selves, but unto him which died for them and rose again." 2 Cor. iv. 14, 15. And what is this? Survey the wond'rous cure; And, at each step, let higher wonder rise! Through means that speaks its value infinite! My species up in arms! not one exempt! As if our race were held of highest rank, And Godhead dearer, as more kind to man! Dr. Gill. YOUNG. Now, one great design of God in the affair of redemption, was, to reduce and subdue those enemies of God, till they should be put under God's feet. "He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet." 1 Cor. xv. 25. Things were originally so planned and designed, that he might disappoint and confound and triumph over Satan, and that he might be bruised under Christ's feet. Gen. iii. 15. The promise was given, that "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head." It was a part of God's original design in this work, to destroy the works of the devil, and confound him in all his purposes: "For this cause was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John iii. 8. It was a part of his design to triumph over sin, and over the corruptions of men, and to root them out of the hearts of his people, by con forming them to himself. He designed, also, that his grace should triumph over man's guilt, and that infinite demerit that there is in sin. Again, it was a part of his design to triumph over death; and however this is the last enemy that shall be destroyed, yet that shall finally be vanquished and destroyed. Another great design of God in the work of redemption, was, to gather together in one all things in Christ, in heaven and in earth, to an union one to another in one body, under one head, and to unite all together in one body to God the Father. This was begun soon after the fall, and is carried on through all ages of the world, and finished at the end of the world. God designed by this work to perfect and complete the glory of all the elect by Christ. It was a design of God to advance the elect to an exceeding pitch of glory, "such as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor has ever entered into the heart of man." He intended to bring them to perfect excellency and beauty, in his image, and in holiness, which is the proper beauty of spiritual beings; and to advance them to a glorious degree of honour, and also to an ineffable pitch of pleasure and joy; and thus to glorify the whole church of elect men in soul and body, and with them to bring the glory of the elect angels to its highest pitch, under one head. The work which tends to this, God began immediately after the fall, and carries on through all ages, and will have perfected at the end of the world. In all this, God designed to accomplish the glory of the blessed Trinity, in an exceeding degree. God had a design of glorifying himself from eternity; to glorify each person in the Godhead. The end must be considered first in the order of nature, and then the means; and therefore we must conceive, that God having proposed this end, had then as it were the means to choose; and the principal mean that he pitched upon was this great work of redemption, that we are speaking of. It was his design in this great work to glorify his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and it was his design, by the Son to glorify the Father: "Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God also shall glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him." It was his design that the Son should thus be glorified, and should glorify the Father, by what should be accomplished by the Spirit to the glory of the Spirit; that the whole Trinity conjunctly, and each Person singly, might be exceedingly glorified. The work, that was the appointed mean of this, was begun immediately after the fall, and is carried on till, and finished at, the end of the world; when all this intended glory shall be fully accomplished in all things. President Edwards. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sin." Here we have the benefit, viz. redemption, interpreted by way of opposition, " even the remission of sins;" and the matchless price that was laid down to purchase it, the blood of Christ. So again, Heb. ix. 12. "By his own blood he entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Here is eternal redemption, the mercy purchased; his own blood, the price that procured it. Flavel, If Christ gave himself a ransom for the elect, then is redemption also of grace, and free as election itself; which bespeaks both our thankful remembrance and all self-denial. There's a great aptness to forget our original, to pay tribute where 'tis not due, and to withhold it where it is. 