,transcribed from the #ahgh ,hatchards edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org ,redemption4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,edward ,,hoare1 ,m4,a4 ,vicar of ,trinity1 ,tunbridge ,wells2 and ,hon4 ,canon of ,canterbury4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,,hatchards1 ,,piccadilly4 #ahgh4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,,john ,,strangeways1 ,castle ,st4 ,leicester ,sq4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,contents4 ,,page ,i4 ,,deliverance #a ,,ii4 ,,israel #ad ,,iii4 ,,the ,,first-,,born #bg ,,iv4 ,,the ,,bondsman #dj ,v4 ,,ruth #eb ,,vi4 ,,the ,,spirit #fd ,,vii4 ,,anathoth #gg ,,viii4 ,,the ,,pit #hi ,,ix4 ,,atonement #aja ,x4 ,,atonement #aaf ,,xi4 ,,forgiveness #aca ,,xii4 ,,purity #add ,,xiii4 ,,restoration #aef ,,xiv4 ,,heaven #afi ,i4 ,,deliverance4 #8,but of him are ye in ,christ ,jesus1 who of ,god is made unto us wisdom1 and righteousness1 and sanctification1 and redemption4'--#a ,,cor4 i4 #cj4 ,it is one of the happy characteristics of the present day that persons are much more occupied than they used to be with the subject of emotional religion4 ,the religion of feeling is much more studied than it was forty or fifty years ago4 ,modern books and modern addresses abound in the records of what is termed #8,experience4' ,to a certain extent this is well2 for we all require real1 deep1 heart-religion1 and it would indeed be a shocking thing that we should know the truth of ,god1 and still be strangers to the love of ,christ4 ,love1 joy1 and peace1 are the first fruits of the ,spirit1 and therefore if ,god the ,holy ,ghost dwells in our hearts it seems clear that we must love ,him1 that we must rejoice in ,him1 and that we must be at peace resting in ,his grace4 ,but1 just in proportion as we set a high value on the religion of the heart1 must we see the importance of a solid foundation of divine truth on which all true heart-religion must ever rest4 ,we cannot build a house on the surface of a river4 ,if we attempt to do so we shall very soon find ourselves at the bottom4 ,so feelings are very apt to fail us just when we want them1 if they are not the result of a fixed and solid acquaintance with the truth of ,god4 ,if they do not spring from established principles they will rise and fall even with the digestion or the weather4 ,it is1 therefore1 most important that in these happy days of ,christian emotion we should have a good foundation of ,christian truth1 and should be well established in those great foundation facts on which1 when all feelings fail us1 our souls may rest1 and be at peace4 ,it is well1 therefore1 that our attention should be directed to the great foundation subject of ,redemption4 ,it is one on which everything else hangs1 for if we do not understand redemption1 we cannot possibly know the value of the ,redeemer2 and if we do not know the ,redeemer1 where will our feelings be when the time of pressure comes1 and they are all pressed out of us by trial8 ,there are three questions to be considered carefully at the outset of our study4 ,what is meant by ,redemption8 ,how far is our redemption complete8 ,and what is our present position8 ,may ,god the ,holy ,ghost both direct and bless the words which shall be spoken6 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,what is meant by redemption8 ,on this subject ,i cannot help thinking that there is sometimes a good deal of confusion4 ,people speak of it as if it were the same as ransom1 propitiation1 or atonement1 whereas there is surely a great distinction between them4 ,there cannot be a doubt that the two are very closely connected3 but redemption in ,scripture means much more than atonement1 and always1 or at all events generally1 includes the idea of deliverance1 or recovery4 ,the word itself means to purchase back or to recover by purchase2 which clearly implies both the payment of the price and the recovery of the purchased possession4 ,if a man were a prisoner in a foreign land1 and a ransom were demanded for his release1 there would be two distinct acts necessary to his restoration2 first the ransom must be paid1 and next the dungeon must be thrown open1 and the captive brought out as a freeman to his home4 ,now the first of these acts1 viz41 the payment of the ransom1 represents atonement1 the ransom price for the satisfaction of the law2 but redemption includes the actual deliverance as well4 ,it is the payment of the ransom1 and also the actual liberation of the captive4 ,when the four living ones1 and twenty-four elders said 7,rev4 v4 #i71 #8,thou hast redeemed us to ,god by thy blood1' they did not mean merely that ,he had shed ,his blood for them in atonement1 but that ,he had actually gathered them out as a ransomed people1 and brought them from their former captivity to their present joy2 for they said1 #8,thou hast redeemed us to ,god by thy blood out of every kindred1 and tongue1 and people1 and nation2 and hast made us unto our ,god kings and priests3 and we shall reign on the earth4' ,thus in the ,old ,testament the idea of deliverance is far more prominent than that of atonement4 ,when it was written the doctrine of atonement was not fully revealed1 but was wrapped in types and prophecies4 ,but ,god's power in delivering was full in view1 and it became the prominent object in the thoughts of the writers4 ,let us turn to a few passages in illustration4 ,in ,exod4 vi4 #f1 we find ,god saying1 #8,i will bring you out from under the burdens of the ,egyptians1 and ,i will rid you out of their bondage1 and ,i will redeem you with a stretched-out arm1 and with great judgments4' ,in ,deut4 vii4 #h1 ,moses said1 #8,the ,lord brought you out with a mighty hand1 and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen1 from the hand of ,pharaoh1 king of ,egypt4' ,in ,jer4 xv4 #ba1 when predicting the future restoration of ,israel1 the ,lord says by the prophet1 #8,i will deliver them out of the hand of the wicked1 and redeem them out of the hand of the terrible4' ,in all these passages it is perfectly clear that #8to redeem' means #8to deliver2' and that when ,god said1 #8,i will redeem them1' ,he meant that ,he would set them free4 ,and this is very clearly illustrated by the remarkable prophecy of ,isa4 lix4 #bj1 when compared with the quotation of it1 ,rom4 xi4 #bf4 ,in the prophecy our ,blessed ,lord and ,saviour is called #8the ,redeemer1' but in the apostolic quotation #8the ,deliverer4' ,the ,redeemer is the ,deliverer1 for #8,he gave ,himself for our sins that ,he might deliver us from this present evil world4' ,in the ,new ,testament1 however1 there is a difference4 ,when that was written the ransom price had been paid1 for the ,lord ,jesus ,christ had died2 so that in it the atonement by the ,son of ,god becomes more prominent than the deliverance4 ,the blood of the ,lamb is continually connected with redemption there1 as for example in such a passage as ,titus1 ii4 #ad1 #8,who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity1 and purify unto himself a peculiar people1 zealous of good works2' and in the words just quoted from ,rev4 v4 #i1 #8,thou hast redeemed us to ,god by thy blood4' ,but both ,old and ,new agree in teaching that redemption is deliverance1 or recovery1 through a ransom or atonement4 ,in both #8to redeem' combines the exercise of power with the satisfaction of every lawful claim4 ,it consists of two parts1 atonement and deliverance4 ,atonement1 therefore1 is a part of redemption1 but not the whole4 ,it is the first great act on which the subsequent deliverance depends1 but it is not the deliverance4 ,through atonement the satisfaction is made for sin1 and by virtue of that satisfaction we are set free2 and that deliverance through atonement is the redemption of the ,gospel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii4 ,we may proceed1 then1 to our second question4 ,how far is our redemption complete8 ,and the answer to that question is1 that of the two parts the one is complete1 but not the other4 ,the ransom1 or atonement1 is complete1 and there is no possibility of adding anything to that1 as in the words of our ,communion ,service #8who made there 7by ,his one oblation of ,himself once offered7 a full1 perfect and sufficient sacrifice1 oblation1 and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world1' or1 as in the words of ,scripture1 #8,by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified4' ,that is done for ever and ever4 ,all the masses of the ,church of ,rome1 and all that men call sacrificial offering1 can add nothing to it4 ,all that they can do is to throw a shade over its glory4 ,two hundred million pounds were paid by conquered ,france as her ransom1 and of what use would it now be if any patriotic ,frenchman should endeavour to add to the security of his country by paying an additional five shillings to the ,prussians8 ,so when the precious life of the ,son of ,god has been laid down as our ransom1 and when ,god's covenant has been completely fulfilled1 shall we now go and add to it--a mass8 ,but the deliverance is not finished1 and therefore in the sense of deliverance the redemption is not yet complete4 ,the atonement was perfected on the cross1 but the deliverance will not be perfected till the ,advent4 ,thus there are many passages in which it is spoken of as still future4 ,in ,st4 ,luke1 xxi4 #bh1 our ,lord said1 #8,when these things begin to come to pass1 then look up1 and lift up your heads2 for your redemption draweth nigh4' ,in ,rom4 viii4 #bc1 those who have the first-fruits of the ,spirit are described as waiting for #8the redemption of the body1' or1 in other words1 for the final deliverance of the body itself at the resurrection1 i4e41 for the gift promised through the prophet ,hosea1 #8,i will redeem them from death4' ,so in the ,epistle to the ,ephesians the saints are said both to have redemption1 and to be looking for it4 ,in chap4 i4 #g1 they are described as having it4 #8,in whom we have redemption through his blood1 the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace1' and in chap4 iv4 #cj1 as waiting for it1 #8,ye are sealed unto the day of redemption4' ,the reason is that the atoning blood on which forgiveness rests has been long since shed1 and the atonement perfected4 ,he #8has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us4' ,but the final deliverance will not be complete till ,his return1 when all ,god's elect from all ages and all countries shall be all gathered together in one1 without a sorrow1 and without a fear1 without death1 without sin1 without even a temptation to mar their joy2 one vast company ransomed by one atoning sacrifice saved by one perfect ,saviour1 inheritors of one glorious kingdom1 and bound together in one heavenly fellowship in a blessed eternity of never-ending joy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,iii4 ,what1 then1 is our present position8 of course ,i mean the position of those that are really in ,christ ,jesus8 ,i think this may be very well illustrated by the words of ,moses1 ,exod4 xv4 #ac3 #8,thou in thy mercy hast led forth thy people whom thou hast redeemed4' ,those people had been set free from ,egypt1 and therefore were said to be redeemed4 ,they were already free1 but they were not yet in ,canaan1 or nearly so4 ,they had not yet reached #8his holy habitation4' ,but meanwhile they were in ,his hand1 and they might be perfectly sure that ,he would guide them every inch of their way4 ,now that appears to be exactly our position4 ,if we be in ,christ ,jesus we are already free4 ,our ransom has been paid1 our atonement completed1 and we are free4 ,we are free from both the imputation and dominion of sin4 ,from the imputation1 because the curse is gone2 and from the dominion1 for we are not under the law but under grace4 ,this part of redemption is not a future thing which we should be always seeking1 and never finding2 always praying for1 and never enjoying2 always aiming at1 but never reaching4 ,it is the present1 blessed1 sacred gift of every one of you that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,you are not like ,israel in bondage in ,egypt1 nor even like ,israel shut in by the rocks at ,pi-hahiroth2 but you are like ,israel on the eastern bank of the ,red ,sea1 with ,pharaoh and his host sunk beneath the flood4 ,the language of ,scripture twice repeated is1 #8,in whom we have redemption through his blood1 the forgiveness of sins4' 7,eph4 i4 #g2 ,col4 i4 #ad47 ,accept it then1 and live in the joy of your new position4 ,rejoice in the freedom and give thanks for it4 ,let the past bondage be forgotten in the joy of the liberty wherewith ,christ has made you free2 and go forward with a thankful heart to please ,him who has thus graciously broken your chain4 7#b47 ,but remember that you are not yet completely delivered4 ,moses was so sure that the people would be brought to the holy habitation that he praised ,god for it as if it was already theirs1 though they had many a long mile to traverse1 and many a hard battle to fight1 before they reached it4 ,so you may be perfectly sure of it1 for you are #8sealed unto the day of redemption1' and no one can break the seal4 ,that day of redemption is perfectly sure to come1 and you cannot be disappointed4 ,but meanwhile you have a journey1 and a fight4 ,to say nothing of all that is around you1 there are two things that you still carry within1 viz4 death and sin4 ,there is death1 yes6 that very death that was overcome when the ,lord ,jesus rose from the dead1 still working secretly within you2 and1 if the day of redemption does not come first1 perfectly certain to bring you to the grave4 ,and there is sin1 the deadly sin of your fallen nature1 not yet removed1 but ready to poison the very fountains of your soul4 ,if you think you have done with either death or sin1 you will be sorely disappointed before you have travelled far4 ,your final redemption is not yet completed4 ,you are free from the curse1 free from the condemnation1 free from the slavery1 but you have not yet reached home4 ,you must not1 therefore1 lay aside your armour1 nor must you be disheartened even if you meet with that which makes you groan1 for we read in ,rom4 viii4 #bc1 #8,even we ourselves1' which have the first-fruits of the ,spirit1 #8groan within ourselves1 waiting for the adoption1 to wit1 the redemption of our body4' 7#c47 ,but our delightful assurance is that all the while we are safe in our ,redeemer's hand4 ,he has delivered2 ,he will deliver2 and ,he is delivering4 ,or1 if we take the word #8redeem' in its full sense1 ,he has redeemed2 ,he will redeem2 and ,he is now redeeming4 ,he has set us free by ,his finished atonement4 ,he will set us free by ,his resurrection power2 and ,he is now setting us free by the mighty indwelling of ,god the ,holy ,ghost4 ,see1 then1 the unspeakable blessedness of such a text as that in ,jerem4 ,l4 #cd3 #8,their ,redeemer is strong2 the ,lord of ,hosts is his name3 he shall thoroughly plead their cause4' ,he is our ,redeemer1 for ,he has redeemed us by ,his blood3 ,he is a strong ,redeemer1 for ,he is the ,lord of ,hosts3 ,he is a gracious ,redeemer1 for ,he pleads for ,his people2 and putting all together1 ,he is a perfectly sure ,redeemer1 so we will trust ,him never to leave us for a moment1 till ,he give to every one of us a triumphant victory1 and present us sinless and deathless before ,his glorious throne1 saved by ,his grace1 redeemed by ,his blood4 ,,ii4 ,,israel4 #8,wherefore say unto the children of ,israel1 ,i am the ,lord1 and ,i will bring you out from under the burdens of the ,egyptians1 and ,i will rid you out of their bondage1 and ,i will redeem you with a stretched-out arm1 and with great judgments4'--,,exod4 vi4 #f4 #8,thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed3 thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation4'--,,exod4 xv4 #ac4 ,,these texts have a very important connexion with each other4 ,the first contains ,god's promise when ,he appeared to ,moses and promised deliverance to ,israel4 ,the second is part of the thanksgiving of ,moses when the first portion of the promise had been fulfilled and ,israel was free4 #8,i will redeem1' said ,god4 #8,thou hast redeemed1' said ,moses4 ,of course both passages refer to the deliverance from ,egypt1 and both show perfectly clearly that the word #8to redeem' means #8to deliver1' and not merely to make atonement1 or satisfaction1 for sin4 ,they both1 therefore1 throw great light on the subject of redemption4 ,we know1 on the authority of the ,new ,testament1 that the redemption of ,israel was typical of the great redemption of ,god's people4 ,but for my own part1 ,i believe that it was more than typical4 ,i believe it is to be regarded as the first great act of ,god in the redemption of ,his people4 ,up to that time there had been no deliverance1 or no redemption4 ,this was the first redemption in history1 the first act in the great series which will be finally completed at the ,advent1 when death and hell shall be cast into the lake of fire4 ,i believe this to be the reason why1 at the commencement of it1 ,god made ,himself known by the name of #8,jehovah4' ,many people think that the real meaning of that sacred name is #8,yahveh1' #8the coming one4' ,this #8coming one' appears to have been expected by ,eve herself1 and all the line of believing patriarchs had lived and died in expectation of ,his advent4 ,but their hopes had not been realized1 as the time had not come for the manifestation of ,his power4 ,but when ,israel was in the depths of his deep calamity1 a bondsman in a foreign land and far away from home1 then ,god appeared to ,his chosen servant whom ,he had raised up as ,his leader1 and said to him1 #8,i am the ,yahveh1 the coming one2' and through him ,he promised to ,israel1 #8,i will redeem you with a stretched-out arm1 and with great judgments4' ,if this be the case1 it gives a peculiar interest to the narrative1 because it shows that we are to regard this deliverance of ,israel as the act of the pre-existent #8,coming ,one1' the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4 ,it was not merely a type of the coming salvation2 but it was wrought by the same person who is now saving us1 so that we may see in it the actual commencement of the saving work of our own beloved ,redeemer4 ,it was both a type and a reality4 ,it was a prophetic picture of what ,he was about to do1 and at the same time the commencement of ,his work as the ,deliverer4 ,let us1 then1 study it with care1 and may ,he who has redeemed us by ,his blood teach us by ,his ,spirit6 ,you will remember that we found in the previous lecture1 that redemption is deliverance through ransom1 and1 therefore1 consists of two parts--the saving act and the atoning blood1 or1 in other words1 the power and the satisfaction4 ,let us consider both1 as exhibited in the deliverance of ,israel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,the saving act1 or the power4 ,in studying this we cannot do better than follow the guidance of ,exod4 vi4 #f1 where we learn that ,he saved them from their burdens1 from their bondage1 and from inextricable difficulties4 7#a47 ,from their burdens4 #8,i will bring you out from under the burdens of the ,egyptians4' ,there are many burdens that weigh heavily on man1 so that ,st4 ,paul said1 even when he was sealed by the ,holy ,ghost3 #8,we that are in this tabernacle do groan being burdened4' ,there are burdens on the strength when a man has to toil beyond his powers3 burdens on the heart when we feel a weight of sorrow as we witness the sufferings of those we love3 burdens on the thoughts when some heavy care rests upon us1 and produces depression of spirits3 and1 above all1 burdens on the conscience when the sense of sin troubles us1 when we know we have been wrong1 and when the present conviction of our own utter unworthiness weighs heavily on the heart4 ,these burdens come from many sources4 ,sometimes they are laid upon us by the providence of ,god1 and sometimes they are of our own creation4 ,for example1 the great pain of the burden of sin is that we know it is our own fault1 and1 therefore1 it involves the bitter pain of self-reproach4 ,but some of these burdens are not always felt1 or1 if felt1 not really cared for4 ,people are ready to complain of them2 but they are not really longing to be free4 ,they are very much like ,israel in ,egypt4 ,israel groaned and grumbled1 but yet when a deliverer came to them from ,god1 they did not care to be delivered4 ,turn to their words of reproach which they spake to ,moses when the ,egyptians were pursuing them1 ,exod4 xiv4 #ab1 #8,is not this the word that we did tell thee in ,egypt1 saying1 ,let us alone that we may serve the ,egyptians8' ,they groaned a great deal1 but yet they wished to be let alone4 ,they had no faith in delivering power1 so they preferred to bear their burden rather than run any risk in their effort to be free4 ,how many are there to this day just like them1 who confess their burden1 who lament their burden1 who wish to be free of their burden1 if they can be so without difficulty1 but who yet1 when you tell them of the saving power of the ,lord ,jesus reply in their hearts1 #8,let us alone6' ,now remember that our blessed ,lord and ,saviour is a ,saviour from the burden1 whatever the burden be4 ,if ,he does not take it away ,he will give you power to bear it4 ,he is the burden-bearer as well as the sin-bearer2 and if ,he does not remove the burden ,he is sure to sustain you under it1 for ,he has said1 #8,cast thy burden on the ,lord1 and ,he shall sustain thee4' ,but ,he will one day remove the burden4 ,this is what ,he did for ,israel4 ,he promised to #8bring them out from under their burdens1' and ,he did it1 and we may trust ,him to do the same by us4 ,he will do it in ,his own time1 and ,his own way4 #8,the time appointed may be long but the thing is true1 and the day is coming when every burden will be gone for ever1 and the most burdened heart amongst us will appear in perfect rest in the presence of the ,lord4 7#b47 ,but ,he promised1 also1 to save them from their bondage4 ,they were bondsmen in ,egypt4 ,they were not freemen1 as we are1 but slaves4 ,they were not free to choose their own master1 or to come and go at their pleasure4 ,they could not leave their homes without the permission of the king1 for they were under a legal yoke4 ,if they had no work to do1 nor any burdens laid on them1 they would still have been bondsmen4 ,moses was brought up in all the luxury of a palace2 but still he was a slave4 ,so1 when ,god undertook to deliver1 the first thing ,he did was to break the bondage of this legal yoke4 ,he set them free that ,he might bring them out1 and save them4 ,so long as they were in bondage they could not move1 so ,he broke the chain and they were free4 ,can anything be more complete as a type of what ,he does for us8 ,those whom ,god hath not set free are #8all their lifetime subject to bondage4' ,they are bound by what ,st4 ,paul describes1 ,rom4 viii4 #b1 as #8the law of sin and death4' ,so long as the guilt of unforgiven sin rests on the conscience1 they cannot be free4 ,it matters not where they are or what they are doing4 ,they may be bowed down by hard work1 or living in ease and idleness2 but in either case they are bondsmen1 and they are condemned under the law1 and bound by it4 ,they cannot shake it off1 or get clear of it1 for it is a condemnation by ,god ,himself1 and they cannot break ,his chain4 ,indeed1 their efforts to get free very frequently produce just the same result as the efforts of ,israel did when they strove to get free from ,pharaoh4 ,the only result of their effort was that the burden became heavier1 and the bondage more severe4 ,how often is this the case with persons struggling to get free from the burden and bondage of sin6 ,they try1 and try again1 and the only result is1 that they get deeper into difficulty4 ,they have at last to make their bricks without the straw1 and seem worse off than ever4 ,but then it is that the ,redeemer appears1 and says1 #8,i will rid them out of their bondage4' ,he has borne the burden1 and having done so ,he breaks the yoke4 ,he removes the imputation of sin1 and when that is gone we are free1 free to arise and follow ,him2 free to go forth to the promised land2 free to walk fearlessly with ,god2 free because #8,christ has made us free2' because #8the law of the spirit of life in ,christ ,jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death4' 7#c47 ,but once more2 ,he delivered them from what1 as far as man was concerned1 were insuperable difficulties4 ,it is not an uncommon thing to meet with persons who really hope that they are delivered from the imputation of sin1 and therefore free from the bondage of the law1 who still feel the greatest difficulty in their progress in a ,christian life4 ,they really hope that a great change has taken place4 ,they are in a very different position to what they once were4 ,but still they cannot get on4 ,it appears as if there was a barrier they could not pass4 ,their way is blocked by some besetting sin which they cannot overcome1 and they are sometimes almost tempted to say that it was better with them before they began their struggle4 ,such a temptation is very wrong2 but there is nothing new in it1 for it is just what ,israel felt when they found their way blocked by the ,red ,sea4 ,they then said 7chap1 xiv4 #ab71 #8,it had been better for us to serve the ,egyptians than to die in the wilderness4' ,they had been set free1 but progress appeared impossible4 ,now let any one who thinks his own progress impossible look well at these facts4 ,it was perfectly true that those people were hopelessly hedged in between the sea and ,pharaoh's host4 ,there was nothing that they could do to overcome their difficulty4 ,but ,jehovah had promised1 #8,i will redeem you with a stretched-out arm1' and the result was that when ,moses stretched forth his rod1 the sea itself opened to let them pass4 ,some excellent persons have endeavoured to explain this by supposing some remarkable combination of wind and tide4 ,but we do not want the help of such explanations4 ,it is better to accept it at once as a miracle that cannot be explained1 a miracle wrought out by the strong arm of the ,redeemer4 ,and1 remember1 that it is the same strong arm which can deliver the very weakest amongst us from the greatest difficulties which ever yet beset the path of the ,christian4 ,you say1 #8,i cannot1' but ,he says1 #8,i can4' ,you say1 #8,i have tried2 and it is impossible4' ,he says1 #8,with ,god nothing is impossible4' ,never1 therefore1 again must you say1 #8,it cannot be4' ,if the ,lord has set you free from the dreadful yoke of imputed sin2 if the ,redeemer ,himself is leading you to the promised land1 remember that your #8,redeemer is strong1 the ,lord of ,hosts is ,his name2' and whatever be your practical1 personal1 peculiar difficulty1 ,he is just as well able to overcome it as ,he was to divide the ,red ,sea3 so that1 trusting ,him you may be delivered as ,israel was delivered1 and be enabled1 with a thankful heart to say1 #8,thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people whom thou hast redeemed4' 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii4 ,but we must not look only at the deliverance1 for redemption means deliverance through ransom1 or through blood1 and we must not forget the ransom1 or redemption price4 ,what in this case was the ransom8 ,it was not ,pharaoh's host drowned in the ,red ,sea1 for the bondage of ,israel was broken before that event occurred4 ,nor was it the death of the first-born in ,egypt1 for that could not be regarded as the ransom of ,israel1 though ,i fully admit that it was closely connected with it4 ,for my own part ,i believe it was the blood of the ,paschal ,lamb on the night of the ,passover4 ,but you may say what a little thing that was as the ransom of a nation6 ,perfectly true2 but remember1 it was a type4 ,the whole transaction was a type4 ,the people were a type2 the deliverance was a type2 and1 therefore1 it is only natural to expect that the ransom1 too1 would be a type4 ,now we learn that the ,paschal ,lamb was a type of our blessed ,saviour1 for we read1 #a ,cor4 v4 #g1 #8,christ our passover is sacrificed for us1' and1 therefore1 as that paschal lamb was a prophetic picture of ,him and ,his sacrifice1 we can see in a moment how it was that it was the ransom price in the redemption of ,israel4 ,it was an antedating of the future sacrifice of the ,son of ,god1 and it1 as it were1 carried back the power of the great atonement1 and applied it #aejj years before it happened to the redemption of ,israel4 ,i can see1 therefore1 perfectly clearly why the deliverance of ,israel was called a redemption2 for they were redeemed by the same ransom as we are even by the precious blood of ,christ4 ,it was shed1 it is true1 #aejj years after their deliverance1 but even then it was prefigured and applied1 and even then it was effectual4 ,what1 then1 is our conclusion8 ,is it not surely this8 ,if the burden of ,israel was removed1 the yoke of ,egypt broken1 the way opened through the ,red ,sea1 and all through the type1 may not we be perfectly sure that our burdens will be removed1 our yoke broken1 and our difficulty overcome through the effectual power of the reality8 ,look1 then1 at that most precious blood of ,christ2 look at ,him as the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sins of the world2 look at ,him as your ransom and ,deliverer1 and never again admit the thought that the yoke of sin's condemning power is too fast fixed ever to be broken1 or the hindrances of sin's obstructing power too desperate to be overcome4 ,but when you groan under the yoke let your heart rest in redeeming blood2 and when you feel the difficulty of progress then look to redeeming power1 so that the yoke being broken through the blood1 and victory given by the power1 you may go on your way with the song of ,moses in your heart1 #8,the ,lord is my strength and song1 and he is become my salvation4' ,,iii4 ,,the ,,first-,,born4 #8,but the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb3 and if thou redeem him not1 then shalt thou break his neck4 ,all the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem4 ,and none shall appear before me empty4'--,,exod4 xxxiv4 #bj4 ,,man is a very forgetful being1 and there is nothing which he seems to forget so much as mercy4 ,it takes a great deal to make us forget a trouble1 but very little to wipe away the thought of mercy4 ,thus when ,god has wrought great acts ,he has not unfrequently appointed memorials in order to keep them in remembrance1 and has provided for the failure of man's memory by appointing something that may continually remind him of the past4 ,sometimes it has been a stone or monument1 as1 e4g4 at the passage of ,jordan1 but more frequently it has been an institution1 such as the ,paschal ,supper as a memorial of the ,passover1 and the ,holy ,communion1 or the ,supper of the ,lord1 in remembrance of ,his death and passion4 ,these institutions have lasted much longer than the material monuments4 ,the ,paschal ,supper lasted fifteen centuries1 and the ,lord's ,supper has already lasted more than eighteen4 ,it seems a very simple institution4 ,what can be more simple than to partake together of a little bread and wine in thankful remembrance of ,his death8 ,but it has never been forgotten by the people of ,god1 and never will be till the ,advent4 ,wherever ,christ has been preached this memorial feast has been observed4 ,in all ages and all countries it has been the joy of ,god's people4 ,in all mission-stations as well as in our churches at home1 always and everywhere1 the sacred memorial has been reverently and lovingly observed by those who name the name of ,jesus4 ,but besides the ,paschal ,supper there was another institution ordained as a remembrance of the deliverance from ,egypt4 ,for as ,israel was delivered through the death of the first-born of the ,egyptians1 it was established as a law in ,israel that all their first-born both of man and beast should be given up to ,god4 ,the law is given1 and the reason of it1 in ,exod4 xiii4 ,in v4 #b1 we find the law1 #8,sanctify unto me all the first-born1 whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of ,israel1 both of man and beast3 it is mine2' and in v4 #ad1 the reason1 #8,and it shall be1 when thy son asketh thee in time to come saying1 ,what is that8 that thou shalt say to him1 ,by strength of hand the ,lord brought us out from ,egypt from the house of bondage2' and in the #afth verse we are taught that it was for a perpetual memorial before ,god1 #8,and it shall be for a token upon thy hand1 and for frontlets between thine eyes3 for by strength of hand the ,lord brought us out from ,egypt4' ,we are not told what was involved in this separation unto ,god of the first-born of the sons4 ,some think1 and not without reason1 that they were separated unto the priesthood1 but on this we have no distinct information4 ,one thing is clear1 that in some peculiar manner they were the ,lord's4 ,in ,exod4 xxii4 #bi1 #8,the first-born of thy sons thou shalt give unto me4' ,so in ,num4 iii4 #ac1 #8,because all the first-born are mine4' ,was there not an allusion to this in ,hannah's words when she said1 #8,i will give him unto the ,lord all the days of his life'8 and was there not again a distinct reference to it in the presentation of our ,blessed ,saviour to the temple1 as we read in ,luke1 ii4 #bc8 ,in the case of ,samuel and our ,blessed ,lord there was clearly a consecration to a special and exclusive service2 so whatever was the precise form of separation1 one thing is perfectly clear1 that in a peculiar and especial manner the first-born were set apart unto ,god4 ,there was a vast difference between ,god's ordinance and man's habit4 ,it is a very common thing with man to devote the first-born to the world1 and the second1 third1 or fourth son to the ministry2 or1 extending the principle1 to consider that which is second in our own affections to be good enough for ,god4 ,but ,he claims the first of all1 that which is the first to bring joy to the mother's heart1 and which is first to claim the mother's love2 that which has for a time the concentrated interest of the only child4 ,the ,jewish parent was not to wait till he had many4 ,it was when the mother had only one1 that that one was to be given to ,god4 ,but it is the redemption of the first-born which we are now to study4 ,in this verse we are told1 #8,all the first-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem4' ,according to the law there was a legal claim on every first-born1 whether of man or animal1 but still there was provision made in most cases for their redemption or release1 and it is to this provision that ,i am anxious now to turn your thoughts4 ,it differed in different classes4 ,for sacrificial animals1 such as the sheep1 or the goat1 there was no redemption4 ,they were all offered in sacrifice1 ,num4 xviii4 #ag1 #8,but the firstling of a cow1 or the firstling of a sheep1 or the firstling of a goat1 thou shalt not redeem2 they are holy3 thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar1 and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire1 for a sweet savour unto the ,lord4' ,for other useful animals1 such as the ass1 there was redemption4 ,the ass might be redeemed by a lamb1 but if it was not redeemed1 its neck was to be broken1 ,exod4 xxxiv4 #bj4 #8,but the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb3 and if thou redeem him not1 then thou shalt break his neck4' ,if redeemed1 it was saved from death by substitution4 ,it was redeemed by vicarious death4 ,the lamb was the substitute for the colt1 so the lamb died1 and the colt was free4 ,you see how the principle of substitution pervades the prophecies of the ,jewish ritual4 ,the same principle of substitution appears in the redemption of the first-born sons4 ,but there is a marked difference between that made for them1 and that for the animals1 viz41 that the law did not admit the idea of any such thing as human sacrifice1 and therefore the sons were not like the animals subject to death4 ,they belonged to ,god for service1 not for death1 and the redemption price was of the same character as the yoke from which they were redeemed4 ,thus you find the whole tribe of ,levi given up as the redemption price of the first-born of the other tribes4 ,the transaction is explained1 ,num4 iii4 #da4 #8,thou shalt take the ,levites for me 7,i am the ,lord7 instead of all the first-born among the children of ,israel4' ,thus all the men amongst the ,levites were numbered1 and all the first-born amongst the other tribes1 and by divine authority the ,levites were solemnly given up as a substitute for the others1 ,num4 iii #de3 #8,take the ,levites instead of all the first-born among the children of ,israel1 and the cattle of the ,levites instead of their cattle3 and the ,levites shall be mine3 ,i am the ,lord4' ,but here a difficulty arose1 and it is one which teaches us the extreme danger of giving a typical authority to all the institutions of the ,old ,testament4 ,there was clearly in this case the principle of substitution4 ,the ,levites were substituted for the first-born1 and the first-born were free4 ,the transaction was1 therefore1 an illustration of the work of the atonement4 ,but yet if we were to regard it as a divine type of it we should be landed in a most dangerous and unscriptural conclusion1 for in the case of the first-born the substituted gift was insufficient2 so that if we were to call those ,levites a type of the ,lord ,jesus1 we might gather that ,his sacrifice was insufficient1 and required something else as a supplement4 ,be very careful1 therefore1 how you call anything a type which is not declared to be one by ,god ,himself4 ,when the ,levites were numbered it turned out that there were only #bb1jjj2 but the number of the first-born males of the other tribes was #bb1bgc4 ,the substitution1 therefore1 fell short by #bgc persons4 ,it clearly1 therefore1 could be no type of the ,lord ,jesus1 for there was no falling short in ,him4 ,the result was that a supplement was necessary4 ,five shekels of silver was to be added for each of the #bgc1 and when that was paid the whole of the first-born were redeemed4 ,this money payment afterwards became a permanent institution in ,israel1 and appears to have been continued long after the original transaction was complete4 ,in ,num4 xviii4 #af1 we find the direction that #8all that are to be redeemed 4 4 4 shalt thou redeem 4 4 4 for the money of five shekels1 after the shekel of the sanctuary4' ,now in this ,levitical picture there are many things that bear a close resemblance to the ,gospel4 ,there was a clear legal claim1 and the remission of that claim by substitution1 or the payment of a redemption price4 ,and this may serve to illustrate the claim which the law has on us all1 and the remission of the claim by the substitution of the ,son of ,god4 ,but1 as ,i have already said1 we must be very careful how we call it a type1 for the contrasts are more remarkable than the resemblances4 ,there are two points of contrast to which ,i would draw your most especial attention1 points which ,i can scarcely doubt you have yourselves observed already4 ,in the first place1 the freedom or the release bestowed on the first-born through redemption was the exact opposite of that bestowed on us through the redemption that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,they were redeemed from ,god2 but we are redeemed to ,god1 as we read ,rev4 v4 #i1 #8,thou hast redeemed us to ,god by thy blood1 out of every kindred1 and tongue1 and people1 and nation4' ,before they were redeemed1 all the first-born were the ,lord's1 and were enrolled as a separate people belonging in a special and peculiar manner to ,him2 so that ,he said of them1 ,num4 iii4 #ac1 #8,all the first-born are mine4' ,the effect of the redemption was to put an end to this sacred relationship1 and to place them on the same footing as the other members of the family4 ,it released them from all that was involved in their being a peculiar people unto ,god4 ,they ceased1 in short1 to be a peculiar people4 ,now this is the exact reverse of the redemption that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the effect of ,his work is to call out a peculiar people unto ,god1 and so separate us unto ,himself1 that ,he may say of us1 as ,he said of the first-born1 #8,all are mine4' ,you remember how clearly this is put in ,titus1 ii4 #ad1 #8,who gave himself for us4' ,there is the redemption price1 and the next clause teaches the object of it1 #8that he might redeem us from all iniquity1 and purify unto himself a peculiar people1 zealous of good works4' ,those1 therefore1 whom he has redeemed are purified as #8a peculiar people unto himself4' ,we are brought by redemption into the position from which the first-born were delivered4 ,and ,i cannot help thinking that there is an allusion to this fact in that great description of the ,christian's position in ,heb xii4 ,we there read1 in ver4 #bc1 that we are come #8to the general assembly and church of the first-born which are written in heaven4' ,what is the meaning of that expression8 ,why are believers called the first-born1 and why were their names thus written8 ,is it not because they are brought into the same peculiar relationship to ,god which was the inheritance of the first-born8 ,because1 as the first-born were ,his own so are we8 ,and because as they were enrolled as being ,his in the national register1 so are we in the book of life8 ,and is there any one amongst us that would wish to be free from that peculiarity8 ,is there one that has ever knelt down in the fulness of his heart and said1 #8,lord1 ,i am thine1' who would now rise up and say1 #8,but ,i wish to be thine no more'8 ,is there any one who has ever borne the yoke of the ,lord ,jesus who would now wish to throw it off1 and be free8 ,no1 never6 ,we wish to be free from all that keeps us back from ,him2 free from every weight and from the sin which doth so easily beset us3 free from every temptation that tends to hinder us in ,his service4 ,but free from ,christ6 ,never1 never1 never6 ,the desire of our heart is to be ,his altogether2 ,his without reserve2 ,his in the exercise of all our powers2 ,his in life2 ,his in death2 ,his for eternity2 ,his whatever may be given up for ,his service2 ,his1 so completely1 so truly1 so heartily1 that we may be able to say in the sincerity of our souls1 #8,whether we live1 we live unto the ,lord1 and whether we die1 we die unto the ,lord2 whether we live1 therefore1 or die1 we are the ,lord's4' ,but there is another most marked point of contrast to which ,i have already alluded1 but which we ought to consider more carefully before we close4 ,there was an essential difference of character between the redemption price in the case of the first-born and in ours4 ,in theirs there was no shedding of blood4 ,there was substitution1 but not blood-shedding4 ,the life of the child was not forfeited to the law1 so the life of the substitute was not taken in its stead4 ,it was a gift of service for service1 the service of the ,levite for the service of the child4 ,then again it was a mixed1 and composite substitution4 ,the substitution of the ,levites was insufficient1 so the defect was made up by the #acfe shekels of silver4 ,but in our case1 as our lives were forfeited by sin1 ,his life was given in our stead2 and who shall say that it was insufficient8 ,may we not rather say1 #8,she hath received at the ,lord's hand double for all her sins1' for #8with ,him is plenteous redemption8' ,we have no need to supplement ,his sacrifices by silver4 ,it appears that ,st4 ,peter had reference to this very contrast and to those supplemented shekels1 when he said1 #a ,pet4 i4 #ah1 #8,forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things1 as silver and gold1 from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers3 but with the precious blood of ,christ1 as of a lamb without blemish and without spot4' ,some people might possibly think more of redemption if the redemption price consisted of gold and silver1 for they seem to care more for money than for the most precious blood of ,christ2 at all events1 they appear to cling much faster to it4 ,but what can money do for you when you are face to face with ,god8 ,and what can man do for you when your conscience is bowed down by the weight of sin8 ,no vicarious work of other men1 and no gifts1 however great1 can set you free from the yoke and condemnation of the law4 ,that will never enable you to say1 as was said to me last week by one well known to many of you1 #8,the whole weight is gone4' ,no1 indeed6 ,all the ,levitical service that conscientious men may offer to ,god1 and all the accumulated wealth that the richest amongst us may tender as a redemption price1 will all together utterly fail to take the weight from one sin-burdened soul4 ,but the precious blood of ,christ1 of ,christ ,jesus the one divinely-appointed substitute1 that is enough2 enough1 though quite alone1 enough to redeem us from the whole curse1 and to redeem us from it for ever1 that so1 by ,his boundless grace1 we may be set apart as the first-born unto ,god1 and live and die amongst those who are written in heaven4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,bondsman4 #8,after that he is sold he may be redeemed again2 one of his brethren may redeem him4'--,lev4 xxv4 #dh4 ,,our blessed ,lord said in the ,sermon on the ,mount1 #8,think not that ,i am come to destroy the law or the prophets3 ,i am not come to destroy1 but to fulfil4' ,he did not come as a sweeping reformer to break down existing institutions1 and sweep away the law of types2 but ,he did come as the predicted ,messiah1 to fulfil the prophecies of those prophetic pictures1 and to give a fresh dignity to the law in which they were embodied4 ,in no instance1 therefore1 do you find ,him violating the law4 ,he swept away with a strong hand the vain traditions which men had added to it2 but the law itself he always honoured1 and ,his great complaint against the advocates of tradition was1 #8,ye do make void the commandments of the law by your traditions4' ,but it was not only in the practical details of life that ,he honoured the law1 but in the whole great work of redemption4 ,every part of that wonderful work was an act of homage to the law4 ,not only did ,he obey it when ,he was come1 but in the act of coming1 or in other words1 even in ,his incarnation1 ,he showed ,his obedience4 ,this will be easily seen if you study the law of redemption as laid down in this chapter4 ,the law is here given respecting one who had sold himself to a stranger4 ,how many are there who1 like the bondsman1 have sold themselves to sin6 ,but we must not stop to dwell on that4 ,the poor man had sold himself and was a slave4 ,till the year of jubilee nothing could release him but redemption4 ,but who should pay the redemption price8 that was the question4 ,a stranger was not at liberty to do so4 ,however kindly disposed he might feel1 he had no right or power to interfere4 ,according to this #dhth verse1 the ,redeemer must be one of his brethren4 #8,one of his brethren may redeem him3 either his uncle or his uncle's son may redeem him1 or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family1 may redeem him2 or1 if he be able1 he may redeem himself4' ,the slave himself might redeem himself if he had the power to do so4 ,but what hope had that slave of procuring his own ransom when all his powers and all his time belonged to another8 ,who then could redeem him8 ,who could set him free8 ,the nearest of kin had the prior right1 as we see in the case of ,boaz and ,ruth4 ,but if he failed1 the next in order of relationship might step in and take his place4 ,but the redeemer must be a kinsman1 and none but a kinsman could redeem4 ,so closely are the two things identified1 that redeemer and kinsman are both expressed by the same word in ,hebrew4 ,the same word stands for both1 for the kinsman had the right of redemption1 and the redeemer was obliged to have a blood relationship4 ,and now observe the manner in which our blessed ,lord and ,saviour obeyed the law4 ,we are all by nature in the position of the man that was sold4 ,so ,st4 ,paul said of himself in his natural condition1 #8,i am carnal1 sold under sin1' ,rom4 vii4 #ad2 and therefore he described the law of evil within his nature warring against the law of his mind1 #8and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which was in his members4' ,there was therefore a captivity resulting from the sale4 ,but it is not only the original ruin of our human nature of which the expression is used in ,scripture1 for it is applied to the personal act of the individual sinner4 ,is there not an allusion to this very law in those passages which speak of persons having sold themselves8 ,ahab #8sold himself to do evil4' #a ,kings1 xxi4 #bj4 ,in #b ,kings1 xvii4 #ag1 the same is said of the children of ,israel3 #8,they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the ,lord4' ,in ,isaiah1 ,l4 #a1 there is a distinct reference to the sale to a creditor1--#8,which of my creditors is it to whom ,i have sold you8 ,behold1 for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves1 and for your transgressions is your mother put away4' ,and in ,isa4 lii4 #c1 a clear allusion to the redemption of the slave1 #8,ye have sold yourselves for nought2 and ye shall be redeemed without money4' ,the sinner1 therefore1 is like the man who sold himself4 ,he has yielded himself to be the servant of sin4 ,he obeys it1 and he does its work4 ,if he wishes to get free he cannot4 ,he may long for liberty1 but he cannot attain it4 ,he may think with bitter regret of past folly that has led to his ruin4 ,but regret cannot restore4 ,remorse cannot set him free4 ,a slave he is1 and a slave1 unless saved by redemption1 he must remain4 ,how1 then1 can such an one be redeemed8 ,that is the question4 ,it must clearly be by a redemption price4 ,there was no redemption under the law without a ransom4 ,in the case of the man who had sold himself1 the price was the value of his service until the year of jubilee4 ,in our case it was infinitely higher1 for the ,lord ,jesus gave ,himself #8a ransom for all4' ,the sinner sold himself1 and the ,lord ,jesus gave ,himself as a ransom1 and because ,he has done so1 ,god said by the prophet1 #8,ye shall be redeemed without money4' ,but my object is to consider1 not the ransom1 but the ,redeemer1 and to examine who1 according to the law1 was qualified to redeem4 7#a47 ,we cannot redeem ourselves4 ,it is clear that according to ver4 #di1 the slave1 if he were able1 might redeem himself4 ,but it must have been very difficult for a slave1 who had sold himself because he was ruined1 to accumulate sufficient for his own redemption2 and it is perfectly clear that it would be utterly impossible for us to accomplish any such redemption for ourselves4 ,multitudes have endeavoured to do so4 ,they have striven to gain a freedom by tears and toils1 and fastings1 and almsdeeds1 proportioned to the sin committed4 ,but the only effect has been that the chain has been riveted more firmly than ever on their soul4 ,instead of providing a ransom they have daily increased their debt4 ,and so it will ever be so long as man struggles to redeem himself4 #8,it cost more to redeem their souls1 so they must let that alone for ever4' 7#b47 ,then again1 angels could not redeem us4 ,even if there had been any mighty archangel of such majesty as to produce a sufficient ransom1 he would have been disqualified for the office1 for the simple reason that he would not have been a kinsman4 ,we know but little of the nature of angels1 and we cannot realize a mighty spirit perfectly independent of the flesh4 ,but this we know1 that there is a clear and marked distinction between the nature of angels and the nature of man1 for we read of our blessed ,saviour1 #8,he took not on him the nature of angels2 but he took on him the seed of ,abraham4' ,heb4 ii4 #af4 ,the angels1 therefore1 are not our brethren4 ,they are not kinsmen1 and therefore were not qualified to redeem4 ,whatever benevolence they may have felt1 and whatever compassion for us in our captivity1 and whatever joy in our salvation1 the whole host of angels and archangels were utterly disqualified to act as redeemers1 and1 whatever they offered1 according to the law1 they were unable to redeem4 7#c47 ,but still more4 ,even the ,son of ,god ,himself1 in ,his eternal ,godhead1 could not redeem1 for there lay against ,him the same disqualification4 ,he was eternal1 above man1 and of a nature altogether different4 ,as the heaven is high above the earth1 so is ,his nature above ours4 ,it is high1 we cannot attain unto it4 ,in ,his divine nature1 therefore1 our blessed ,lord ,himself was not a kinsman1 and therefore by law ,he could not be a ,redeemer4 ,he was not one of the brethren of the bondsmen1 and therefore could not redeem2 and1 whatever love ,he felt for us1 ,he was excluded1 according to the law1 from showing it in redeeming mercy4 ,and now you see the homage paid to the law in ,his incarnation4 ,when ,he took on ,him our nature ,he became a kinsman1 and could redeem4 ,see how clearly this is put in ,heb4 ii4 #ad4 #8,forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood1 he also himself likewise took part of the same2 