CIIAPTEU V.
Being a continuance of arguments from the nature and description of the thing in hand; and first, of redemption.
Aeg. XI. That doctrine which will not by any means suit with nor be made conformable to the thing signified by it, and the expression, literal and deductive, whereby in Scripture it is held out unto us, but imphes evident contradictions unto them, cannot possibly be sound and sincere, as is tlie milk of the word. But now such is this persua- sion of universal redemption; it can never be suited nor fitted to the thing itself, or redemption, nor to those expressions whereby in the Scripture it is held out unto us. Universal redemption, and yet many to die in captivity, is a contradiction iiTCCOUcilable in itself.
To manifest this, let us consider some of the chiefest words and
ARGUMENTS AGAINST UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION. 259
phrases whereby the matter concerning which Ave treat is dehvered in the Scripture, such as are, redemption, reconciliation, satisfac- tion, merit, dying for us, bearing our sins, suretiship, — his being God, a common person, a Jesus, saving to the utmost, a sacrifice putting away sin, and the hke ; to which we may add the importance of some prepositions and other words used in the original about this business: and doubt not but we shall easily find that the general ransom, or rather universal redemption, will hardly suit to any of them; but it is too long for the bed, and must be cropped at the head or heels.
Begin we with the word REDEMPTION itself, which we will consider, name and thing. Redemption, which in the Scriptiire is xCrpuatg sometimes, but most frequently oaroXurpuffic, is the delivery of any one from captivity and misery by the intervention Xvrpou, of a price or ransom. That this ransom, or price of our deliverance, was the blood of Christ is evident; he calls it Xvrpov, Matt. xx. 28; and [it is called] avriA-oTpov, 1 Tim. ii. 6, — that is, the price of such a redemption, that which was received as a valuable consideration for our dismission. Now, that which is aimed at in the payment of this price is, the deliver- ance of those from the evil wherewith they were oppressed for whom the price is paid ; it being in this spiritual redemption as it is in cor- poral and civil, only with the alteration of some circumstances, as the nature of the thing enforceth. This the Holy Spirit manifesteth by comparing the "blood of Christ" in this work of redemption with "sil- ver and gold," and such other things as are the intervening ransom in civil redemption, 1 Pet. i. 1 8, 1 9. The evil wherewith we were oppressed v/as the punishment which we had deserved; — that is, the satisfac- tion required when the debt is sin; which also we are, by the pay- ment of this price, delivered from; so Gal. iii. 13: for we are "justi- fied freely l)y his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," E.om. iii. 24 ; " in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins," Eph. i. 7; Col. i. 14. Free justifica- tion from the guilt, and pardon of sin, in the deliverance from the punishment due unto it, is the effect of the redemption procured by the payment of the price we before mentioned : as if a man should have his friend in bondage, and he should go and lay out his estate to pay the price of his freedom that is set upon his head by him that detains him, and so set him at liberty. Only, as was before intimated, this spiritual redemption hath some supereminent things in it, that are not to be found in other deliverances; as, —
First, He that receives the ransom doth also give it. Christ is a propitiation to appease and atone the Lord, but the Lord himself set him forth so to be, Kom. iii. 24, 25 ; whence he himself is often said to redeem us. His love is the cause of the price in respect of its procurement, and his justice accepts of the price in respect of its
260 TPIE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK III.
merit; for Christ " came down from heaven to do the will of him that sent him," John vi. 38; Heb. x. 9, 10. It is otherwise in the redeinp- tion amongst men, where he that receives the ransom hath no hand in the providing of it.
Secondly, The captive or prisoner is not so much freed from his power who detains him as brought into his favour. When a captive amongst men is redeemed, by the payment of a ransom, he is in- stantly to be set free from the power and authority of him that did detain him ; but in this spiritual redemption, upon the payment of the ransom for us, which is the blood of Jesus, we are not removed from God, but are "brought nigh" unto him, Eph. ii. 13, — not de- livered from his power, but restored to his favour, — our misery being a punishment by the way of banishment as well as thraldom.
Thirdly, As the judge was to be satisfied, so the jailer was to be conquered; God, the judge, giving him leave to fight for hi.s domi- nion, which was wrongfully usurped, though that whereby he had it was by the Lord justly inflicted, and his thraldom by us rightly deserved, Heb. ii. 14; Col. ii. 15. And he lost his power, as strong as he was, for striving to grasp more than he could hold ; for the foun- dation of his kingdom being sin, assaulting Christ who did no sin, he lost his power over them that Christ came to redeem, having no part in him. So was the strong man bound, and his house spoiled.