great point on which he differed from the Pharisees. Their doctrine peculiarly was a doctrine of cruelty, wrath, and partiality; his was a doctrine of love, compassion, and universal grace. No person, who will inake the comparison fairly, can avoid coming to this result. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.

64. Jesus taught, that men in the future world will be like the angels of God in heaven, holy, spotless, and pure. "In the resurrection, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels of God in heaven." Matt. xxii. 30; Luke xx. 35, 36. In what sense shall they be as the angels of God in heaven? Let the passage in Luke xx. answer this question. "Neither can they die any more, for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." Here are two points, in which they will be equal to the angels, viz. 1st. they will be immortal; and, 2nd. they will be children of God, bearing a moral likeness to him. This will be the state of all who shall be raised from the dead.

65. Jesus reproved the Pharisees for shutting up the kingdom of heaven. "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Matt. xxiii. 13. These Pharisees were never charged with having shut up the kingdom of hell; that, they appear to have kept open. But they shut up the kingdom of heaven. Jesus desired to have all men enjoy his kingdom; and we are assured, that, at last, all shall know the Lord, from the least unto the greatest. They will then all have entered the gospel kingdom.

THE TESTIMONY OF PETER.

66. Peter saw, in the vision of the vessel like a sheet knit at the four corners, that all men came down from heaven; that they are all encircled in the kind care of God, while here on earth; and, that "all will

be drawn up again into heaven."

Acts x. 10-15;

xi. 5-10.

THE TESTIMONY OF PAUL.

67. Paul represented the free gift of life as extending equally with sin. 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 unto justification of life." Rom. v. 18. This is a very important passage. It teaches us, that the free gift of eternal life shall extend equally with sin. On the one hand we are told, judgment came upon all men by sin; on the other we fnd, that "the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.' This free gift is eternal life, see Rom. vi. 23. But, for a further view of the argument of the apostle in this place, see section 68.

68. Paul also says, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." The same many that were made sinners, Paul declares "shall be made righteous." This certainly asserts the salvation of all sinners. Parkhurst, in his Greek Lexicon, says, "Oi nolloì, the many, i. e. the multitude, or whole bulk of mankind, Rom. v. 15, 19, in which texts οἱ πολλοὶ are plainly equivalent 15 πάντας ἀνθρώπους, all men, verses 12, 18." The learned Dr. Macknight is to the same purport. For as of nokkoì, the many, in the first part of the verse, does not mean some of mankind only, but all mankind, from first to last, who, Without exception, are constituted sinners, so the many in the latter part of the verse, who are said to be constituted righteous, through the obedience of Christ, must mean ALL MANKIND, from the beginning to the end of the world, without exception." See bis commentary on the place. The evident sense of the passage is this: For as the many, that is, the whole bulk of mankind were made sinners, so shall the many, that is, the whole, the whole bulk of mankind, be made righ

teous. What can be plainer than this fact? We agree with the authors of the Improved Version, who say, "Nothing can be more obvious than this, that it is the apostle's intention to represent all mankind, without exception, as deriving greater benefit from the mission of Christ, than they suffered injury from the fall of Adam. The universality of the apostle's expression is very remarkable. The same (6 many "who were made sinners by the disobedience of one, are made righteous by the obedience of the other. If all men are condemned by the offence of one, the same all are justified by the righteousness of the other. These universal terms, so frequently repeated, and so variously diversified, cannot be reconciled to the limitation of the blessings of the Gospel, to the elect alone, or to a part only of the human race. "Note on Rom. v. 19.

69. Grace shall abound more than sin, and reign more potently, so that at last all shall end in everlasting life. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. v. 20, 21. What a blessed assurance! Grace shall conquer sin? In every heart where sin has reigned, grace shall set up its empire. Grace shall reign triumphantly and successfully. We see not yet all this done; but it shall be done at last.

66

70. Paul teaches, that the same creature which was made subject to vanity, "shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the gloricus liberty of the children of God." Rom. viii. 21. It is worthy of remark, that it is the same creature," or creation, which was made subject to vanity, that is to be delivered. Rev. Thomas White, in his sermons preached at Welbeck Chapel, translates the passage thus: "For THE CREATION was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected it; in hope that THE CREATION ITSELF also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of

the sons of God." (Horne's Intro. II. 540.) Dr. Macknight decides, that creature, in the passage, signifies, "every human creature," "all mankind." Let us read the passage with such a rendering, as it undoubtedly gives it its just sense. For every human creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who had subjected the same in hope; because every human creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

71. Paul teaches the eventual salvation of both Jews and Gentiles. "Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in ;" and SO ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED." Rom. xi. 25, 26. The terms, Jews and Gentiles, comprehend all mankind. Paul asserts the ultimate salvation of both Jews and Gentiles, that is, of all men. What serious man can pretend, that by the fulness of the Gentiles he meant only a portion of them, and by all Israel, he meant only a small part of Israel? Was it such a view, that led Paul to exclaim, at the conclusion of his luminous argument on this subject, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God?" If God sought to save the whole, and succeeded in saving only a fraction, was the depth of his wisdom so surpassingly great? And remark what he says at the conclusion of the 11th chapter. "For of him (God) and through him, and TO HIM are all things,” Tù nárta, the universe; as Dr. Whitby says, "For of him (as the donor) and through him (as the director and providential orderer) and to him (as the end) be all things.' The argument is complete.

72. Paul teaches, that whether living or dying we are the Lord's. "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live we live unto the Lord; and whether we die we die unto the Lord; whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's." Rom. xiv. 7, 8. Does Paul here mean to include all mankind? Does he here mean to assert,

that all, without exception, are the Lord's? We can come to no other conclusion. He adds, "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living," verse 9. The terms dead and living," evidently signify all the human race. Of course, all the human race are Christ's for ever.

73. Paul saith, "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor. xv. 22. "If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature. 2 Cor. v. 17. Hence, if all shall be made alive in Christ, they shall all be new creatures in the resurrection of the dead. Belsham says, "The apostle's language is so clear and full with respect to the final happiness of those who are thus raised, and that their resurrection to life will be ultimately a blessing, that the generality of Christians have supposed, that he is here treating of the resurrection of the virtuous only. But that is not the fact. He evidently speaks of the restoration of the whole human race. All who die by Adam shall be raised by Christ; otherwise the apostle's assertion would be untrue. The case then would have been this, as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall a select number, a small proportion, be made alive. But this is not the apostle's doctrine. His expressions are equally universal in each clause. ALL die in Adam. The same ALL, without any exception, without any restriction, shall by Christ be restored to life, and ultimately to holiness and everlasting happiness."

74. Death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed. 1 Cor. xv. 26. If death be the last enemy, and if that shall be destroyed, there will no enemies to the happiness of man remain after the resurrection.

75. Paul, in his account of the resurrection, does not admit of the existence of sin in the immortal state. "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; ***** it is raised in glory. ***** it is raised in power; ***** it is raised a spiritual body." 1 Cor. xv.