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If there be no refloration, all the
Dr Hylen, in his Cofmography,

fion, That there are few that fhall be faved. reft muft perish throughout endlesa duration. or Description of the World, tells us, that dividing the whole world into thirty parts, nineteen of thefe are inhabited by idolaters. Of the eleven parts which remain, Jews, Turke, and Saracens poffefs fix. Two of the other five are of the Greek communion; the other three being divided between those of the Church of Rome and the Proteftant or Reformed Churches. How few of the latter are real Chriftians, if the Bible be the test of that true and undefiled religion before God, without which no man shall see him! In the parable of the fower, our Lord divides them into four parts, one only of which is approved; and yet how many thousands called Chriftians belong to neither of these four claffes! Even among the ftricteft and most religious profeffors, who are termed virgins, only one half are defcribed as wife, and having oil in their veffels with their lamps. A fyftem that dooms all the reft to endless woe, deferves to be carefully examined by the unerring light of divine truth; for can we suppose that the Author of all existence, the Father of mercies, and the God of love, has made all the reft of men in vain, or worse than in vain? Does he not own the relation of a Father to them all? and have we not reafon to think he would be ashamed to be called their Father, and to call them his offspring, if he had made no other provision for their happiness than the received doctrine afcertains? If I am a Father, fays he, where is my honour?

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Is not endless mifery inconfiftent with the plain and obvious meaning of the following paffages cf fcripture, which contain unconditional or abfolute promiles made to ancient Ifrael, that can never be accomplished on the common system ? This people have I formed for myfelf; they shall fhew forth my praife. Ifrael fhall be faved in the Lord with an everlafting falvation. Thou art my fervant, O Ifrael, in whom I will be glorified. In him shall all the feed of Ifrael be juftified, and fhall glory."-Thefe promifes are made, in the firft inftance at leaft, to all the children of Ifrael; and no intervening circumftances can invalidate God's promifes. To them is addreffed that declaration," I have loved thee with an everlasting love, and therefore with loving kindness will I draw thee."Does he not fay to that very people, "I am God, and there is none like me; my counfel fhall ftand, and I will do all my pleasure?" Ifa. xlvi. 3, 9, 10.What wonderful difcoveries have we of the Lord's defigns towards the whole houfe of Ifrael, in Ezek. 37th, throughout? Paul, in the 11th of the Romans corroborates thefe promiles, and fuma up thefe defigns: "For God hath con cluded them all in unbelief," or fhut them all up together, "that he might have mercy upon all," Rom. xi. 32. "All Ifrael shall be saved; the Deliverer thall turn away ungodlinefs from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto them, when I fhall take away their fins," ver. 26, 27. Have not the Jews, for these eighteen hundred years, died in unbelief? whence, if there be no restoration, how fhall fuch promiles be accomplished? The apoftle reafons, ver. 16. "If, or feeing, the firft-fruit is holy, the lump is alfo holy; and fince the root is holy, fo are the branches." The firf-fruit and the root are the Patriarchs; the lump and the tranches are the whole Jewish nation, that are still beloved for the fake of these fathers, and included in the covenant made with them.

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The fcriptures alfo abound with abfolute promises, that include all mankind, and cannot be fully accomplished, if part of them are left in endless mifery, Gen. xii. 3. Ifa. xxv. 8.-xlv. 23. Luke ii. 10.-iii. 6. Cor. xv. 22.

The univerfal doctrine may be successfully argued from the perfections of Deity, revealed in his word: From the relations he fuftains to his creatures ; and from the titles with which Meffiah is invested. The reafon affigned, Pfal. xxv. 8. why God will teach finners in the way, is permanent and immutable, his goodness and uprightness. The fame reafon is given why his tender mercies are over all his works, Pfal. cxlv. 9. He is called the God of the fpirits of all flesh, Num. xvi. 22. and xxvii. 16. He is alfo called the Father of fpirits; and Paul admits that all men are his offspring, Heb. xii. 9. Acts xvii. 29.-Job advances a general truth, when he fays, addreffing himself to God, "Thou wilt have a defire to the work of thine hands," Job xiv. 15. Is this defire confiftent with these works remaining always polluted and wretched?-Chrift is called the defire of all nations, and the King of kings, and Lord of lords; and will thefe titles be never realized? He is the true kinfman Redeemer; and will he never deliver any of his brethren but the firft-born? Is he fuch a refpecter of perfons?

