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Book III.

OF THE BLESSINGS OF GRACE WHICH COME BY CHRIST, AND OF THE DOCTRINES IN WHICH THEY ARE HELD FORTH.

OF REDEMPTION BY CHRIST.

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I. SHALL settle the meaning of the word; what it supposes, includes, and is designed by it. lish word Redemption, is from the Latin tongue, fies, buying again; the obtaining of something by paying a. proper price for it; sometimes the simple verb ag crazo to buy, is used, 1 Cor. vi. 20. Sometimes the compound word exagorazo, is used; which signifies, to buy again, or out of the hands of another, as in Gal. iii. 13. In other places lutroo is used, or others derived from it; which signifies, the deliverance of a slave, or captive, from his thraldom, by paying a ransom price for him, 1 Pet. i. 18. There are various typical redemptions, and that are of a civil nature, which may serve to illustrate our spiritual and eternal redemption by Christ. I. The deliverance of the people of Israel out of their captivities. The deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt was a very special and remarkable type of redemption by Christ, out of a worse state of bondage than that of Egypt. 11. The ransom of the people of Israel, when numbered, was typical of the ransom by Christ; which was made by paying half a shekel, called the atonement money for their souls, and

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which was paid alike for a rich man, as a poor man; whereby they were preserved from any plague among them, Exod. XXX. 12-16. Christ's people are all redeemed from their sins, and with the same price, the price of his blood. 111. The buying again of an Israelite, waxen poor, and sold to another, by any near akin to him; is a lively representation of the purchase and redemption of the Lord's poor people, Lev. xxv. 47-49. who, in a state of nature are poor, and wretched and miserable; when such was the grace of Christ, who, though rich, for their sakes became poor, that they, through his poverty might be made rich. Only Christ, the near Kinsman of his people, can do this, and has done it. IV. The delivery of a debtor from prison, by paying his debts for him, is an emblem of deliverance and redemption by Christ Christ has cleared the whole score, in consequence of which is proclaimed, in the gospel, liberty to the captives, v. The ransoming of persons out of slavery, by paying a ransom price for them, serves to give an idea of the redemption of the Lord's people by Christ; Fhave found a ransom, Job. xxxiii. 4. In which there is an allusion to a custom in the Eastern countries, to put their slaves in an evening into a pit, where they are close shut up till the morning, and then taken out, to be put to their slavish employments; but not delivered, unless a sufficient ransom is given for them and such is the blood of the covenant. These views of redemption, plainly point out to us the following things, with respect to the Lord's people. 1. That they are, previous to their redemption, and, which that supposes, in a state of captivity and bondage. All having sin ned, judgment, or the judicial sentence, camé upon all men to condemnation in a legal way. 11. That redemption by Christ is a deliverance from this. It is a redemption from sin, original and actual, Tit. ii. 14. from avenging justice, on account of sin; from the guilt and dominion of sin; it is a deliverance from the law, and from eternal death and wrath to come. 111. That redemption by Christ is such a deliverance, as that it is setting persons quite free, and at entire liberty. This will

have its full completion on all accounts, when the saints shall be delivered from every degree of bondage, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

OF THE CAUSES OF REDEMPTION BY

CHRIST.

I. THE moving cause of it, or from whence it springs and flows; and that is the everlasting love of God; God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son; In this was manifested the love of God, &c. 1 John iv. 9.

