3.-REDEMPTION.

"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." (Eph. 1:7.)

Having seen, in some measure, what Scripture teaches us regarding man as he was when created and as he is now since the fall, and having found him a complete ruin, we come now to see what God's remedy for that state is. We will first seek to get a general view of that remedy, in its broad characteristics and far-reaching results ; afterward, if the Lord please, we shall go more into detail. Many words applying to a whole or part of this blessed manifestation of the grace of God are used in Scripture,-such, for instance, as "salvation," "forgiveness," "justification," and the like. For a general view, such as is now the object, perhaps the word " redemption " is more suitable than most others, occurring as it does in both Old and New Testaments, and possessing in both a clear and well-defined meaning, and that meaning the same in both portions of God's inspired Word. As linking closely with the previous subject, which might, indeed, have been called "The Need for Redemption," we will first consider who are the objects of redemption; secondly, the nature; thirdly, the manner; fourthly, the person of the Redeemer ; and lastly, the results of redemption.

First, the objects of redemption ; who are to benefit by it. This, as we have said, links closely with the subject of the preceding paper. Men are the objects of redemption. All men have sinned, all are therefore under the wrath of God-helpless and hopeless. This state is universal. Redemption is not a universal thing. Here, at first glance, there might seem to be a contradiction of the universality of the gospel offer, " Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." But this contradiction is only apparent. Redemption deals with results. Those who avail themselves of it, and only those will secure those results. " Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed." (Ex. 15:13.) This people God repeatedly speaks of as His-"Israel is My son, even My first-born ; and I say unto thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me."(Ex. 4:22, 23.)-"Let My people go." (Ex. 5:1:) These people were the objects of His choice, and of His oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
These, and these only, were contemplated in the redemption from Egypt,-type, as we shall find, of that greater redemption for all His own. If we turn to the New Testament, we find the same to be true :redemption is for God's people. "In whom we have redemption."- "Who of God is made unto us redemption." For none but the people of God are the benefits, then, of redemption. How completely this takes the props away from the universalist, who would make these benefits, sooner or later, apply to all mankind. But is not the gospel for all? some one asks. Unquestionably; and men are besought,-nay, compelled, to come in ; but unless they do come, redemption is not for them. The two things-the exclusiveness of redemption and the inclusiveness of the offer are beautifully brought together when we ask, Who are God's people? what are they like? And we find they are sinners, undistinguishable from all other sinners, partakers of the common fallen nature, guilty of untold sins, and therefore under the wrath of God. The offer is made to them in no different way from others,-repentance and faith are necessary for their acceptance of the offered salvation. Let it not be thought that redemption is limited in its value, or that the offer of its benefits is restricted to any number. Should all the world avail themselves of it, it is sufficient,-nay, as much was needed to redeem one soul as to redeem the world. Its offer is, as we have seen, world-wide. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." All may become His people if they will. Those who do not, have only themselves to blame:"Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." The objects, then, of redemption are those among the whole world of lost and guilty men who are willing to accept its benefits freely offered to them.

We have, in the second place, to inquire into the nature of redemption :what does it embrace? The verse at the head of this paper will give us the first answer.-" In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." The first need of an awakened sinner is, peace of conscience, which now is impossible, because of his sins. The first requirement likewise of divine righteousness for its action in grace is, the removal of that guilt which insures the righteous judgment of God. Both the need and the requirement are met by the forgiveness of sins, on grounds, as we shall see later, which fully vindicate God's righteousness. The blessedness of forgiveness ! who of God's children but delights again and again to dwell upon the precious theme? This forgiveness is immediate, upon the acceptance of redemption. " I have sinned," says David. "The Lord hath put away thy sin," is the immediate reply. "Father, I have sinned" is met at once by." Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him." It is full, embracing all sins. "Having forgiven you all trespasses." " Her sins, which are many, are forgiven." Iniquities more in number than the hairs of our head are all pardoned. This forgiveness is free. "When they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both." It is without works, money, or price. Lastly, it is eternal. "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Heb. 8:12.) Under the law, there was mention made of the same sins year after year. Christ has "entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption." (Heb. 9:12.) This means that the sinner once forgiven is forgiven forever. After the death of his father, Joseph's brethren came and prostrated themselves before him, asking again for that forgiveness which he had so freely given long before. Joseph wept. If such unbelief in his brethren grieved his heart, how much more does that doubt about eternal forgiveness grieve the heart"of our God. And this forgiveness is not of some offenses- of those before conversion, but of all :man is forgiven as a sinner, and it applies to all his acts as a sinner, even to the sins (alas that there should be such !) after conversion. This forgiveness means, then, redemption from the curse under which we were. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law." (Gal. 3:13.) This, applying, as far as the law is concerned, to the Jew only, refers to all who, having " sinned without law, shall also perish without law." (Rom. 2:12.) The type of it is seen in the passover in Egypt. Israel, like the Egyptians, were exposed to the sword of justice-they were sheltered and spared ; that was the first step in their redemption. But there was more than this in Israel's redemption, as there is more than deliverance from the curse in ours. Israel was in bondage to the Egyptians, and held in their land, away from the land of promise. Sheltered from wrath, they are next delivered from the power of Pharaoh and taken out of the land. This was effected by their passage through the Red Sea. Then redemption's song was sung (Ex. 15:). So for us,-we were in bondage to sin, captives in this world, Satan's servants. Redemption has loosed our chains. "That He might redeem us from all iniquity." (Tit. 2:14.) "Sin shall not have dominion over you." (Rom. 6:14 ) Satan, our master, has been "bound " and "destroyed" (Matt. 12:29; Heb. 2:14). The world has ceased to be a dwelling-place-a home for His redeemed people, and is now a wilderness through which they are to haste. Lastly, redemption applies to the body. "The redemption of the body" (Rom. 8:23) will take place at the "day of redemption" (Eph. 1:14; 4:30), when "this corruptible shall put on incorruption; this mortal, immortality." (i Cor. 15:) Such, then, is the nature of redemption; it delivers from the curse, from the bondage of sin, and from death.