God's exprefs purpose concerning hia creatures, fecures the reftoration of the lapfed part of them, which is their being gathered together in Chrift, or reftored to a ftate of union with him, in the difpenfation of the fulness of the times, Eph. i. 9, 10. Jehovah declares, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my plea fure," Ifa: xlvi. 10. He made and preferves all things for his own pleasure, and folemnly declares he has no pleasure in the death of those who perish, Rev. iv. 11. Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Will God lose his end in giving existence ?

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The grand defign of our Lord's appointment as Mediator, the deftruction of the works of the devil, and the restoration of God's works to such a state that he car rejoice in them, is a powerful argument in favour of the reftitution of all things, 1 John iii. 8. Eph. iv. 10. 1 Cor. xv. 28. "That God may be all in all,” or the all in all, Phil. iii. 21. Acts iii. 21. Rom. viii. 19, 20, 21. Rev. xxi. 5. Pfal. civ. 31—ciii. 22.- -The ordinance of the firft-fruits afcertains the fame event, Lev. xxiii. James i. 18. Our Lord is called the first-fruits, with regard to those who fhall be found his at his coming, as they alfo are the firftfruits unto God and the Lamb, 1 Cor. xv. 20. Rev. xiv. 4. We may as well deny the connection between the glorification of Chrift, as the firft-fruits of his people, the church of the first-born, and theirs in due time, as feparate the connection betwixt them, and those of whom they are faid expressly to be the firft-fruits. Does not our Lord declare, that every plant which our heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up? Mat. xv. 13. and will fin, the only plant which he has not planted, remain deeply rooted for ever?

The promised efficacy of the word and judgments of God fecures the final reAtoration of all men, Ifa. lv. 11.xxvi. 9. In the latter of these paffages, it is exprefsly promifed, that the inhabitants of the world fhall learn righteousness, when God's judgments are, or fhall be in the earth. Will this declaration be never verified? Does not the fuperabundance of grace above fin, which Paul afferts, afcertain the same glorious iffue? Rom, v. 20. The verb in both clauses, is in what grammarians call the aorift, or indefinite tenfe, plainly fhewing that

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the abounding of grace above fin cannot be confined to any period of time. The nature of prayer and Christian charity, which we are bound to extend to all men, and the native effect of divine grace on the human heart, afford fo many proofs of the univerfal doctrine. How can death be totally deftroyed, and all nations, yea, all things, inherited by Chrift, if death or mifery is to ex ift without end, and the far greater part of intelligent beings are to remain under the dominion of fin and death to all eternity? 1 Cor. xv. 26. Płal. lxxxii. 8. Heb. i. 2. Is it probable, or even admiffable, that two principles, so diametri cally oppofite as infinite good and infinite evil, are to exift in the universe without end? Will God never deftroy that which he hates and abhors?

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The threatening denounced against Satan, Gen. iii. 15. which involves the deftruction of his power and authority over men, as appears from the illuftration of it in the facred writings, includes, if properly understood, all that is contended for, 1 Cor. xv. 55, 56. Heh. ii. 14. The promise and oath of God, recorded Gen. xii. 3.-xviii, 18 and xxii. 18. alfo xxvi. 4. and referred to Acts iii 25, 26. Rom. iv. 11. Gal. iii. 8. are conclufive in favour of the restoration. This promise and oath include all nations, even all the nations that shall at any time exift, as appears from Pfal. lxxxvi. 9. and comprehend all the kindreds and all the families that pertain to them. From Pfal. lxxii. 17. it appears that this extends to men without exception, and we see the happy effect of it, in that all nations fhall yet be brought to call him bleffed, which plainly imports, that they fhall be previously bleffed by him. That the nations which forget God fhall be turned into hell, is certain, from Pfal. ix. 17. and if they remain there always, how shall the above things be verified?

