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CHAPTER
5
BEING A CONTINUANCE OF ARGUMENTS FROM THE NATURE AND DESCRIPTION OF THE THING IN HAND; AND FIRST, OF REDEMPTION.
Arg.
11. That doctrine which will not by any means suit with nor
be made conformable to the thing signified by it, and the
expression, literal and deductive, whereby in Scripture it is
held out unto us, but implies evident contradictions unto them,
cannot possibly be sound and sincere, as is the milk of the word.
But now such is this persuasion of universal redemption; it can
never be suited nor fitted to the thing itself, or redemption,
nor to those expressions whereby in the Scripture it is held out
unto us. Universal redemption, and yet many to die in captivity,
is a contradiction irreconcilable in itself.
To
manifest this, let us consider some of the chiefest words and
phrases whereby the matter concerning which we treat is delivered
in the Scripture, such as are, redemption, reconciliation,
satisfaction, merit, dying for us, bearing our sins, suretiship,
— his being God, a common person, a Jesus, saving to the
utmost, a sacrifice putting away sin, and the like; to which we
may add the importance of some prepositions and other words used
in the original about this business: and doubt not but we shall
easily find that the general ransom, or rather universal
redemption, will hardly suit to any of them; but it is too long
for the bed, and must be cropped at the head or heels.
Begin
we with the word REDEMPTION itself, which we will consider, name
and thing. Redemption, which in the Scripture is lu>trwsiv sometimes,
but most frequently ajpolu>trwsiv, is the delivery of any one
from captivity and misery by the intervention lu>trou, of a
price or ransom. That this ransom, or price of our deliverance,
was the blood of Christ is evident; he calls it lu>tron, Matthew
20:28; and [it is called] ajnti>lutron, 1 Timothy 2:6, —
that is, the price of such a redemption, that which was received
as a valuable consideration for our dismission. Now, that which
is aimed at in the payment of this price is, the deliverance of
those from the evil wherewith they were oppressed for whom the
price is paid; it being in this spiritual redemption as it is in
corporal and civil, only with the alteration of some
circumstances, as the nature of the thing enforceth. This the
Holy Spirit manifesteth by comparing the “blood of
Christ” in this work of redemption with “silver and
gold,” and such other things as are the intervening ransom
in civil redemption, 1 Peter 1:18,19. The evil wherewith we were
oppressed was the punishment which we had deserved; — that
is, the satisfaction required when the debt is sin; which also we
are, by the payment of this price, delivered from; so Galatians
3:13: for we are “justified freely by his grace, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Romans 3:24; “in
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins,” Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14. Free justification
from the guilt, and pardon of sin, in the deliverance from the
punishment due unto it, is the effect of the redemption procured
by the payment of the price we before mentioned: as if a man
should have his friend in bondage, and he should go and lay out
his estate to pay the price of his freedom that is set upon his
head by him that detains him, and so set him at liberty. Only, as
was before intimated, this spiritual redemption hath some
supereminent things in it, that are not to be found in other
deliverances; as, — First, He that receives the ransom doth
also give it. Christ is a propitiation to appease and atone the
Lord, but the Lord himself set him forth so to be, Romans 3:24,
25; whence he himself is often said to redeem us. His love is the
cause of the price in respect of its procurement, and his justice
accepts of the price in respect of its merit; for Christ
“came down from heaven to do the will of him that sent
him,” John 6:3 8; Hebrews 10:9,10. It is otherwise in the
redemption amongst men, where he that receives the ransom hath no
hand in the providing of it.
Secondly, The captive or prisoner is not so much freed from his power who detains him as brought into his favor. When a captive amongst men is redeemed, by the payment of a ransom, he is instantly to be set free from the power and authority of him that did detain him; but in this spiritual redemption, upon the payment of the ransom for us, which is the blood of Jesus, we are not removed from God, but are “brought nigh” unto him, Ephesians 2:13, — not delivered from his power, but restored to his favor, — our misery being a punishment by the way of banishment as well as thraldom.
Thirdly, As the judge was to be satisfied, so the jailer was to be conquered; God, the judge, giving him leave to fight for his dominion, which was wrongfully usurped, though that whereby he had it was by the Lord justly inflicted, and his thraldom by us rightly deserved, Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2:15. And he lost his power, as strong as he was, for striving to grasp more than he could hold; for the foundation of his kingdom being sin, assaulting Christ who did no sin, he lost his power over them that Christ came to redeem, having no part in him. So was the strong man bound, and his house spoiled.
In
these and some few other circumstances is our spiritual
redemption diversified from civil; but for the main it answers
the word in the propriety thereof, according to the use that it
hath amongst men. Now, there is a twofold way whereby this is in
the Scripture expressed: for sometimes our Savior is said to die
for our redemption, and sometimes for the redemption of our
transgressions; both tending to the same purpose, — yea,
both expressions, as I conceive, signify the same thing. Of the
latter you have an example, Hebrews 9:15. He died eijv
ajpolu>trwsin paraba>sewn which, say some, is a metonymy,
transgressions being put for transgressors; others, that it is a
proper expression for the paying of a price whereby we may be
delivered from the evil of our transgressions. The other
expression you have, Ephesians 1:7, and in divers other places,
where the words lu>tron and ajpolu>trwsiv do concur; as
also Matthew 20:28, and Mark 10:45. Now, these words, especially
that of anti>lutrov, 1 Timothy 2:6, do always denote, by the
not-to-be-wrested, genuine signification of them, the payment of
a price, or an equal compensation, in lieu of something to be
done or grant made by him to whom that price is paid. Having
given these few notions concerning redemption in general, let us
now see how applicable it is unto general redemption.
Redemption
is the freeing of a man from misery by the intervention of a
ransom, as appeareth. Now, when a ransom is paid for the liberty
of a prisoner, is it not all the justice in the world that he
should have and enjoy the liberty so purchased for him by a
valuable consideration? If I should pay a thousand pounds for a
man’s deliverance from bondage to him that detains him, who
hath power to set him free, and is contented with the price I
give, were it not injurious to me and the poor prisoner that his
deliverance be not accomplished? Can it possibly be conceived
that there should be a redemption of men, and those men not
redeemed? that a price should be paid, and the purchase not
consummated? Yet all this must be made true, and innumerable
other absurdities, if universal redemption be asserted. A price
is paid for all, yet few delivered; the redemption of all
consummated, yet few of them redeemed; the judge satisfied, the
jailer conquered ,and yet the prisoner enthralled! Doubtless,
“universal” and “redemption,” where the
greatest part of men perish, are as irreconcilable as
“Roman” and “Catholic.” If there be a
universal redemption of all, then all men are redeemed. If they
are redeemed, then are they delivered from all misery, virtually
or actually, whereunto they were enthralled, and that by the
intervention of a ransom. Why, then, are not all saved? In a
word, the redemption wrought by Christ being the full deliverance
of the persons redeemed from all misery, wherein they were
enwrapped, by the price of his blood, it cannot possibly be
conceived to be universal unless all be saved; so that the
opinion of the Universalists is unsuitable to redemption.