out. The Redeemer addeth, I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness, and if any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world;' in the 31st verse it is said, 'Now is the judgment of this world,' and here Jesus says, I came not to judge the world: how then was the world judged, and by whom? let us inquire further, verse 48th of this same chapter is thus expressed,' He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him, the words that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.' This word he received from the Father, and he says, I know his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. Thus we are instructed to believe, that all which the Father spake concerning men, and all which the Son said receiving the words of the Father, pointed out everlasting life, and everlasting life can in no sense be considered as everlasting death. Yea verily, I 'devoutly and gratefully believe that God's design in giving Jesus to the lost world was to give them life, that his thoughts respecting us are thoughts of peace, and not of evil: there is not death and life in Christ Jesus. Death and life were set before us in the law, and all mankind as breakers of this law have merited death. As this law, therefore, which came by Moses is only an administration of death, so grace and truth is brought to light by Christ Jesus, and I believe that he was full of grace and truth; his grace will extend to the whole family of Man, he will have compassion on the ignorant and such as are out of the way. He is, and ever will be, loving unto every man, and his mercy is over all his works. I do not wish to be unnecessarily tedious, but thus called upon to render a reason for the hope that is in me, I cannot forbear pointing out a very few passages in the Epistles of the apostles, whose opportunities of knowing the mind of the redeeming God have not perhaps been equalled. In the 3d chapter of Romans, the apostle Paul asserts, that by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Here I am taught that God's righteousness, not by my faith, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, is unto all, and upon all them that VOL. I. 10 believe, and as it is not by the believer's faith, but by the faith of Christ, there can be no difference. In the 5th chapter of this Epistle it is recorded, And not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift; for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ; and lest we should imagine that they who received this abundance of grace were a small distinguished number, the apostle adds, Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men to justification of life.' Can words be more explicit, more emphatic; can we hesitate to declare Jesus is indeed the Saviour of all men? our Saviour saith, every one that seeketh findeth, but in the 10th chapter and 20th verse of this Epistle to the Romans, the apostle thus repeats from the prophet, ‘But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not, I was made manifest to them that asked not after me.' There can be but two sorts, those who seek the Lord and those who do not; we concur in sentiment respecting those who seek him, and I unite with Isaiah and Paul, in believing that in due time those who have not yet sought him will find him. The scripture saith, He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned. But this damnation must be of a kind which cannot exclude them from Divine mercy, since it is written, God hath included them all in unbelief that he may have mercy upon all.' Thus the mercy of God must be upon all, even upon them that believe not; but when this mercy is upon them they will know the Lord, and then the heart of unbelief will be removed, and they shall confess him to the glory of the Father. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, observes, If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection from the dead, for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.' The same gracious word which informs us all died in Adam, assures us that all shall be made alive in Christ. Thus is the oath of God to Abraham confirmed; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, then was this oath performed which he sware to our fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, when as in 1 Cor. xv. 45. The last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Jesus Christ is the second Adam, and whoever died in the first will be quickened in the second, made alive in him. Even as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly; and as it is impossible we should enter into heaven in the image of the earthy, polluted as it is, the apostle in the 50th verse of this chapter asserts, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither can corruption inherit incorruption. And, therefore, he adds, 'Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.' Thus it is evident that corruption intends sin, and mortality death, both which must be done away in the second Adam, that all who died in the first might be made alive in him, in whom all the families of the earth will be, nay, are blessed. Paul in the 5th chapter of his second Epistle to these Corinthians, says, 'For the love of Christ constraineth us; because, we thus judge, that, if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.' Thus it is only them for whom Jesus died, who are exhorted to live to him, and not unto themselves. apostle is so well confirmed in the belief of this evangelical truth, that he makes it a consequence of the universality of the redemption. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we even him no more. Hath not Paul reference to the flesh which he assures us cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven to the body of sin and death, of which he so feelingly complains, and from which he was so anxious to be delivered to that carcase which cleaveth to all flesh, and which will finally become an abhorrence to all flesh. The Lord Jesus has now a body in heaven, which body the disciples felt and handled. But he was known after the flesh when he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and when he bare all our sins in his own body on the tree but having now put away this sin by the sacrifice of himself, and appearing the second time in his The resurrection from the dead without sin unto salvation, we now no longer know him after the flesh, and when we consider the 19th verse of this 5th chapter, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and that this abundant grace was in Christ the promised seed; when we attend in the 17th verse, to the new creation, Therefore, if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new;' 18th verse, and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ; and in the 21st verse for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. When we consider these passages, we are constrained to acknowledge that no man can now be known after the flesh. Thus it is plain that we are blessed in Christ, with all spiritual blessings. With life, with new creation, created anew in Christ Jesus; with reconciliation, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself; with unspotted rectitude, not imputing unto them their trespasses; with a righteous character, made the righteousness of God in him. No wonder then that the apostle says, 'Old things are passed away, behold, all things are made new.' Again, this same apostle in his Epistle to the Colossians, i. 16, sayeth, For by him, Jesus, were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible.' Verse 17th, And by him all things consist.' Verse 19, For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.' Verse 20, And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.' Verse 21, And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.' Verse 22, In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight.' Thus, as in the close of the 16th verse of this chapter, it is manifest that by Jesus all things were created, and that they were created for him, all fulness dwelleth in him, all things were reconciled to God by him, and he is indeed the Alpha and Omega. The apostle writing to Timothy, chapter i. verse 15, affirms, This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' God be thanked that he came not to destroy them, that he came to do the will of God; which will, Paul assures us in the next chapter is, that all men should be saved and come unto the knowledge of the ruth. Now 6 if all do not come unto the knowledge of the truth in this world, as 6 |