III. SER M. was actually payed, nor any thing fignified or represented by a ransom. But the manner of Chrift's redemption is exactly expreffed to us to be by a ransom, and that ranfom was his life. Where is it faid that God or Mofes ever redeemed us by giving themselves a price of redemption for all men? If they will argue from parallel places, let them take the words together, otherwife they conclude nothing: For this of theirs is a strange fort of inference, the word of redemption is found in some places of fcripture without mention of a price, therefore it shall have the fame importance where there is exprefs mention of a price with it, and where we are told very particularly what that price is. Wolz. concludes his comment upon this text, under which he speaks to all of the fame kind, with these words; Quare mors Chrifti nullam vim babet Deo folutionem aliquam pro peccatis præftandi, fed vim habuit nobis remiffionem peccatorum conciliandi. He concludes well; if he means a payment in the fame fenfe with our payments to one another, he is in the right, for it was not fuch a payment as that of a fum of money where it is due; but as the payment of that money had a virtue in it to discharge the creditor from any farther obligation, fo there is a vis, as he fays, an unconceivable but real power and efficacy in the death of Chrift to free us from the guilt of our fins: Thus they conclude against us, only by by saying as we do, 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6. X. 4, 5. Mark SER M. Again it is faid, 1 Corin. vi. 20. Ye are bought with a price, ηγοράσθητε γὰρ τιμῆς, both the words of the original are as full and expreffive of bargain and fale as poffible. These two words fays Slichtingius (in locum) make up one full metaphor: And afterwards fays Quod utrumq; per metaphoram ac fimilitudinem dicitur, nam nemo nos Deo vendidit; et vita et fanguis filii Dei propriè loquendo pretium non eft. Very true, it is not a proper price; fed fuperat et excedit omne pretium. Very true again, and mighty well expreffed; what could we fay more? It is infinitely beyond all price, and is of infinitely greater efficacy than any thing we can imagine: And this is the very reason why this mysterious virtue and incomprehenfible value is revealed to us, under the faint and weak resemblance of a price; though at the same time, as he says, this blood and life of Chrift is nullo pretio eftimabilis. (1 Cor. vii. 23.) Another place I shall mention is, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. where we are faid not to be redeemed with corruptible things, as filver and gold; but with the precious blood of Chrift, as of a lamb without blemish and without Spot. The reason of the oppofition here is to magnify the value and worth of the blood of Christ beyond filver and gold, which are the things of greatest value among men; and to fhew us that the price paid for us is not of the nature of a price F 4 III. SER M. price among men, but precious beyond any III. value that we are able to compute or imagine: And it is a ftrange inference of theirs from hence, because that it is infinitely more worth and of greater value, that therefore it hath no real value or intrinfick worth at all, but a purely metaphorical and imaginary one. This comparison and import of the text the Socinians own; infomuch that Slichtingius (in locum) makes this obfervation; if any man, fays he, parts with his filver or his gold for the redeeming of another, he lays an eternal obligation on him. Quanto magis fi rem impendat omni argento pretiofiorem? Can any thing be more plainly intended here, than that, though you were not in a proper sense redeemed with filver and gold, yet you are redeemed by the payment of a price of infinitely greater value, which in refpect of God is a price, as filver and gold is among men : And you are to apprehend and understand it as fuch, because you have no other way of conceiving this great mystery of your redemp tion in this life. . SER SERMON IV. The true chriftian Doctrine of the ACTS xx. 28. To feed the Church of God, which he hath purchafed with his own blood. T HE whole verse runs thus, Take heed SER M, therefore unto your felves, and to all the IV. flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overfeers, &c. In a former discourse upon these words, after I had shewn how they were a manifeft proof both of the divinity and satisfaction of the Son, I proceeded to a more particular confideration of the latter, in the fame method I had done in fome other branches of this controverfy with the Socinians; by laying down their opinion in this matter from their most celebrated writers ; and then coming to a right state of the queftion, which I think I have fhewn they have miftaken; and that for that reafon all their arguments either conclude nothing at all, or else infer nothing more than what we allow. I fhall now proceed to the farther confide SER M. ration of that great argument of theirs, upon IV. which their whole caufe depends; namely, W that redeeming is spoke of Chrift in the New Teftament, by the fame figure that it is spoke of God, and of Mofes, and of Joshua, in the Old; it is metaphorical in the one, therefore it is fo in the other. But why is the word, redeeming, metaphor when spoke of Chrift? because he redeemed us without paying of a price. The word λUTpów is from Auтpov a price of redemption, it fignifies to redeem with a price; and therefore when it is used of any redemption without it, it is figure only. But what a grofs mistake this is of the original words of the old text; which are used of God, and Mofes, and Jofhua, which have not the leaft foundation for this reafon of the metaphor. The words used of them are kapher which is an original word of itself, and among other fignifications hath this of redeeming or delivering in the general; and from hence kapher comes to fignify a price of redemption: And fo it is with the word gaal redemit, from whence the participle goel is ufed for a Redeemer or Deliverer. The word feban a indeed fignifies to buy or redeem with a price; but it is a Chaldee word, and not used, that I can find, but in those few parts of the Old Teftament written in the Chaldee dialect. Thefe, I fay, are words ufed in their firft fignification to exprefs faving, redeeming, delivering, either by a price or otherwife; and do not import any |