that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death1 that is1 the devil4' ,he identified ,himself with them in nature in order that1 being their kinsman1 ,he might have the right of redemption4 ,he took not on ,him the nature of angels1 for that would not have established a relationship with man1 but ,he took on ,him the seed of ,abraham1 and so became one with the great human family4 ,the ,levitical law1 ver4 #dh1 was1 #8,one of his brethren may redeem him4' ,so to carry out ,his own most gracious purpose of mercy1 ,he took our nature1 ,he made ,himself a brother1 and according to the #aath verse of that chapter in the ,hebrews1 #8,he is not ashamed to call us brethren4' ,just the same truth is taught us in ,gal4 iv4 ,in ver4 #c1 we are described as bondsmen3 #8,we were in bondage under the elements of the world4' ,and when our ,heavenly ,father in boundless love undertook to save1 what did ,he do8 ,he first prepared a qualified ,redeemer1 and then that ,redeemer redeemed us by ,his blood4 #8,he sent forth his son1 made of a woman1 made under the law1' qualified therefore in all respects1 because ,he was of the same family #8to redeem them that were under the law1 that we might receive the adoption of sons4' ,he became a brother1 and1 being a brother1 redeemed us by ,his blood4 ,there was a double act of love and mercy3 first1 in assuming the relationship1 and next1 in availing himself of that relationship in stepping forth to pay the ransom for our release4 ,oh6 who can tell the love of ,christ8 ,who can sufficiently exalt ,his grace8 ,but now what is the position of all those that are in ,him8 ,what is the position of all you who have redemption through ,his blood8 ,you were bondsmen once2 sold under sin3 sold by the act of ,adam1 and sold by your own conduct afterwards4 ,as ,st4 ,paul says1 ,rom4 vi4 #ag1 #8,ye were the servants' or the slaves #8of sin4' ,but what are you now8 ,are you still slaves8 ,no4 ,those only who are strangers to salvation in ,christ ,jesus are slaves4 ,but you are not1 for you are free4 ,your kinsman has appeared and paid the redemption price2 so you are free3 as completely free as if you had never been in bondage4 ,the moment that the kinsman paid the ransom1 the slave was free4 ,he was not required to stop and inquire whether he deserved it or no4 ,he was not obliged to wait and look into his feelings1 and ascertain whether he felt it or no4 ,the ransom was paid1 and he was free1 so that he might go home with a thankful heart to show his deep gratitude to the kinsman who had paid it4 ,so it is with you if you be in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the creditor has no hold on you1 for your kinsman has come forward1 and the whole ransom is paid4 ,you are as completely free as you will be if you wait a hundred years4 ,you cannot add anything to the ransom1 and there is no need that you should do so1 for all is paid1 and paid in full4 ,you may dwell therefore in perfect peace in your ,father's home1 and with a thankful heart gather round your ,father's table1 in the peaceful enjoyment of your ,father's fellowship1 and your ,father's love4 ,but think how strange it would have been in olden times1 if1 when the kinsman had come forward and most kindly paid the redemption price1 the poor bondsman had preferred captivity1 and refused the liberty thus freely purchased for him by his brother4 ,such things apparently did happen sometimes1 though they appear to us almost impossible2 for1 in ,exod4 xxi4 #e1 the servant is described as plainly saying1 #8,i love my master 4 4 4 ,i will not go out free1' and1 when he said that he was taken to the door-post1 and his ear was bored through in token that he was a slave for life4 ,i do not know whether that often happened in ancient days1 but ,i fear it is a very common occurrence now4 ,the ,son of ,god has become a kinsman on purpose to redeem1 and as a kinsman has redeemed us by ,his blood4 ,he has come to the master1 and having broken all his legal power1 has proclaimed liberty to the captive1 and the opening of the prison to them that are bound2 but there sits the slave1 content in his slavery1 and plainly says1 #8,i love my master2 ,i will not go out free4' ,how many are there even amongst ourselves thus indifferent to liberty6 ,they know there is a deliverer2 they have heard it3 they have read it3 they believe it4 ,they know their kinsman has paid the ransom1 so that1 according to the covenant1 they may be free4 ,but they love the old sins1 and the old ways1 and the old habits1 and they have no wish to be set free4 ,they like the old associations1 and a change of heart might cause a separation from their wives and their children1 so they had rather go on as they are1 the slaves of sin1 the bondsmen of their own corruption4 ,is it unjust that such persons should never be set free8 ,if the bondsman of old deliberately went to the door-post that his ear should be bored1 was it unjust that he should be bound a slave for ever8 and if any one of us with the grand offer of the freedom of the ,gospel fully before him1 prefers his bondage and will not accept the purchased freedom1 is it unjust that that man should remain a miserable slave8 ,oh1 that ,i could persuade those who have thus far been sitting still content with their captivity1 to accept the freedom which their kinsman now offers them1 so that henceforth we may change our note1 and instead of saying1 #8,the ransom is paid1 come home and enjoy your freedom1' we may say to them in the full enjoyment of their ,father's loving home1 #8,stand fast in the liberty wherewith ,christ hath made you free4' ,v4 ,,ruth4 #8,and the kinsman said1 ,i cannot redeem it for myself1 lest ,i mar mine own inheritance2 redeem thou my right to thyself2 for ,i cannot redeem it4'--,,ruth1 iv4 #f4 ,,it has been my sacred privilege to speak lately more than once on the great subject of redemption as taught in the ,old ,testament1 and the last time ,i did so ,i directed your attention to the law of redemption1 as laid down in the book of ,leviticus4 ,but that law conveys a very imperfect idea of the redemption by our ,lord and ,saviour4 ,in some respects there is a remarkable agreement1 but the type falls utterly short of the reality4 ,let me mention a single instance4 ,if the kinsman came forward to redeem either the person or property of the debtor1 the effect of that redemption was to restore the ruined man to his liberty and his home4 ,the forfeited property was restored1 and the bondman became free2 but there it stopped4 ,the poor man was no better off after redemption than he was before he was sold4 ,all that redemption did for him was to restore him to his original position4 ,here1 then1 you see in a moment the enormous difference between this ,levitical redemption and the blessed work of our most blessed ,saviour4 ,he raises man by redemption to a position far above his position before the fall4 ,adam in ,paradise had nothing to compare with the sacred inheritance of the saints of ,god in the kingdom of our ,lord4 ,man1 as represented in ,adam1 was far below the angels2 but as redeemed in ,christ ,jesus1 the second ,adam1 is high above them4 ,man in ,adam had his inheritance on earth1 but redeemed man in ,christ ,jesus is made heir to an #8inheritance incorruptible1 and undefiled1 and that fadeth not away1 reserved in heaven for him4' ,this point is very well illustrated by the case of ,ruth4 ,the history of ,ruth is not unlike that of ,joseph--a remarkable illustration1 though never declared to be a type4 ,we may1 therefore1 accept the illustration1 though we must not ascribe to it a divine1 or typical1 authority4 ,turning to chapter i41 we find that ,elimelech1 a man of ,bethlehem1 had property in ,bethlehem-judah1 and in consequence of famine and subsequent poverty1 had emigrated with his wife and two sons to ,moab4 ,when there1 both his sons married1 but before there was any family born to either of them1 both they and their father died4 ,the three women1 therefore1 were left widows1 and the famine having abated1 ,naomi decided to return4 ,she appears to have gone back to the old home at ,bethlehem1 but said that her name should be no more ,naomi 7pleasant71 but ,marah 7bitter71 for the old house had lost its joy4 ,after her return she struggled on1 with ,ruth as her companion4 ,at length ,boaz1 the great man of the neighbourhood1 #8a mighty man of wealth1' became acquainted with their circumstances1 and most kindly interested himself in their condition4 ,being related to ,elimelech1 he was prepared to step in1 and act the part of a kinsman1 by redeeming the property from sale4 ,but in this there was a difficulty1 for he was not the next of kin1 and therefore had no right to redeem 7ch4 iii4 #ab74 ,but when he who was next of kin heard of it1 he declined to act1 as he could not undertake the burden4 ,boaz1 therefore1 undertook to pay the redemption price himself4 ,is there not a remarkable illustration there of the sacred work of our ,kinsman1 for when all others failed1 though bound by no responsibility1 ,he freely undertook to redeem us ,himself8 ,thus the price was paid1 the property was redeemed1 the family inheritance was preserved1 and it is not at all improbable that it was in that very farm that ,jesse lived1 and ,david spent his boyhood4 ,but ,i do not want to dwell on the property1 but rather to draw your attention to the case of ,ruth4 ,it was the stipulation of the covenant that ,boaz should redeem all that belonged to ,elimelech and his sons1 and therefore he was to receive with the property the widow of the deceased ,mahlon4 ,it was a strange law that gave him such a power1 or rather imposed on him such a duty4 ,the gospel of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ has raised the marriage-tie to a sacred position1 which would render any such regulation quite impossible now4 ,but it was the law in the time of ,boaz1 and he acted on it when he redeemed the land4 ,but now ,i want you to observe carefully the result4 ,if the famine had not reduced ,elimelech to poverty1 and so compelled him to emigrate to ,moab1 he and his sons would have remained in humble life on their property at ,bethlehem1 and as for ,ruth she would have dwelt unknown in the mountains of ,moab4 ,the famine1 therefore1 was the first link in the chain4 ,god's links are often very different to man's plans4 ,but after ,naomi's return1 it is clear that she and her daughter led a struggling life1 and were reduced so low that their property was advertised for sale4 ,if all had gone well with them1 they would apparently have been just able to live1 and as it was1 they were very glad of kind and generous help4 ,but now observe the effect of redemption1 and see how it raised ,ruth above the position which either she herself1 or the family of ,elimelech1 had occupied before the time of their distress4 ,there are two things to be noticed4 7#a47 ,she became the bride of the man who had redeemed her4 ,before the redemption he was kind to her1 and gave her six measures of barley into her veil4 ,but by virtue of the redemption he made her his own1 received her to a share of all he had1 and bound himself to her by the sacred tie of a life-long affection4 ,now have we not here a remarkable illustration of the blessed truth that by redemption we are raised to a position incomparably higher than that from which man originally fell8 ,the ,church of ,god is not like the young gleaner receiving a few shekels of barley as a generous gift2 but by redeeming blood it is raised into the position of the ,bride of the ,lamb1 and made to sit together in heavenly places in ,christ ,jesus4 ,look at the description of this union as the result of redemption in ,eph4 v4 #be3 #8,christ also loved the ,church1 and gave himself for it1 that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word1 that he might present it to himself a glorious ,church1 not having spot1 or wrinkle1 or any such thing2 but that it should be holy and without blemish4' ,if1 therefore1 we have redemption through ,his blood1 we are not merely permitted to glean behind ,his reapers1 but we are brought into a relationship the most sacred and intimate that it is possible for the human heart to imagine4 ,we live in ,his presence1 we are made partakers of ,his kingdom1 we may rest in ,his love4 ,his promise is1 #8,as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride1 so shall thy ,god rejoice over thee4' ,and even when we are most deeply and painfully humbled at our own shortcomings1 and at the sad coldness of our own hearts1 we may think of ,him not only loving us1 but rejoicing in ,his love1 admitting us to the most sacred confidence1 and permitting us with the holy intimacy of a reverent affection to pour out our whole heart before ,him4 ,if1 then1 it were an elevation to ,ruth to become the bride of the #8mighty man of wealth1' oh1 what an honour is it for such as we are to be clothed with the white robe of ,his spotless righteousness1 to be called by ,his grace into fellowship with ,himself1 to be loved by ,him with an everlasting love2 and1 finally1 presented to ,him in spotless holiness to be one with ,him for ever6 ,how infinitely higher this is than anything enjoyed by ,adam before the fall6 7#b47 ,but this was not all1 for by the act of redemption ,ruth was brought into a special relationship with the ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,himself4 ,in the genealogy of our blessed ,saviour there are only three women mentioned1 one of whom was ,ruth4 ,i have no doubt in my own mind that this narrative was written1 and preserved in the canon of ,scripture1 to prepare the way for that mention of ,ruth in the genealogy2 for ,i believe that the great object of the ,old ,testament is to trace the sacred line that terminated in the birth of the promised seed4 ,the whole history follows that line1 and all collateral branches are passed by without any special record4 ,by the act of redemption1 ,ruth was bought into that sacred or royal line3 she became the one woman of her generation that was lineally connected with the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,jesse1 the father of ,david1 was her grandson1 and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,david1 was her seed4 ,she was therefore brought by the act of redemption into union with ,him1 and so are we4 ,of course there is a vast difference between the two forms of union4 ,she was the mother1 we the children4 ,he drew ,his human life from her1 we receive our divine life from ,him4 ,in her case it was the tie of parentage or motherhood2 in ours that of sonship4 ,he was the promised ,seed in which all nations of the earth are blessed2 and as such ,he was her seed1 and our ,saviour4 ,but though there was this marked distinction1 in both cases redemption led to union2 and if it were an honour to ,ruth to be in the chosen line from which ,he sprang1 is it not indeed an honour to such as we are to be admitted amongst the chosen family who are blessed in ,him8 ,remember the words of the ,apostle connecting sonship with redemption1 ,gal4 iv4 #d3 #8,when the fulness of time was come1 ,god sent forth ,his ,son1 made of a woman1 made under the law1 to redeem them that were under the law1 that we might receive the adoption of sons4' ,the effect of redemption therefore is so to identify us with the ,son of ,god that we ourselves in ,him become sons4 ,we are redeemed from the curse and made one with the ,son of ,god1 so that we may go in before the ,god of glory1 and there cry ,abba1 ,father4 ,ye then1 who have redemption through ,his blood1 accept your position1 and be not afraid of claiming your union4 ,as ,ruth was brought into the same line of parentage1 so are you into that of sonship4 ,act1 therefore1 as sons4 ,speak to your ,father as your ,father4 ,abide in ,him3 walk in ,him3 live in ,him3 trust in ,him3 undertake nothing independently of ,him2 and ,god grant that you may be preserved in ,him till the great presentation day1 when in ,him you will be presented spotless before ,his throne6 ,but we have not yet done with ,ruth4 ,you see clearly that just as we are raised by redemption to a condition infinitely higher than that of ,adam before the fall1 so ,ruth was raised by redemption to a position incomparably higher than that of ,elimelech's family before the famine4 ,but we must look at her own previous condition1 for it was far below the original condition even of ,elimelech4 ,he was one of the seed of ,abraham1 a member of the covenant1 a proprietor in the promised land4 ,but she was a poor heathen girl on the mountains of ,moab1 an alien from the commonwealth of ,israel and a stranger from the covenant of promise4 ,yet that poor heathen girl was raised by redemption to a higher position than all the ,jewesses in the whole family of ,elimelech4 ,does it not teach us the power of redemption to break down every barrier1 to overturn every human calculation1 to clear away every hindrance1 and to raise to the most glorious salvation those very persons whose case to man's eye seems hopeless8 ,doubtless there were noble women in ,bethlehem who would have been glad enough to have been brought into the sacred line of the motherhood of the ,coming ,one4 ,but the honour was given through redemption to the poor young widow from ,moab4 ,so there may be many ,englishmen1 familiar with the words of the covenant1 and living1 as it were1 within religious boundaries1 but still strangers to real fellowship with ,god2 while others1 far away in heathen lands1 in ,india1 in ,africa1 in ,china1 are brought in through the power of redeeming blood1 and made heirs of ,god1 and joint heirs with ,christ4 ,so1 again1 there may be many amongst us at home who seem as far off as that young woman was when she was growing up an idolater in ,moab2 but the lesson that we are to learn is that there is such a fulness in redemption1 such a power1 such a completeness1 such an efficacy that that far-distant sinner1 even though he has been an idolater2 though he can never forgive himself1 may be forgiven by ,god2 and not forgiven only1 but raised by infinite grace even to a oneness with the ,son of ,god4 ,let no one1 therefore1 feel hopeless1 whatever his position1 and whatever his past idolatry2 for redeeming blood can triumph over everything1 and can so blot out all sin that those who are the farthest off of any amongst us may yet be made nigh by the blood of ,christ1 and finally presented spotless before ,his throne4 ,but one word more about ,ruth1 for if we really desire thus to be made nigh1 her words to ,naomi may serve to illustrate the spirit in which we must come to the ,lord ,jesus4 ,if we were to call this a type such an application of them would lead to nothing but confusion4 ,but looking at it simply as a piece of history they may suggest a most important illustration4 ,she said to ,naomi1 #8,whither thou goest1 ,i will go2 and where thou lodgest1 ,i will lodge3 thy people shall be my people1 and thy ,god my ,god4' ,if you desire to be made to sit in heavenly places in ,christ ,jesus kneel down1 and from the bottom of your heart say the same to ,him4 ,you may be still far away from ,god1 a stranger in a strange land4 ,but there is ,he1 having come amongst us to fetch you home1 to seek you1 to save you1 to raise you to ,himself4 ,let there be then the loving surrender of your whole soul into ,his hand2 and let the prayer of your inmost heart be1 #8,whither thou goest1 ,i will go2 thy people shall be my people1 and thy ,god my ,god4' ,,vi4 ,,the ,,spirit4 #8,into thine hand ,i commit my spirit2 thou hast redeemed me1 ,o ,lord ,god of truth4'--,ps4 xxxi4 #e4 ,,it is a very happy thing for the ,church of ,god that ,david's life was chequered by trials1 and his character by no means free from fault4 ,if he had never been in difficulty1 we should never have been taught how difficulty drove him to his ,god2 and if he had been a man without sin1 we should not have had from him any lessons on repentance as we now have in his penitential psalms4 ,to his difficulties we are indebted for the #cast psalm1 and to his sins for the #east4 ,for this #cast psalm1 #8,trust in difficulty' would be a suitable heading4 ,it opens with the words1 #8,in thee1 ,o ,lord1 do ,i put my trust2' and after referring to many sources of anxiety1 it concludes with that noble appeal to all believers1 #8,be of good courage1 and he shall strengthen your heart1 all ye that hope in the ,lord4' ,but ,i am not about to attempt any examination of the whole psalm1 but simply to draw your attention to this one sacred verse1 and to the spirit of confiding trust expressed in it4 ,in the study of it we will examine1 first1 the trust1 then the redemption which was the foundation of it4 ,may ,god teach us so to realise the plenteous fulness of that redemption that we may be always able in confiding faith to exercise the trust6 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,the trust ,this is expressed in the words1 #8,into thy hand ,i commit my spirit4' ,there are few words in the whole word of ,god1 presented to us with more sacred authority than these1 for they were quoted by our ,lord ,himself even on the cross1 and were almost the last words uttered by ,him before ,his death4 ,we must therefore approach them with a hallowed sense of profound reverence1 and remember that the place whereon we stand is holy ground4 ,that use of them by our ,blessed ,saviour shows that they express the confiding trust of a dying believer1 that the trust is a death-bed trust1 and one especially prepared for that solemn moment when we come to the threshold of eternity1 and1 leaving all below1 are just on the point of entering alone into the unseen world4 ,let no one think lightly of such a moment1 or suppose that because there may be perfect peace there is no deep solemnity in the approaching change4 ,there is an inexpressible solemnity about it1 and it is only the foolhardy man that will ever brave it unprepared4 ,but the words of this text are exactly suited to the well-prepared believer4 ,he has reached the point when friends can do no more for him4 ,the faithful wife can accompany him no further2 the loving child can no longer minister to his comfort2 every human help utterly fails2 and the dying man is left alone with ,god4 ,but his ,blessed ,father is at his right hand1 and can reach his soul even when men think he is unconscious2 so that1 even at that moment when to the eye of man there is nothing but weakness1 confusion1 and failure1 the trusting heart1 in the inner secrets of the soul1 can lean on the ,beloved1 and say1 #8,into thine hand ,i commit my spirit3 thou hast redeemed me1 ,o ,lord ,god of truth4' ,this is what our ,lord did just as he was dying2 this is what ,stephen did when he said1 #8,lord ,jesus1 receive my spirit2' and this is what ,i hope each of us may be able to do when the time of our departure is come1 and the curtain which separates earth from heaven is being drawn aside to let us pass4 ,but ,i do not think that death is the only occasion on which we may use these words1 or that we are to lay them by unused till we require them in our dying hour2 for1 as far as we can gather from the psalm1 they are to have a present life-use likewise4 ,the psalm is not a death-bed psalm1 but one composed under difficulties4 ,nor did ,david write it under any expectation that he would be overpowered by these difficulties1 for in verses #b1 #c1 and #d1 he prays for deliverance2 and in verse #h he expressly declares1 #8,thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy3 thou hast set my feet in a large room4' ,we must1 therefore1 regard these words as spoken by one who was in difficulty1 and being in difficulty1 availed himself of the privilege of committing all his difficulties into his ,father's hand4 ,but you will observe that in this verse he does not speak so much of his difficulties as his spirit4 ,he does not say1 #8,into thy hand ,i commend my difficulties1' but #8,into thy hand ,i commend my spirit4' ,he may in those words have prayed for the preservation of his life1 but ,i think it was rather the preservation of his own spirit1 what ,st4 ,paul describes #8the spirit of the mind1' for which he required help4 ,we all know how the spirit is harassed1 and the rest of the soul disturbed1 when we are placed in circumstances of perplexity4 ,at such times we are often distracted in prayer1 and are so much occupied by the things that trouble us that we are tempted to forget our resting-place4 ,hence the importance of especial prayer1 not merely that difficulties may be overcome1 but that our own spirit may be kept unruffled and undisturbed in perfect peace reposing on the ,lord4 ,this is just what ,david did in the psalm4 ,he earnestly prayed that he might be delivered4 #8,deliver me in thy righteousness4' #8,deliver me speedily4' ,he earnestly sought ,god's guiding hand1 in order that in his own conduct he might do ,god's will3 #8,for thy name's sake lead me and guide me4' ,and meanwhile he trusted his own spirit1 his mind1 his thoughts1 his temper1 his whole man into his ,father's keeping1 and said1 #8,into thy hand ,i commit my spirit4' ,,ii4 ,but now let us turn to that redemption which was the foundation of his trust4 ,he did not trust without a reason1 but said1 #8,into thy hand ,i commit my spirit2 thou hast redeemed me1 ,o ,lord ,god of truth2' and we have to consider what he meant by that expression1 #8,thou hast redeemed me4' ,in answer to this question1 ,i have no hesitation in expressing my firm conviction that the redemption to which he referred was precisely the same as that on which we ourselves rest1 the redemption from the guilt of sin wrought out by the ,lord ,jesus on the cross4 ,there has never been any other redemption which could be the foundation of trust either in life or in death2 and when we find the blessing of the ,gospel connected in the ,old ,testament with redemption1 we have no choice but to believe that the redemption with which they are connected is that great redemption by the ,lord ,jesus on which all our own hopes exclusively depend4 ,take1 for example1 such words as those of ,david1 in ,ps4 cxxx4 ,the great subject of that psalm is forgiveness3 #8,there is forgiveness with thee1 that thou mayest be feared' 7ver4 #d72 and the reason why ,israel is to hope for it is that #8with the ,lord there is mercy1 and with him is plenteous redemption4' ,what but the redemption through the precious blood of the ,lord ,jesus can be described as thus plenteous for all who need forgiveness8 ,the same may be said of those words of ,god ,himself in ,isa4 xliv4 #bb3 #8,i have blotted out1 as a thick cloud1 thy transgressions1 and1 as a cloud1 thy sins3 return unto me1 for ,i have redeemed thee4' ,he cannot refer in those words to any deliverance that had already taken place1 for he is only inviting the sinner to return2 but he clearly refers to the blotting out of the curse through atoning blood1 and to the way of life laid open to the returning sinner4 ,so ,i cannot doubt for a moment that redemption in this verse means exactly the same as in both those passages4 ,in ,isaiah ,god said1 #8,i have redeemed thee2' and in this verse ,david said1 #8,thou hast redeemed me4' ,the one gives1 the other accepts2 but they both speak of the same thing1 the redemption on the cross1 the only satisfaction for sin4 ,thus our blessed ,lord1 when ,he quoted the words1 omitted this latter clause4 ,he said1 #8,into thine hands ,i commit my spirit2' but he did not say1 #8,for thou hast redeemed me4' ,the reason of this is obvious1 for ,god had not redeemed ,him1 and ,he ,himself was at that very time engaged in completing the redemption by ,his death4 ,he could not use the words1 for they referred to that great act of mercy in which at that very time ,he was engaged4 ,but it may be said1 ,if the redemption here spoken of was not to take place for more than a thousand years after the psalm was written1 how was it that ,david spoke of it as a completed thing8 ,why did he not rather say1 #8,thou art about to redeem me8' ,in answer to that question1 two reasons may be given1 either of which would be quite sufficient to explain his words4 7#a47 ,the redemption was already complete in the eternal purpose of ,god4 ,remember those words by ,st4 ,peter 7#a ,pet i4 #ai1 #bj73 #8,ye were redeemed with the precious blood of ,christ 4 4 4 who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world1 but was manifest in these last times for you2' and remember how he is described 7,rev4 xiii4 #h7 as #8the ,lamb slain from the foundation of the world4' ,although1 therefore1 the ,son of ,god has not yet become incarnate1 ,god speaking of ,his divine purpose could say1 #8,i have redeemed thee2' and ,his believing servant1 referring to that same purpose1 could reply1 though a thousand years must pass before he witnessed it1 #8,thou hast redeemed me4' 7#b47 ,but it was not purposed only1 for it was promised4 ,it was promised to our first parents the very day of their miserable fall1 and it was kept continually before the eye of ,god's people by a series of types and prophecies4 ,thus ,david's language is an illustration of the words1 #8,faith is the substance of things hoped for4' ,what ,god had promised was as sure to him as if he held it in his hand2 it was as much his own as if he had seen it4 ,he was as sure of the power of the cross of ,christ1 as if he had been standing by1 and had heard the centurion say1 #8,verily this was the ,son of ,god4' ,and is it not apparent from the verse itself that this is the real meaning of his words8 for what is the peculiar force of those concluding words #8,o ,lord ,god of truth8' ,do they not teach us that he was assured of that redemption1 not because it had seen it accomplished1 but because it was made sure by the truth of ,god8 ,the truth of ,god was pledged to the redeeming work and therefore that work was as sure to him as if it were already finished4 ,he did not1 therefore1 wait to puzzle his mind about times and seasons2 he knew that ,god was true to ,his promise1 and therefore being assured of ,his declared purpose1 he said1 #8,thou hast redeemed me1 ,o ,lord ,god of truth4' ,but if this be the case1 we are surely brought to the conclusion that1 whatever be our position1 redeeming grace must be the one foundation of believing trust4 ,patriarchal faith looking forward1 and modern ,christian faith looking backward1 both meet in one point1 that point being the cross of ,christ4 ,and as for ourselves it matters not what are our peculiar circumstances4 ,we may be actively engaged in the work of life1 involved in its perplexities1 and compelled to take a part in its struggles2 or we may be at the end of life1 expecting in a day or two to depart hence1 and be no more3 but in either case we must rest simply on the atoning blood1 and resting on it1 whether it be for life or for death1 we may say in calm1 quiet1 peaceful1 trusting faith1 #8,into thy hand ,i commit my spirit3 thou hast redeemed me1 ,o ,lord ,god of truth4' ,but while we trust the perfect work we must not forget the perfect truth1 for we are quite as dependent on that truth as ,david was4 ,to his mind that had turned a future act into a present reality1 and on that same truth we rely in order that the same act1 long since completed1 may be to us a present salvation1 and the assurance of it a present power4 ,we want each one to look back to the cross as ,david looked forward to it1 and to say in happy1 peaceful1 personal trust as he did1 #8,into thine hand ,i commit my spirit1 for thou hast redeemed me4' ,but in order to do this we must not forget the truth4 ,we cannot rest on the work without the word any better than on the word without the work4 ,it is when both are combined1 and both applied by the ,holy ,ghost to the soul1 that we can say1 #8,thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth1' and resting on those eternal counsels1 whether living or dying1 may trust ,him without a fear4 ,may we not then1 every one of us1 learn a lesson of simple trust from these few words in ,david's psalm8 ,it matters not what is our position4 ,when we are dying men and drawing near to the gateway of eternity we may calmly look up1 and trust our soul for all eternity into ,his hand4 ,if we be exposed to harassing anxiety1 and are anxious about our own temper and judgment in difficult circumstances1 we may spread our own spirit in simple faith before the throne4 ,or if we are undertaking work1 and endeavouring to be employed for ,god1 feeling the need of wisdom1 zeal1 love1 and power1 we may commit it all into ,his loving care4 ,yes1 whatever it is that weighs on our mind1 death1 anxiety1 disappointment1 or duty1 we may trust it all1 and1 whatever it is1 may say as ,st4 ,paul did1 #8,i am persuaded that he is able to keep that which ,i have committed unto him against that day4' ,yes2 and ,he is perfectly sure to keep it safe4 ,but there is one little word in the text that ,i have not noticed1 and yet it is an essential one to the trust4 ,great principles are often found in little words1 and so it is here1 for all hangs on that little monosyllable #8me4' ,if you can only say1 #8,thou hast redeemed mankind1' your soul will never rest in abiding trust4 ,nor will it if you can only say1 #8,thou hast redeemed thy ,church1' for the safety of the ,church does not secure the peace of the individual4 ,it is only when you can reverently look up to the atoning blood1 and say1 #8,thou hast redeemed me1' that you will be able in hallowed peace to commit everything into ,his loving hand4 ,when you can say with deep thanksgiving1 #8,in whom ,i have redemption through his blood1' you may then without the shadow of a doubt commit your body1 your soul1 your spirit1 your will1 your thoughts1 your work1 and all you care for1 into ,his loving hand4 ,,vii4 ,,anathoth4 #8,behold1 ,hanameel the son of ,shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee1 saying1 ,buy thee my field that is in ,anathoth3 for the right of redemption is thine to buy it4'--,,jer4 xxxii4 #g4 ,,the ,old and ,new ,testaments are so linked together that they cannot well be separated4 ,the ,old is the foundation of the ,new2 the ,new is the head-stone of the ,old2 and the same great principles run through them both4 ,thus faith in the ,old ,testament is the same in principle as faith in the ,new2 and by studying the faith of the ancient patriarchs and prophets we may learn most important lessons respecting that of the modern believer4 ,in different ages and different persons faith may differ in its object and in its form2 but it is always the same in principle1 and always involves the fixed assurance that what ,god has promised ,he is able and certain to perform4 ,this is very clearly seen in the deeply important lesson of practical faith conveyed to us in this history of ,jeremiah4 ,the events described in the chapter took place during the siege of ,jerusalem by ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,zedekiah was then king1 and was struggling to the utmost of his power against the powerful enemy that was come up against him4 ,in the midst of the siege the ,prophet ,jeremiah was employed to convey a most discouraging prophecy1 for1 as you read verse #c1 ,jeremiah said1 #8,thus saith the ,lord1 ,behold1 ,i will give this city unto the hands of the king of ,babylon1 and he shall take it4' ,of course such a prophecy was calculated to dishearten the defenders of the city4 ,so1 though it was the word of the ,lord1 ,zedekiah arrested the prophet and shut him up in the court of the prison4 ,jeremiah1 therefore1 was in a position of great distress1 the city was besieged1 and he knew from his own prophecy that it would be taken2 while he himself was a prisoner at the mercy of a bad and arbitrary king4 ,but while he was there alone in his prison the word of the ,lord came to him saying that his first cousin1 by name ,hanameel1 would come unto him and say1 #8,buy thee my field that is in ,anathoth3 for the right of redemption is thine to buy it4' ,you will remember that we found the nearest of kin had the right of redemption1 and evidently ,jeremiah stood in that position to his cousin4 ,as famine and pestilence were raging in the city 7see ver4 #bd71 it is easy to understand why ,hanameel was compelled to sell4 ,but he could not sell to any one1 for the right of redemption belonged to ,jeremiah4 ,the prophet1 therefore1 was warned by the ,lord that ,hanameel was coming to him with this object2 and accordingly he very soon appeared as was foretold1 and said1 #8,buy my field ,i pray thee that is in ,anathoth1 which is in the country of ,benjamin3 for the right of redemption is thine2 buy it for thyself1' ver4 #h4 ,you must not fail to notice the confirmation of his faith through this fulfilment of the prophecy1 for when ,hanameel came to him he said1 #8,then knew ,i that this was the word of the ,lord4' ,till then he was probably not quite satisfied1 but when his cousin came as it had been foretold1 then he knew it was of ,god4 ,let us learn a lesson for ourselves4 ,there were many prophecies of a coming ,saviour scattered throughout the four thousand years that preceded ,his birth1 and ,i can perfectly understand the difficulty of faith in those who did not see those prophecies realised2 but now that the ,promised ,one has come according to ,his promise1 and the great prediction has been fulfilled1 the least that we can say is1 #8,now we know that this was the word of the ,lord4' ,but to return to ,jeremiah4 ,being convinced that the whole thing was of ,god1 he proceeded at once to redeem the field4 ,he took care that the deeds were properly drawn1 signed1 sealed1 and witnessed4 ,and when the money1 seventeen shekels of silver1 was paid1 and the conveyance complete1 he trusted the deeds to ,baruch1 his faithful friend1 and charged him to deposit them safely in an earthen vessel4 ,his words were1 #8,take these evidences1 this evidence of the purchase1 both which is sealed1 and this evidence which is open1 and put them in an earthen vessel that they may continue many days4' ,you will observe that last clause1 #8that they may continue many days4' ,he seemed quite sure that it would be a long time before they would be wanted4 ,thus the transaction was complete1 and the land redeemed2 but not so ,jeremiah's part respecting it1 for when he had delivered the evidence of purchase unto ,baruch1 his next act was to kneel down in prayer4 ,he says1 ver4 #af1 #8,i prayed unto the ,lord4' ,i have not time now to study either his prayer or ,god's answer to it2 ,i would only remark in passing what a blessed thing it is when all that we do is of such a character that we can pray about it before ,god4 ,it would wonderfully alter the character of commercial life if every bargain could be spread in prayer before ,god1 and if every contract were of such a nature that as soon as it was complete we could kneel down and ask ,god's blessing on it4 ,i am inclined to think that this principle would knock off a great many of the hard bargains made in life4 ,it would certainly prevent all cases of fraud and adulteration1 and put a stop at once to the whole principle of the non-payment of lawful debts4 ,jeremiah1 when he would redeem the land1 first paid the money1 and then knelt down to pray4 ,but that is not the point to be particularly noticed in the passage1 for we must rather study the mind of ,jeremiah1 and consider on what principle he redeemed the field4 ,why was it that1 when he knew the city was about to be taken1 and everything within it was already at famine prices1 he apparently threw away these seventeen shekels in the purchase of a field which to all appearance he was never likely to possess8 ,he knew perfectly well that at the time he purchased it it could be of no use whatever4 ,it is believed to have been about three miles north of ,jerusalem1 and was probably at that very time trampled down by the besieging host1 and he knew equally well that till after the restoration of the ,jews he was not likely to attain possession4 ,the city was invested by the ,chaldeans1 and there was not the smallest hope of a successful resistance2 why then at such a time should he spend money in the redemption of the field8 ,i believe that there were three principles on which he acted1--obedience1 faith1 and confidence in the law of redemption1 and that he was called to do what he did in order to teach these principles to his besieged fellow-countrymen4 7#a47 ,there was clearly obedience1 simple obedience in direct opposition to human calculation4 ,you may see this very clearly in the concluding words of his prayer4 ,it is clear from ver4 #bd that all human calculation was against him1 and he knew it to be so1 for he said1 #8,behold the mounts1 they are come unto the city to take it2 and the city is given into the hand of the ,chaldeans that fight against it1 because of the sword1 and of the famine1 and of the pestilence2 and what thou hast spoken is come to pass2 and1 behold1 thou seest it4' ,but the ,lord had commanded him to buy the field1 for he adds1 ver4 #be1 #8,and thou hast said unto me1 ,o ,lord ,god1 ,buy thee the field for money1 and take witnesses3 for' 7or rather #8though1' according to the margin7 #8the city is given into the hands of the ,chaldeans4' ,god told him to buy it1 though the city was given up to the ,chaldeans4 ,he was not1 therefore1 to be guided by what he saw1 but by what he knew to be the will of ,god4 ,if he were to lose all his money1 and never come into possession of the field1 it was his clear duty to obey4 ,and so it is ours1 when once we are convinced of the will of ,god4 7#b47 ,but as believers in the ,lord ,jesus we are not called to obey without hope1 for where there is no hope you will never find power4 ,the ,christian's obedience1 therefore1 is full of hope1 because it is all founded on faith1 and so was the obedience of ,jeremiah4 ,he acted in faith1 firmly trusting the promises of ,god4 ,you see this very clearly in his words to ,baruch when he handed him the deeds1 as recorded ver4 #ae3 #8,for thus saith the ,lord of hosts1 the ,god of ,israel1 ,houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land4' ,he looked1 therefore1 beyond the present distress1 and1 more than that1 beyond what ,i may term the first future4 ,he foresaw the overthrow1 but he looked beyond it to the recovery4 ,he himself predicted desolation1 but he was so sure of the restoration that on the strength of that assurance he redeemed the land4 ,though he saw the army of the ,chaldeans around the city1 though he was at that very time in prison for prophesying1 #8,thus saith the ,lord1 ,behold ,i will give this city into the hand of the king of ,babylon1 and he shall take it1' yet he was so sure of the truth of ,god's promise to restore it1 that he acted on the promise1 and purchased the property4 ,he looked beyond the captivity to the recovery1 and confidently acted on ,god's promise4 ,that he fully realised the difficulty is clear from the words of his prayer1 in which he said1 ver4 #ag1 #8,there is nothing too hard for thee1' and from ,god's reply to these words in ver4 #bg1 #8,is there anything too hard for me8' ,but he was1 like ,abraham1 fully persuaded that what ,god had promised #8,he was able also to perform1' and therefore he acted on the promise8 and paid down his money in the certainty that ,god would fulfil ,his word4 ,dear brethren1 is there not a noble lesson here for all of us8 ,are we not all taught1 not merely to believe1 but to act on our belief8 ,we may see difficulties thickening around us2 we may even see prophecies of sore trial in the latter days4 ,but we know that our ,god shall trample down ,satan under our feet shortly4 ,we are to trust ,him1 therefore1 and act on our trust4 ,we see things decaying around us2 we look at our own frail bodies1 and believe that they will soon be laid lifeless in the grave4 ,we see death cutting down our dearest friends1 and we know that1 if the ,lord does not come first1 it will soon cut us down too4 ,but we look beyond to a resurrection1 to the certain promise that we shall rise again2 and therefore now we must live and act as those who are sure of the resurrection life4 ,to adopt the figure of the narrative1 we must purchase the field with a view to the restoration4 ,there may be dark days and sore trials before the time of possession2 but it is certain to come at last4 ,as ,daniel said1 #8,the thing is true though the time appointed is long4' ,so we know the premise is true1 though the time of waiting may be long2 and we must spend our whole life1 and lay out all our powers1 with the one fixed object of a certainty of possession when the dead shall arise1 and the ,lord shall take the kingdom4 7#c47 ,but besides faith in the promise of ,god there was also confidence in the validity of the act of redemption4 ,there was no doubt about the soundness of his title4 ,the whole transaction was according to law4 ,hanameel had a legal right to sell1 ,jeremiah a legal right to redeem1 and the conveyance was legally completed4 ,all was done that was required by the law of transfer1 and when those deeds were carefully deposited in the earthen vessel1 there to continue for many days1 ,jeremiah clearly considered that whenever the time of restoration should come1 the deeds would be recognised as valid1 and his title as sufficient4 ,he regarded the act of redemption as sufficient security whenever ,god should restore the land to ,israel4 ,and now1 dear brethren1 have we not all a magnificent lesson to learn from his example8 ,we are looking forward to the times of restoration3 we expect to rise again2 we fully believe that the ,lord ,jesus ,christ will come bringing ,his saints with ,him1 and1 like ,jeremiah1 we depend on the finished act of redemption1 as our own title to a share in the coming inheritance4 ,now look at that great act of redemption4 ,there was no flaw in any part of it1 for the whole law was fulfilled4 ,the full price was paid1 for we may adapt the words of the prophet1 #8,she hath received of the ,lord's hand double for all her sins4' ,the redemption price was not seventeen shekels of silver2 but the most precious blood of the ,son of ,god4 ,the ,redeemer is not a mere man1 a prisoner in the dungeon of the king2 but the ,son of ,god already risen from the dead1 and already seated at the right hand of the throne4 ,and the deeds are not deposited in any earthen vessel1 or trusted to the care of such a man as ,baruch2 but they are treasured up in heaven itself1 kept safe in the eternal counsels of ,jehovah4 ,and now follows the question1 was that redemption by the ,son of ,god sufficient8 ,and are these title-deeds secure8 ,if ,jeremiah could trust to those sealed documents in the earthen vessel under ,baruch's care1 may we not trust to the full satisfaction made through redeeming blood1 and the perfect security of the covenant of ,god as sealed1 ratified1 and preserved by ,jesus ,christ ,himself8 ,of course when persons have no interest in that redemption1 when they have no part in that redeeming work1 we cannot then say that their title is secure1 for1 poor people6 they have neither title nor inheritance2 they have no hope in the restoration as they are without ,god in the present4 ,oh6 that ,i knew how to persuade such persons never to rest till they have their title-deeds to a heavenly inheritance4 ,but ,i am not speaking of them4 ,i am speaking rather of the redeemed believer1 whose #8life is hid with ,christ in ,god2' and ,i want to persuade all parties1 both those that do1 and those that do not1 possess the title-deeds1 to consider well the unspeakable blessedness of having the title safely deposited with the ,son of ,god1 so that1 whatever happens1 whatever success or discouragement1 whether joy or trial1 whether life or death1 we may be perfectly sure that all is safe1 for the redemption has been completed by the ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,himself1 and the title-deeds are safe1 being laid up in the treasury of ,god4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,pit4 #8,o ,lord1 thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul2 thou hast redeemed my life4'--,,lam4 iii4 #eh4 ,we studied in the last lecture the remarkable faith of ,jeremiah4 ,we found how he redeemed the field in ,anathoth at the very time that ,jerusalem was invested by the ,chaldeans1 and he himself was predicting the certainty of its destruction3 but in that moment of hopelessness he had such entire trust in the promise of restoration1 and such assurance in the validity of the title1 that he purchased the field as readily as he would have done had everything been at the height of prosperity4 ,we saw in such conduct the practical acting of faith4 ,but it is very interesting also to look at the hidden life of faith1 and to know1 while he was thus acting1 what was secretly passing in his soul4 ,i think that this passage may throw great light on the subject4 ,from ver4 #ee it is clear that he referred to a time when he was in the low dungeon3 #8,i called upon thy name1 ,o ,lord1 out of the low dungeon4' ,we are not informed to which imprisonment he referred4 ,it may have been the imprisonment in the courts of the prison which was in the court of the king's house1 during which he redeemed the land of ,hanameel1 or it may have been the much more severe imprisonment which subsequently followed1 as described ,jer4 xxxviii4 #f1 when they let him down by ropes into a deep1 damp pit1 called the dungeon of ,malchiah4 ,the expression #8the low dungeon1' seems rather to describe this latter captivity1 and we may picture to ourselves ,god's faithful servant left alone in a deep1 dark pit1 standing up to his waist in the mire1 without a comfort1 without a friend1 and without even a fellow-prisoner to share his trouble4 ,his title-deeds to the field in ,anathoth would not do much to help him there4 ,but he was a man of trust1 and afterwards1 when he was still in sore trouble1 and deeply grieved at the ruin of the city1 he could look back on that time and say1 #8,thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul1 thou hast redeemed my life4' ,let us study then this remarkable record of his intercourse with ,god during this time of his deep trouble4 ,there was nothing done4 ,it was not a time for doing4 ,he could not climb out1 he could only stand and wait4 ,what then was passing in his soul8 ,what transactions took place between him and ,god8 ,to these questions ,i think this passage supplies an answer4 ,there are three things that seem perfectly clear4 7#a47 ,he called on the name of the ,lord4 ,perhaps he remembered the words of ,psalm xxxiv43 #8,this poor man cried1 and the ,lord heard him1 and saved him out of all his troubles4' ,at all events he acted on them1 and though in all probability he could not kneel because of the mire1 yet he could pray1 and so he did4 ,but he was not like many people who live prayerless lives1 and only begin to pray when they get into trouble1 for prayer was no new thing to him4 ,he was no stranger at the throne of grace1 and he could look back on many happy occasions in which he had reason to be quite sure ,god had answered him4 ,it is a terrible thing when men go on1 strangers to prayer1 till they are driven to it by calamity4 ,it was not so with ,jeremiah4 ,he knew the mercy-seat well1 and he was well known there4 ,he could refer to answers in former times1 and say1 #8,thou hast heard my voice1' and so appeal to ,god in his present trouble and say1 #8,hide not thine ear at my breathing1 at my cry4' ,there was both a breathing and a cry2 the cry being the actual expression of his wants in words1 and the breathing1 the outpouring of his soul in mental intercourse with a ,god who knew his thoughts4 ,it is well to remember this distinction between the breathing and the prayer4 ,the prayer is not altogether unlike the food at stated seasons4 ,the breathing is the unceasing communion of soul as essential to life as breath is to the body4 99 99 99 99 99 7#b47 ,and now mark1 in the second place1 how ,god treated him4 ,the ,king of ,kings was not ashamed of being the companion of the prisoner in the pit4 ,it was a deep1 dark dungeon2 but the man of ,god was not alone there4 ,the stone on the top could not shut out ,god1 as it could not shut in prayer4 ,and you will observe the prophet was not required to climb out of the pit to find the ,lord1 as so many people are continually trying to do1 but the ,lord drew nigh to him when he was at the bottom1 not when he was at the top1 or half-way up2 but at the bottom1 in the mire1 and in the dark4 ,it was there that ,god drew near to him in the day that he called1 and most graciously spoke to his soul1 and said1 #8,fear not4' ,how often1 how mercifully have these words been spoken6 ,i believe they occur more than fifty times in ,scripture4 ,how often do we meet with such words as #8,fear not1 ,abraham4' #8,fear not1 thou worm ,jacob4' #8,fear not1 ,daniel4' #8,fear not1 ,zacharias4' #8,fear not1 little flock4' #8,fear not1 ,paul4' #8,fear not1 ,i am the first and the last6' ,do not all these passages show that there is reason for fear in outward life1 and that there is the element of fear in the human heart1 but there may be a victory over fear even in the bottom of the pit1 when the ,lord ,himself draws nigh1 and says1 #8,fear not4' ,but you may say you cannot hear the words1 and1 no doubt1 in that you are correct1 for we are not to expect loud voices from heaven4 ,we have not the least reason to believe that ,jeremiah heard a voice4 ,when ,david prayed1 #8,say unto my soul1 ,i am thy salvation1' he