20. And this Redemption confifted in this, that But it may be asked, How doth this Redemption concern us Gentiles, fince we were never under the Law? I answer, it doth concern us infinitely; and the Benefit 19. we have received hereby, is as great as that was to them. It is true, It is true, we cannot properly be laid to be redeemed from the Curfe of the Law, because we were never Rom. 3. obnoxious to it; (for what the Law faith, it faith to them that are under the Law) but then we were in as bad a Condition, or worse; for we were left in our pure Naturals, in that low degenerate State, in which we came into the World; tho' we were not fubject to the Maledictions contained in the Law, yet we were fubject to that Death, which was the general Punishment threatened to the Difobedient under the Law, and was the Curfe and Sentence denounced against Adam and his Pofterity. And we had no more Light or Means to approve ourselves to God, or to attain to a State of Juftification or Salvation, than the Jews themselves had under the Law: Nay, indeed, not near fo much. But now Chrift's redeeming the Jews from the Curfe of the Law, and entring them into a new CoveGal. 3.20, nant, or rather renewing the old Covenant of the Gospel made with Abraham, became Fuftification and Salvation to us Gentiles alfo. For fo had God ordered the matter in his Difpenfation of Times and Seafons, that when the Mofaical Covenant fhould be abEph.2.14 rogated (which was a Wall of Separation and Partition between the Jews and Gentiles) and the Evangelical Covenant take Place in the ftead thereof, then fhould the Gentiles &c. 1 Cor. 1. 30. alfo 13, 19. alfo be adopted into God's Family, and they Rom. 11 which were before Strangers and Aliens, Eph.2.12, 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 speaks 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. C. 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 bath redeemed us from the Curfe 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, 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 Christ. 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 faid, that this Redemption from the Law is fo far from being an inconfiderable Thing, with refpect 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 these follow upon it; or it is the General under which thefe Particulars are contained. For you fee 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: First, 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 fecond 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 should 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 |