vi The Firstfruits and the Firstborn. 121 



the Mosaic law a subject on which I say scarcely 

 anything, for the reason that I am conscious of not 

 understanding it sufficiently. He lays down (page 

 30 d seq.) that it is "the purpose of God by the 

 firstfruits, or firstborn, to save and bless the later 

 born." The passages which I have quoted on the 

 pages referred to are sufficient to show that this is 

 the doctrine of Scripture. I will, however, here add 

 the following : 



Christ is "the firstborn from the dead, that in all 

 things He might have the pre-eminence ; " x and the 

 elect of the present dispensation are called "the 

 general assembly and church of the firstborn who 

 are enrolled in Heaven." 2 In symbolic language, 

 " firstborn " is evidently a synonym of " firstfruits ; " 

 and the saying that "if the firstfruit is holy, so is 

 the lump," 3 is only translated into a kindred form 

 of expression by saying that if the firstborn are holy, 

 so is the race ; the salvation of the " general assembly 

 and church of the firstborn " is the firstfruit of the 

 salvation of mankind. 



NOTE B. 



WESTCOTT ON UNPARDONABLE SIN. 



THE writer to the Hebrews says (vi. 4-6), "As touch- 

 ing those who were once enlightened, and tasted of 



1 Col. i. 18. 2 Heb. xii. 23. 3 Rom. xi. 16. 



