soner. In this sense Christ is a Redeemer, he hath paid a price. Never such a price paid to ransom prisoners, 1 Cor. vi. 20., " Ye arc pretio empti, — bought with a price ;" and this price was his own blood. So, in the text, " by his own blood he entered in once into the lioly place, having obtained eternal redemption for us," this blood being the blood of that person who was God as well as man, is a price sufficient for the ransom of millions.
Quest. From what doth Christ redeem us ?
Ans. From sin. To be redeemed from Turkish slavery is a great mercy, but it is infinitely more to be redeemed from sin. There is nothing can hurt the soul, but sin ; it is not affliction hurts it, it often makes it better, as the furnace makes gold the purer ; but it is sin that doth damnify. Now, Christ redeems us from sin, Heb. ix. 26., " Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."
Quest. But hoio are we redeemed from sin ? Do ice not see corruption stirring in the regenerate ? Much pride and unmortijied pas- sion ?
Ans. We must distinguish of redcmj)tion : redemption is either inchoata or pkna^ i. c. begun redemption, or perfect redemption ; sin cannot stand with a perfect redemption, but here it is begun ; sin may stand with an imperfect redemption. There may be some darkness in the air at the sun's first rising, but not when the sun is at the full meridian ; while our redemption is but be- gun, there may be sin ; but not when it is perfect in glory.
Quest. But in what sense hath Christ re- deemed justified persons from sin ?
Ans. 1. A reatu, — from the guilt of sin, though not the stain. Guilt is the binding a person over to punishment. Now Christ hath redeemed a justified person from the guilt of sin ; he hath discharged his debts. Christ saith to God's justice, as Paul to Philemon, " If he hath wronged thee any tiling, or owes thee ought, put that on my account," v. 18.
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CHRIST THE REDEEMER.
A. 2. A justified person is redeemed a dominio, — from the power and regency of sin, though not the presence. Sin may funre^ but not regnare ; it may rage in a child of God, but not reign ; lust did rage in David, fear in Peter, but it did not reign, they recovered tliemselves by repentance, Rom. vi. 14., " Sin shall not have dominion over you." Sin lives in a child of God, but is deposed from the throne ; it lives not as a king, but a captive.
A. 3. A believer is redeemed a maledic- tione, — from the curse due to sin, Gal. iii. 13., " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." Christ said to his Father, as Rebecca to Jacob, " upon me, upon me be tlie curse ; let the blessing be upon them, but upon me be the curse." And now, there is no con- demnation to believers, Rom. viii. 1. An unbeliever hath a double condemnation, — one from the law which he hath transgres- sed,— and the other from the gospel which he hath despised ; but Christ hath redeemed a believer from this malediction, he hath set him out of the power of hell and damnation.
Quest. 7o tvhat huth Christ redeemed us ?
Ans. He hath redeemed us to a glorious inheritance, 1 Pet. i. 4., " To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that ftideth not away, reserved in heaven for you."
1. ' To an inheritance :' Christ hath not only redeemed us out of prison, but he hath redeemed us to a state of happiness, — to an inheritance. Heaven is not a lease which soon expires, but an inheritance, — and a glo- rious inheritance, Col. i. ]2., an inheritance in light. Lumen actuat colores. — light a- dorns and gilds the Avorld. What were the world without light but a prison? The hea- venly inheritance is irradiated with light : Clu"ist, as a continual sun, enlightens it with his beams. Rev. xxi. 23.
2. ' To an inheritance incorruptible :* It doth not moulder away, or suffer dissolu- tion. Earthly comforts are shadowed out by the tabernacle, which was transient ; but heaven is set out by the tem])le which was fixed and permanent, built with stone, over- laid with gold. This is the glory of the celestial inheritance ; it is incorruptible. E- ternity is written upon the frontispiece of it.
3. ' Undefiled :' The Greek word for un-