Eph.2.12,

alfo be adopted into God's Family, and they Rom. 11. which were before Strangers and Aliens, 13, 19. fhould become equally his Sons and Heirs Gal. 4. 5. with them, who had before been his peculiar People. And this is the great Mystery Rom. 11. that St. Paul fo often fpeaks of. Chrift, 33, &c. when he put an End to the Covenant of the Law, brought both Jews and Gentiles into one and the fame new Covenant; and gave to both the fame Promifes, and the Eph. 3. 6. fame Means, and the fame Hopes of Salvation, fo that the one had no Advantage above the other. And upon this Account

it is that we find St. Paul mentioning the Redemption of the Jews from the Law as a Matter that did nearly concern, and much redound to the Benefit of the Gentiles as particular in the two Texts above cited; Chrift hath redeemed us from the Curse of Gal. 3.13, the Law, that the Bleffing of Abraham might 14 come to the Gentiles through Jefus Chrift. And what this Bleffing of Abraham was, the next Words fhew; That we, viz. both Jews and Gentiles, might receive the Promife of the Spirit through Faith. The Promife of the Spirit was one of the great Privileges of the Evangelical Covenant, which was made with Abraham. And this Promife was not made over to the Jews by their Law; but when that Law was abrogated by Chrift, then that Promife was made good both to them and to the Gentiles. And to the fame Purpose speaks that other Paffage I quoted, G 4 The

Gal.4.5. The Son of God was fent to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons; viz. he was fent to redeem the Jews from their Bondage, that from thenceforward Jews and Gentiles might be no longer difcriminated, but all might be made Heirs of Salvation through Faith in Jefus Chrift.

I have dwelt the longer upon this Head, to give fome Light to thofe Texts which relate to the Redemption from the Law; because it is a Point which is generally little understood, and confequently much mifreprefented. Nor indeed can there be any good Senfe in the Notion of this Redemption, unless we take along with us the Key that I have given; But with the Help of this we may clear up feveral Paffages in St. Paul's Epiftles, which are commonly thought very obfcure and difficult.

And it appears, from what has been said, that this Redemption from the Law is fo far from being an inconfiderable Thing, with respect to us of the Gentile World, that it is the Foundation of all the other three Redemptions that remain to be spoken to, viz. from the Guilt of Sin, from the Power of it, and from the Grave, or the Power of Death: All thefe follow upon it; or it is the General under which thefe Particulars are contained. For you see that the Notion of Redemption from the Law, as that Term is used in Scripture, doth not

only

only imply the Abrogation of the first Covenant of the Law, but takes into it the establishing a new Covenant, both with Jews and Gentiles. Now the Promifes made over in this new Covenant are neither more nor fewer than these three: Firft, The Pardon of Sin, which is the very fame Thing with Redemption from the Guilt of Sin. Secondly, The Affiftance and Graces of the Spirit, which are the fame Thing with the second Redemption from the Power of Sin. And Thirdly, Eternal Salvation of Body and Soul in the other World, which is the laft Redemption I mentioned, viz. from the Grave. So that our Redemption from the Law doth virtually contain in it all the others,

2. But however, for the clearing the Text, it is fit that fomething fhould be faid to each Particular. In the fecond Place therefore, when the Scripture speaks of the Redemption that was wrought for us by Jefus Chrift, fometimes by that Term is meant a Deliverance from our Sins, viz. from the Guilt and Punishment of them. Thus is the Word ufed in Eph. 1. 7. and Coloff. 1. 14. In both which Texts we meet with this Paffage (where the Apostle is fpeaking of Jefus Chrift) In whom, fays he, we have Redemption through his Blood, even the Forgiveness of Sins. Chrift by his Death procured for all Believers the Remiffion of all their Sins, bought off the Punishment

that

that was due to them; fo that no true Disciple of his shall ever be called to an Account for them in another World. And this is that Notion of Redemption that doth commonly obtain among us. When we fpeak of Chrift as our Redeemer, we mean it with relation to his dying for our Sins, or making fuch Satisfaction to God for them, that we, upon the Account thereof, are acquitted or juftified, though this be indeed only one Branch of our Redemp

tion.

3. For, in the third Place, Chrift came as much to redeem us from the Dominion of our Sins, as from the Guilt of them. It was never his Defign that a wicked Man should be juftified before God, and continue ftill wicked: but he was fent as well to deftroy Sin in our mortal Bodies (to fubdue it fo by the Power of the Spirit, that it fhould not reign in us) as he was fent to deliver us from the dreadful Confequences of it, viz. the Punishments of another Life, which would otherwife have fallen upon us. And this is another Notion of Redemption that we meet with in Scripture; Tit. 2. 14. as for Inftance, Chrift gave himself for us,

that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar People, zealous of good Works. In this Place it is plain that Chrift's Redemption of us is the enabling us to mortify all our Lufts and evil Habits, and to become holy and virtuous

Livers;

Livers; that as before we were the Slaves of Sin and of the Devil, fo we should from henceforward walk as the Freemen of Jefus Chrift.

4. But then, befides these three Notions of Redemption already mentioned, there is also a fourth in the New Teftament, and which indeed is the Confummation of all the reft,without which they would not have been compleat and that is the eternal Glorification both of our Souls and Bodies at the laft Appearance of our Lord Jefus Chrift. As we were obnoxious to eternal Punishment for our Sins, which Chrift by his Death redeemed us from; as likewife we were the Slaves and Vaffals of Sin, which Slavery Chrift, by fending his Holy Spirit, redeemed us from; fo after thefe Redemptions were wrought, there ftill remained a fourth, viz. the Redemption of our Bodies from the Grave, and the uniting them with our Souls in perfect Happiness. And this to be effected by that Spirit which raised up Jefus from the Dead at the Day of the general Resurrection. Now in this Senfe, as well as in the other fore-named, we have the Word Redemption frequently ufed in the New Teftament; as Heb. 9. 12. Chrift by entering into the holy Place (that is, the higheft Heavens) hath obtained eternal Redemption for us. That is to fay, Our Saviour afcending up into Heaven with his Body, to fit at the right Hand of God for

evermore,