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to Chrift, as the other Apoftles were; namely to be redeemed and faved. For, Chrift knew who were. bis: had long before known, that Judas was a devil. John 13.-18, and John 6.70. It is therefore plain, that we cannot conclude, from the ruin of Judas, the perdition of thofe, who are given to Chrift to be redeemed, and whom he actually has redeemed with his own blood.

XX. Secondly, it is evident, that the Lord Jefus is ently in heard by his father in all things, especially in those for their things which he afks, as our interceffor, John. 11. perfever. 42. But he prays the father for all believers, that, he would keep them from the evil, or the evil one, Jobn 17. 15, 20. Our adverfaries, by a ridiculous fophiftry,endeavour to fubvert this invincible argument, 5 by affirming, that Christ has no where prayed for the abfolute perfeverance of believers in the faith; nay, would not have prayed fo earnestly for their preferverance, had God abfolutely determined, it should be fo. This affertion, together with the reafon annexed, is very rafh and extremely falfe. It is a rafh affertion: for, ft. Where, in this petition of our Lord, is there the leaft fign of a conditional prayer? It is not for us to frame conditions at our pleafure. And then, 2dly what condition is understood, when Chrift fays, keep them from the evil, or the evil one? Is it this? unless they become willing to join themfelves to that evil, one? But their confervation confits in this very thing, that they fhall be conftantly unwilling to do that, 3dly. The remonitrants themselves deny not, that Chrift prayed for the abfolute perfeverance of Peter, Luke 223032. But that immunity from defection, which he prayed for in behalf of his difciples, he alfo prayed for in behalf of all, who were to believe by their miniftry, John 17. 20. The reafon they gave is moft falfe, because it fuppofes, that none earnestly prays for what he knows to be certainly decreed by God. The contrary appears in David, 2 Sam. 7. 27, 28 29, for thou, O Lord, haft revealed to thy

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Servant, faying, I will build thee on house ; thefore bath›› thy ferurnt found in his heart to pray this prayer unto 1 thee. And in Daniel; who, when he had found from the prophecies of Jeremiah, that the determined period for the Babylonifh captivity was feventy years, immediately fet his face unto the Lord God, to feek by. prayer and fupplications, that he would do, what Daniel knew from Jeremiah, was certainly decreed by God, Dan. 9.3 And lastly, in Chrift himfelf, who certainly knew, that it was a thing fixt and decreed, that he was to be glorified with the glory, which he had with the father, before the world was: and yet with no less earnestness does he afk for that in this very prayer, than he did for the confervation of his own people, Jokn 17. 5.

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XXI. Thirdly. We have Paul's authority to affert,-3. Makes that Chrift Jefus built the church for his own house, his church Heb. 3. 3. Put Chrift himself speaks of that building built upon in order, to fhew, by the strongest reafons, its impreg pregnanable stability; Mat. 16. 18, upon this rock I will ble. build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. From which place we argue thefe three Mat. 16. ways ft. The building or houfe of Christ confifts 18. of lively fones, 1 Pet. 2. 5, fitly joined together, and: compacted by that which every joint fupplieth, Epb. 4. 16 But thould it happen (which our adverfaries: pretend, it fometimes does) that fome lively ftones die away, and that the dead are removed from their place; the work would be interrupted, the towering walls totter, and the edifice of the greatest artist be disgraced with many flaws. 2dly. A house built upon a rock ftands fecure against all the fhocks of storms, ftreams and tempefts, Mat. 7 25. But what rock is that? Here let that of the Apostle directly ftrike our mind, 1 Cor. 1o. 4, that rock was Chrift. Who is a rock fave our God? Pf 18 31 yea, there is no (rock➤ God, I know not any, Ïsa. 44. 8. Chrift therefore is, at the fame time, under a different metaphor, both the architect

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architect and the foundation of this houfe. Cor. 3. II. And feeing he is the rock of ages, Ifa. 12. 4, not only, because he is from everlafting to everlasting, but also because he gives a bleffed eternity and an eternal fecurity to all thofe, who are fpiritually unis ted to him it is not poffible, that they should be torn, by any violence, or by any tratagem, from that rock, on which they are built. not to In fpite of XXII. 3dly. What our Lord adds is most em all the ef- phatical. And the gates of bell fhall not prevail against it. Hell, in Greek as Hades in Hebrew