We may infer the fame confolatory truth of the final restoration, from God's willing the falvation, or recovery of all men, 1 Tim. ii. 4. and giving them into the hand of Chrift for that purpose, John iii. 35.; from his not willing that any should perish, 2 Pet. iii. 9.; and from the Father's will that of all which he hath committed to him, he fhould lofe nothing, John vi. 39. Alfo from the defign of our Lord's coming into the world, the falvation or recovery of that which was loft, Mat. xviii. 11. The univerfal efficacy of the power of God, quickening all things, fecures the final iffue pleaded for, 1 Tim. vi. 13. 1 Cor. xv. 22, 45. Rev. xxi. 5. The defire and prayer of the faithful, Pfal, vii. 9. founded on the express declarations of fcripture, 1 John iii. 8. Mat. xv. 13. fecures the final deftruction of fin, that work of the devil and of wicked mea, And is not the fame truth obvious from the many affurances we have that all things fhall be fubdued by Chrift, and be fubject to him at length? Heb. i. 8. › Cor. xv. 27, 28. Rom. viii. 21. Phil. ii. 10, 11. Rev. v. 13. It is promised, Pfal. cxlv. 10. that all the works of Jehovah fhall praife him; and we find them so employed in the laft quoted paffage, Rev. v. 13. Elsewhere he is faid to rejoice in his works, Pfal. civ. 31. and they too, to exprefs their joy in him, and gratitude to him, by praising him; and furely univerfal praise ought to be admitted as a plain proof of univerfal happiness.

Is not God faid to have loved the world, John iii. 16. and Christ to have taken away the fins of the world? John i. 29. Does not the Father's declaration, in the parable of the prodigal, fhew that the elder brother cannot intend the ua

believing Jews, or Pharafaical Chriftians; "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine ?" Luke xv. 31. The three things contained in this reply are defcriptive of the exclufive privilege of the church of the firft-born; whence the younger brother muft intend the reft of mankind.

Are we not affured that God fhall wipe away all tears, that there shall be no more death, forrow, crying, or pain, and that former things fhall pass away? Rev. xxi. 4. And does not the prophet, in the parallel place, Ifa. xxv. 8. extend this privilege to all mankind?" The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces," &c. Both paffages, in their connection, muft include the extinction of all human mifery. Let the 7th and 14th chapters of the Revelation be attentively read, and it will clearly appear, that the great multitude, which no man can number, cannot intend the elect, whofe peculiar character and privileges are exclufively poffeffed by the sealed number, who alone can fing the peculiar fong of the faints, the priests and kings of the Moft High. Who are these that shall be found fhedding tears when the whole church of the firft-born is represented as complete in glory, "coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband ?" What nations need healing after this glorious event? and yet we find the leaves of the tree of life are intended for the healing of the nations, which cannot intend the elect, they being already glorified, and never fo described. Admitting that these nations are they who are to be reftored to holiness and happiness, at the times of the reftitution of all things, we will at once fee how our Lord is the Saviour of all men, though especially of those that believe, and how his falvation may be termed a common falvation.

Seeing this view of the gospel terminates in a prospect fo glorious and fo interefting to all mankind, let none rafhly condemn or reject it on that account. Let it be first proved, that Meffiah came not to fave the world, and to be the Saviour of all men-that he gave not his life a ranfom for all, nor has tafted death for every man that death shall never be deftroyed, nor all things be fubdued by and to Christ-that tears shall never be wiped from all faces-that the works of the devil fhall never be deftroyed-that Chrift made no peace by the blood of the cross, in order to reconcile all to the Father-that the Father will never gather together all in Chrift, nor have juft caufe to rejoice in his works, and they in him. Till this, and much more is proved, Chriftians are bound to forbear oppofition and all harth cenfures, to inveftigate the subject coollý, and cherish a facred awe, left they fhould be found refifting God, by oppofing an essential part of the gospel, of which he has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets. Eut admitting the truth of the restoration, may we not, with the pious and amiable Dr. Watts, in his preface to vol. 2d of his World to Come, anticipate the bleffed confequences of the univerfal jubilee as filling heaven, earth, and hell with hallelujahs of joy?

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RINTED BY JOHN TAYLOR, GRASSMARKET, EDINBURGH,

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