did not mean that these words should be spoken audibly to his ear4 ,but he did mean that the assurance of ,god's salvation should be applied by the ,holy ,spirit to his heart4 ,and so when ,god drew near to ,jeremiah and said1 #8,fear not1' we are not to understand that ,his person was visible to the eye1 or the sound of ,his voice perceptible to the ear4 ,but we are to understand that ,he so spoke to his heart as to assure him of ,his nearness1 and to still his fears4 ,and so it is with us4 ,we do not look for anything perceptible by outward sense1 but we do look for a rest from fear in the heart through the divine application of the ,lord's grace and very present help to the soul4 7#c47 ,and now consider1 thirdly1 the practical result in ,jeremiah's attitude of mind4 ,he could look calmly up to ,him who had drawn nigh unto ,him1 and say1 #8,o ,lord1 thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul1 thou hast redeemed my life4' ,it is difficult to determine exactly whether this was his language in the low dungeon1 or after he was taken out of it4 ,we read in ,jer4 xxxviii41 that ,ebed-melech1 one of the king's eunuchs1 obtained permission to draw him up out of the dungeon1 and he was subsequently confined in the court of the prison4 ,as ,i have frequently pointed out1 the word redemption sometimes stands simply for deliverance1 and it is possible that it may do so here1 and refer to the deliverance by ,ebed-melech4 ,but ,i do not think it does1 for the latter part of the chapter seems clearly to teach that when ,jeremiah wrote these words he was not yet delivered1 but was still enduring the bitter hostility of his revengeful enemies4 ,i am1 therefore1 rather disposed to regard these words as the utterance of a trusting heart when he was still in the low dungeon4 ,i look on them1 not as the effect of ,ebed-melech pulling him out1 but of ,god drawing near to him when he was in it1 and saying to his soul1 #8,fear not4' ,i think the passage is faith's reply to ,god's address4 ,god drew near1 and said1 #8,fear not1' and faith accepted it at once1 though still in the pit1 and said1 #8,thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul1 thou hast redeemed my life4' ,the language seems to lead us far beyond anything done by ,ebed-melech1 to a divine redemption1 and a divine pleading of his cause4 ,they remind us of those other words of ,jeremiah1 #8,their ,redeemer is strong2 the ,lord of hosts is his name2 he shall thoroughly plead their cause2' ,jer4 ,l4 #cd2 and ,i cannot help thinking that ,jeremiah looked forward1 as ,david did1 to the great redemption by the ,lord ,jesus1 as purposed from eternity1 and promised in the sure word of ,god4 ,as ,david said1 #8,thou hast redeemed me2' so he said1 #8,thou hast redeemed my life4' ,it was the ,redeemer ,himself that drew near to him in his low estate1 and as it were said unto his soul1 #8,i am thy salvation4' ,the promised work was not yet accomplished1 but it was brought home to his heart1 and1 though the stone was still on the mouth of the dungeon1 his soul was free1 and his life was safe1 for he was redeemed in the coming ,christ4 ,if this be the meaning of the passage1 does it not teach us that redeeming grace must always be our great help in trouble8 ,if we are brought to the bottom of the pit1 by sorrow1 by sickness1 by calamity1 by the approach of death1 or by the deep and painful sense of sin1 all true source of strength must ever be in the great work of redemption wrought out for us by the ,son of ,god4 ,it is that which opens the way to the throne1 and which enables us to rest in the assurance of the love of ,god4 ,you may find many difficulties in the way of faith1 and many drawbacks under the profound sense of your own unworthiness4 ,but it is wonderful to find how they disappear before the cross of ,christ2 and if only you are enabled to say1 #8,thou hast redeemed my life1' you will find in that one fact1 a blessed1 holy1 peaceful resting-place1 even though by outward circumstances or inward trial you may still be at the bottom of the pit4 ,but whatever view we take of the expression1 #8,thou hast redeemed my life1' one thing is perfectly clear1 that the redemption was applied to ,jeremiah's soul at the bottom of the pit4 ,if it is to be explained of deliverance it was when he was sunk into the mire at the bottom of the low dungeon that the deliverance was applied4 ,and if it describes the application to his soul of the ,lord's redemption1 and his acceptance of it as something already as sure as if it were perfected1 it was when he was bowed down in the very depths of trouble that the blessed work was brought home with peace to his soul4 ,whatever meaning you give to the word #8redemption' in this passage1 redemption was brought home to him at the bottom of the pit4 ,now ,i cannot imagine a more important principle than this for all those who really desire to partake of all the blessings of redemption4 ,of course there are some who do not trouble their minds about it1 being satisfied with their own religious respectability2 but there are multitudes deeply concerned about it4 ,they earnestly desire to be able to say1 #8,thou hast redeemed my life1' but they cannot do so2 and yet possibly they have been really taking pains to do so for many years1 although without the least sign of progress4 ,now may not their difficulties arise in many cases from their having reversed the order of the dealings of ,god8 ,they have hoped to climb up partially out of the pit1 and to reach redemption at the top1 instead of accepting it as a free gift of ,god while they are still helpless at the bottom4 ,in other words1 they are endeavouring first to remove their difficulties1 and then to trust redemption4 ,no wonder then that they completely fail6 for how are they to climb up out of the pit8 and how are they to overcome their difficulties while they are still at a distance from redeeming grace8 ,it is redemption that is to deliver1 redemption that is to raise us from the dead1 redemption that removes the difficulty1 how then can we ever hope to rise until redemption is applied and realised8 ,if redemption is not sufficient to reach down to one in a state of utter hopelessness1 it is insufficient for the conscience-stricken sinner4 ,remember1 therefore1 the case of ,jeremiah4 ,consider his case as an illustration of your own1 and if you are yourself at the bottom of what ,i may term the religious pit1 in a low dungeon from which you cannot rise1 remember how the ,lord drew near to him when he was at the bottom1 and did not wait till he had climbed even half-way to reach ,his hand4 ,just so it must be with you4 ,he must stoop to reach you before you can rise to reach ,him4 ,your first act of faith must be when you are at the bottom4 ,it will be there1 and not at the top1 or half-way up1 that for the first time you will realise a finished redemption4 ,if ever you have the unspeakable joy of saying in all the happiness of personal appropriation1 #8,thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul2 thou hast redeemed my life1' you will have to do so before you have risen above your present level4 ,do not therefore wait to make some poor1 feeble1 ineffective effort to rise2 but as you are in the midst of your discouragements1 though the stone still seems to stop the mouth of the low dungeon1 trust at once with a bold act of fearless faith1 and without waiting to deserve it1 act at once on ,his own invitation1 #8,return unto me1 for ,i have redeemed thee4' ,but as for those amongst you that have been brought up out of the pit1 what should be the language of your thankful heart8 ,you have not only seen the great redemption finished1 but you have experienced its application4 ,you have not merely been taught to trust ,him in the bottom of the low dungeon1 but you can say as ,david did1 #8,he brought me up also out of an horrible pit1 and out of the miry clay1 and set my feet upon a rock1 and established my goings4' ,ps4 xl4 #b4 ,if so1 will you not go on and add1 #8,he hath put a new song in my mouth1 even thanksgiving unto our ,god8' ,will you not join heart and soul in the language of our ,communion ,service1 #8,we praise thee1 we bless thee1 we worship thee1 we glorify thee1 we give thanks to thee for thy great glory1 ,o ,lord ,god1 heavenly ,king1 ,god the ,father ,almighty8' ,,ix4 ,,atonement4 #8,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law1 being made a curse for us3 for it is written1 ,cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree4'--,,gal4 iii4 #ac4 ,,in tracing the doctrine of redemption through the types and illustrative narratives of the ,old ,testament1 we found that redemption always includes two ideas--deliverance and ransom--and that in some cases1 as e4g41 in the redemption from ,egypt1 the deliverance is the more prominent of the two4 ,i cannot help thinking that in this respect there is a difference between the ,old ,testament and the ,new4 ,in the ,new1 as well as the ,old1 the two ideas are always found1 and the deliverance is always included2 but the writers of the ,new ,testament appear to have had their minds so full of the marvellous love that was shown on the cross of ,christ1 that the ransom1 and the ransom price1 appear in many passages to have been the prominent subjects of their thoughts4 ,hence it follows that in a great many religious books1 and even in our ,church ,catechism1 redemption is confounded with the atonement1 and people lose sight of the fact that it includes the consequences of the atonement as well as the atonement itself1 the release of the captive as well as the payment of the ransom2 the actual salvation of the chosen people of ,god1 as well as the satisfaction of the law by the substitution of the ,son of ,god for man4 ,in order1 therefore1 to get a clear view of the whole subject1 we must consider the two parts separately2 first1 the ransom1 satisfaction1 or atonement1 and after that the deliverance that follows4 ,may it please ,god in ,his mercy to give us the sacred teaching of the ,holy ,spirit1 and to lead us into the full realisation of the marvellous wonders of ,his redeeming love6 ,we must clearly begin with the great subject of the satisfaction for sin1 and the deliverance from the curse1 which was the immediate and first result of it4 ,for this purpose we cannot have a finer passage than the text4 ,it leads us straight to the root of the matter1 and will suggest four most important subjects--the ,redeemer ,himself1 the curse from which ,he has redeemed us1 the act by which ,he redeemed us1 and the persons whom ,he has redeemed4 ,these1 if ,god permit1 we must consider in order4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,the ,redeemer ,himself4 ,it is perfectly clear that unless we know ,him1 we shall never understand ,his work4 ,if there is confusion respecting ,him1 there will be confusion respecting all that ,he has done2 so if we wish to enjoy the salvation1 we must begin with the ,saviour4 ,now in this passage ,he is described as #8,christ4' ,this is the name continually given ,him throughout this ,epistle4 ,i know of only one instance in the whole ,epistle in which the name #8,jesus' occurs1 without having either #8,christ1' or #8,the ,christ1' attached to it4 ,the reason most probably was1 that ,st4 ,paul was writing to ,jewish believers1 and so made use of the name by which the expected ,redeemer was predicted in ,jewish prophecy4 ,there are1 therefore1 certain great lessons to be gathered from the name4 7#a47 ,he was the predicted ,redeemer4 ,it was by this name that ,daniel foretold ,his advent and death2 for in ,dan4 ix4 #be1 #bf1 ,he is predicted as #8,messiah the ,prince2' and it was under this name that the believing ,jews were expecting ,him1 for ,andrew said to his brother1 ,john1 i4 #da1 #8,we have found the ,messias1 which is being interpreted the ,christ4' 7#b47 ,then again ,he was the anointed ,redeemer4 ,the meaning of the word ,messias1 or ,christ1 is anointed1 so that the title1 #8,the ,christ1' means #8,the ,anointed ,one2' and the words of the text might be rendered1 #8,the anointed ,one has redeemed us4' ,now consider for one moment what was involved in this title4 ,it conveys the assurance of the eternal purpose of ,god1 and of ,his divine appointment of the ,lord ,jesus to the office4 ,we all know that the anointing was the act of consecration to the sacred offices of ,prophet1 ,priest1 and ,king2 and we can see at a glance why ,christ was anointed1 when set apart to fill an office which comprehended all the three--the prophetic1 the priestly1 and the royal4 ,his great redeeming act1 therefore1 was not merely the result of ,his own mind and ,his own benevolence1 but it was the sacred work unto which ,he was anointed by the ,father4 ,it was accepted by ,himself1 and laid upon ,him by ,god4 ,in undertaking it ,he had the support of divine authority1 and before ,he undertook the office ,he was solemnly set apart to it by ,god4 7#c47 ,but there are still further lessons taught us by this title #8,christ1' for we are taught in the ,old ,testament the ,anointed ,one was in all respects qualified for the redeeming work1 inasmuch as ,he was one of us1 and at the same time was ,god4 ,turn to one passage1 viz4 ,ps4 xlv4 #g4 ,there we learn that ,he was a kinsman1 and therefore qualified according to the law to redeem1 for the words are1 #8,thy ,god hath anointed thee above thy fellows2' while at the same time the sixth verse teaches that the ,anointed ,one is no other than ,god ,himself1 for ,he is addressed in the words1 #8,thy throne1 ,o ,god1 is for ever and ever4' ,such1 then1 is our ,redeemer4 ,he was predicted from the first day of man's fall2 foretold by the whole line of prophets2 expected by the whole line of believers2 set apart to ,his work in ,god's eternal purpose2 anointed by ,god2 and so1 before men and angels1 solemnly consecrated to the sacred work which ,he was willing in the ,father's name to undertake2 and besides all that1 he is perfect both in manhood and ,godhead1 so that in ,his own double nature ,he is one with us as a kinsman1 while ,he is one with the ,father in the omnipotence of ,jehovah4 ,such is our ,redeemer--can ,he fail8 ,such is our ,saviour--can there be disappointment in trusting ,him8 ,such is the ,lord's ,anointed ,one1 and whatever be the deep wants of our fallen hearts1 can we believe for one moment that ,he is insufficient to meet the need8 ,can there be any doubt respecting the statement of the ,psalmist1 #8,with the ,lord there is mercy1 and with ,him is plenteous redemption8' 7,ps4 cxxx4 #g47 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii4 ,we may proceed1 then1 to consider the curse from which ,he has redeemed us4 ,according to the text it is the curse of the law1 the curse described in verse #aj1 where we read1 #8,as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse3 for it is written1 ,cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them4' ,it is most important to bear this well in mind1 for the word #8curse' is so connected in common conversation with that which is vindictive and merciless that there is danger of our losing sight of the fact that the curse of ,god is the calm1 deliberate1 and even merciful result of the just judgment of a merciful ,god4 ,there is no cruelty in the maintenance of a righteous law1 for the maintenance of law is essential to the happiness of a people4 ,thus the strict execution of law is consistent with the most true and tender affection44 ,david1 as the king1 was compelled1 in the maintenance of law1 to banish ,absalom after the murder of ,ammon2 but all the while ,david loved him1 and his #8soul longed to go forth unto ,absalom4' ,so we have heard of judges moved to tears of tender pity while passing sentence on some unhappy criminal whom the law compelled them to condemn4 ,in such a case there was no cruelty in the law1 nor any want of mercy in the judge4 ,the sentence on the sinner was the necessary and righteous condemnation of the sin4 ,parliament was not cruel when it passed the law2 the jury was not cruel when it found the culprit guilty2 the judge was not cruel when he condemned the criminal to death2 and the ,queen was not cruel when she signed the warrant for the execution4 ,whatever was done by any one of the parties concerned was done simply because the maintenance of law is essential to the preservation of life and order throughout the land4 ,just so it is with the curse of the law in the government of ,god4 ,there is no cruelty in ,god's law1 or ,god's execution of its sentence4 ,the law--it is holy1 just1 and good2 a perfect law1 without a fault4 ,and the ,judge--,he is holy1 just1 pure1 spotless1 and merciful4 ,he willeth not the death of a sinner1 and has no pleasure in the death of him that dieth2 and the curse is not the result of anything vindictive or unmerciful in ,him4 ,it is just like ,david's sentence on ,absalom1 rendered necessary by the claims of a righteous government1 and the necessity of maintaining law4 ,but1 though the sentence is passed in what ,i may term #8loving righteousness1' there is something inexpressibly awful in it4 ,indeed it is all the more awful when regarded as the righteous sentence of a ,god who loves us4 ,the fact that the sentence is passed1 notwithstanding such love1 is itself a proof of its awful importance1 and the clearest possible evidence that a righteous ,god cannot clear the guilty1 and cannot set aside the law which ,he has given to ,his people4 ,we must conclude1 therefore1 that the curse is certain1 and that it cannot be set aside by anything that we can do4 ,we have no power to deliver ourselves from the awful curse of the law of ,god4 ,it is a judgment far more certain1 and far more awful1 than that of the wretched criminal in the condemned cell waiting for execution4 ,it is more awful1 for it cuts us off from ,god ,himself4 ,it hides ,his countenance2 it separates from ,his love1 and it reaches right away into eternity4 ,such is the curse of the law1 the curse that foolish sinners trifle with1 the curse that ungodly men bandy about in foul oaths4 ,it is a just curse--a curse inflicted according to law2 a curse pronounced by one who loves the culprit2 a curse that could not be set aside unless the ,lawgiver were to neutralise ,his law1 and the righteous ,king abandon the holy principles of ,his kingdom4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,iii4 ,so we now turn to the third point1--the redemption price1 or the great act by which ,he has redeemed us4 ,now1 you will observe that with reference to this great subject there are no illustrations employed in the text4 ,there is nothing said about a ransom1 or an offering1 or any other illustration2 but we are brought at once to the great fact of the substitution of the ,redeemer for the redeemed3 #8,he hath redeemed us from the curse1 being made a curse for us4' ,i know of no way of explaining that passage1 except by the doctrine of substitution4 ,the passage is exactly like those other words of the ,apostle ,paul1 #b ,cor4 v4 #ba3 #8,he hath made him who knew no sin to be sin for us4' ,in the one passage the ,lord ,jesus is said to be made a curse1 and in the other to be made sin2 and in both it is said to have been done #8for us' 7 71 i4e4 on our behalf1 or in our stead4 ,now do not suppose that ,i do not recognise the depth of mystery involved in this most wonderful truth4 ,i can sympathise with those that scarcely know how to grasp it4 ,i know there is a depth about it beyond the limits of human thought2 but there are two considerations that have always satisfied my own mind4 7#a47 ,it is not likely that the limited mind of a short-sighted man should be able to fathom the eternal counsels of ,god1 and reduce the divine purpose within the compass of his own intellect4 ,if we once admit that the plan of salvation is divine1 we must be prepared to meet with many things far beyond all human thought4 ,so it is in this instance4 ,the substitution of the spotless ,redeemer for the guilty sinner has in it a breadth1 and length1 and depth1 and height1 that is utterly beyond all human capacity1 and to the very last will pass all knowledge4 7#b47 ,we can see the fact throughout the history4 ,is there any other way of explaining either the agony in the garden1 or the cry on the cross8 ,again and again do we see happy believers stepping down into the valley of the shadow of death in perfect peace1 with a holy joy filling their hearts1 and a holy calm lighting up their countenance2 but the ,lord ,jesus1 when ,he looked forward to it1 was in agony4 ,he sweat1 as it were1 great drops of blood1 and ,he cried1 #8,if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me4' ,i confess ,i know no way of explaining the difference1 except by the principle of substitution1 as laid down in this passage1 #8,being made a curse for us4' ,so1 again1 ,i never met with any other explanation of that most marvellous cry which ,he uttered on the cross1 when ,he exclaimed1 #8,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me8' ,how can that cry be explained except by the doctrine of substitution8 ,contrast the dying prayer of ,stephen with the dying cry of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,stephen said1 as ,i trust you and ,i may be able to say1 #8,lord ,jesus1 receive my spirit1' and so in perfect peace he fell asleep4 ,but the ,lord ,jesus was forsaken of ,god1 and so uttered that bitter cry4 ,how can we explain the difference8 ,how can we understand the marvellous contrast8 ,i never could see any explanation but one1 and that is1 in the doctrine of substitution4 ,the ,lord ,jesus was made a curse in the place of ,stephen1 so ,stephen was free4 ,the sin of ,stephen was imputed to the ,son of ,god1 and the righteousness of the ,son of ,god was imputed to ,stephen2 so the ,lord ,jesus cried under the burden of the curse1 #8,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me8' and ,stephen prayed in the peaceful enjoyment of full reconciliation1 #8,lord ,jesus1 receive my spirit4' ,the burden of the curse was too awful for us to bear1 and too righteous for ,god to set aside4 ,so the ,lord1 in boundless mercy1 and with ,his own full consent1 laid it on ,him4 ,there was a transfer of the imputation of guilt1 and thus by ,god's marvellous grace1 blessed be ,god1 in ,christ ,jesus we are free4 ,now all this is done1 and done for ever4 ,nothing can add to it1 and nothing can take from it4 ,we have nothing to do with any fresh sacrifice for sin4 ,we want no masses for either the living or the dead1 and we know we cannot make up any fresh sacrifice by penance or self-denial4 ,in all such matters the one question is1 ,is the one redemption by the one substitute sufficient1 or is it not8 ,if it is1 we want no further sacrifice1 for the work is done4 ,if it is not1 we may give up in despair1 for it must be obvious to any man that if the substitution of the ,son of ,god fall short of the requirements of the law1 nothing that we can add can ever supply the deficiency4 ,but1 thanks be to ,god1 there is no room for discussion4 ,as we are taught in our ,communion ,service1 #8,he made there 7by ,his one oblation of ,himself once offered7 a full1 perfect1 and sufficient sacrifice1 oblation1 and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world4' ,he was ,himself the ,anointed ,one of ,god1 even the ,son of ,god4 ,in ,his death ,he fulfilled the covenant of ,god4 ,in ,his resurrection ,he was accepted as having completed the work of ,god2 in ,his ascension ,he entered into the holy place1 by one offering having perfected for ever them that are sanctified4 ,and now what is the result8 ,what is the consequence of this completed act of substitution8 ,surely nothing short of this1 that every soul found in ,him is legally free4 ,of course ,i am not speaking of those who reject that substitution or live without ,him4 ,they must bear their own burden2 and an awful burden1 ,i fear1 they will find it4 ,i am speaking of those who accept ,him as their representative1 and are one with ,him as their substitute4 ,now to any one of them the great act of substitution has brought a full1 complete1 legal release4 ,they are as free from the curse of the law as if they had never sinned4 ,the law has no more power to condemn them than if it had never been issued1 or if they had never broken it4 ,they are washed white as snow in the blood of the ,lamb1 and there is no condemnation for them that are in ,christ ,jesus4 ,so there we may rest in calm1 happy1 peaceful trust1 for the law is satisfied1 and the curse is removed4 ,in ,his agony we see our peace1 in ,his death our life1 and in ,his bitter cry on the cross our full1 perfect1 and everlasting reconciliation to ,god4 ,x4 ,,atonement4 #8,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law1 being made a curse for us3 for it is written1 ,cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree4'--,,gal4 iii4 #ac4 ,,when we considered this passage in the last lecture1 we did not complete the subject4 ,we found who the ,redeemer was1 viz4 the ,christ4 ,we found what it was that ,he redeemed us from1 viz4 the curse1 or just judgment of ,god's righteous law4 ,we found also what was the redemption price1 or great redeeming act1 viz4 the substitution of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god for the sinner4 ,but there is a fourth point of the utmost possible importance which we had not time to investigate1 viz4 the question for whom1 or in whose behalf1 this great work was accomplished by the ,saviour4 ,but there is no part of the subject more vitally affecting our own practical life2 for unless the ,lord ,jesus was a substitute for ourselves1 we as individuals may admire ,his mercy1 but can never have a share in the blessing of ,his saving work4 ,so far as we ourselves are personally concerned1 our whole hope depends on our being included in that little word #8us1' when it is said1 #8,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law1 being made a curse for us4' ,if we cannot each one make use of that sentence in the singular number1 and say1 #8,christ hath redeemed me1 being made a curse for me1' the passage may call forth our admiration1 but to our own souls it will bring no abiding peace4 ,it is1 therefore1 a matter of the deepest personal interest to us all that we should clearly understand who is included1 and who is not included1 in that word #8us2' or1 in other words1 who are they that the ,lord ,jesus ,christ has redeemed by ,his blood4 ,it would have been strange indeed if a matter of such overwhelming interest had been quietly passed by without calling forth a very careful investigation1 and accordingly it gave rise at one time to one of the most prominent controversies of the day4 ,indeed there has always been a division amongst the