fire and everlasting burnings. O what horrible evils are these! to have body and soul cast into hell fire, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched!

It is only from the long-suffering of God, his goodness that would lead men to repentance, his forbearance and compassion and his restraining power, that all these evils break not upon the ungodly, and send them not, in a moment, swiftly to everlasting destruction. The wrath to come is hanging over us ; and it is infinitely aggravated to those refusing Christ, that it is the wrath of the Lamb. In the great day of his wrath -who shall be able to stand?

But

But Christ endured the evil which we had merited, obtained for us the good which we had forfeited, and thus has in himself eternal redemption and all spiritual blessings for our use. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; as our head and Lord he has all things for us. And IN HIM we have reconciliation, and all other fruits of redemption. all has to be received by us from him through faith. Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. Receiving Jesus, according to the testimony which God has given of him, is the turning point of our salvation, and this faith is a divine gift, the work of the Holy Ghost, the effect of that new birth which is not of blood, not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. If we receive it not, we are like the debtor owing 10,000 talents, whom his Lord first forgave, and then seeing he manifested an unforgiving spirit, cast him into prison for that cruelty, and brought upon him all the fault of his former debt, with the fearful aggravation of having abused his forgiving love.

The BENEFITS of redemption are very many and very great. We will notice reconciliation, forgiveness, justification, adoption, sanctification and eternal life.

RECONCILIATION. The Messiah was predicted as one who was to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness. When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. This word of reconciliation, ministers have to preach, and the moment the death of Christ for our sins is truly believed, and we thus receive the atonement (Rom. v. 11.) that moment the enmity of our carnal hearts against God and man is removed. Jesus is our peace, bringing us nigh to God by his blood, and reconciling both Jew and Gentile unto God, in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. O precious result of redemption received! it takes away my hatred of him whose name is light and love, and brings me at once a happy being, into the light of his

countenance.

FORGIVENESS.

This goes along with reconciliation. 2 Cor. v. 19. By suffering the penalty of the law, Christ removed that penalty from sinners. We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. It is forgiveness by redemption through his blood, and therefore there was a real and most costly price paid for it; and our` work is simply to believe God's word, and rejoice in God's love. O what good tidings for poor sinners are these! But we must discriminate here between forgiveness and the actual reception of forgiveness. Forgiveness is complete in Christ already for you; believe God's love to you, and it is truly received by you and becomes a sweet spring of love and holiness in your heart.

ADOPTION is also another fruit of redemption. When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. This rich privilege is set before us in the gospel. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. The voice of the gospel is, Come out from among them and be ye separate, and I will receive you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. This rich privilege is enjoyed by us the moment we believe in Jesus. To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

JUSTIFICATION, or being acquitted and dealt with as righteous, was purchased by redemption. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. The ground of our acquittal from guilt is solely the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. His resurrection proved that his work was accepted, and now through him sinners stand free from guilt. By the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Ministers now go forth with the proclamation of the good tidings of great joy, that now in this accepted time, now in the day of grace, there is justification for the ungodly, there is a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. O for precious faith in God's word to realize the benefit which Christ has obtained for us! Him has God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in

his blood. Righteousness is ready for us in Christ the Lord. Faith receives it and blesses God for it.

SANCTIFICATION flows from redemption through the power of the Holy Ghost. Christ our Lord loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So he is said again to give himself that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us unto himself, a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus ii. 14. It is only in redemption that a poor fallen sinner can gain real holiness, which is love, causing devotedness to God with the whole heart. But in redemption I see God all light, all love, all glory, all hatred of sin, and intensely loving the sinner; and thus by redemption I get to love God with ardent love from his having so first loved me, and I thus obtain all the fresh springs of holiness and entire devotedness. The Holy Ghost given by Christ, my Redeemer, in the use of God's means of grace, shews me these things, and makes me holy by them.

ETERNAL LIFE is the last gift which we will notice, as the crowning gift of God's loving kindness in redemption. God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son; he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life. Thus you see this precious gift, like all the rest, is in Christ for our use; a free gift of the rich grace of our loving Father. And what is life, eternal life? O how important to have clear views upon this point! It is not mere deliverance from danger and safety from evil-it is not mere animal happiness, or intellectual enjoyments. This is life eternal, to know thee the only true

God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. To enter into the divine mind, character and glory; to see God as he is, infinitely lovely, and in the conviction of his excellences from a full heart, to exclaim, How great is his goodness and how great is his beauty? By Christ to enter into that bright light in which God ever dwells, and in his light to see light; to behold his glory in the face of Jesus: this is eternal life begun here, and which will be perfected hereafter when we shall see him as he is and know as we are known. God is the HAPPY ONE ; to share in the same holy happiness, to partake of his bliss-this and nothing less is eternal life.

Meditation.

O INEXHAUSTIBLE, unfathomable, boundless love! Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us! Blessed Saviour, let me constantly be looking to thee, and in thy face see more and more of this light of the knowledge of the glory of God, till I attain the same mind and become wholly like thee!

7. THE COMPLETION OF REDEMPTION.

The purchase of redemption was completed on the cross. The beneficial effects of redemption will last through eternity. The scriptures shew us that Christians have now only the seal and earnest of that completed redemption which we shall have.

St. Paul tells the Ephesians, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory.