the law," he resigned not his breath till he could say in refer- ence to all that the law required of him, " It is finished1."]
The incarnation of our blessed Lord remains yet further to be considered, as it respects,
III. The end—
We may say in general terms that he was sent,
1. To redeem us from guilt and misery —
[The Jews alone were under the ceremonial law, and therefore they alone can be said to have been delivered from the yoke which that law imposed upon them. But the whole human race are under the moral law : they are under it as a covenant, which, having been once violated, denounces only its curses against them, without affording them the smallest hope of mercy"1. Now the Lord Jesus Christ came to redeem us from the law ; and to establish a new covenant for us, by embracing which we are released from the covenant of works, and brought into a perfectly new state. This new covenant offers us life upon totally different terms from those which were proposed under the old covenant : the old covenant said, " Do this and thou shalt live :" the new covenant says, " Be- lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved"." The very instant we lay hold on the new covenant, the old covenant is cancelled with respect to us : It cannot condemn us, because its penalties have been inflicted on our Surety : It cannot command us, because we are not under its juris- diction. As a rule of duty, it retains its authority ; but, as a covenant, it is altogether abrogated and annulled0. Thus through the incarnation and death of Christ we are redeemed from the condemnation we have merited by our past transgres- sion of the law, and from all obligation to stand or fall by the terms which that law prescribes.]
2. To exalt us to happiness and glory —
[Our blessed Lord had yet higher ends in view when he became incarnate. He came to restore us to all the blessed- ness from which we had fallen. By creation we were children of God : but, when sin entered, that relation ceased ; and we became " children of the devil." This being our state, Christ came, that through him we might again return to the family of God. Though we are by nature strangers and aliens, we may receive through him the adoption of sons, and be regarded by God as dear children. We are expressly assured that this
1 John xix. 30. '" Rom. iii. 19. Gal. hi. 10.
" Rom. x. 5 — 9. with Acts xvi. 31. ° Gal. ii. 19. Rom. vii. 1 — 4.