students of the ,word of ,god on the subject4 ,some have believed in what is termed #8particular redemption1' a redemption limited exclusively to the elect2 while others have most earnestly advocated the doctrine of a universal atonement1 an atonement1 i4e4 made for the whole world in virtue of which a free offer of complete reconciliation is made without money and without price to every living soul4 ,it is my own belief that a great deal of the confusion respecting the subject arises from the indistinct use of words2 and ,i am thoroughly persuaded that before we can ascertain whom ,he has redeemed1 we must clearly understand what is meant by redemption4 ,if we do not understand redemption itself1 we shall never understand its limits4 ,now ,i cannot help thinking that ,i have proved that1 throughout the word of ,god1 redemption means deliverance2 and in the case of the great salvation1 deliverance through atonement4 ,in some passages the delivering power is more prominent than in others1 as1 for example1 in ,luke1 xxi4 #bh1 and ,rom4 viii4 #bc2 but in all it is there1 and ,i do not know of a single passage in which redemption stands for atonement alone as disconnected with the consequent deliverance4 ,whenever it occurs it implies atonement applied1 or atonement enjoyed1 atonement made effectual for the actual salvation of the soul4 ,but1 though it is thus clear in the word of ,god1 there is great confusion in many religious books4 ,many writers appear to speak of atonement and redemption as if they were the same1 and so apply to redemption passages which speak only of atonement1 and apply to atonement those texts which refer1 not to atonement only1 but also to the actual deliverance for which atonement has prepared the way4 ,it is most important1 therefore1 that we should keep the distinction clearly in view1 and never forget that the redemption of the ,gospel includes two parts1 deliverance and atonement4 ,the two are bound together as intimately as it is possible4 ,the deliverance is the consequence of atonement1 and the atonement is the cause of deliverance1 but both one and the other are included in the full idea of redemption1 as we may see1 for example1 in the song sung before the throne1 #8,thou wast slain1 and hast redeemed us to ,god by thy blood1 out of every kindred1 and tongue1 and people1 and nation4' ,rev4 v4 #i4 ,that passage clearly goes far beyond the act of substitution in redeeming mercy1 for it manifestly includes an actual separation and salvation by delivering power4 ,now1 if we consider redemption in its full and complete sense of actual deliverance through the precious blood of the ,lamb1 it is perfectly clear that none but the elect of ,god are included in the blessing4 ,as a matter of fact the rest are not delivered4 ,according to ,st4 ,john1 the whole world lieth in wickedness1 and if it is still lying in wickedness in no sense whatever can it be said to be delivered4 ,none but the chosen people of ,god can ever say1 #8,who hath delivered us from the power of darkness1 and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear ,son4' ,col4 i4 #ac4 ,as for the rest they do not profess to be delivered4 ,some do not even wish for the great deliverance2 some1 though they may feel a certain languid wish for it1 never in earnest seek for it2 and others1 if they do seek1 seek in a wrong way1 and so never find4 ,the result is1 that practically they are not delivered4 ,thus we all acknowledge a particular1 or limited1 deliverance4 ,we none believe that all are saved2 and we must believe that the ,lord ,jesus actually delivers those only who are ,his own1 those whom ,he describes in the words1 #8,the men which thou gavest me out of the world4' ,but suppose we take redemption in the sense in which it is perpetually employed in religious books1 viz41 as meaning the same as atonement1 there arises another question of incalculable importance which demands our most attentive consideration4 ,is the atonement limited as well as the deliverance8 ,it is perfectly clear that none are delivered but ,god's chosen people4 ,they1 and they only1 are plucked as brands from the burning1 and eternally saved4 ,according to the #agth ,article1 ,god #8hath constantly decreed by ,his counsel secret to us1 to deliver from curse and damnation those whom ,he hath chosen in ,christ out of mankind1 and to bring them by ,christ to everlasting salvation1 as vessels made to honour4' ,but is nothing done for the remainder8 ,in other words1 did the substitution of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ extend to the whole world1 or did it not8 ,was atonement made for all mankind in that marvellous act of mercy1 or were the great majority left out altogether most miserably to perish1 without any hope of deliverance1 and without the possibility of being saved in the ,lord ,jesus8 ,it is impossible to imagine a question of more urgent importance to all those who are anxious about their souls4 ,now ,i am perfectly aware of the argument frequently urged1 that the ,lord ,jesus ,christ is certain to save all those for whom ,he shed ,his blood1 and ,i am quite prepared to acknowledge that1 humanly speaking1 there is great apparent reason in it4 ,but ,i do not believe that it is according to ,scripture2 and after all we must rely in all such matters on the statements of ,god's word1 and not on our own conclusions4 ,i would refer you1 then1 to two passages which certainly seem to be conclusive on that point4 ,the one is #a ,cor4 viii4 #aa1 #8,through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish1 for whom ,christ died8' ,the other is #b ,pet4 ii4 #a1 where1 predicting the dangers of the latter days1 the ,apostle says1 #8,there shall be false teachers among you1 who privily shall bring in damnable heresies1 even denying the ,lord that bought them1 and bring upon themselves swift destruction4' ,the first of these texts seems certainly to teach very clearly that those for whom ,christ died may perish1 and the other that people for whom the ,lord had given the redemption price of ,his own most precious blood may still deny ,him1 and bring upon themselves swift destruction4 ,we must not therefore be guided in such a matter by our own conclusions4 ,the whole plan from first to last is divine4 ,the eternal purpose is divine2 the ,saviour is divine2 the salvation is divine2 the atonement is divine1 and the revelation of the great purpose must likewise be divine4 ,we must not attempt1 therefore1 to cut our system square by the rule of our own opinion1 but must take ,god's ,scripture just as it stands1 and receive ,god's salvation just as ,he has revealed it in ,his ,word4 ,what1 then1 has ,he revealed8 ,that is the question4 ,has ,he taught us that the ,lord ,jesus ,christ shed ,his most precious blood for the elect alone or for all8 ,blessed be ,god6 the testimony of ,scripture appears as plain as the sun in heaven that the atonement was made for all1 and that in consequence of that atonement the door is thrown open to every sinner upon earth4 ,i have no time now to attempt to bring before you the multitude of passages which abound in ,scripture in proof of this position4 ,i must be content to draw your attention to only three1 the first relating to the fact itself1 the second to the love that led to it1 and the third to the offer made in consequence of it4 ,the first is from #a ,john1 ii4 #b4 ,but before you examine it1 turn for one moment to the words of the same apostle in the fifth chapter of the same epistle1 and #aith verse1 #8,we are of ,god1 and the whole world lieth in wickedness4' ,that verse shows with indisputable clearness who is meant by #8we1' and who by #8the world4' ,by #8we' is meant the people of ,god1 believers1 the elect4 ,by the world the rest of mankind1 those who live and die unconverted and unsaved4 ,and now turn to the passage in the second chapter1 #8,and he is the propitiation for our sins3 and not for ours only1 but also for the sins of the whole world4' ,surely the #8our' in that verse must refer to the same persons as the #8we' in the fifth chapter1 and #8the whole world' in the second chapter must be the same as #8the whole world' in the fifth4 ,but if so it is perfectly clear that ,he died not for the elect alone but for all mankind2 for the whole world that lieth in wickedness4 ,from the second passage we learn exactly the same respecting the love that led to it4 ,i refer to ,john1 iii4 #af4 ,but before we refer to it let us turn to another text in explanation1 viz41 that most wonderful prayer of our blessed ,saviour in ,john1 xvii4 #f1 #8,i have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world2 thine they were1 and thou gavest them me2 and they have kept thy word4' ,you will observe in these words the clear distinction between the world and the elect4 ,the mass of men are described as the world1 while the elect are said to be given to ,him out of it1 set apart as a separate people1 and given ,him in the covenant of ,god4 ,and now turn to the passage in ,john1 iii41 #8,god so loved the world1 that he gave his only-begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4' ,surely we must take #8the world' here in the same sense as in the other passage4 ,it is impossible to believe that by #8the world' he meant the elect of ,god given ,him from out of the world1 the peculiar people whom ,he ,himself most carefully distinguishes from the world4 ,surely1 then1 we must conclude that the love which moved ,him to make the atonement was a love for us all1 a free love1 an unmerited love1 a compassionate love1 a most merciful love1 to every individual involved in the ruin of the fall4 ,we are brought to exactly the same conclusion if we look at the offer that results from it4 ,turn to that magnificent invitation which we find just at the conclusion of the book of life1 ,rev4 xxii4 #ag1 #8,and the ,spirit and the bride say1 ,come4 ,and let him that heareth say1 ,come4 ,and let him that is athirst come2 and whosoever will1 let him take the water of life freely4' ,now if you study that verse you find the ,bride employed in proclaiming ,god's invitation4 ,who then is meant by the ,bride8 ,surely nothing else than the church of ,god's elect2 those who were chosen in ,him before the world was4 ,but how is the ,bride to be employed8 ,what is to be her work as described in this passage8 ,is it not to go forth in the ,lord's name1 and proclaim to the perishing the free offer of ,his saving grace8 #8,the ,spirit and the bride say1 ,come4 ,and let him that heareth say1 ,come4 ,and let him that is athirst1 come3 and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely4' ,would it be possible to construct a sentence which would proclaim more clearly a universal invitation8 an invitation to be given by the elect to all the world8 ,surely1 then1 we may every one of us accept that offer1 and regard the atonement as an atonement made for ourselves4 ,you may see no evidence of your election4 ,you may look into your own heart1 and find there nothing whatever to lead you to believe that you are one of ,god's chosen people4 ,but you are not called to wait till you have discovered such evidence2 and if you do wait1 you may wait for ever1 for it is perfectly impossible that you should ever have evidence of your election till after you have trusted in ,his atoning blood4 ,but without any such evidence you may fall back on the finished substitution of the ,son of ,god for the sinner4 ,you may take the words of this text1 #8,being made a curse for us1' and1 whatever you are1 may put it in the singular number1 and say1 #8,being made a curse for me1' yes6 #8for me1 even for me4' ,if1 therefore1 you are really anxious about the salvation of your soul1 do not stop to search into your own sinful heart for evidences of your election2 but fall boldly on the fact that1 whether you are elected or not1 ,christ ,jesus was your substitute4 ,cleave to the fact that the propitiation was for the world1 that the love that moved ,god to it was a love to the world2 and that the offer made in consequence of it is an offer to the world4 ,trust that4 ,accept that4 ,rest in that1 and leave it to ,god to settle the matter of your election2 for of this you may be perfectly sure that you will never enjoy any evidence of your election unto life until you have learned to trust the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and ,his perfect work without it4 ,you must learn a lesson from that poor woman of ,canaan4 ,she was apparently quite shut out by the doctrine of election1 for she was not one of the lost sheep of the house of ,israel1 and the ,lord ,himself said to her that it was not right to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs4 ,but she was not discouraged by the difficulty4 ,she pleaded1 #8,yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the ,master's table2' and the result was that she did not merely pick up the crumbs1 but she was made partaker of the feast itself1 and went to her home rejoicing in our ,lord's approval1 and her daughter's cure4 ,let us all then accept the fact that in ,his boundless mercy ,he was made a curse for us4 ,but we must bear in mind at the same time1 that ,he does not force upon us the blessings of that substitution4 ,if we choose to live without the substitute we may4 ,if people are so occupied by the world that they do not care for it2 or so satisfied with themselves that they do not feel the need of it2 or so unmindful of the holiness of ,god that they cannot see the necessity of it2 they are at full liberty to reject it1 and have full power to live without it4 ,but then1 it is obvious they must bear their own burden1 and all the weight of it4 ,the ,lord ,jesus has satisfied the law as their substitute2 but if they decline to accept that satisfaction1 it is perfectly clear that there is nothing left for them but to satisfy it for themselves4 ,they must blot out their own curse in their own way1 and how they are going to do it ,i cannot tell4 ,i know of nothing but ,christ the substitute that can remove the just judgment of a broken law2 and if men live and die without ,him1 ,i see no prospect for them but that they live in their sin1 and die in their sin1 and go down into eternity with the whole of the awful weight of unforgiven sin resting on their poor unforgiven souls4 ,and who can say that such a sentence would be hard1 or severe1 or unjust8 ,if there were no substitute provided we might possibly think the law severe4 ,but1 now that in boundless mercy ,god has ,himself provided the substitute1 who can say that it is a hard measure if the sinner is crushed under the burden which he resolves to bear8 ,,xi4 ,,forgiveness4 #8,in whom we have redemption through his blood1 the forgiveness of sins1 according to the riches of his grace4--,,eph4 i4 #g4 #8,and forgive us our sins2 for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us4 ,and lead us not into temptation2 but deliver us from evil4'--,,luke1 xi4 #d4 ,,in our study of the divine redemption we considered from the words of ,st4 ,paul to the ,galatians the great foundation act of the whole1 viz41 the satisfaction made for sin by the atoning sacrifice of the ,son of ,god4 ,we had no time then to go on to the consequent deliverance4 ,but we do not want to have either a building without a foundation1 or a foundation without a building4 ,in other words1 we do not wish either to have a superficial life of ,christian experience without a solid foundation in the great work of atonement1 or to be so exclusively occupied by the atonement as to forget the great practical deliverance which is in fact the completion of redeeming grace4 ,having laid the foundation1 then1 in the study of the ransom1 redemption price1 or satisfaction for sin1 we must pass on to the great deliverance with which ,god follows up ,his work of mercy4 ,this we will now do1 if ,god permit1 and may ,he ,himself put forth the mighty power of the ,holy ,spirit1 and this very day in ,his own grace deliver souls6 ,now what is the first great gift of ,god in delivering souls8--the first result of the blood of atonement when applied to the salvation of the sinner8 ,i hope that if we were all to speak we should give the same answer to the question1 and that there are none amongst us who would hesitate to reply1 #8,forgiveness4' ,so long as sin remains unforgiven there can be no freedom1 nor any deliverance of any kind whatever4 ,unforgiven sin blocks the way against all hope of escape1 and therefore when ,god invites a sinner to return ,he first assures him of the blotting out of sin3 #8,i have blotted out1 as a thick cloud1 thy transgressions1 and1 as a cloud1 thy sins3 return unto me1 for ,i have redeemed thee4' 7,isa4 xliv4 #bb47 ,but now arises a question which has sometimes occasioned difficulty in thoughtful minds4 ,a complete forgiveness is the starting-point of the ,christian's life2 and accordingly this forgiveness of sin is described as a complete and present privilege1 so we read1 #8,in whom1' i4e41 in ,christ the ,beloved ,one1 #8we have redemption through his blood1 the forgiveness of sins4' ,the apostle speaks of it there as something of which we are now in the present enjoyment1 for he says1 #8,we have it4' ,it is ours now4 ,but yet in other passages1 such as the ,lord's ,prayer1 the children of ,god are taught to ask for it with as much regularity as for their daily bread4 ,how is it1 then1 that we are told to ask for that we have already8 ,why do we pray the ,lord's ,prayer every day when we already have redemption through ,his blood1 the forgiveness of sins8 ,it is a very natural question1 and ,i cannot be surprised if persons feel the difficulty4 ,but ,i believe that if we look carefully at the real work of redemption it will throw great light on the subject4 ,we shall find if we do so that there are two kinds of forgiveness described in the word of ,god1 the one the immediate1 and the other the consequent1 result of redemption4 ,there is judicial forgiveness as the foundation1 and parental forgiveness as the consequence3 the two being closely connected with each other1 and both resulting from redemption4 ,let us study them separately4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,judicial forgiveness4 ,in order to understand judicial forgiveness we must consider the judicial condemnation of the unforgiven man1 and we must carefully remember ,god's offices as ,king1 as ,lawgiver1 and as ,judge4 ,he is a ,saviour1 but ,he is a ruler likewise1 and ,he rules the world in righteousness4 ,but if we think of ,him as the great executive of a perfectly righteous and holy law1 acting on principles of strict and unvarying righteousness1 we must see in a moment that we have all been brought under judicial condemnation1 for the law condemns us all4 ,it condemned our whole race in the person of our head and first father when ,adam sinned1 and the sentence of death was passed on him as the representative of man4 ,it condemns our nature as alien and strange to ,god4 ,and it condemns our lives that have abounded in action contrary to ,his will4 ,i know that some people find a difficulty in the first two points1 and cannot understand the condemnation of the race1 or of the nature4 ,i can appreciate their difficulty1 though ,i am quite sure it is fully met in ,scripture4 ,but ,i have not time to discuss it now4 ,but this one thing ,i am sure is plain2 even if there were no condemnation on the race or on the nature1 there is quite sufficient in the past life to bring condemnation on any soul amongst us4 ,even if we had not been condemned in ,adam there has been quite sufficient to condemn us in ourselves4 ,there is not one amongst us who is not guilty of that for which he knows himself to be responsible4 ,there is not one who dare stand before ,god on the plea that he has never sinned1 not one therefore that must not acknowledge in some form or other that he cannot be saved if the sentence of the law is to be carried out on his sin4 ,but if you think over it you will see that according to natural principle judicial forgiveness is impossible4 ,law can acquit1 and law can condemn1 but law cannot forgive4 ,law can pronounce a man innocent1 and law can pass the sentence of death1 but law cannot pardon the guilty4 ,our legal position by nature is perfectly hopeless4 ,we have incurred a legal and just condemnation1 but nature has made no provision for a legal and just forgiveness4 ,it is the effort to overcome this insuperable difficulty that has kept thousands of conscientious heathen toiling on throughout their lives in deep religious anxiety without a ray of light to throw peace upon their path4 ,but the whole difficulty is met in ,god's great plan of redemption1 as revealed in those wonderful words1 #8,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law1 being made a curse for us4' ,the forgiveness resulting from the great act of redemption is exactly what we want1 a legal and judicial remission of a legal and judicial sentence4 ,the sentence of the law has been as fully carried out in the person of our most ,blessed ,redeemer as it would have been had the whole race been cast into hell for ever4 ,the whole difficulty is removed by the principle of substitution1 or satisfaction4 ,if ,christ was made a curse for us1 then the curse is gone from us1 and we are free4 ,the holiness of the law is honoured1 the righteousness of the lawgiver is preserved1 the sentence of the judge is established1 not one jot or one tittle of the law is allowed to pass2 but1 notwithstanding all1 the man that has broken it1 although he has broken it1 is absolutely free4 ,thus1 in ,rom4 iii4 #bf1 we are taught that the result of propitiation is1 #8,that ,god might be just1 and yet the justifier of him which believeth in ,jesus4' ,here1 therefore1 we have what ,i have termed a judicial forgiveness1 a forgiveness in perfect harmony with the strict righteousness of law2 a forgiveness which is1 in fact1 the letting forth of ,god's eternal love when all legal claims are satisfied4 ,till that redeeming act was complete1 the love was as it were pent up1 and could not1 in consistency with ,his own law1 flow forth to a condemned people4 ,but all is different now4 ,the law itself pronounces in favour of the condemned1 and the result is that ,god is not only faithful1 but just to forgive4 ,and to this righteous forgiveness we may apply the text1 #8,in whom we have redemption through his blood1 the forgiveness of sins1 according to the riches of his grace4' 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii4 ,parental ,forgiveness4 ,but when we are in the enjoyment of this judicial forgiveness it may be said1 #8,if this be the case1 why should we any more pray for forgiveness8 ,why should we say the ,lord's prayer8 ,are we not taught that we already have forgiveness as we have redemption through ,his blood8 ,to answer this question we must mark the distinction between judicial and parental forgiveness4 ,consider1 then1 the position into which every believer is brought through redemption and judicial forgiveness4 ,according to verse #f1 we are #8accepted in the ,beloved1' accepted1 i4e41 in ,christ ,jesus the ,beloved ,one4 ,and according to ,gal4 iv4 #e1 we are made1 by virtue of that redemption1 children of ,god1 for ,christ was sent forth #8to redeem them that were under the law1 that we might receive the adoption of sons4' ,if1 then1 we be in ,christ ,jesus1 what is our position8 ,the curse which fell on the whole race through ,adam is gone1 and we shall soon rise from the dead into new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness4 ,the condemnation of our sinful and ruined nature as well as of all the sin of all our past lives is forgiven for ever2 and much more than that1 for1 the barriers being all broken down1 we are accepted in the ,beloved and #8the ,spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of ,god4' ,what1 then1 is the consequence of this new position8 ,and what does it involve8 ,nothing less than a parental and filial union4 ,in ,christ ,jesus you have a ,father who loves you1 a ,father whom you love2 a ,father who cares for you1 and on whose care you may confidently trust2 a ,father who speaks to your soul by ,his ,spirit1 and who admits you into close and confidential intimacy with ,himself4 ,now it is perfectly clear1 that as you pass through life1 it will be the joy of your heart to please that loving ,father4 ,the more you love ,him1 the more you will rejoice to please ,him1 and ,he gives you the assurance that your efforts1 defective though they be1 do please ,him1 for we are told not to forget to do good1 and to communicate1 #8for with such sacrifices ,god is well pleased4' 7,heb4 xiii4 #af47 ,but1 on the other hand1 you may grieve ,him4 ,i can never forget the tender love of my dearest mother1 or how fondly ,i loved her in return4 ,i have the greatest satisfaction also in the recollection of her pleasure as she witnessed my boyish efforts to carry out her wishes and those of my father4 ,but ,i can look back to more than fifty years ago and remember one or two sad days in which ,i pained her4 ,oh1 dear children6 never pain your mother1 for the thought may remain with you long after she is in the grave1 long after the time when you can no more throw your arms round her neck1 and ask her forgiveness for what you have said or done to grieve her4 ,now it is just the same with our ,heavenly ,father4 ,we may love ,him1 truly love ,him1 love ,him without a doubt4 ,moreover1 we may please ,him1 please ,him well in all things1 and bring to ,his service that offering of the whole man with which he is well pleased4 ,but we may also grieve ,him1 and ,i fear we often do4 ,the free forgiveness through redeeming blood has not removed1 eradicated1 or laid to rest the old sinful human nature4 ,thus ,st4 ,paul tells us to #8grieve not the holy ,spirit of ,god1 whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption1' ,eph4 iv4 #cj2 and he shows us how we may do so1 viz41 by corrupt communication1 bitterness1 wrath1 anger1 clamour1 evil speaking and malice4 ,do you think that a bad temper does not grieve ,him1 or unkind conversation1 or pride of heart1 or wandering thoughts in prayer1 or any of the thousand things that may rise before the conscience of those who are not satisfied with a superficial ,christian life8 ,but if this be the case what do we want1--want day by day as we pass through life8 ,surely the parental forgiveness1 the loving forgiveness of a loving ,father1 watching in love over ,his loving child1 and with a ,father's love1 and a ,father's authority1 accepting the acknowledgment of sin1 and day by day freely forgiving it4 ,this perfectly explains the use of the ,lord's prayer by the children of ,god4 ,we come to ,him in that prayer as our ,father1 and because ,he is our ,father we ask ,him as a ,father to forgive us our sins4 ,this does not supersede the judicial forgiveness1 but is the consequence of it4 ,nor does it set aside redemption1 for it is on redemption that the whole sonship depends4 ,there is nothing independent of that most precious blood of ,christ4 ,it is through that blood of ,his that the curse is removed1 and the judicial forgiveness granted2 through that blood of ,his that we receive the adoption of sons1 and are brought into the sacred relationship of children in a ,father's family4 ,it is through that blood of ,his that we are preserved in that relationship1 and stand before the ,father in a covenant union with the ,son of ,god ,himself4 ,but resting on this power of the atoning blood1 there is a great deal besides judicial forgiveness4 ,if you be asking now the way of life1 and anxious that all the sins of all your life may be blotted out1 that so you may be saved from the condemnation of the law2 then your only hope must be in the plenteous redemption wrought out for you on the cross when the ,son of ,god redeemed you from the curse1 being made a curse for you4 ,and1 thanks be to ,god6 that is sufficient1 for it has broken down every barrier1 and set the way of life wide open before the chief of sinners4 ,but if you have been saved from that condemnation1 so that now you #8have redemption through his blood1 the forgiveness of sins3' you have also a great deal more1 for you have besides it and resting on it1 the unspeakable blessedness of a ,father's love4 ,you may daily fall back on the satisfaction of the law1 and in consequence of that satisfaction1 like loving children may cry1 #8,abba1 ,father1' and claim a ,father's forbearance and a ,father's tenderness1 a ,father's provision1 and a ,father's forgiveness4 ,it is this parental love that is the joy of our hearts when we kneel together round our ,father's table1 this parental forgiveness for which we pray when we say1 #8,our ,father which art in heaven1 forgive us our trespasses4' ,let us endeavour1 then1 to realise the legal condemnation gone2 the judicial forgiveness granted2 the adoption of sons bestowed2 the ,father's table spread2 the ,father's forgiveness ready2 the ,father's love shed abroad in our hearts by the ,holy ,ghost which is given us4 ,and realizing this1 shall we not draw near in faith8 ,shall we not confess to ,him that we are heartily sorry for all our misdoings8 ,shall we not ask ,him for ,his parental forgiveness8 ,shall we not feed at ,his table8 ,shall we not rest on ,his loving arm8 ,shall we not regard it as our chief joy to please ,him8 ,and shall we not out of the fulness of loving hearts exalt ,his name for the unspeakable riches of redeeming love2 and praise ,him from the bottom of our hearts that by ,his marvellous grace we even now #8have redemption through his blood1 the forgiveness of sins8' and having it1 can appeal to a ,father's love for daily forgiveness as for daily bread8 ,,xii4 ,,purity4 #8,who gave himself for us1 that he might redeem us from all iniquity1 and purify unto himself a peculiar people1 zealous of good works4'--,,tit4 ii4 #ad4 ,,if we wish to understand the various passages in the word of ,god on the subject of redemption1 we must never forget the two parts of which redemption consists1 so often brought before you in these lectures--the satisfaction of the law by the payment of redemption price1 and the actual deliverance of the ransomed people as the result of the finished atonement4 ,it is of especial importance that we bear this well in mind in the study of those texts in which redemption is spoken of as being either now in progress or still in the future1 for there is no possibility of any present or future atonement1 that having been for ever completed on ,calvary1 and such passages can only refer to the work of deliverance which will not be complete till the glorious day of our ,lord's appearing4 ,the atonement is complete1 but the deliverance is in progress still1 and those texts refer to it4 ,i believe that this remark is of great importance to the right understanding of this text4 ,it occurs in the midst of one of the most practical chapters in the ,bible4 ,the words are addressed to the various different classes of society4 ,aged men are exhorted to be sober and sound in faith2 aged women to be in behaviour as becometh godliness2 young women to be sober and to love their husbands and their children2 servants to be obedient1 pleasant1 not contradictory1 and honest2 and all of us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts1 and to live soberly1 righteously1 and godly in this present world4 ,now1 according to the text1 the great motive power to all this is the fact that our great ,god and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ #8gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity1 and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works4' ,let us study then the redemption work1 and the redemption power2 and may ,god the ,holy ,ghost so bless it to our souls that we may be led in practical life to adorn the doctrine of ,god our ,saviour in all things6 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,the redemption work4 ,to redeem in these words clearly means to deliver1 as the result of the finished atonement4 ,the foundation of the deliverance is the fact that our great ,god and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ gave ,himself for us4 ,the actual deliverance is described in the words1 #8that he might redeem us from all iniquity4' ,a question has arisen as to the meaning of this expression4 ,does it mean that ,he might redeem us from the curse and judgment of all iniquity and so set us legally free1 as when ,he said1 #8,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law1 being made a curse for us8' or does it mean that by the power of the ,holy ,ghost ,he might deliver us from the bondage of all iniquity1 and so make us actually a holy people unto ,himself8 ,there is much to be said for both interpretations4 #8,iniquity' may stand here for the curse1 or guilt1 of iniquity1 as #8sin' stands for the guilt of sin in #a ,pet4 ii4 #bd3 #8,who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree4' ,or it may stand for sin itself1 and its deadly power over the ruined soul4 ,i am inclined on the whole to prefer this latter application1 and to believe that the words describe the actual deliverance from the dominion of sin4 ,the context clearly points in that direction1 and so1 as far as ,i can judge1 do the words4 ,the word here rendered iniquity strictly means #8lawlessness4' ,it is the same word as that in #a ,john1 iii4 #d1 where it is translated #8transgression of the law1' and appears generally to express the actual disobedience to the law1 or will of ,god4 ,if this be the case the idea evidently is that in our natural condition we are slaves and bondsmen to disobedience1 or lawlessness4 ,but that the great ,god and ,saviour made an atonement for us in order that ,he might set us free from that dreadful yoke1 and call us out to be a people set apart for ,his praise4 ,this is in harmony with what we are taught in ,rom4 vi4 #ai1 for there we are described as having in former times #8yielded our members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity' 7the same word71 and as now being set free by the grace of ,god4 ,but there can be no such freedom without redemption from the curse of sin4 ,you remember that when a man had sold himself to be a slave1 the only way in which he could obtain his liberty was by his kinsman legally redeeming him from his master4 ,so it seems to be here4 ,christ our kinsman has paid the ransom in order that we1 being redeemed1 may be freemen unto ,god1 and may now as freemen have the joy of serving ,him4 ,but this is not all that is done for us1 or nearly so1 for the text does not merely refer to the bondage from which ,he died to deliver us1 but leads us also to consider the new life to which ,he came to raise us4 ,it takes the positive side as well as the negative4 ,it looks forward as well as backward4 ,it describes the new-master to whom being redeemed we belong1 as well as the old master from whom by redemption we are delivered4 ,now you see this transfer very clearly in the text4 ,the old master is lawlessness1 the new master is ,christ ,himself4 ,he came to redeem us from all iniquity1 and #8purify unto himself a peculiar people4' #8,peculiar' does not mean odd1 or eccentric2 but special1 and separated1 as you may see by a comparison of ,deut4 vii4 #f1 and xiv4 #b4 ,in chap4 vii4 #f1 we read1 #8,the ,lord thy ,god hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself1' and in chap4 xiv4 #b1 #8,the ,lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself4' ,you see that these words respecting ,israel of old exactly correspond to those here spoken of the redeemed ,church1 and they completely explain what is here meant by the word #8peculiar4' ,as ,israel was a peculiar people1 delivered from ,egypt1 and set apart unto ,god1 so those who are in ,christ ,jesus are redeemed from the old bondage of their past lawlessness1 and set apart as a special people unto ,him who has redeemed them by ,his blood4 ,observe then the three characteristics of this new service1 the service of the redeemed4 7#a47 ,it is the service of the ,redeemer ,himself4 ,in redeeming us from iniquity ,he makes us ,his own1 and sets us apart unto ,himself4 ,if redeemed we belong to the ,redeemer4 ,we love ,him1 we follow ,him1 we serve ,him1 we are ,his4 7#b47 ,it is a pure service4 ,he does not merely separate1 but purifies us unto ,himself4 ,he carries on such a sacred work in the soul1 and effects such a marvellous change that the words of ,st4 ,john are realised1 #8,every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself1 even as he is pure1' and that we even know something of the blessing which ,he described in the words1 #8,blessed are the pure in heart1 for they shall see ,god4' 7#c47 ,it is a zealous and active service4 ,if we are thus redeemed we are not to sit still1 and quietly rejoice in a holy abandonment of soul2 but we are to be up and doing4 ,there is a great work to be done for ,god1 and who is to do it if they are idle whom the ,lord has redeemed8 ,we want no slothful1 listless1 inactive1 self-indulgent believers4 ,our missions are crippled for the want of help2 and our work at home sometimes seems paralyzed by the lukewarmness of professors4 ,but those who are brought near to ,god1 and purified as a peculiar people unto ,himself1 must be filled with zeal for ,his service2 for the lukewarm professor is a scandal to the ,church of ,god4 ,the object of the ,lord's death was to call out a zealous people2 and when there is no zeal1 there is no effective result from the cross1 for the purified people1 redeemed by ,his grace1 will1 according to the text1 be #8zealous of good works4' ,now all this is a work at this present time in progress4 ,it is not1 like the atonement1 complete1 but is going on now4 ,it is at this present time in progress in the ,church4 ,the people who form the purchased possession are being daily gathered in to ,god4 ,he has not yet accomplished the number of ,his elect4 ,the body of ,christ is not yet perfected1 and our earnest desire is that day by day1 yes1 this very day1 immortal souls may be delivered from the power of darkness1 and translated into the kingdom of ,his dear ,son4 ,so also is it progressive in the soul of each individual4 ,we are not suddenly wafted into perfection1 or made pure as ,christ is pure4 ,this chapter is a very clear proof of that1 for while it speaks of the great purpose of the ,lord's death1 viz41 to redeem us from all iniquity it is full of exhortations to all classes amongst us against practical misconduct4 ,it is perfectly clear1 therefore1 that the deliverance is not yet complete4 ,there is temptation around and temptation within2 sin in the world and sin in our own hearts2 corruption in society and corruption in our own nature2 so that even after we have actually experienced redeeming grace1 we may say1 as ,st4 ,paul did1 #8,who shall deliver me from the body of this death8' 7,rom4 vii4 #bd47 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii4 ,this leads to our second subject1 the redemption power4 ,the redemption power is the ,redeemer ,himself1 and so1 as pointed out in a previous lecture1 the ,lord ,jesus is called in ,isaiah1 lix4 #bj1 #8the ,redeemer1' and in the quotation of that passage ,rom4 xi4 #bf1 #8the ,deliverer4' ,and this applies whichever way you understand the words4 ,if you apply them to the curse of sin it is ,he that delivers from that curse by the satisfaction of the law through ,his precious blood4 ,he paid the ransom1 and in the ,father's name ,he has set us free4 ,or1 if you apply it to the bondage of lawlessness1 it is equally ,he that delivers1 for it is just as much ,his office to release from the dominion of sin by the power of the ,holy ,ghost as it was to remove the curse4 ,in either sense the passage brings ,him before us as a present living ,deliverer1 not merely one who has given ,himself for us1 but one who is now engaged in actually delivering us from all iniquity and purifying unto ,himself a peculiar people4 ,the first clause1 #8,he gave himself for us1' describes ,his work on the cross finished at once and for ever2 the latter part1 #8,that ,he might redeem us from all iniquity1' ,his present work as a risen and living ,saviour1 continuously employed in delivering and purifying ,his ,church4 ,whatever we may think of the clause1 #8that he might redeem us from all iniquity1' this is clearly the meaning of the words that ,he might #8purify unto himself a peculiar people1 zealous of good works4' ,so that either way we are brought to the indisputable and most important lesson1 that in our great struggle against sin1 either without or within2 either in the world or in our own hearts2 and in our efforts to aim at the practical ,christian life exhibited in this chapter1 we may take the greatest possible encouragement from the fact that it is the present office of our living ,lord to deliver and to purify4 ,we may be profoundly conscious of the deep1 inbred corruption of our own nature4 ,we may know by bitter experience how often we have failed2 we may be humbled to the dust at the thought of our shortcomings2 we may be ready to say1 as ,st4 ,paul did1 #8,who shall deliver me from the body of this death8' but in the midst of it all we may look up in peaceful trust1 and thank ,god for the delivering power that is in ,christ ,jesus1 our risen and living ,head4 ,we may say as ,st4 ,paul did1 #8,i thank ,god through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4' ,but there is one thing which we must be sure to remember4 ,the purifying power depends entirely on the reconciling blood4 ,according to this text1 in order that ,he might redeem and purify1 ,he first gave ,himself for us2 or1 in other words1 in order that ,he might deliver1 ,he first made satisfaction for sin by bearing its burden ,himself4 ,we may1 therefore1 be perfectly sure of this1 that we shall never know ,his power as a deliverer unless we first know the power of ,his atonement4 ,not one amongst us could ever have been delivered if the curse of ,god had not first been removed1 and that curse of ,god could never have been removed except by the fact that the ,son of ,god became a curse for us4 ,till that was done there was no hope of deliverance1 and till that is applied or appropriated there is no hope of personal holiness4 ,before the special1 or peculiar1 people could be purified unto ,himself1 they must be set free from the curse1 and redeemed through the power of ,his blood4 ,not one of that people has the curse of ,god still resting on his soul1 for so long as the curse remains it is perfectly impossible that any one of us should be one of the people4 ,while1 therefore1 you trust in a ,saviour living to deliver1 be sure you keep well in view that same ,saviour having died to atone4 ,his life will be nothing to you unless you first know ,his death4 ,you will never experience the power of ,his work in you until you realise ,his most gracious work completed for you on the cross4 ,that blotting out of sin through the precious blood of the ,lamb must lie at the foundation of all true holiness4 ,it is the rock on which we stand1 and unless there be a sure standing ground there is not the slightest hope of progress4 ,if1 therefore1 you wish to press onward1 and earnestly desire to be heart and soul holy to the ,lord1 and ,i am sure ,i am speaking to many that do1 be sure you keep close to the great old foundation truths4 ,trust your living ,lord as your living ,deliverer4 ,accept ,his promises of the ,holy ,spirit's power in all their fulness and throw yourself on ,him for their complete fulfilment2 but while you do so remember that the one power which in the purpose of ,god could remove the curse was the atoning blood1 and the one hope of your being partaker of the deliverance rests altogether on the one fact that the great ,god our ,saviour in boundless mercy gave ,himself for you4 ,,xiii4 ,,restoration4 #8,and when these things begin to come to pass1 then look up1 and lift up your heads2 for your redemption draweth nigh4'--,,luke1 xxi4 #bh4 ,,it is perfectly clear that the redemption alluded to in these words is something still future4 ,it is the bright hope which is to cheer the little flock through the storms of the latter days4 ,when the world is full of perplexity1 and men's hearts are failing them for fear1 the ,lord's people are to look up in calm1 happy1 peaceful1 trusting hope in the full assurance of their approaching redemption4 #8,when these things begin to come to pass1 then look up1 and lift up your heads2 for your redemption draweth nigh4' ,it is perfectly clear1 therefore1 that our ,lord was not speaking of the great redeeming act which took place eighteen hundred years ago on ,calvary1 but of the final deliverance1 the completion of ,his redeeming work1 when ,he will come in ,his kingdom and set ,his people free4 ,this final deliverance must be our subject in this lecture4 ,may the ,lord bless it to our souls1 and grant that1 when the time comes1 we may be amongst those who rejoice in the blessing6 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,the redemption here spoken of is the deliverance of ,jerusalem4 ,we must not isolate the passage from its context1 or forget that the words were spoken to ,jewish believers4 ,thus up to the end of the #bdth verse our ,lord foretold the destruction of ,jerusalem with the terrible afflictions that were to precede it1 concluding with the words1 #8,jerusalem shall be trodden down of the ,gentiles1 until the times of the ,gentiles be fulfilled4' ,then follows the description of the latter days1 and all the perils preceding the advent1 concluding with the words1 #8,look up1 and lift up your heads1 for your redemption draweth nigh4' ,surely1 then1 there is a connexion between the #bdth and #bhth verses4 ,the one describes the desolation1 and the other the recovery3 the one the bondage1 the other the freedom2 the one the captivity1 the other the deliverance2 the one the iron yoke on the neck of the captive1 and the other the glorious restoration when the ,deliverer shall appear in ,zion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii4 ,but though the passage refers to the restoration of ,jerusalem1 it clearly does not stop there1 but includes the redemption or deliverance of the ,church4 ,when ,i speak of the ,church ,i am not speaking of those who have nothing more than outward ,christianity3 but of the ,church of the first-born1 that ,church described in the words1 ,eph4 v4 #be1 #8,christ also loved the ,church1 and gave himself for it1 that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word4' ,this ,church is described in ,eph4 i4 #ad1 as ,his #8purchased possession1' and all the members of it are now ,his own4 ,they are ,his own by virtue of the ransom of the eternal covenant1 and it is therefore called1 ,acts1 xx4 #bh1 #8,the ,church of ,god which he purchased with his own blood4' ,and they are ,his own by the call of the ,holy ,ghost1 gathering them out from a wicked world1 and by ,his divine power incorporating them into ,christ4 ,thus in one sense they have been redeemed already1 for the ransom has been given for their life1 and they have found forgiveness through ,his precious blood4 ,they may say1 every one of them1 as ,st4 ,paul did in the #gth verse of that same chapter in the ,ephesians1 #8,in whom we have redemption through his blood1 the forgiveness of sins4' ,but yet1 according to the #acth verse1 they are still waiting for redemption1 and during the waiting time are solemnly sealed unto ,god1 and assured of what is to come by the present earnest of the ,spirit4 #8,in whom also1 after that ye believed1 ye were sealed with that holy ,spirit of promise2' and so1 in chap4 iv4 #cj1 they are told not to grieve the ,holy ,spirit1 by whom they are #8sealed unto the day of redemption4' ,there is1 therefore1 hereafter to be a redemption of the purchased possession1 a redemption of that which has already been redeemed1 or1 in other words1 a final deliverance of the ransomed ,church4 ,the ransom is paid1 but the time is not yet come for the ransomed ,bride to be finally free1 and presented to her ,lord in glory4 ,it is delightful to look forward to this coming restoration when we think of the present position of the ,church of ,god surrounded as it is by a wicked world outside1 and1 what is far more painful1 harassed by division1 false doctrine1 inconsistency1 and formalism within4 ,i am not surprised that ,st4 ,paul compares this present waiting time to the night1 for there is a great deal all around us exceedingly dark1 but we must never forget the approaching morning4 ,we may be greatly distressed by witnessing such defects and difficulties as we do witness in the ,church of ,christ1 but according to this passage we need not be disheartened1 for our redemption draweth nigh4 ,the ,deliverer will soon come to ,zion1 and there will be no difficulties then4 ,the ,redeemer ,himself will soon set all things straight4 ,there will be complete light when the ,sun of ,righteousness arises with healing in ,his wings4 ,we are not1 therefore1 going to be downcast by difficulties1 or to doubt ,his truth because we see ,his prophecies fulfilled2 but1 whatever happens1 whether persecution from without1 or false teaching within1 we will remember ,his own most assuring words1 and act on them1 #8,when these things begin to come to pass1 then look up and lift up your heads2 for your redemption draweth nigh4' 99 99 99 99 99 ,,iii4 ,it will be a redemption of the body4 ,i need not stop to prove that the body is not yet free from the bondage of the curse4 ,though the soul is free in ,christ ,jesus the poor body is still subject as much as ever to the strong hand of death4 ,so we read1 ,rom4 viii4 #aj1 #8,if ,christ be in you1 the body is dead because of sin1 but the spirit is life because of righteousness4' ,so that1 even when ,christ is in us1 and the ,spirit is life1 the body still remains dead1 subject to death1 and actually dying as we all well know4 ,the brightest and holiest living believers are not exempt from the trials of a death-stricken body4 ,but if this is the case with the living ,church1 how much more is it with the vast multitude of those who are now asleep in ,jesus6 ,think of the noble line of the saints of ,god who were once1 as we are1 serving ,god on earth in the flesh1 but who are now in the condition1 to us quite inexplicable1 of disembodied spirits1 with the soul resting before ,god while the poor body in utter weakness lies prostrate in the grave4 ,i cannot imagine a more marvellous contrast than that which now exists between the present condition of the two parts of man while awaiting the resurrection of the dead4 ,it is impossible to imagine any thing more utter1 more complete1 more hopeless1 than the bondage and subjection of the body2 or more blessed1 more peaceful1 more joyous1 than the present rest of the soul in the presence of the ,lord ,himself4 ,but when the redemption takes place1 as predicted in this verse1 the body itself will be set free4 ,you will see this in a moment if you connect two verses in ,rom4 viii4 ,from ver4 #aj we have already found that1 even when the ,spirit is life because of righteousness1 the body is still dead because of sin2 and the result is1 as you read ver4 #bc1 that even those who have the first-fruits of the ,spirit groan within themselves4 ,they share in respect of death the groaning of a death-stricken world4 ,but in the midst of it all they can rise above it in triumphant hope1 for they are waiting1 and looking out for deliverance1 as you read in the latter part of that verse1 #8,waiting for the adoption1 to wit1 the redemption of the body4' ,the body therefore shall be redeemed and rise again4 ,they that are in the graves shall hear ,his voice1 and shall come forth2 and the very sea shall give up the dead that are in it4 ,i know that men say it is impossible1 and ,i know that there are difficulties connected with the subject which to the eye of man appear to prove its impossibility2 but there is no such thing as impossibility with ,god4 ,he who created can restore4 ,he who said1 #8,let there be light1' and there was light1 ,he can say #8,let there be life1' and there will be life4 ,so that1 although to us death is quite irresistible2 though no wealth can ward it off1 and no physician's skill can baffle it2 and although1 when once it has taken place1 all human hope is gone for ever2 yet1 when the ,redeemer comes to ,zion1 death itself will be powerless3 those dear ones who now sleep in the grave will come forth in risen bodies at the bidding of their blessed ,saviour2 and ,he1 the gentle1 and loving1 and tender ,lord ,jesus1 will fulfil ,his grand prophecy as given by the prophet ,hosea 7xiii4 #ad71 #8,i will ransom them from the power of the grave2 ,i will redeem them from death4 ,o death1 ,i will be thy plagues6 ,o grave1 ,i will be thy destruction2 repentance shall be hid from mine eyes4' 99 99 99 99 99 ,,iv4 ,there will be a redemption of the soul1 i4e4 a completion of that sacred work now being carried on in the soul through the power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,there is clearly a wide difference between the sacred work of deliverance as carried on in the body and the soul2 for the deliverance of the body is not yet begun1 but will be accomplished in one sudden act when the ,lord shall appear4 ,but it is not so with the soul2 for in it the deliverance has been long since begun1 and is day by day being carried out by the power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,our blessed ,lord has already