II. The procuring cause, or Author of redemption, is Christ, the Son of God; he was appointed to it, and assented to it. 1. If it be asked, how Christ came to be the Redeemer? it may be answered as the love, grace and mercy of God the Father moved him to resolve upon redemption, and appoint his Son, and call him to this work; so like love, grace, and mercy wrought in the heart of the Son of God to accept of this call, and engage in this work; in his love, and in his pitý, he redeemed them, as he did Israel of old, Isai. Ixiii. 9. he said I will ransom them, I will redeem them; as from the grave and death, so from every other enemy, Hos. xiii. 14. 11. The fit. ness of Christ to be a Redeemer of his people is worthy of no tice. Now Christ's fitness for the work of redemption, lies in his being God and man in one person; he is Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature; and so fit to be a mediator be. tween God and man. As man, he could be made under the law, and so capable of yielding obedience to it. As God he would be zealously concerned for the glory of the divine pera fections, and secure the honour of them, in the redemption wrought out by him. 11. The means by which redemption is wrought out by Christ; and that is by his blood, his life, to which it is often ascribed, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. Christ, as he had the full disposal of his own life, freely gave his life a ran som price; I lay down my life for the sheep, says he, I lay it down of myself, Matt. xx. 28. John.x. 15, 18. a great emphasis is put upon this, that the price with which men are redeemed,

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is the precious blood of Christ, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. for if he had any sin in him, he could not have been a redeemer from sin, Now this price is paid into the hands of God, whose justice is offended, whose law is broken, and who is the lawgiver, that is able to save and to destroy. It was not paid into the hands of Satan, or any other enemy; for their power was only an usurpation; he had no legal right to hold them captives; and therefore the delivery of them out of his hand, is by powerand not by price: but the justice of God had a legal right to shut them up, and detain them as prisoners, till satisfaction is given; and therefore redemption from avenging justice, which is properly the redemption that is by Christ, is by a price paid to justice for the ransom of them. 111. The final cause, or causes, or ends, for which redemption was wrought out and obtained by Christ in this way; and they are these. 1. That the justice of God might be satisfied in the salvation of a sinner, Rom. iii. 25, 26. 2. That the people of God might be reconciled unto him, and have peace with him, and joy through believing in Christ, Rom. v. 10, 11. 3. Another end of redemption by Christ is, that they might enjoy the blessing of adoption; for so it is said, that God sent his Son to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons, Gal. iv. 4, 5. 4. The sanctification of God's elect, is another end of redemption by Christ; Who gave himself for them, that he might redeem them from all iniquity; and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Tit. ii. 14, and again, Christ is said to love the church, and give himself for it, a ransom price for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, Eph. v. 25. 26. In a word, Christ has redeemed them from the curse of the law, being made a curse for them, that the blessing of Abraham, even all the blessings of the covenant of grace, in which Abraham was interested, might come on them through Jesus Christ, Gal. 3. 14. 6. And lastly, the subordinate end of redemption, is the everlasting salvation of God's elect, and their eternal life and happiness; and the ultimate end, is the glory of God, of his grace and justice, and of all the perfections of his nature,

OF THE OBJECTS OF REDEMPTION.

THE objects of redemption come next under consideration. The inspired writers seem to delight in using the pronoun us, when speaking of the death of Christ, and redemption by it, thereby pointing at a particular people, as the context shews: Christ died for us,-God delivered him up for us all,-who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us,-hath redeemed us unto God by thy blood, Rom. v. 8. and viii. 32. Tit. ii. 14. Rev. v. 9. That the objects of redemption are a special people, will apppear by the following observations.

I. The objects of redemption are such who are the objects of God's love; for redemption, as has been observed, flows from the love of God and Christ.

II. The objects of election and redemption are the same: Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?—It is Christ that died! died for the elect; so the same, us all, for whom God delivered up his Son, are those whom he foreknew, and whom he predestinated; and whose calling, justi fication and glorification are secured thereby, Rom. viii. 3033. and the same us, who are said to be chosen in Christ, before the foundation of the world, have redemption in him through his blood, Eph. i. 47. Election and redemption are of equal extent.

III. Those for whom Christ has died, and has redeemed by his blood, are no other than those for whom he became a surety. Christ was the surety of the better testament, and of course became a surety for those, and for no other, than those who were interested in that covenant. They are the Lord's Benjamins, the sons of his right hand, his beloved sons, that Christ, the antitype of Judah, laid himself under obligation, to bring safe to glory and present them to his divine Father.

IV. The objects of redemption are described by such characters as show them to be a special and distinct people; particularly they are called, the people of God and Christ, Isai. liii. 8. be shall save his people from their sins, Matt. i 21.

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