The Apostle fays, "WE have redemption ;" that is, "We who were chofen in Chrift to be holy-we who have believed and trufted in Chrift, have redemption."

The redemption purchased by Chrift, though offered without diftinction to all who hear the gofpel, is actually bestowed only on those, who repent of their fins and believe in the Savior. "The redeemer comes to those who turn from ungodlinefs." It is fin which has brought us under condemnation-It is by repentance of fin that we obtain redemption. The benefits of the gospel are free, but not indifcriminate. They are defigned for as many as will receive them on the terms propofed, but not for all promifcuoufly whether they comply with the terms or not.

The idea which fome fondly entertain, that redemption is abfolutely univerfal, and in fact comprehends all men, is without fcriptural foundation. There are indeed fome expreflions which import univerfality. Chrift is faid "to have given himfelf a ransom for all, and to be made a propitiation for the fins of the whole world." But fuch expreffions must always be understood in a fenfe confiftent with the terms ftated in the gospel. The price paid for our redemption is fufficient for all. It is defigned for the benefit of finners in all nations and ages. It is not, like the legal expiations, of limited efficacy and temporary ufe. The offer of falvation is made to finners of all characters, and all who believe will be made partakers of it. "The righteousness of God through the faith of Chrift, is unto all them who believe, and there is no difference." In these refpects Chrift died for all, and gave himself a ranfom for all. But the benefits of redemption will be actually bestowed only on thofe who are penitent, faithful and holy- not on all indifcriminately, whether penitent or impenitent; whether believing or unbelieving. The gof

pel exprefsly affures us, that without repentance, faith and holiness there is no falvation-that Chrift came to fave us from our fins, to deliver us from this evil world, and to redeem us from our vain converfation-that he bore our fins on the crofs, that we being dead to fin, fhould live unto rightcoufnefs. If, expecting to be juftified by Chrift, we are ftill found finners, and emboldened to continue fuch, we treat, as the minister of fin, that Savior who came to call us to repentance, and to pu rify to himself a people zealous of good works.

II. We are to confider the nature of this redemption.

There is a twofold redemption mentioned in the writings of this Apoftle; the redemption of the foul from the guilt of fin by pardon, and the re demption of the body from the power of the grave by the refurrection. It is the former of thefe, which is intended in the text; for fo it is explained; We have redemption, the forgiveness of fins. The latter is intended verse 14, where the Apostle speaks of the Spirit, as "the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased poffeffion;" and Romans 8th chapter, where the creature is faid to "wait for the adoption even the redemption of the body." But these two privileges are connected. The remiffion of fin, which is a release from our obligation to punishment, is accompanied with a title to eternal life. "Whom God juftifies, them he alfo glorifies."

The divine law condemns thofe, who cantinue not in all things written therein to do them. As we have all finned, fo, confidered in relation to the law only, we are all under condemnation. Forgiveness frees us from this condemnation, and places us in a ftate of favor with God. It is expreffed in fcripture by a variety of phrafes; fuch as the blotting out of our iniquities-the forgiveness of our debts-making us accepted-admitting us to peace

with God juftifying us from our fins, and unto life -inputing righteousness, and not imputing fin.-Thefe phrases all import the fame thing: Our deliverance from that ftate of guilt, in which we food expofed to fuffer the demerit of our fins; and our gracious acceptance to a state of peace with God, as if we had not offended.

The terms of this forgiveness are called repentance, faith, regeneration and converfion, or turning to God; all which exprefs the fame thing in different points of view, even a change of foul from the habitual love of fin to the love and fervice of God. Whenever the finner, convinced of his fins, renouces them with godly forrow and in hearty purpose, committing himfelf to the mercy of God in Chrift with refolutions of future obedience, he is discharged from guilt, and entitled to eternal. life. Where this change is real, there will be fruits mete for repentance. From these fruits arifes a co mfortable evidence of the fincerity of the heart, and a good hope of the heavenly inheritance.

III. The next thing here obfervable is, the way and manner, in which believers become partakers of this privilege. Through the blood of Chrift.

The Apoftles, and efpecially St. Paul, in their preaching and writings, dwell much on the death of Chrift, as the ground of our hope. Chrift crucified was their favorite theme.

The infinite mercy of God inclines him to forgive finners; but his wisdom faw fit to grant them forgiveness in fuch a way as should clearly display his righteousness, as well as his mercy. The punishment of our iniquities he therefore laid on his own Son, who voluntarily gave himself for us, an offering and a facrifice to God for a sweet smelling favor.

The Apostle takes notice, that Jefus Chrift, through whofe blood we obtain forgiveness, is the Beloved. On this circumftance greatly depends

the value of his facrifice. "He hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood.-God hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin.-He hath not fpared his own Son, but delivered him up for us-Chrift was manifefted to bear our fins, and in him was no fin -God fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him."

This character of Chrift shows the excellence of his facrifice." He through the eternal Spirit offered himself without fpot to God. Such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, feparate from finners, and made higher than the heavens; who needed not, as the ancient priefts, to offer facrifice, firft for his own fins, and then for the people's; for this he did once, when he offered up himself." Our redemption is ascribed to the fufferings of Chrift, especially to his laft fufferings to his blood-to his death on the crofs. But his obedience, his holy life was neceffary to our redemption, as without it there could have been no atoning virtue in his death.

The character of Chrift, as the beloved, difplays the grace of God in giving him for us. From hence the Apoftle infers the greatnefs of God's compaffion for a guilty world, and his readiness to grant all bleffings to believers. "He who fpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, How fhall he not with him alfo freely give us all things ?"

IV. We may obferve the fountain from which our redemption flows; the riches of God's grace.

Sin deferves punishment, and the remiflion of deferved punishment is mere grace. Pardon merited, is a contradiction. Every blefling beftowed on finners is by grace: But the bleffing of forgive-. nefs is according to the riches, the exceeding, the unfearchable riches of grace.

If it be grace in Almighty God to bestow on finners the smallest favor, what abundant grace must it be to forgive all our innumerable tranfgreffions-to forgive them wholly and finally-not only to exempt us from punishment, but make us accepted, as if we had not offended-to own us as his children -to admit us to cummunion with himself-te grant us the conftant presence of his good Spiritand vouchfafe to us eternal life! The richness and variety of the bleffings fhew that they flow from a full and liberal fountain.

God's grace appears richer ftill, when we confider our own unworthiness. We are not worthy of the least of all the mercies, which God has fhewed us; much lefs of this, the greatest of all. A fenfe of guilt filled the Apóftle with admiring thoughts of God's grace in his falvation. "I was the chief of finners; but I obtained mercy-and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant."

The grace of God is ftill more wonderful in the way and manner of its difpenfation. "We have redemtion through Chrift's blood, according to the riches of God's grace. He has commended his love toward us, in that while we were finners Christ died for us."

V. Our text teaches us, that in this dispensation of mercy, God has abounded to us in all wisdom and prudence.

"Manifold are God's works; in wisdom he has made them all." But the moft glorious difplay of his wisdom is in the work of our redemption.

Here the perfections of God appear in the brighteft luftre and most beautiful harmony.

He has minifefted the excceeding riches of his mercy in giving his own Son to redeem a guilty race-his infinite purity, and immutable juftice, in requiring fuch a grand and awful facrifice in order to the remiffion of human guilt-the perfect recti tude of his law in forgiving our tranfgreffions only