defiled, alludes to a precious stone called amianthus^ which cannot be blemished : such a place is heaven, undefiled, — nothing can stain it, — there's no sin there to eclipse its purity. For the holiness and undefiled- ness of it, it is compared to pure gold, and to the sapphire and emerald, Rev. xxi. " The sapphire hath a virtue," salth Pliny, " to preserve chasteness ; the emerald to ex- pel poison." These are the lively emblems of heaven, to shew the sanctity of it, — no fever of lust, — no venom of malice, — there are none but pure virgin spirits inhabit it. 4. It ' fadeth not away :' The Greek word is the name of a flower amarantlms, which keeps a long time fresh and green, as Clem, Alexandrinus writes. Such is the heavenly inheritance, it doth not lose its orient colour, but keeps its freshness and greenness to eter- nity ; the beauty of it fadeth not away. To this glorious inheritance hath Christ redeem- ed the saints : an inheritance which cannot be fully described or set forth by all the lights of heaven, though every star were a sun. And that which is the diamond in the ring, the glory of this inheritance is, the eternal sight and fruition of the blessed God ; the sight of God will be a most allur- ing, heart-ravishing object ; the king's pre- sence makes the court, John iii. 2., " Wc shall see him as he is." It is comfortable to see God shewing himself through the lattice of an ordinance, — to see him in the word and sacrament ; the martyrs thought it comfortable to see him in a prison ; O tlien, what will it be to see him in glory, shining ten thousand times brighter than the sun ! And not only see him but enjoy him fi)r ever; Frccmium quod Jide non attnujitiir,— Aug. Faith itself is not able fully to com- prehend this reward. And all this blessed- ness hath Christ purchased through the re- demption of his blood.
Use \st. Branch 1. See into what a wretched dejilorable condition we had brought ourselves by sin. We had sinncil ourselves into slavery, so that we needed Christ to purchase our redemption : niliV. durhis seroitutr, Cicero, " Slavery is the worst condition ;" such as are now prison- ers in Algiers think it so. — But by sin we arc in a worse slavery, slaves to Satan, a merciless tyrant, who sports in the damna-
CHRIST THE REDEEMER.
143
tion of souls. In this condition we were when Christ came to redeem us.
Branch 2. See in tliis, as in a transj)a- rent ghiss, the love of Christ to the elect ; he came to redeem them, these he died in- tentionallv for. Were it not ffreat love for a kin<T's son to pay a great sum of money to redeem a captive ? But that he shouhl be content to be a prisoner in liis stead, and die for his ransom ; this were matter of wonder. Jesus Christ hath done all this, he hath written his love in characters of blood. It had been much for Christ to s])cak a good word to his Father for us, but he knew that was not enough to re- deem us ; though a word speaking made a world, yet it would not redeem a sinner, Heh. ix*. 22., " Without shedding of blood there is no remission."
Use 2d. Of trial. If Christ came to pur- chase our redemption, then let us try whe- ther we are the persons whom Christ hath redeemed from the guilt and curse due to sin. This is a needful trial ; for, let me tell von, there is but a certain number whom Christ hath redeemed. O, say sin- ners, ( hrist is a Redeemer, and we shall be saved by him ! Beloved, Christ came not to redeem all ; then we overtlu-ow the decrees of God. Redemption is not as large as creation, I grant there is a sufficiency of merit in Christ's blood to save all ; but there's tlifference between sufficiency and efficiency. Christ's blood is a sufficient price for all, but it is effectual only to them that believe. A plaster may have a sove- reign virtue in it to heal any wound, but it doth not heal unless apjdied to the wound. And if it he so, that all have not the bene- fit of Christ's redemption, only some ; then it is a necessary question to ask our souls, Whether we are in (he number oflhtm that are redeemed by Christ or not ?
Quest. How shall we know that?
Ans. Such as are redeemed, are recon- ciled to God ; the enmity is taken a\A'ay ; their judgments approve, their wills incline adbonnm. Col. i. 21. Are they redeemed, that are unreconciled to God ? Who hate God and his people, (as the vine and laurel have an antipathy) — who do all they can to disparage holiness ? Are these redeem- ed who are unreconciled? Christ hath
purchased a reprieval for these : but a sin- ner may have a reprieve and yet go to hell, John V. 6.