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Shoel in Scripture ftile, fignifies, the place and frate of the dead: as properly fignifies, T Tom, the unfeen place, in which they who are, do not appear:rison denotes that place, in which he who is, is to feek whom you may feek, but not find. Scriptures fet in the lowermoft pasts, to the high heavens, Mat. 11. 23. fignifies not fo much a place, as a ftate, 35, where Jacob lays, I will go down the grave (Hades) unto my fon, mourning gined his fon was devoured by beats. ner, Pf. 49. 14, like sheep they are laid the grave (Hades). Who yet are neither laid in a burying place, nor carried away to a place of eternal torments. It therefore denotes the state of the dead. thus alfo, TheophylaƐt on Luke 16, defines it, accord ni ing to the opinion of many, the tranflation of the foul from the ftate, in which it appears (namely by its ope rations), into that, in which it neither appears nor is feen. Moreover, both the place and the ftate of the dead may be confidered, either with refpect to t the body, or the foul: and both are called Hell or Hades. Hezekiab fpoke of the former, Ifa. 38. 10, I shall go to the gates of (Sheol or Hades) the grave: and the facred writers very frequently. The profane writers place all the fouls both of the just and unjust in Hades. Diodorus Siculus explains the fabulous figment

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figment of Hades, by the torments of the wicked and the elyfium, or flowery meadows of the pious. And Iamblicbus fays, we shall obtain in Hades, as the wife poets affert, the rewards of virtue: Grotius, on Luke 16, has collected very much to this purpose. Yet I do not recollect, that the Scriptures ever place the fouls of the righteous in Hades, It therefore remains, that Sheal and Hades, when applied to the foul, denote a place of torments: and I can fee no reason, why fome very learned men should deny this. For, both Luke 16, 23, and Prov. 5. 5, perfuade us of this; where Solomon fays of the adultrefs, her steps" take bold on bell. Her fteps are not directed to that which is truly life, but to [Sheol] the place of eternal mifery, and Prov. 7. 27, her boufe is the way to bell (Sheol) compare i Cor. 4. 10, and Rev. 21. 8, when whoremongers are excluded the kingdom of heaven, and thrust into the place, which burns with fire and brimstone. To this purpose alfo is Prov. 15. 24, the way of life is above to the wife, that be may depart from bell (Sheol) beneath which the Septuagint tranflate, a ixxxsix To ad owen, that declining from hell (Hades), he may be faved. The wife man's meaning is, that he may afcend to the heavenly mansions, where true life is injoyed, and never fink down to hell, the place of eternal death. We fee then, what bell fignifies in Scripture; namely, in general, the ftate and place of the dead; and more especially the ftate and place of fouls fpiritually dead, who are affociated with devils.

XXIII. But what mean the gates of hell? I think it may be far better learned from Scripture than from the expreffions used by the profane poets. ift, Gates are the defence of a town, where bands of foldiers, and arms, and whatever may be neceffary in fallies for repelling force, are ufually kept in readinefs. Hence we read of the gates of the foundation, 2 Chron. 23.5, which 2 Kings 11. 6, is called, the gate of retreat, whither one may fafely retire. 2dly,

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In the gates they formerly held courts of justice; Amos 5. 15, enablifh judgment in the gate. 3dly, In the gates was held the folemn affembly of the citizens, where they deliberated on difficult matters, and the elders gave prudent counfel: hence Ruth 3. II, all the city (gate) of my people doth know; that is, the whole affembly, which ufually meets in the gate; and Lament. 5. 14, the elders have ceafed from the gate. The gates of hell therefore fignify: 1ft. All the power of death, and of him, who hath the dominion of it, that is the devil. 2dly. The bloody edicts paft and cruel fentences of death pionounced, at the inftigation of the devil, by the princes and dreaded tyrants of the world, on the confeffors of the chriftian truth. 3dly. All the craft and cunning of evil fpirits, exciting each other mutually to deceive the godly.

XXIV. It is not to be doubted, but thefe gates of hell have great ftrength and power, and yet they fhall not prevail against the church. No poffe of the devil, tho' ever fo ftrong, tho' he fallies out with his powers from the gates of hell againt believers : no edicts of emperors, kings and princes, tho never fo cruel, that are paffed against them, no arts and deceits framed in the very council of hell, fhall be able to fubdue and force the faints from their faith in, and union with Chrift. And hence it is, that neither death, nor he that hath the power of death, can either bring, or detain them under his dominion. This to us feems to be the fulleft meaning of that faying.

XXV. Fourthly, Chrift unites believers to himself, 4. So clofe ly unites fo that he is the head, and they collectively taken believers are the body; and every one in particular is a mem to himfelf, ber of his body, Epb. 5. 23. From this likewife we members have a twofold argument. ft. As it is impoffible, of his any member should be torn from the natural body of body. Chrift, who is now in a state of glory; fo it is no lefs impoffible, that any fuch thing fhould befall his myftical body. Because, as Chrift, by the merit of

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