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CHAPTER 1
ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE UNIVERSALITY OF REDEMPTION —
THE TWO FIRST; FROM THE NATURE OF THE NEW COVENANT, AND THE DISPENSATION THEREOF.
Argument
1. The first argument may be taken from the nature of the
covenant of grace, which was established, ratified, and confirmed
in and by the death of Christ; that was the testament whereof he
was the testator, which was ratified in his death, and whence his
blood is called “The blood of the new testament,”
Matthew 26:28. Neither can any effects thereof be extended beyond
the compass of this covenant. But now this covenant was not made
universally with all, but particularly only with some, and
therefore those alone were intended in the benefits of the death
of Christ. The assumption appears from the nature of the covenant
itself, described clearly, Jeremiah 31:31, 32,
“I
will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the
house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with
their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring
them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake,
though I was an husband to them, saith the LORD;”
and
Hebrews 8:9-11,
“Not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the
day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of
Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded
them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I
will put my laws in their mind, and write them in their hearts:
and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
and they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man
his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from
the least to the greatest,”
Wherein,
first, the condition of the covenant is not said to be required,
but it is absolutely promised: “I will put my fear in their
hearts” And this is the main difference between the old
covenant of works and the now one of grace, that in that the Lord
did only require the fulfilling of the condition prescribed, but
in this be promiseth to effect it in them himself with whom the
covenant is made. And without this spiritual efficacy, the truth
is, the new covenant would be as weak and unprofitable, for the
end of a covenant (the bringing, of us and binding of us to God),
as the old. For in what consisted the weakness and
unprofitableness of the old covenant, for which God in his mercy
abolished it? Was it not in this, because, by reason of sin, we
were no way able to fulfill the condition thereof, “Do this,
and live?” Otherwise the connection is still true, that
“he that doeth these things shall live.” And are we of
ourselves any way more able to fulfill the condition of the new
covenant? Is it not as easy for a man by his own strength to
fulfill the whole law, as to repent and savingly believe the
promise of the gospel? This, then, is one main difference of
these two covenants, — that the Lord did in the old only
require the condition; now, in the new, he will also effect it in
all the federates, to whom this covenant is extended. And if the
Lord should only exact the obedience required in the covenant of
us, and not work and effect it also in us, the new covenant would
be a show to increase our misery, and not a serious imparting and
communicating of grace and mercy. If, then, this be the nature of
the new testament, — as appears from the very words of it,
and might abundantly be proved, — that the condition of the
covenant should certainly, by free grace, be wrought and
accomplished in all that are taken into covenant, then no more
are in this covenant than in whom those conditions of it are
effected.
But
thus, as is apparent, it is not with all; for “all men have
not faith,” it is “of the elect of God:”
therefore, it is not made with all, nor is the compass thereof to
be extended beyond the remnant that are according to election.
Yea, every blessing of the new covenant being certainly common,
and to be communicated to all the covenantees, either faith is
none of them, or all must have it, if the covenant itself be
general. But some may say that it is true God promiseth to write
his law in our hearts, and put his fear in our inward parts; but
it is upon condition. Give me that condition, and I will yield
the cause. Is it if they do believe? Nothing else can be
imagined. That is, if they have the law written in their hearts
(as every one that believes hath), then God promiseth to write
his law in their hearts! Is this probable, friends? is it likely?
I cannot, then, be persuaded that God hath made a covenant of
grace with all, especially those who never heard a word of
covenant, grace, or condition of it, much less received grace for
the fulfilling of the condition; without which the whole would be
altogether unprofitable and useless, The covenant is made with
Adam, and he is acquainted with it, Genesis 3:15, — renewed
With Noah, and not hidden from him, — again established with
Abraham, accompanied with a full and rich declaration of the
chief promises of it, Genesis 12; which is most certain not to be
effected towards all, as afterwards will appear. Yea, that first
distinction, between the seed of the woman and the seed of the
serpent is enough to overthrow the pretended universality of the
covenant of grace; for who dares affirm that God entered into a
covenant of grace with the seed of the serpent?
Most
apparent, then, it is that the new covenant of grace, and the
promises thereof, are all of them of distinguishing mercy,
restrained to the people whom God did foreknow; and so not
extended universally to all. Now, the blood of Jesus Christ being
the blood of this covenant, and his oblation intended only for
the procurement of the good things intended and promised thereby,
— for he was the surety thereof, Hebrews 7:22, and of that
only, — it cannot be conceived to have respect unto all, or
any but only those that are intended in this covenant.
Arg.
