and condition of men under the different dispensations of Providence; he shews, as was observed in the last Chapter, that all mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, were under sin, and liable to the wrath of God; and therefore that as all had sinned, all required to be redeemed from the penalty of sin. And to prove that peace with God was now obtained for the whole human species, through the precious blood of Christ, he represents Adam as "the figure of him that was to come (r)," that is, a type of Christ: he then describes the analogy between the first and second Adam, by declaring that the former brought death upon all men, and the latter restored all to life; that universal sin and condemnation were the consequence of Adam's disobedience, and universal righteousness and pardon the effect of Christ's obedience, "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; for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous (s)." The sin of Adam and the merits of Christ are here pronounced to be co-extensive; the words applied to both are precisely the same; "Judgement came upon all men,' (r) Rom. c. 5. v. 14. (s) Rom. c. 5. v. 18 & 19. " 99 66 men, "the free gift came upon all men""Many were made sinners, Many were made righteous. "Whatever the words "all men" and "many" signify, when applied to Adam, they must signify the same when applied to Christ. It is admitted, that in the former case the whole human race is meant; and consequently in the latter case the whole human race is also meant. The force of the argument is destroyed, and the most acknowledged rules of language are violated, by so interpreting this passage, as to contend, that all men are liable to punishment on account of the sin of Adam, and that a few only are enabled to avoid that punishment through the death of Christ. Nay, Nay, we are even told, that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (8):" but how can this be, if sin extends to all, and grace is confined to a part only of mankind? Salvation was offered to the whole Jewish nation, without any discrimination, though it is certain that many of them rejected the offer: "Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this Salvation sent; ... Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto (s) Rom. c. 5. v. 20. you כי you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses (t). When some of the Jews asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" he answered, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent (u). If God had decreed that the Jews should not believe, it could not have been said, that it was his work, that they should believe on him whom he hath sent. Upon another occasion Christ declared to them, "These things I say, that ye might be saved (r):" How could Christ endeavour to promote the Salvation of men, in opposition to the decree of his Father, whose will he came down from heaven to fulfil? "Why do ye not understand my speech?... And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me (y)?" which questions imply, that the Jews had a power of understanding and believing, and cannot be reconciled with the doctrine of a divine decree, rendering their conversion impossible. And the exhortations of the Apostles, after the ascension of our Saviour, speak the same language: "Repent ye, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out... Unto you first, God having raised ་ up (t) Acts, c. 13. v. 26, 38 & 39. (u) John, c. 6. v. 28 & 29. (*) John, c. 5. v. 34. (y) John, c. 8. v. 43 & 46. up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities (z):" it was possible therefore for every one of the Jews to abandon his wickedness, and be converted, and saved. "It was necessary, said Paul and Barnabas to the Jews, that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles (a): " The rejection therefore of the Gospel by the Jews, was their own voluntary act, and not the consequence of any decree of God. If the Jews had it not in their power to believe, how could our Saviour have upbraided the chief priests and elders (b), and the inhabitants of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum (c), for their unbelief? Or how could it have been said that "the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves (d)?" How could the Jews be convinced of sin because they believed not (e), or how could that sin be without ❝ cloke (ƒ), or excuse, if belief were impossible? The same offer of Salvation was made to all Gentiles, as well as to all Jews; "Then hath God (z) Acts, c. 3. v. 19 & 26. (a) Acts, c. 13. v. 46. (b) Matt. c. 21.v. (c) Matt. c. II. v. 21 & 23. (e) John, c. 16. v. 9. 23, &c. (d) Luke, c. 7. v. 30. (f) John, c. 15. v. 22. God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.... Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus (g)." "I am not ashamed of the Gospel 'of Christ; for it is the power of God unto Salvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (h)." "I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house; testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ (i)." Belief or Faith being the condition upon which Salvation was offered both to Jews and Gentiles, and it being inconceivable that a just and merciful God would propose any but a practicable condition, it follows, that all to whom the Gospel has been made known since its first promulgation, have had it in their power to obtain eternal life through the precious blood of Christ. Those who deny this conclusion, must maintain that God offered Salvation to men upon a condition which it was impossible for them to perform; and that he inflicts punishment for the violation of a comimand, which they were absolutely unable to obey; Would (g) Acts, c. 11. v. 18, & 20. (h) Rom. c. I. v. 16. |