himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." In another place; "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." This is that almighty and infinitely glorious Being, who has ev er stood at the head of the church, its triumphant King and Redeemer, having the keys of hell and of death. By him are the proud abased and the meek exalted. He is "head over all things to the church. Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all things."

2. We will inquire into the meritorious ground of this redemption. Is it a matter of grace or of debt? and how is the first foundation of it laid? It is, indeed, a purchased privilege according to Ephesians 1, 14. "Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." But by whom has this purchase been made, and at what price? not surely by men with sacrifices and oblations of their own offering. "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Paul exhorts the elders of Ephesus "to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood." Without shedding his blood Christ could not take a

way sin ; could not enter into heaven for us; and appear before God a prevailing intercessor, that he might bring us near to God. "He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." By him we have received the atonement. And now, if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins. "There is redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins; and by him whosoever believeth in his name shall be justified from all those things, from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses." This is the only possible foundation of reconciliation. and favour with God." There is salvation in none other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." This is that foundation of the apostles and prophets, that precious tried corner-stone, which has upheld the church in all ages, and whosoev er believeth on him shall not make haste.

3. We will attempt a few observations upon the subject matter of the redemption, by which God glorifies himself in the church. A few hints upon this point have already been given; but a little more enlargement may not be unprofitable, or out of season. demption always supposes the subject to have previously been in some situation,from which it is desirable to escape. That is never termed redemption, which consists in the removal

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of a person from one condition to another, not more happy or advantageous. A mere exchange of circumstances does not come up to the meaning of the word redemption. If a slave is forcibly torn from the hands of one tyrannical and cruel master, and placed under the control of another, not less austere, inhuman, and abusive; though, in one respect, he experiences a change of condition, yet, strictly speaking, he has received no deliverance: he is still an abject miserable slave, and his redemption is an event still to come. And if one, in order that he may be proved with kindnesses, is removed from under the care and munificient offices of one liberal benefactor, and placed under those of another, equally generous and communicative; or if he is removed from a state of comfort and happiness to that of misery, whether in a greater or less degree, it would not be called a redemption. If Israel had suffered nothing from the Egyptians, when in their land, God's carrying them out with never so much pomp of majesty and power, would not have been redeeming them. And if no restraint had been laid upon them by the Egyptians, to prevent their departure, the case would have been the same. To be the subjects of redemption, properly so called, they must have been, in some way, an oppressed and suffering people, and under a prohibition of leaving the scene of their calamity, so as to need a deliverer. Gospel edemption supposes, that all those, for

whom it is wrought, were, before their redemption, in an unhappy condition. On some account or other, they stood in need of a benevolent interposition to alter their state; to emancipate them from evil, and bring them into the possession of good. And what the evils are, under which men universally labour, and on the account of which they are in urgent need of a Redeemer, none can be so blind as not to see. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.' There is a curse upon all natural unredeemed men, consisting in the entire and eternal loss of God's favour, which implies the weight of his avenging fury, poured out up. on the sinner without any mixture of com fort. This heavy penalty, inflicted by the justice of God, is the common inheritance of the unsanctified. It is due to every transgressor of the divine law; and lies treasured up in store against all, who are uninterested in the great Redeemer. "He that believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on him." The sin and pollution, which have overspread the world, and infect ed the hearts of all men, have opened the floodgates of divine vengeance, and poured in a deluge of misery upon the world of mankind; so that death eternal awaits all the guilty sons of men: Here occasion calls for the gracious offices of a Redeemer. And these offices are performed by Christ, who

delivered us, as the apostle observes, from the wrath to come. The proper business of the Saviour is described by the apostle John in the words following; "For this purpose the son of God was manifested,that he might destroy the works of the devil." As a malicious adversary, the devil has set himself to work to put a blast upon the well being of the universe, to destroy all the happiness, and propagate all the misery, in his power. This is that work of the devil, which Christ has undertaken to destroy. "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgive ness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." To make the miserable happy, or to confer eternal life, where death was due, as the wages of sin, is that redemption, which he accomplishes for the subjects of his grace. This leads us to inquire

4. Into the method of his carrying into effect this great and glorious redemption. If a happy state of the system is the thing aimed at by him, who was sent into the world for the redemption of his people, no doubt he has some precise and determinate course to take, in compassing so desirable an object. And what course is so obviously proper, as to proceed directly against those things, which have originated the mischief, and in which it is rooted and grounded? This was the method pursued, when Israel was to be redeemed from Egyptian bondage. The first step taken was with the power, that had enslaved them, and brought them