of atonement, and a variety of others. None, who believe the doctrine of Chrift's atonement, deny that these were inftituted types of his death as the true facrifice for fin. But none can confiftently acknowledge this, and yet affirm that he died for all men. For all these typical oblations, while made for the whole congregation of Ifrael, were made for them only. These facrifices werę offered up for all Ifrael; but only as prefiguring the efficacy of the death of Chrift, as extending to all the chofen people which constitute the true Ifrael. The ftrangers, who received any benefit from the legal oblations, were fuch only as clave to the Ifraelites. The facrifices had no refpect to the nations around. They were exprefsly excluded from the congregation of the LORD. Now, if thefe facrifices prefigured the atonement to be made by Chrift, if at the fame time they were limited to the congregation of Ifrael; his expiation must alfo be limited as to its objects, elfe there is no confonancy between the fhadow and the fubftance.

IV. The fame thing might be fully demonftrated from the hiftory of redemption as accomplished by Chrift. From the account that himself gives of the intention of his death, it is clear that he did not die for all. He faid, "I lay down my These are evidently a de

"life for the fheep." finite number, feparated from the reft of mankind. For he diftinguishes them, in the defcription given, from wolves and hirelings, and from

others

others to whom he fays, "Ye are not of my "fheep." He affigns it as one proof of his being the good Shepherd, that he knows his fheep Now, if by thefe he meant all mankind, why were they thus diftinguished, or what merit was there in knowing them, when there could be no mistake, unless devils had been mistaken for men. The extent of his death is fo clearly defined in his interceffory prayer, that it seems inconceivable that any one fhould err on this fubject, without obftinately rejecting the light. Although Jefus had power over all flesh, yet it was to be exercifed in conferring eternal life on thofe only whom the Father had given him. For fuch only did he pray, in contradiftinction from the world. For them only did he fet himself apart as a facrifice, and confecrate himself by his fufferings to the work of an interceding High-priest ".-But on these things I enlarge not; as they have been often fully illuftrated by others, who have written profeffedly on this fubject.

From the observations made, we may perceive how intimately the various branches of the fyftem of error are connected. Deifts and Arminians in fact ftumble on one ftone. The former ridicule the Scriptures, and deny that they are a divine revelation, because they reprefent God as limiting his love to one nation, to the exclufion of all the reft of the world. The latter reject the very fame doctrine in another form, not indeed as refpecting any particular nation, but in reference

to

1 John x. 12.-15. 26. 27.

m Chap, xvii. 2. 9. 19.

to particular perfons. The Deift stumbles at the doctrine of the literal, the Arminian at that of the spiritual, Ifrael. Both are shocked at the idea of divine fovereignty, and deny that God hath a right to do with his own what feemeth him good,

SECTION XVII.

The Confervation of Believers illuftrated, from the Hiftory of Ifrael. -The Perpetuity of God's Love to the Seed of Jacob.-His Faithfulness. -The Stability of his Covenant.-His Love to David.-Ifrael united to God, as a Peculiar People-A Precious Seed ftill preferved among them.-The Spirit given to them.-Ifrael faved at the Interceffion of his Servants.-Preferved by a conftant Exercife of Almighty Power, by the Hand of the Angel promifed as their Leader.

THE doctrine of the prefervation of all believers, in a ftate of grace, is moft clearly taught in the word of God, affords the moft abundant ground of confolation, and will furnish all who truly understand it with the moft powerful excitement to duty. This precious truth has been a thousand times illuftrated from a variety of doc

trinal

trinal paffages of Scripture. It has been shown that all real Chriftians are fecured in their gracious ftate, by virtue of the everlasting and fovereign love of God, by his faithfulness, by the immutability of his covenant, by the merit of the Redeemer, by their union to him, and to the Father in him, by the incorruptible feed of the word remaining in them, by the inhabitation of his Spirit, by the interceffion of Chrift, and as kept by almighty power. It is unneceffary, and it would be a deviation from the defign of this work, to attempt an illuftration of thefe arguments in a doctrinal manner. But it is worthy of particular attention, that the Spirit of inspiration, even in the hiftorical parts of Scripture, fupplies us with illuftrations precifely of the fame kind; only adapted to the peculiar circumftances of God's ancient people. Now, as we have formerly feen, that they prefigured the true Ifrael; their hiftory, in this refpect, is undoubtedly meant for the confirmation of our faith.

1. The perpetuity of God's love is affigned as the reafon why he would not forfake the feed of Jacob, notwithstanding their iniquities. The fovereignty of this love alfo beams forth with dif tinguished luftre, in his conduct towards them. Both these characters are clearly expreffed in the meffage delivered by the prophet Jeremiah; "Thus faith the LORD, The people which were "left of the fword found grace in the wilderness, 66 even Ifrael, when I went to cause him to reft. "The

"The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, fay"ing, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting "love therefore with loving-kindnefs have I "drawn thee "." That fame fovereignty of love, which was at firft difplayed in the choice of this "nation not defirable," was confpicuous in their continued prefervation, although they were till provoking the God of their mercy. How lively a figure of the permanent manifeftation of the fame adorable character towards all his fpisitual Ifrael! It is only because he "refts in his "love," and because this love ftill triumphantly overlooks our continued demerit, that he does not deftroy us.

The Ifraelites are taught to afcribe their redemption from Egypt, not merely in general, but in all the feveral fteps of it, to fovereign grace. The frequent repetitions, in the hundred and thirty-fixth Pfalm, are by no means " vain repetitions.' This is the principal note in their anthem of praife; "For his mercy endureth for ever." For it is not fo much the design of God, that his people fhould commemorate the deliverance itself, as the cause of it. Without this, he hath no glory; men view even his greatest works only in a selfish light, as fubfervient to their intereft, not as difplaying his adorable perfections. In this pfalm, his mercy is celebrated in thofe things in which it may appear there was no mercy; in overthrowing Pharaoh and his hoft, in destroying Sihon and Og. But as his mercy was difplayed towards If

rael