of whom alone he speaks, and for whom alone, and apart from the rest of the elect, he prayeth all along the chapter, until verse 20, when he enlargeth his prayer thus, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.” From this passage, it is as clear as the sun at noon-day, that from the beginning of the chapter until now, he had managed his prayer and heavenly conference with the Father, with particular reference to his apostles, and had not mentioned anything about the residue of the elect. That he speaks of the apostles only verse 2, under those words, “As many as thou hast given me,” is most apparent from verse 6, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word.” First, Christ had not yet manifested his Father’s name to all the elect, meaning all the elect at this time in being in the world. Second, neither could he say to his Father concerning all the elect, that they had kept his word, many of them having not as yet received it.
Again, to pass by several things by the way making out the same truth, verse 12, thus, “While I was with them in the world,” (meaning those of whom he had spoken from the beginning of the chapter) “I kept them in thy name,” i.e. I preserved them from the exorbitances of the world by the knowledge of thy name, which still I have been communicating unto them; “Those that thou gavest me I have kept; and none of them is lost but the son of perdition,” &c. Evident it is, that this son of perdition was one of that number of men which the Father had given him out of the world, and which he had kept entirely without the miscarriage of any one, this son of perdition only excepted. I presume, that neither Mr. Rutherford, nor any of his judgment will say that this “son of perdition” was one of the number of the elect; but certain it is, that he was one of that number of men which the Father had given unto Christ out of the world. The words are too express to bear a denial of this, “Those that thou gavest me I have kept; and none of them is lost but the son of perdition,” &c. Therefore, by as many as the Father had given unto him, with an intent that he should give eternal life unto them, verse 2, are meant the apostles, and these only.
These may be said to have been given unto Christ by the Father, not because they were the Father’s by election from eternity, for doubtless the son of perdition, as hath been said, was none of His in such a relation. Nor was it simply because they were by any peremptory designation appointed and set out by him from amongst other men, to make apostles for his Son, as if Christ had been necessitated to take these, and had no liberty or right of power to have taken any others into that relation. For how could then Christ say unto them that he had chosen them, viz. to the office and dignity of apostles, John vi. 70; xiii. 18; xv. 16–19 but because God the Father by a work appropriable unto him, of which I conceive we shall have occasion to speak more at large hereafter, had qualified, fitted and prepared them for Christ’s hand and nurture, and so to make apostles of them in time; in respect of which work of God the Father, in and upon them, Christ, out of that wisdom wherein he excelled, and that knowledge which he had of the several frames and tempers of the hearts of men, made a prudent and deliberate choice of them from amongst other men for that service.
“Thine they were, and thou gavest them unto me.” They are said to have been the Father’s i.e. as it were, the Father’s disciples, or persons “taught by the Father,” John vi. 45, and so, after a sort, appropriable unto the Father, (as those that believe and are taught of Christ are said to be Christ’s, or to belong to Christ) before they became Christ’s apostles, or were chosen by him upon this account; and are said to have been given unto him out of the world by the Father, because they were peculiarly qualified, and as it were, characterized and marked out by the Father to be formed into apostles by his Son.
The word “give” is frequently found in such a signification as this in the Scriptures, and to import the preparing, furnishing, or fitting, whether of things or persons, for such and such ends and purposes, in reference to the accommodations of men. In this sense Christ is said to have “given some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for time work of the ministry,” &c.; i. e. to have every ways prepared, qualified, endowed, fitted, furnished persons for all these offices and services in his church, for the benefit of the saints, &c. Thus Acts xiii. 20, “he gave unto them judges,” &c.; i. e. he qualified and furnished men amongst them from time to time, with public spirits and with gifts fit for government, &c. So Neh. ix. 27, “Thou gavest them saviours;” i. e. thou furnishedst men with hearts, and courage and wisdom, &c., to save them. See Eph. i. 22, God “gave him (Christ) to be the head over all things to the church;” i.e. he furnished him with sovereignty of power, wisdom, majesty, and with all manner of endowments otherwise requisite for such a head. Thus Psal. xliv. 11, “Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat,” &c; i. e. by withdrawing thy presence, help, and protection from us, thou hast prepared and fitted us to become a prey and spoil to our enemies. In this sense also God saith to Jeremiah (i. 5), that he had given him (for so it is in the original) “a prophet unto the nations;” i. e. that he had furnished him, and meant to furnish him yet further, with prophetical gifts and endowments for the benefit of nations, if they would hearken to him. So Psal. xxi. 6, “Thou hast given him to be blessings,” (so it is in the original, and in your marginal translation;) i. e. thou hast so furnished, qualified, and disposed of him, (meaning Christ,) that whosoever will apply themselves unto him, may be made happy and blessed by him. See also Ezek. xi. 15; Isa. xliii. 28, in the original, with other like. Our Saviour himself useth the word in the sense now instanced from the Scriptures, when he expresseth himself thus: “All that the Father giveth me, shall,” or rather, will “come unto me,” &c., John vi. 37; of which place more in due time.
Nor ought it to seem any hard, uncouth, or unpleasant expression unto us, wherein that which is prepared or any ways made fit for us, and withal so disposed of or set in our way that we may readily and lawfully serve ourselves with it, is said to be given unto us by him or them who thus prepare and dispose of it. He that shall prepare wholesome and savoury meat, such as a man loveth, and shall set it before him, and give him free leave to take it or eat of it, may in sufficient propriety of speech be said to give this meat unto him, yea, whether he takes or eats of it upon such terms or no. So God the Father, having wrought and fitted the men whom Christ chose for apostles, to serve and honour him in this capacity, and withal disposed of them in their times, residences, and conditions in the world, so that Christ might both readily and lawfully call them to his service, he may very well in these respects be said to have given them unto him.
Thus, by a diligent and narrow inquiry into Mr. Rutherford’s Scripture, it evidently appears that there is nec vola muec vestigium, not the least mutter or peep, of any such notion in it as he imagineth, viz. that if Christ should offer eternal life unto any more than only unto the elect, (so called by him,) he must needs do it besides his own and his Father’s intention. Here is not the least word, syllable, letter or apex concerning either the Father’s or the Son’s intentions about the offer of salvation unto men.
By the brief discussions of this chapter, it fully appears that all those texts of Scripture which offer either forgiveness of sins or salvation unto all men without exception, and which promise either or both these unto all men upon, or upon condition of, their believing, which are very frequently numerous, do with the clearest light and evidence of truth hold forth the universality of redemption by Christ. It therefore follows, in regular and due process of reason and discourse, that all they “make God a liar” in such Scriptures, who restrain the salvation or redemption purchased by Christ to any lesser number of men than all.
1. See more of this, Chap. IV
2. Sam. Rhetorfortis. Exercit. Apolog. p. 309.
Wherein