2. If the Lord intended that he should, and [he] by his death
did, procure pardon of sin and reconciliation with God for all
and every one, to be actually enjoyed upon condition that they do
believe, then ought this good-will and intention of God, with
this purchase in their behalf by Jesus Christ, to be made known
to them by the word, that they might believe;
“for
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,”
Romans 10:17:
for
if these things be not made known and revealed to all and every
one that is concerned in them, namely, to whom the Lord intends,
and for whom he hath procured so great a good, then one of these
things will follow; — either, first, That they may be saved
without faith in, and the knowledge of, Christ (which they cannot
have unless he be revealed to them), which is false, and proved
so; or else, secondly, That this good-will of God, and this
purchase made by Jesus Christ, is plainly in vain, and frustrate
in respect of them, yea, a plain mocking of them, that will
neither do them any good to help them out of misery, nor serve
the justice of God to leave them inexcusable, for what blame can
redound to them for not embracing and well using a benefit which
they never heard of in their lives? Doth it become the wisdom of
God to send Christ to die for men that they might be saved, and
never cause these men to hear of any such thing; and yet to
purpose and declare that unless they do hear of it and believe
it, they shall never be saved? What wise man would pay a ransom
for the delivery of those captives which he is sure shall never
come to the knowledge of any such payment made, and so never be
the better for it? Is it answerable to the goodness of God, to
deal thus with his poor creatures? to hold out towards them all
in pretense the most intense love imaginable, beyond all compare
and illustration, — as his love in sending his Son is set
forth to be, — and yet never let them know of any such
thing, but in the end to damn them for not believing it? Is it
answerable to the love and kindness of Christ to us, to assign
unto him at his death such a resolution as this: — “I
will now, by the oblation of myself, obtain for all and every one
peace and reconciliation with God, redemption and everlasting
salvation, eternal glory in the high heavens, even for all those
poor, miserable, wretched worms, condemned caitiffs, that every
hour ought to expect the sentence of condemnation; and all these
shall truly and really be communicated to them if they will
believe. But yet, withal, I will so order things that innumerable
souls shall never bear one word of all this that I have done for
them, never be persuaded to believe, nor have the object of faith
that is to be believed proposed to them, whereby they might
indeed possibly partake of these-things?” Was this the mind
and will, this the design and purpose, of our merciful high
priest? God forbid. It is all one as if a prince should say and
proclaim, that whereas there be a number of captives held in sore
bondage in such a place, and he hath a full treasure, he is
resolved to redeem them every one, so that every one of them
shall come out of prison that will thank him for his goodwill,
and in the meantime never take care to let these poor captives
know his mind and pleasure; and yet be fully assured that unless
he effect it himself it will never be done. Would not this be
conceived a vain and ostentatious flourish, without any good
intent indeed towards the poor captives? Or as if a physician
should say that he hath a medicine that will cure all diseases,
and he intends to cure the diseases of all, but lets but very few
know his mind, or any thing of his medicine; and yet is assured
that without his relation and particular information it will be
known to very few. And shall he be supposed to desire, intend, or
aim at the recovery of all?
Now,
it is most clear, from the Scripture and experience of all ages,
both under the old dispensation of the covenant and the new, that
innumerable men, whole nations, for a long season, are passed by
in the declaration of this mystery. The Lord doth not procure
that it shall, by any means, in the least measure be made out to
all; they hear not so much as a rumor or report of any such
thing. Under the Old Testament,
“In
Judah was God known, and his name was great in Israel; in Salem
was his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Zion,” Psalm
76:1, 2.
“He
showed his word unto Jacob, and his statutes and his judgments
unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his
judgments, they have not known them,” Psalm 147:19, 20.
Whence
those appellations of the heathen, and imprecations also —
as Jeremiah 10:25,
“Pour
out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the
families that call not upon thy name;”
of
whom you have a full description, Ephesians 2:12,
“Without
Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers
from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in
the world.”
And
under the New Testament, though the church have “lengthened
her cords, and strengthened her stakes, “and “many
nations are come up to the mountain of the Lord,” — so
many as to be called “all people,” “all
nations,” yea, the “world,” the “whole
world,” in comparison of the small precinct of the church of
the Jews, — yet now also Scripture and experience do make it
clear that many are passed by, yea, millions of souls, that never
bear a word of Christ, nor of reconciliation by him; of which we
can give no other reason, but, “Even so, Father, for so it
seemed good in thy sight,” Matthew 11:26. For the Scripture,
ye have the Holy Ghost expressly forbidding the apostles to go to
sundry places with the word, but sending them another way, Acts
16:6, 7, 9, 10; answerable to the former dispensation in some
particulars, wherein “he suffered all nations to walk in
their own ways,” Acts 14:16. And for experience, no t to
multiply particulars, do but ask any of our brethren who have
been but any time in the Indies, and they will easily resolve you
in the truth thereof.
The
exceptions against this argument are poor and frivolous, which we
reserve for reply. In brief; how is it revealed to those
thousands of the offspring of infidels, whom the Lord cuts off in
their infancy, that they may not pester the world, persecute his
church, nor disturb human society? how to their parents, of whom
Paul affirms, that by the works of God they might be led to the
knowledge of his eternal power and Godhead, but that they should
know any thing of redemption or a Redeemer was utterly
impossible?