'Twas needful counsel of old, and no less at this day, "Ye that follow after righteousness, look to the rock whence ye were hewn." Isa. li. 1. Your Redeemer first brought you out of nothing; and when you had sold your selves for nought, He himself became your ransom, though he needed you not. See, therefore, that ye ascribe all to his love. It was not any betterness of yours, that gave you the preference in redemption; nor was it your ingenuous compliance that made redemption effectual to you: those are slight pretences. Had not your Redeemer bought you from yourself, released you from your imaginary freedom, and saved you from unbelief, you had never known what this redemption had meant, nor what it is to be free indeed. No: it was purely your Redeemer's love; he valued you, as being his Father's gift, and as given to be one with himself. He therefore loved you, and gave himself for you, when you were in your blood, and no eye pitied you, no, not your own. Then was the time of his love; even then he accepted the motion made by his Father and yours, and signed the contract. He knew both your weight and your worth; your natural unfitness for him, and averseness to the match. He knew what it must also cost him to make you both meet and willing, and that it was so stupendous a work, that all the hosts of heaven would have broken under. He further knew that, after all he should do and suffer for you, you could not advantage him in the least; only he should have the satisfaction to have made you happy against your will; and yet he declined it not. He came leaping upon the mountains, and skipping over the hills (of death and difficulties), as longing for and delighting to be in that work. He was straitened till it was accomplished. Such was the intenseness of his love to you. And a great deal ado he had with your wills, before you were brought to be willing: and for all this, he only expects you will carry it worthy of so great a lover, and such manner of love; which is, in effect, but to accept of, and continue in, his love; and be willing he should save you freely, and own this love of his, as the immediate fountain whence your happiness is derived. Elisha Cole. The beginning of redemption in us is regeneration; the process of it is sanctification; and the end is eternal life and glory. Andrews. If the goodness of God is so admirably seen in the works of nature and the favours of providence; with what a noble superiority does it even triumph in the mystery of redemption! Redemption is the brightest mirror in which to contemplate this most lovely attribute of the Deity. Other gifts are only as mites from the divine treasury; but redemption opens, I had almost said exhausts, all the stores of indulgence and grace. Herein "God commendeth his love" not only manifests, but sets it off, as it were, with every bright and grand embellishment; manifests it in so stupendous a manner, that it is beyond parallel, beyond thought, "above all blessing and praise." Was he not thy Son, everlasting God, thy only Son, the Son of thy bosom from eternal ages, the highest object of thy complacential delight? Was not thy love to this adorable Son incomparably greater than the tenderest affection of any, or the united affections of all, mortal parents? Was not the blessed Jesus more illustrious in excellency than all angels, more exalted in dignity than all heavens? Yet didst thou resign him for poor mortals, for vile sinners! Couldst thou see him descend from his royal throne, and take up his abode in the sordid stable? see him forego the homage of the Seraphim, and stand exposed to the reproachful indignities of an insolent rabble? see him arraigned at the bar, and sentenced to death; numbered with the malefactors, and nailed to the gibbet; bathed in his own innocent blood, and pouring out his soul in agonies of sorrow? Could the Father, the Father himself, with unknown philanthropy say, “It shall, it shall be so; my pity to rebellious man pleads and prevails. Awake, therefore, O sword, edged with divine wrath; awake, and be sheathed in that immaculate breast; pierce that dearly-beloved heart, rather than sinful mortals perish for ever." Incomprehensible love! May it be henceforth the favourite subject of my meditation; more delightful to my musing mind than applause to the ambitious ear! May it be the darling theme of my discourse, sweeter to my tongue than the droppings of the honey-comb to my taste! May it be my choicest comfort through all the changes of life, and my reviving cordial even in the last extremities of dissolution itself. Hervey. Redemption, in theology, denotes our recovery from sin and death by the obedience and sacrifice of Christ, who on this account is called the Redeemer. Isa. lix. 20. Job. xix. 25. Our English word redemption, says Dr. Gill, is from the Latin tongue, and signifies, buying again; and several words, in the Greek language of the New Testament, are used in the affair of our Redemption, which signify the obtaining of something by paying a proper price for it; sometimes the simple verb to buy is used; so, the redeemed are said to be bought unto God with the blood of Christ-and to be bought from the earth-and to be bought from antong men—and to be bought with a price; that is, with the price of Christ's blood, 1 Cor. vi. 20: hence the church of God is said to be purchased with it, Acts xx. 28. Sometimes the compound word is used, which signifies to buy again, or out of the hands of another, as the redeemed are bought out of the hands of justice; as in Gat, iii, 13, and Gal. iv. 5. In other places, a word is used, or others derived from it, which signifies the deliverance of a slave or captive from thraldom, by paying a ransom price for him; so the saints are said |