40: 5, 6. 1 Peter 2: 24. Num. 16: 22. Ps. 136: 25. Luke 3: 6. Jer. 32: 27. Christ is Lord of all, Lord both of the dead and living, Acts 2: 36. 10: 36. Rom. 14: 9. He is appointed heir of all things, or the universe, Heb. 1: 2. All things, or the universe, is put under him, Heb. 2: 8. And God by him is to reconcile all things, or the universe, to himself, Col. 1:20.

2d. It was also his Father's will "that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." To be raised up at the last day is the common blessing of all given to Christ of his Father. But in this verse, everlasting life is stated as the privilege or blessing only of believers in him, for "every one who seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life." If the 39th and 40th verses

include only the same persons, one of the verses seems superfluous. Besides, it would follow that none were given to Christ except such as in this world believe in him. But if this were correct, then all infants, ideots, all the heathen world, yea, a great part of those called Christians, are excluded. They not having believed were not given to Christ, and shall not be raised up by him in the last day. Wherein then consists the difference between all given to Christ, verse 39, and those who believe in him, verse 40? I answer, it does not consist in the latter being raised up at the last day because they were believers in him in this world, and the former not being raised at all. Nor does it consist in the one being raised to future immortality and the other to endless misery. No. Christ never said it was the will of his Father that he should raise any at the last day to future misery. The difference between them consists in this-all who believe in Christ have everlasting life, which is thus explained, John 17: 3, "this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Such as believe in Christ have peace with God, Rom. 5:1. They enter into rest, Heb. 4: 3. Have good hope through grace, 1 Peter 1: 3, 4, and are to the praise and glory of his grace in the world, Eph. 1: 12. It is evident from verse 35, of John 6, that believing in Christ, and coming to him, mean the same thing, and this is expressed figuratively, verse 54, thus: "whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." But it will be remarked, does not our Lord say, verse 37, "all that the Father giveth me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out?" Yes; but to conclude that all that the Father hath given to Christ, shall come to him or believe in him in this mortal

state of existence, proves much more than the objector would wish to have proved. It proves that as infants, ideots, and the heathen world neither come to Christ nor can come, that they never were given to Christ. Are all children, then, dying in infancy, lost, or are they eternally damned? O no, say Dr. Beecher and most orthodox people, they are all saved, and it is a gross misrepresentation to say they hold any such sentiment. Well, when the Dr. or our orthodox brethren find a time when all infants shall come to Christ, I will find a time for all others who have lived and died in unbelief. Bible no where asserts, that all given to Christ shall come to him in this state of existence, and if none are saved but such as believe in him here, how very few are saved!

The

3d. In the passage before us Christ said, "the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." It is evident from the context, that these words were spoken to the Jews who had not believed in Jesus, and consequently had not obtained "everlasting life." But will any man assert they were not given to Christ? There is reason to believe, that many of those very Jews did come to him afterwards, for myriads of Jews believed, and obtained everlasting life, and so by our orthodox brethren's own showing must have been given to him. Nor is there any reason to conclude, that those who remained in unbelief to the last, and died by their sins, were not given to him, for all Israel shall be saved, Rom. 11. Indeed, is there any more reason to conclude they were not given to him, than those who die in infancy, and many others whom our orthodox friends say will be saved although they never came to Christ in this world?

It will no doubt be asked, what then did our Lord mean by saying to the unbelieving Jews, that the

word he had spoken to them should judge them in the last day? I shall give, what I conceive to be our Lord's meaning in the following paraphrase of verses 46-49. "I am come a light into this world, that whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, but by his unbelief abideth in darkness, I convince or persuade him not, for I came not to convince or persuade the world but to save the world. He that rejecteth me now, and receiveth not my words, hath one that convinceth or persuadeth him that I am no impostor, but the true Messiah, the word that I have spoken the same shall convince or persuade him in the last day." In confirmation of this view, I would now submit the following remarks. 1st. That the term krino, here rendered judge, has other significations than to condemn, is indisputable. That it is ever used to condemn to a limited or endless punishment in a future state of existence, I do not find. It is begging the question to assert, that this is its sense here. The universal Scripture usage of krino, is against this interpretation. 2d. It was not Christ's work to convince or persuade the world, for this was the work of the Holy Spirit. His work was to save it by giving his life for the world. 3d. Though faith in Christ is absolutely necessary to the enjoyment of everlasting life, or the blessings of his kingdom in this world, yet faith in him does not procure, nor does unbelief exclude any from being raised up by him in the last day. Our orthodox brethren must admit this, or exclude infants, ideots, the whole heathen world, and many professed Christians from the resurrection in the last day. But they contend that all are to be raised, good or bad by him. 4th. It is certain all that the Father hath giv en to Christ shall come to him, and he is to give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given him.

See John 17: 2. As infants, ideots, and many others, die without coming to Christ, or believing in him, the question is, when will they come to him? It cannot be in an intermediate state of existence, for no part of man exists after death until the resurrection. Hence our Lord did not say-the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge, convince, or persuade you after death in a disembodied state. No; but the same shall judge you in the last day, or at the resurrection. 5th. Men are raised by Christ in the last day, not because they were believers in him before death, but because this is the will of Christ's Father, and they were given to him for this purpose. Hence in our Lord's discourse with the Sadducees, we are told, persons are not children of God in the resurrection state, because they were children of God by faith in Christ Jesus here, but are then the sons of God, being children of the resurrection. Accordingly, after the resurrection of the dead, we read of none remaining in unbelief, that he is the Messiah, the sent of God, the Saviour of the world. Indeed, how could this possibly be, after being raised from the dead by him, beholding him in his glorified body, yea, being fashioned like to it? When Saul saw it in the road to Damascus, and was told by Jesus that he was persecuting him, he was instantaneously subdued. 6th. It is certain, that before, and just before Christ delivers up the kingdom to God the Father, all are to be subdued to him, 1 Cor. 15. shall come to him, be brought into his kingdom, and then it shall be delivered up, that God may be all and in all. 7th. The resurrection of all in the last day, depends entirely on the fact, is Christ risen from the dead? But I ask, does the faith or unbelief of any man, in any shape or in any degree affect the truth of this fact? No; but he that believes enjoys the hope and consolation it is calculated to impart;

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