beirs with Jefus Chrift*, and to whom He will grant the privilege to become the Sons of God; of thofe whom, as the holy Apofile expreffes it, God will bring with Him 1, when He comes to judgement; the falvation of fuch as, when they depart out of this world, fhall, according to the divine wish of St. Paul §, be inftantly with their Lord; the falvation of thofe who fhall conflitute the number of such as are called the elect ||; the falvation of those who are at laft truly elected, (not accord- 357 ing to the harsh vulgar idea of election, partially, and to the prejudice of the rest of mankind; but indeed for the fake and benefit of all the reft of mankind;) that the primary deliverance, and great falvation of all thefe, does indeed depend folely upon thofe bleffed terms, of a right and effectual faith on the great Redeemer and Lord of all, Jesus Christ ;—perfected by true repentance, and fincere and effectuallyrenewed obedience. And that, therefore, in the end, their number will be but fall in proportion to the bulk of mankind; though it *Romans, ch. viii. ver. 16, 17. ↑ John, ch. i. ver. 11. Philippians, ch. i. ver. 23. Theff. ch. iv. ver. 14. Matth. ch. xx. ver. 23. 2 Tim, Titus, ch, i. ver. 1. ch. ii. ver. 19. D 2 ought ought to be the high ambition of every reafonable spirit, to strive to attain to fuch glorious acceptance. But, ftill further; that although, with regard to these terms, the gate is indeed ftrait, and the way narrow, and many will be found to have fought admittance in vain ; yet that, of God's great mercy to mankind, the effects of the final and compleat great deliverance, through our Lord Jefus Chrift, does not rest here: but at laft, for the fake of those who are thus first perfected, and by their means, and because of kindness fhewn unto them, multitudes of others, (in fhort, all who have manifefted real fincerity of heart, and true benevolence of dif pofition,) will at last find a means to escape. All which is exactly confiftent with what has been faid in explaining the preceding Parable of the unjust Steward. And fo far is this folution from having any tendency to make men careless, that it must needs excite the moft zealous defire, in every well-difpofed mind, to press forward, as the Apoftle expreffes it*, towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift * Philippians, ch. iii. ver. 14. Jefus : Jefus and it must moreover have a ten- 35 dency to deter any one from wilful careleffnefs and neglect; as that, certainly (after light and knowledge once afforded,) muft preclude all hope. And, at the fame time, the knowledge of this intended grace and mercy is at once fufficient to drive away the clouds of defpair; and may win many to the Gospel, who otherwife would remain, till death overtook them, in ftupid insensibility. It will also have a general tendency to promote the exercife of all manner of good will and kind offices univerfally; and to hasten the time when what is fpoken of, in most fublime metaphor, by the holy Prophet, shall come to pass. Revelations, ch. xiv. ver. 6, 7. 6. Καὶ ἔδον ἄλλον ἄγ[ελον πελώμενον ἐν μεσερανήματι ἔχον]α εὐαγΓέλιον αἰώνιον, εὐαγ[ελίσαι τὲς κατοικῶντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶν εθνος καὶ φυλὴν καὶ γλῶσσαν καὶ λαόν· 6. And I faw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the AIONIAN GOOD NEWS, to tell with joy to those that dwell upon the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people. 7. Λέγων ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλη Φοβήθηκε τον Θεὸν, καὶ δότε αὐτῷ δόξαν, ὅτι ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα τῆς κρίσεως αὐτῷ· καὶ προσκυνήσατε τῷ ποιήσαντι τὸν ἐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πηγὰς ὑδάτων. 7. Saying with a great voice: Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgement [of His final determination concern359. ing the lot of all] is come: and worship ye Him, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the fea, and fountains of water. Which bleffed declaration, when it is at laft fully announced, in the most extensive and perfed fenfe of the words, we may reafonably expect, will be the prelude to the opening of the final grand and tremendous fcene, of the Completion of all Things upon Earth, by the GREAT JUDGEMENT, previous to the ΣΥΝΤΕΛΕΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΙΩΝΟΣ, the Perfecting and Finishing of the Aion. I cannot but here fubjoin the following Note, referring to Matthew, ch. xxv. ver. 34. See P. 14. The most true and proper meaning of the word natabáλw is dejicio, which fignifies to throw down; or deturbo, to disturb; or profterno, to lay waste, and fling proftrate; or everto, to fubvert, and overturn : and therefore natach is much rather the fubverfion, or disturbance, of a flate of things, than the laying the foundation of them; although the word will here alfo, in one fenfe, bear even that interpretation for as the fubverfion of the order and beauty and glory of paradife was the beginning of the present state of things, fo it was alfo the foundation of this deranged fcene; which, with the utmost and faddeft propriety, we call this world, this form and fashion of the state of mankind. As, however, nataboλn most properly means derangement, and fubverfion, so it deferves the confideration of the Learned, that the prepofition o means, in one moft diftinguished ufe of it, ftatim poft, or immediately after; (for which fee Vigerus de Idiotifmis Græcæ Dictionis, p. 563.) And if that be the cafe; then, in truth, the right rendering of this remarkable verfe fhould be to this effect: Then fball the King [THE GREAT ANOINTED THE FIRST DERANGEMENT OF THE FORM AND That is-Inherit the kingdom, which, immediately 36.. after the first paradifiacal state was destroyed and D4 Jub |