And the great plea of our adversaries, that this redemption is not proper because we are redeemed from our iniquities and vain con- versation, to which no ransom can be paid, will then be freed from ridiculous folly, when they shall give an instance of a ransom being paid to the prisoner's fetters before his delivery, whereunto our sins do rather answer, than to the judge.
There is a redeeming of us from the guilt of sin, which hath a twofold expression: — Of redeeming us from the " curse of the law,'' Gal. iii. 13; and of the "redemption of transgressions," Heb. ix. 15.
For the first, the " curse of the law" is the curse due to sin, Deut. xxvii. 26 ; that is, to the transgression of the law. This may be con- sidered two ways: — In respect of its rise and fountain, or its "ter- minus a quo;" in respect of its end and effect, or its " terminus ad quem."
For the first, or the rise of it, it is the justice of God, or the just and holy will of God, requiring punishment for sin, as the vengeance that is inflicted actually for sin is called the " wrath of God," Rom. i. 18; that is, his justice and indignation against sin. In this sense, to ' "redeem us from the curse of the law," is to make satisfaction to the justice of God, from whence that curse doth arise, that it should not be inflicted on us; and thus it falls in with what was delivered before concerning our captivity by the justice of God. Secondly, As it is the penalty itself, so we are delivered from it by this ransom-paying of Christ, as the punishment which we should have undergone, had not he undertaken for us and redeemed us.
Secondly, For the a-rroXuTpojffig 'raf'aQdasuv, Heb. ix. 15, it can be nothing but making reparation for the injury done by transgi-ession. It is a singular phrase, but may receive some light from that of Heb. ii. 17, where Christ is said to be a high priest, sic, rh }Xdff-/.sc!Oai rag a/Lapriag rov Xaou, " to reconcile the sins of the people," — that is, to make reconciliation for them ; of the sense whereof afterAvard.
OF THE SATISFACTION OF CHRIST. 521
(3.) He redeems from the world, Gal. iv. 5.
The THIRD thing is, that this deliverance from captivity be by the intervention of a price properly so called. That Christ did pay such a price I proved before, — which is the foundation of this dis- course.
The word Xurpov, and those arising from thence, were specially in- sisted on. The known use of the word is " redemptionis pretium ;" so among the best authors of the Greek tongue: Zuvra XaZovng a^^- xav aviv Xvrpojv, Xenoph. Hellen. 7; — " They took him away without paying his ransom," or the price of his redemption. And, "Evifj^-^l^s TO, XxjTpa TU) ' AvviQcc xai rovg ai^aXurovg ccTTsXaQs, says Plutarch in Fabius; — " He sent their ransom to Hannibal and received the pri- soners." And from thence XurpSu is of the same import and signifi- cation. So in the argument of the first book of the Iliad, speaking of Chrysis, that he came to the camp l3ovX6,u,svog Xvrpugagdai r^v ^uya- rspa, — " to pay a price for the redemption of his daughter." And Aristotle, Ethic, lib. ix. cap. ii., disputing whether a benefit or good turn be not to be repaid rather than a favour done to any other, gives an instance of a prisoner redeemed, rw Xv-pojd'svr/ ^apa, Xrj<rrSJv, irorspov rh Xvaai^ivov avriXvrpursov, etc., — whether he who is redeemed by the payment of a ransom from a robber be to redeem him who redeemed him, if captive, etc. But this is so far confessed, that if it may be evinced that this price is paid to any, it will not be denied but that . it is a proper price of redemption, as before was discovered.
That the death of Christ is such a price I proved abundantly at the entrance of this discourse. It is so frequently and evidently ex- pressed in the Scripture to be such that it is not to be questioned. I shall not farther insist upon it.
All that our adversaries have to object is, as was said, that seeing this price is not paid to any, it cannot be a price properly so called; for as for the nature of it, the}' confess it may be a price. So Socinus acknowledgeth it. Saith he: —
I understand the proper use of the word to " redeem" to be when a true price is given. True price I call not only money, but whatever is given to him that delivers the captive to satisfy him, although many things in the redemption be metapho- rical.'
That God detains the captive hath been proved; that the price is paid to him, though it be not silver and gold, and that that he mio-ht be satisfied, shall be farther evinced : so that we have redemption properly so called.
Fourthly. It remains, then, that we farther manifest that the price was paid to God.
' " Propriam enim verbi redimendi significationem intelligo, cum vorum pretium in- tcrvcnit. Vcrum autcm pretium voco non pecuniam tautum, sed quicquid ut ei satisfiat qui captivum detinct datur, licet alioqui multa metaphorica in cjusmodi redemptione reperiantur." — Sociu. de Servat. lib. i. part. i. cap. i.