270 THE ABSOLUTE DOMINION one at judgmentwill be the advocate of an unbeliever, and say, he deserves not a sorer punishment for sinning against the Lord that bought him, his plea will not be taken; or if any such would com- fort the consciences inhell, or go about to cure them of so much of their torment, by telling them that they never sinned against one that redeemed them, nor ever rejected the blood of Christ shed for them, and, therefore, need not accuse themselves of any such sin, those poor sinners would not be able to believe them. If it be only the elect with whom we must thus argue, ' You are not your own ; you are bought witha price ; therefore, glorify God ;' then can we truly plead thus with none till we know them to be elect, which will not be in this world. I do not think Paul knew them all to be elect that he wrote ta, I mean, absolutely chosen to salvation; nor do I think.he would so peremptorily affirm them to be bought with a price, who were fornicators, defrauders, conten- tious, drunk at the Lord's supper, &c., and from hence have ar- gued against their sins, if he had taken this for a privilege proper to the elect. I had rather say to scandalous sinners, ' You are bought with a price ; therefore glorify God ;' than, ' You are abso- lutely elect to salvation ; therefore, glorify God.' And I believe that, as it is the sin of apostates to " crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh," (Heb. vi. 5, 6.) so is it their misery, that "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries, because they have trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith they were sanctified-, an unholy thing;" Heb. x. 26-28. Lastly, I judge it also a good argument to draw us from offending others, and oc- casioning their sin, that " through us our weak brother shall per- ish, for whom Christ died;" 1 Cor. viii. 11. So much for ex- plication. I would next proceed to the confirmation of the doctrines here contained, but that they are so clear in the text, and in many others, that I think it next to needless, and we have now no, time for needless work, and, therefore, shall only cite these twoor three texts, which confirm almost all that I have said together: (Rom. xiv. 9.) "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living;" (2 Cor. v. 14, 15.) " 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; " (Matt. xxviii. 18-20.) " All power is given me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, disciple all nations, baptiz- ing them, &c., teaching them to observe allthings whàtseever Iharve commanded you;" (1 Peter i. 17,18.) " If ye call on the Father,
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