delivered us1 if we be in ,him1 both from the curse and dominion of sin3 from the curse1 for #8we have redemption through ,his blood1 the forgiveness of sins2' and from the dominion1 for #8sin shall not have dominion over you1 for ye are not under the law but under grace4' ,rom4 vi4 #ad4 ,if1 therefore1 we are in ,christ ,jesus1 and under grace1 our soul is delivered from the dominion of sin1 though our body is not yet delivered from the dominion of death4 ,you may ask1 then1 how it is that the soul still wants deliverance8 ,look at the #abth verse of the sixth of ,romans1 only two verses before the one just quoted1 and you read1 #8,let not sin1 therefore1 reign in your mortal body1 that ye should fulfil it in the lusts thereof4' ,it is1 therefore1 there1 though it must not reign4 ,it has life in it1 and it is prepared to reign1 but it must be put down4 ,it has its lusts and desires1 but they must be mortified1 and not fulfilled4 ,the power of sin is not extinct or quiescent1 but in full vigour still4 ,the old original corruption is not destroyed1 but remains in full activity4 ,the grace of ,god triumphs over it1 but it is there2 and there1 not in a state of death1 but of life and vigour4 ,if you think you have done with sin you will find it will soon crop up1 if in no other form1 in pride of heart1 and blindness to its power4 ,we can therefore perfectly understand the complete harmony of the two verses in ,rom4 vii41 that are sometimes thought contradictory3 verse #f1 in which he says1 #8,now we are delivered from the law1' and verse #bd1 #8,who shall deliver me from the body of this death8' ,from the law1 as involving the curse1 we are already free2 from the infection of a ruined nature we are still waiting to be delivered4 ,and think for a moment what a deliverance that will be4 ,ye that have been deeply humbled at the discovery of your own utter unworthiness1 ye that would describe yourselves as ,st4 ,paul did as #8the chief of sinners1' and #8less than the least of all saints1' think what it would be to be set at once absolutely free from indwelling sin4 ,picture to yourselves the day of ,his coming4 ,think of yourself on your knees in the morning1 confessing sin1 and praying for pardon and for help1 for mercy and for grace4 ,and then think of yourself at night1 having in the course of the day beheld ,christ as ,he is1 and having been so transformed by the sight that you have become altogether like ,him1 without a single temptation or difficulty left1 and with every stain and tendency to sin rooted out1 and gone for ever4 ,but this is what we are led to expect in these words of ,st4 ,john3 #8,beloved1 now are we the sons of ,god2 and it doth not yet appear what we shall be1 but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him1 for we shall see him as he is4' ,no wonder1 then1 that with such a hope in view our ,lord directs us1 even in the midst of the fears and perplexities of the latter days1 to look up1 and lift up our head1 for our redemption draweth nigh4 ,but one thing we must remember4 ,we shall never rejoice in the redemption or deliverance that is to come1 till we can rest in the redemption or atonement that is complete4 ,there are many amongst us1 ,i sadly fear1 who find no pleasure in the thought of the ,lord's return1 and in many cases there can be no doubt about the reason4 ,they have found no peace through ,his cross4 ,i believe that no one ever cares for the ,lord ,jesus ,christ as a ,deliverer from either death or sin till ,he knows ,him as the ,redeemer from the curse4 ,no man can look up and lift up his head if he expects to rise again to the resurrection of damnation1 and to be cast forth for ever with all the guilt of all ,his sin on his miserable head4 ,therefore it is that1 till you know the atonement by blood1 you will never care for the deliverance by power4 ,till you know the sufficiency of the ransom you are sure to dread the coming of the ,deliverer1 as1 ,i fear1 too many do4 ,look backwards1 then1 as well as forwards1 ,i most earnestly entreat you4 ,accept the assurance of the coming deliverance in all its fulness4 ,accept it in all its joy4 ,rejoice in the blessed hope4 ,but take care2 and while you look forward in the hope that your redemption draweth nigh1 remember also to look back on that finished atonement1 and never rest till you can appropriate these words to the ,ephesians1 #8,in whom we have redemption through his blood1 the forgiveness of sins4' ,one word before we close respecting the sacred feast of the ,lord's supper1 in which it is our sacred privilege as believers to gather round the table of our ,lord4 ,it is a connecting link between the two parts of redemption1 the atonement and the deliverance1 the cross and the advent4 ,in it we look backwards and forwards1 as we are taught #a ,cor4 xi4 #bf3 backwards1 for we show the ,lord's death2 and forwards1 for we do so #8till ,he come4' ,when ,he does so1 we shall sit down with ,him at the marriage supper of the ,lamb1 and our symbolic service will cease in the realisation of the fulness of ,his blessing4 ,oh6 how ,i pity those who are moved neither by memory or hope1 by the recollection of what ,he has done1 or the hope of what ,he is about to do2 who never show the ,lord's death according to ,his own appointment1 and never act as if they were waiting for ,his coming6 ,,xiv4 ,,heaven4 #8,and they sung a new song1 saying1 ,thou art worthy to take the book1 and to open the seals thereof3 for thou wast slain1 and hast redeemed us to ,god by thy blood out of every kindred1 and tongue1 and people1 and nation4'--,,rev4 v4 #i4 ,,in the preceding lectures it has been my privilege to direct attention to the important subject of redemption1 and ,i think we cannot do better in closing the series than examine in this lecture what they think of it in heaven4 ,they know there more than we do here1 for they have passed within the veil1 and they know by experience those great and most blessed results which we can only anticipate in faith4 ,in their case sight has taken the place of hope1 and through redeeming grace they are in actual enjoyment of the visible presence of ,god4 ,of course1 therefore1 they are better able than we can be to form a just estimate of what the ,lord ,jesus has done for their salvation4 ,let us then devote this morning to the study of what they think of redeeming love4 ,we all know very well what a natural craving there is to look in beyond the veil1 and to see what is passing amongst those who have already entered4 ,what would we give for one half-hour's intercourse1 or for even a telescopic view of that happy assembly now gathered before the throne8 ,what would it be to us if for one short minute we could see the heavens opened8 ,but something of this kind was permitted to ,st4 ,john1 as we read1 chap4 iv4 #a1 #8,a door was opened in heaven1' and a voice said1 #8,come up hither4' ,immediately he was in the ,spirit1 and having entered he saw some of those very things which we long to see1 but which no other living man has ever been able to see1 and to report4 ,st4 ,paul may have seen them when he was caught up to the third heaven1 but if he did1 he was not permitted to tell us what he saw4 ,but ,st4 ,john was expressly employed to do so4 ,he was distinctly commanded to write the things which he had seen1 and this book is the result4 ,what1 then1 did he see8 ,he saw in the first place a throne1 and on the throne one sitting4 ,round about the throne were twenty-four seats1 and #8upon the seats four and twenty elders sitting1 clothed in white raiment2 and they had on their heads crowns of gold4' ,but besides the elders there was a marvellous manifestation of spiritual life1 inexplicable to us who have no experience of the life of a spirit without the body3 for in chap4 iv4 #f1 we read1 that #8in the midst of the throne1' and round about the throne1 were four living ones4 ,these living ones were clearly in the most intimate relationship with the throne and with ,him who sat on it4 ,they were as near to it and to ,him as was possible1 for they were in the midst of it1 and round about it1 while in an outer circle stood a vast host of angels4 ,from chap4 v4 #aa1 we see clearly that these angels were in an outer circle1 not so near the throne as the living ones1 for there we read3 #8,i beheld1 and ,i heard the voice of many angels round about the throne1 and the living ones1 and the elders1 and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand1 and thousands of thousands4' ,in this description the only real difficulty is with reference to the elders and living ones1 for we are not distinctly informed who they were4 ,according to the reading of ver4 #i and ver4 #aj1 as given us in our dear old ,english ,bible1 it appears perfectly plain that together they formed the company of those whose ransomed souls are now resting before the throne1 for they said in their hymn1 #8,thou hast redeemed us by thy blood 4 4 4 ,and hast made us unto our ,god kings and priests4' ,but there seems to be a doubt about that #8us1' and1 therefore1 we must not rely too much on it4 ,but on the whole there is reason to believe that the vast multitude of happy spirits now before ,god awaiting the resurrection1 are represented by this inner circle of elders and living ones already brought as near as possible to the throne1 and surrounded by the vast company of angels1 who1 having been sent forth to minister unto them during their pilgrimage1 can rejoice without jealousy in their blessedness1 even though they are placed in a position of greater honour than themselves4 ,but our business in this lecture is not to discuss the persons seen in heaven1 but rather to examine what they think of redemption1 to learn how far their account of it agrees with our own1 and to find in what estimation they hold the redeeming work4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,their account1 or description of it4 ,does the account which they give in their hymn agree with the account which we have gathered from the rest of ,scripture8 ,i think it does exactly1 and ,i would ask you to notice four points4 7#a47 ,they speak of redemption as a deliverance4 ,we have found throughout the ,word of ,god that to redeem is not merely to make atonement1 but to deliver by means of a ransom4 ,in all the passages that we have examined it has included the idea of actual deliverance4 ,it has never been applied to the act of propitiation alone4 ,now turn to this hymn of the elders and living ones before the throne1 and there you see precisely the same idea3 #8,thou hast redeemed us to ,god by thy blood out of every kindred1 and tongue1 and people1 and nation4' ,there was an act of outgathering and ingathering4 ,they were gathered out as a separate people from all nations of the earth1 and gathered in to be a peculiar people unto ,god4 ,the passage reminds us of those words in ,john1 xi4 #eb1 which teach us that the great object of the death of the ,lord ,jesus was1 #8that he should gather together in one the children of ,god that were scattered abroad4' ,so this heavenly hymn describes them as being thus gathered in one before the throne4 7#b47 ,it is a redemption through the most precious blood of the ,lamb4 ,the deliverance1 or the gathering1 is not simply an exercise of power1 but is the result of atonement by blood4 ,it is not merely the act of the ,holy ,ghost calling the sinner1 but the act of ,god making atonement1 or giving ,christ to die for him4 ,before one soul could be drawn out from the ruin of the world1 and gathered in to ,god1 the barrier of the curse must be taken out of the way1 and the law satisfied by its complete fulfilment in the ,person of our ,redeeming ,head4 ,till the ransom was paid not one soul could be set free1 and therefore the hymn says1 #8,thou hast redeemed us to ,god by thy blood4' 7#c47 ,they are raised to a position far above a mere pardon4 ,we learned when we studied the case of ,ruth that the redeemed are not merely delivered from ruin1 but brought to a position of the highest possible honour1 for the ransomed ,church becomes the ,bride of the ,redeemer1 and is identified with ,christ ,himself4 ,so here you observe that the redeemed are not merely forgiven1 but they are raised to new honours1 new powers1 new service1 and new glory4 #8,thou hast made us unto our ,god kings and priests1 and we shall reign on the earth4' ,i have not time to dwell on the sacred blessedness of that royal priesthood4 ,it combines the honours of the king and the service of the priest4 ,it is a kind of reflection of the double office of the ,lord ,himself1 of whom it is said1 #8,he shall sit and rule upon his throne1 and shall be a priest upon his throne4' ,the redeemed are made kings under ,him to govern1 and priests in ,him1 and through ,him1 to present a holy service unto ,god4 ,do not be satisfied1 therefore1 to let your mind dwell exclusively on the first elementary subject of forgiveness4 ,i know the importance of it1 and know well that there can be no such thing as peace until you can trust for a pardon4 ,but ,i am speaking to those who can trust for forgiveness1 who have learned the power of redeeming blood1 and who are now resting in the assurance of the blotting out of sin4 ,to them ,i say1 ,go forward1 and accept your new position1 acknowledge your high calling1 carry out your royal priesthood1 and never forget that you are anointed1 and set apart as kings and priests unto ,god4 7#d47 ,this leads me to the fourth point1 that we are redeemed unto ,god4 ,we found from the study of ,st4 ,paul's words to ,titus that our most blessed ,saviour redeemed us to be a peculiar1 or special people unto ,himself1 so that all ,god's redeemed are sanctified1 or set apart1 unto ,him4 ,this is exactly what is taught in the hymn of heaven1 for there we learn that we are redeemed1 not merely from sin1 but unto ,god4 #8,thou hast redeemed us unto ,god by thy blood4' #8,we are made kings and priests unto ,god4' ,it is true of the believer1 as it is of the ,lord ,jesus ,himself1 that #8,in that he liveth he liveth unto ,god4' ,by atonement every barrier is broken down1 and the way of access laid open even to the very throne of ,god ,himself2 and by the call of the ,holy ,ghost we are set apart unto ,god1 to bear ,his name1 to live as ,his sons1 to do ,his will1 to act as ,his witnesses1 and to be as it were ,his representatives in the midst of a wicked world4 ,we are not redeemed simply in order that we may be saved1 but in order also that ,god may be glorified4 ,as ,god's chosen people we are brought near to ,god ,himself1 in order that we may go forth into life1 to glorify ,his name4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii4 ,it is clear1 therefore1 that the account given in heaven of the work of redemption is exactly the same as that which is taught us throughout the word of ,god4 ,let us pass on to consider what is the heavenly estimate of the sacred work1 or in other words1 ,what do they think of it there8 ,what value do they set on it8 ,first4 ,what do the elders and the living ones think of it8 ,the chapter contains the description of a remarkable scene in connexion with a certain book1 which was seen in the right hand of ,him that sat on the throne4 ,a strong angel proclaims with a loud voice1 #8,who is worthy to open the book1 and to loose the seals thereof8' ,but #8no man in heaven1 nor in earth1 neither under the earth1 was able to open the book1 and to loose the seals thereof4' ,there was something so sacred about it1 that no man was found worthy even to look on it1 and the result was that ,st4 ,john wept much4 ,some people seem to care very little whether the book of ,god is closed or not2 but he shed many tears when the sacred book seemed closed to his view4 ,but one of those elders who sat around the throne said1 #8,weep not3 behold the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah1 the ,root of ,david1 hath prevailed to open the book1 and to loose the seven seals thereof4' ,so he beheld4 ,he looked for the ,lion1 but when he looked there stood a ,lamb1 a ,lamb as it had been slain1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 our ,redeemer2 and ,he came1 and took the book out of the right hand of ,him that sat on the throne4 ,it was this that called forth this hymn of praise from the living ones1 and that led them to sing a new song1 saying1 #8,thou art worthy to take the book1 and to open the seals thereof3 for thou wast slain1 and hast redeemed us to ,god by thy blood4' ,now observe that hymn1 and note carefully what it was that in their sight constituted the worthiness of the ,lamb4 ,it was not ,his ,divine ,sonship2 not ,his pre-existence as ,god2 not ,his eternal and unspotted perfection2 not ,his present exaltation to the right hand of the ,father's throne3 but it was the fact that1 in order to redeem1 ,he had been slain4 ,it was the great act of redemption that gave ,him a worthiness far beyond that of any other either in heaven or earth4 ,he was honoured with an honour far above anything ever known1 even in heaven1 and the reason was that as a ,redeemer ,he had died4 ,if you ask1 then1 ,what is heaven's estimate of redemption8 the answer is1 ,that it is thought there to be so gracious1 so wonderful1 so divine1 that it brings more honour to the ,lord ,jesus than all the other glories of ,his most glorious eternity4 ,but what do the angels think of it8 ,they are disinterested witnesses4 ,if the living ones are the spirits resting before the throne1 they have been saved by it2 and1 therefore1 of course they have their deep personal interest in it4 ,but it is not so with the angels4 ,they never fell1 so they have had no need of redemption1 and can only regard it as a work wrought out for others4 ,but there is no selfishness apparent in their spirit4 ,i often think that the great charm of the angels' character is their complete unselfishness4 ,so there was nothing selfish about their song1 for though they were only lookers-on1 or rather ministers1 though they could not say1 as we can1 #8,thou hast redeemed us1' though not one of their number was saved through the redeeming blood1 yet the whole vast multitude joined heart and soul in the adoration of redeeming mercy1 and as soon as the hymn of the living ones was brought to a close1 they all burst forth in their own song of praise1 and said with a loud voice1 #8,worthy is the ,lamb that was slain to receive power1 and riches1 and wisdom1 and strength1 and honour1 and glory1 and blessing4' ,but the worship did not stop even with them4 ,st4 ,paul teaches us that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now1 for the whole is affected by the fall2 and that a time is coming when1 through redeeming grace1 the creature itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of ,god4 ,no wonder1 then1 that creation itself is here represented as taking part in the joy of redemption4 ,the whole creation is described as catching the spirit of praise4 ,the living ones and the angels were not allowed to have a monopoly of thanksgiving1 and1 therefore1 as soon as the angels' hymn was ended there was a grand outburst of praise from the whole creation of ,god3 #8,and every creature which is in heaven1 and on the earth1 and under the earth1 and such as are in the sea1 and all that are in them1 heard ,i saying1 ,blessing1 and honour1 and glory1 and power1 be unto him that sitteth upon the throne1 and unto the ,lamb1 for ever and ever4' ,and now1 dear brethren1 what shall we do8 ,shall we go home indifferent to the subject8 ,shall we1 whose life depends altogether on redemption leave it as a thing uncared for8 ,shall there be no note of praise from us8 ,ye that know redeeming grace1 shall there be no hymn of praise from you8 ,surely we must not wait till we see ,him on the throne1 and hear the hymn of the living ones4 ,those who are on earth according to this passage are to join in the chorus1 so we will lose no time in doing so2 and before we leave the church we will unite in the grand old hymn-- #8,come1 let us join our cheerful songs ,with angels round the throne2 ,ten thousand thousand are their tongues1 ,but all their joys are one4 ,worthy the ,lamb that died1 they cry1 ,to be exalted thus2 ,worthy the ,lamb our lips reply1 ,for he was slain for us4' ,,advertisements4 ,,works ,,by ,,the ,,same ,,author4 #a4 ,redemption4 ,a ,companion ,volume to ,sanctification4 ,just published1 in square fcap4 #hvo4 #bs4 #f;d4 #b4 ,palestine and ,russia4 #eth ,thousand4 #afmo4 cloth1 #as4 #f;d42 paper cover1 #as4 #c4 ,rome1 ,turkey1 and ,jerusalem4 #agth ,thousand4 #afmo4 cloth1 #as4 #f;d42 paper cover1 #as4 #8,mr4 ,hoare argues on the broad1 simple lines of prophecy1 in a way which to our mind must bring irresistible conviction4'--,clergyman's ,magazine4 #d4 ,conformity to the ,world4 ,new ,edition1 revised4 #afmo4 cloth1 #as4 #f;d42 paper cover1 #as4 #8,an admirable parochial book4'--,evangelical ,magazine4 #e4 ,inspiration3 its ,nature and ,extent4 ,new ,edition1 revised4 #afmo4 cloth1 #as4 #f;d42 paper cover1 #as4 #8,selects several important points of a wide subject1 and treats them soundly4'--,christian ,observer4 #f4 ,the ,doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper1 ,,as ,,taught ,,in ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,england4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 sewed1 #f;d4 #g4 ,the ,communion and ,communicant4 ,new ,cheap ,edition1 revised and enlarged4 #ahmo4 sewed1 #c;d42 or #bs4 #f;d4 per dozen4 #h4 ,baptism1 ,,as ,,taught ,,in ,,the ,,bible ,,and ,,prayer-,,book4 ,sixth ,edition4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 sewed1 #d;d4 99 99 99 99 99 ,just published1 the ,second ,revised and ,cheaper ,edition of ,the ,family ,commentary on the ,holy ,bible4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,charles ,,girdlestone1 ,m4,a4 ,in #f vols4 ,imp4 #hvo4 ,lg4 ,type1 #ajs4 #f;d4 each2 or the set in #f vols4 or #c vols4 #cl4 #cs4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,,genesis ,,to ,,deuteronomy4 ,vol4 ,,iv4 ,,isaiah ,,to ,,malachi4 11 ,,ii4 ,,joshua ,,to ,,esther4 ,v4 ,,matthew ,,to ,,john4 11 ,,iii4 ,,job ,,to ,,song ,,of ,,solomon4 ,,vi4 ,,acts ,,to ,,revelation4 ,the only ,family ,commentary on the whole ,bible4 ,prospectus1 giving ,specimen of ,type1 ,opinions of the ,press1 ,clergy1 and others1 sent on application4 ,the ,author has just placed this work in ,messrs4 ,,hatchard's hands1 owing to the retirement from business of the late publishers1 ,messrs4 ,,suter ,co4 99 99 99 99 99 ,just published1 in small crown #hvo4 #dbj pp4 #fs4 ,thorough3 ,being an attempt to show the value of ,thoroughness in several departments of ,christian ,life and ,practice4 ,by ,rev4 ,sir ,,emilius ,,bayley1 ,bart41 ,b4,d41 ,vicar of ,st4 ,john's1 ,paddington4 99 99 99 99 99 ,just published1 in square crown #hvo4 #dej pp4 #fs4 ,pleasant ,memories3 ,a ,woman's ,thoughts and ,life-work4 ,by ,,john ,,baillie1 ,d4,d41 ,author of #8,memoirs of ,adelaide ,newton1' c4 #8,dr4 ,baillie's skill as a biographer is attested by the popularity of his works2 the present volume1 although shorter and more condensed1 might1 in point of interest1 take its place with #8,the ,memorials of a ,quiet ,life1' which have attained so much celebrity4 ,there are over twenty-three chapters1 and any one of them may be taken up and read with the confidence that it will disclose matter both of interest and of solid value4 ,the whole may be described as rightly termed 8pleasant memories0 for the author1 and 8precious0 also for his readers4--,record4 ,just published1 in square fcap4 #hvo4 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,church and the ,world3 ,their ,mutual ,relations1 ,god's ,retributive ,righteousness in ,his dealings with them2 the ,key to ,sacred ,history1 ,past1 ,present1 and to ,come4 ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,r4 ,,fausset 7of ,york71 ,joint ,author of #8,the ,critical ,commentary4' #8,a remarkably able and interesting work4'--,english ,churchman4 #8,we have reaped much profit from the perusal of this book1 and would heartily recommend it to all who love to look into the teaching of the pure word as to the matters on which it treats4'--,word and ,work4 ,just published1 in square fcap4 #hvo4 cloth antique1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,temptation3 its ,nature and ,limits4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,daniel ,,moore1 ,vicar of ,holy ,trinity1 ,paddington4 ,,messes4 ,,hatchard',s ,,new ,,series4 ,in ,small #hvo4 cloth1 bevelled1 #as4 #f;d42 paper cover1 #as4 ,the ,inspiration of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,,daniel ,,bagot1 ,d4,d41 late ,dean of ,dromore4 #as4 #f;d4 #as4 #8,the general scope is highly satisfactory4'--,record4 ,the ,immortality of the ,soul4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,canon ,,garbett4 #as4 #f;d4 and #as4 #8,one of the ablest refutations we have yet seen of the erroneous doctrines now afloat concerning the eternity of punishment4'--,english ,churchman4 ,thoughts on the ,parental ,character of ,god4 ,by the late ,rear-,admiral ,sir ,,edward ,w4 ,,parry4 ,new ,edition4 ,with ,preface by his ,son1 ,,edward1 ,bishop ,suffragan of ,dover4 #as4 #f;d4 and #as4 #8,practical and devotional1 and especially comforting to all who are in sorrow1 trouble1 or any other adversity4'--,english ,churchman4 ,thoughts about ,salvation for ,thinking ,men4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,john ,,richardson1 of ,camberwell4 #as4 #f;d4 and #as4 #8,suggestive and interesting4'--,christian ,observer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,by ,e4 ,j4 ,,whately1 ,author of #8,life of ,archbishop ,whately1' c4 #a4 ,plymouth ,brethrenism4 #crd ,thousand1 revised4 #as4 #f;d4 and #as4 #8,admirable 4 4 4 ,the errors are calmly and clearly pointed out1 and ably refuted4'--,rock4 #b4 ,maude2 or1 ,the ,anglican ,sister of ,mercy4 ,new ,cheap ,edition4 #as4 #f;d4 and #as4 #8,a valuable little work4 ,no more useful book could be put in the hands of those who are in danger of being led away from the obvious duties of home and every-day life into a state that has a specious appearance of higher religious life4'--,record4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,sons of ,eli4 ,by the ,rev4 ,c4 ,h4 ,,ramsden1 ,m4,a4 #as4 #f;d4 and #as4 ,words of ,caution1 ,counsel1 c41 addressed to the ,children of ,godly ,parents4 #8,a wise and understanding guide4'--,christian ,observer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,by the ,,rev4 ,,bourchier ,,wrey ,,savile4 #a4 ,turkey2 ,or1 ,,the ,,judgment ,,of ,,god ,,upon ,,apostate ,,christendom4 #as4 #f;d4 #as4 #8,eminently interesting and suggestive4'--,record4 #b4 ,the ,bride of ,christ4 ,with a ,reply to the ,bishop of ,lincoln's ,work on the ,millennium4 #as4 #f;d4 #as4