This inconducting them to a glorious immortality. terpretation is confirmed by ver. 15, 16. Here the sin is called the offence of one, and the abounding of grace consists not only in the justification of many (all) persons from the one sin of Adam, but also in the justification of all believers from their many personal offences. In this view, the words much more, may be understood with strict propriety, if the pardon of all the offences committed by millions of believers may be considered as a matter of great importance.

Mr. Winchester contends that Heb. ii. 9. should be rendered, according to some manuscripts, for all except God.* I cannot see what would be gained if this were admitted. The Universalists will restrict the word all to intelligent beings; and of these they will except the good angels, as they stood in no need of a Saviour. And I shall take the liberty to leave out the fallen angels because we are told, ver. 16, that He taketh not hold of them. And though He died for all men, yet he bringeth only the many sons to glory, ver. 10. We become the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus; and he will profit those nothing who do not believe. Gal. iii. 26.-v. 2-4. This text therefore affords no support to the doctrine of Restoration.

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I ground the Restoration of all things," says Mr. Winchester, "upon these two premises, which I call the "major and the minor; 1. That all things are given to the "Son without exception: 2. That all that are given him "shall come to him, in such a manner as not to be cast out; "and that none shall be missing, lost or wholly destroyed."† I have no controversy with any man about the major, Mr. W. refers to John vi. 37, 39. in proof of the minor. But these verses relate only to the salvation of believers, who hear and learn of the Father, not in hell, but on earth, ver. 44, 45. and therefore come to Christ, and are said to * Dialogues, p. 40. + Ibid. p. 140.

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be given to him in a peculiar sense.

This must be evident to every one who attentively, and without prejudice, reads the whole paragraph. I shall only quote from ver. 35. "Jesus said, I am the bread of life; he that cometh "to me shall never hunger; he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said that ye also have seen me, and "believe not. All that the Father giveth me," in a peculiar sense, viz. all that hear and learn of him, ver. 45. "will come to me," жgos με ngε, that is, "will believe in

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me, and him that (thus) cometh" by faith," to me I will "in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not "to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. "And this is the Father's will who sent me, that of all "which he hath given me," (viz. all. that hear and learn of him, and therefore believe in Christ,) "I should lose "nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one "who seeth the Son and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day." In short, although the Father hath given all things into the hands of Christ as a Proprietor, and Christ will raise all men again at the last day, and as a Sovereign will reward his faithful, and punish his rebellious subjects; yet the Father only giveth believers into his hands, as a Saviour, that they may obtain everlasting life. Accordingly in the verse last quoted, the very verse following that which Mr. W. refers to in proof of the Restoration, everlasting life is restricted, by the will of God, to believers. It is impossible to make common sense of chap. xvii. 2, 6. without admitting this distinction. "Thou hast given "him power over all flesh. I have manifested thy name "to the men which thou gavest me out of the world." Here we see that all are given into the hands of Christ, and that some are given him out of these, i. e. out of the world. Of the former it is said, he hath power over them, i. e. to govern them. But of the latter it is said, He hath

manifested the name of God to them, i. e. to save them. We see also that the gift in this latter sense is not so extensive as in the former; and if it were, the Restoration intended could not be inferred from it, for Judas was one of those given to Christ out of the world, and yet Judas became a son of perdition, and was lost: ver. 12.

On John xii. 32, Mr. Winchester remarks," He was "lifted up from the earth, and therefore the IF is now "no more; he will certainly draw all unto himself, and "give eternal life, or the knowledge of God, to all."* But where is the proof that, to draw all unto Himself, signifies, to give eternal life to all? In the preceding verse, with which this is immediately connected, our Lord is speaking about judgment, not salvation. "Now is the

"judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this "world be cast out." He then adds-" And I, if I be "lifted up," &c. The passage may be thus paraphrased, "Now is the judgment given concerning Satan's usurped "authority over this world. As its prince he is judged, (chap. xvi. 11.) and shall be cast out. And when I

have suffered upon the cross, my Father will exalt me "to the head of his moral government; I will then act "in a judicial capacity in relation to men-I will draw "all men unto my tribunal."

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The promise made to Abraham has often been urged in favour of the doctrine of restoration. This," as Mr. Fisher observed, " as it is explained by the apostle, Gal. iii. 8-26. is referred to Christ, and supposed to "receive its accomplishment in all those who believe "the Gospel; and that the rest of mankind are not "interested in that promise, but remain under the "curse." This is very clear: "And the Scripture, "foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, "In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they "which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. * Dialogues, p. 143.

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"For as many as are of the works of the law are under "the curse. But the Scripture hath concluded all under "sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be "given to them that believe." If the blessing be not here restricted to believers, and the rest left under the curse, I will give up all pretentions to common sense. Mr. Vidler however contends that this is not the "full "import of the promise.' words that unbelievers are not under the curse. Poor This is only saying in other Paul! what a short sighted creature thou art, not to understand the full import of the promises! "We distinguish," says Mr. V. "betwixt the commencement, progress, and "consummation of the prophetic promises of God." Distinguish as you will, you cannot extend the blessing to unbelievers without giving the lie to the apostle. Mr. V. however makes the attempt, and we shall see prèsently with what success. "Abraham that he should be the heir of the world, "The promise made to "Rom. iv. 13. ultimately referred to Christ whom the "Father hath appointed heir of all things, Heb. i. 2. "The apostle explains the phrases all nations, all the "earth, all the families of the earth, by the world, and all "things. In Peter's address to the Jews, in Acts iii. "19-26. he connects the restitution of all things (ver.

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21.) with the covenant which God made with their "Fathers. Surely to be heir of all things, must signify something more than to be heir of the church, and the "restitution of all things must mean something more than "the salvation of the church."*

Let the promise made to Abraham, that he should be heir of the world, refer ultimately to whom it may, it is expressly limited to believers. "he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, "For the promise that "or to his seed, through the law, but through the right"eousness of faith. For if they which are of the law * God's Love to his Creatures, p. 17.

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"be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect. Because the law worketh wrath," Rom. iv. 13, 14, 15.

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"The apostle Peter connects the restitution of all things with the covenant which God made with the "fathers. Surely the restitution of all things must mean something more than the salvation of the church.” And who ever denied it. But must it "surely mean" the restoration of wicked men and devils out of hell? This is the task which Mr. V. undertook; but he has failed in the performance of it. Of these "times of restitution of all things," the apostle informs us, "God "hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets "since the world began." Now can Mr. V. produce any thing out of the writings of all the prophets since the world began, in support of his doctrine of Restoration? But I will spare him the trouble. Peter immediately mentions one of the prophets who spake to the fathers upon this subject. "Moses truly said unto the

fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up " unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever He shall say unto 66 you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which "will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from "among the people,' ver. 22, 23. In these times of restitution, then, according to Moses, it shall come to pass that every unbeliever shall be destroyed. Mr. V. therefore spoke very wisely when he observed that the restitution of all things must mean something more than the salvation of the church, for we see that it includes in it the destruction, not the salvation of her enemies.