Let us next see the manner of redemption ; how is it effected. "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, ….. but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (i Pet. 1:18, 19.) The meaning of the most common word for redemption, in Hebrew, is purchase, or buying back. For a just and holy God to redeem His people in the manner we have seen, means that there were sufficient grounds, a sufficient price. The price, the grounds, were furnished by the precious blood of Christ, typified in the passover-lamb, allusion to which is made in the verses just quoted. There could be no redemption without the price being paid. All through the Levitical ordinances we find redemption-of persons, of property, of land,-but never without the price. So for us there could be no redemption apart from its price. "The blood of Christ" means His life given up as a curse for us. " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." The blood spoke of judgment executed, of wrath visited, of justice satisfied. It tells us that the work is finished. The high-priest entered into the holiest, and there sprinkled the blood upon and before the mercy seat. So Christ entered, by His own blood, into heaven itself. That blood shed on Calvary speaks forever before God of redemption accomplished, and on the ground of that shed blood all the blessed fruits of redemption are ours. This is the manner of it. There is no other way. Let men sneer,-let them call it "the religion of the shambles," God calls it "the precious blood of Christ." Scripture is full of it. No more useful occupation could there be for a young Christian than to trace this "scarlet line" through Scripture, from the sacrifice of Abel to the chorus of praise which says, '' Thou art worthy, . . . for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed to God by Thy blood." (Rev. 5:9.)

We come, in the fourth place, to inquire as to the Redeemer,-the Person through whom the redemption is accomplished. Our verse at the head of this paper shows us this:"In whom we have redemption through His blood." Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, is the redeemer of God's people. The price, as we have seen, was His blood. To shed that, He had to "take part of flesh and blood." He thus became man,-a true and perfect one in all things. It is precious and touching to see the various meanings of the word for redeemer in the Old Testament, remembering that the One who only fully and perfectly exhibits these meanings is our blessed Lord. In Lev. 25:, when a man had, through poverty, lost his inheritance, one who was able could buy it back for him. We had lost all our possessions, and we know well who it is that has bought back more than we ever lost. But this purchaser was to be a kinsman. "If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold." (Lev. 25:25.) How preciously this reminds us of Him who is "not ashamed to call us brethren." Our redeemer He is; but to become that, He became man, and now in resurrection we are linked with Him. Oh how near He is to us ! But more,-the kinsman not only was to redeem the lost inheritance, but he was to marry the desolate widow. See the beautiful account in Ruth 4:An alien, of the condemned nation of Moabites, desolate, poor, a mere gleaner, Ruth is brought, not merely into the possession of vineyards and lands, but into the bosom of Boaz as the partner of his wealth. The bride, the Lamb's wife, is the Church, purchased by the precious blood of Christ, who is not ashamed to call us brethren, and soon to be associated with Him in His glory-partner of His joys! Such is the Redeemer. But there is also a solemn side to this bright picture. The name for revenger is the same as that for redeemer. "The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer; when he meeteth him, he shall slay him." (Num. 35:19.) The guilty one was to be slain. Our Lord is our avenger; our enemies are His, and soon will He avenge His people. "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them which trouble you ; and to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven …. in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God." (2 Thess. 1:6-8.) He offers Himself to men as redeemer if they but accept the gospel; rejecting that, He will soon be the avenger for them. The lamb reminds us of His death, atoning for sin ; but for rejecters of the blood of the Lamb, there is nothing but the "wrath of the Lamb." How imperfect are our apprehensions of this blessed Person ! but, at least, we have seen some of His characteristics as Redeemer, Purchaser, Kinsman, Husband, Avenger.

Lastly, what are the results of redemption ? These we have been gleaning up all along. In a word, all blessings, all glories, present and future, are the results of redemption. In the present, we have justification ; that is not merely the pardon of our sins, but the positive acceptance of our persons as righteous, so that we can say, " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? it is God that justifieth." But another precious result of redemption is, deliverance from the power of sin ; so that, as redeemed to God, we can now walk in newness of life-no longer the servants of sin. Pledge and earnest of the perfectness of redemption, we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, whose blessed work it is to reveal these precious things to us through God's Word. But who shall speak of those glories, those joys, which have been purchased for us,-which await us at the coming of our Lord ? All, all has been secured to us "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Well may we sing,-

'It is finished, it is finished,
Who can tell redemption's worth ?
He who knows it, leads the singing,
Full the joy as fierce the wrath."