Plenteous Redemption 2
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A. One is, that "with the Lord there is MERCY." Observe how the text is worded. To my mind there is something very sweet in it. It does not say, "from the Lord is mercy," though from the Lord all mercy comes; though from him, as the Father of lights, every good and perfect gift issues—and what more perfect gift can there be than mercy? Nor does it say, "in the Lord there is mercy;" though there is mercy in him, and in no other. But as though it would draw forth the affections of our soul more towards this mercy, it runs thus, "with the Lord there is mercy." As though it would say, 'In his hands, in his bounteous heart, a part of his divine nature, an attribute of his eternal character. It is with him, and bestowed upon his Israel, upon those who feel their deep need; yes, so with him, that none need despair who are brought to long after it, and to know that they must perish under the wrath of God without it.'
If it ran thus—"From the Lord there is mercy," a poor convinced, and half-despairing soul might argue thus—'Yes, I know from the Lord there is mercy; but how can I expect that mercy to come from the Lord into my soul; for I am unworthy of the least ray of mercy from him; nothing can come from him but purity and holiness, while I am all guilt, filth, and shame.' Thus it would hardly be sufficient for us.
Or if the words ran, "In the Lord there is mercy; he might say, 'Yes, I know there is mercy in the Lord for the elect; but am I one of the elect?' Doubts, fears, and misgivings might harass his mind whether, though there is mercy in the Lord, there were mercy in the Lord for him.
But by "with" the blessed Spirit takes a wider range, a fuller sweep, and opens the arms of mercy wider than he would have done, had the expression been "from" or "in." Thus there is encouragement for convinced, seeking, longing, forsaken, backsliding Israel to creep within these arms of mercy that fold themselves around her, and gather her into the bosom of Immanuel; for the good Shepherd will "gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those who are with young." (Isa. 40:11.)
"With the Lord," then, there is mercy." It is a part of his divine character; it is one of his most precious attributes.
But what is "MERCY?" There are several ideas contained in the expression.
1. First, it intimates compassion. We read of the "the tender mercy of our God" (Luke 1:78, marg.) and this expression implies a flowing forth of compassion and tender-heartedness towards the object of mercy. Let us look at this in the case of the returning prodigal. How when he was coming homeward, all rags and ruin, full of confusion and shame, guilt and distress, the Father's compassion flowed forth, and his affections yearned over his returning son! This compassion working in his bosom, was a part of the mercy which the Father showed to his returning prodigal.
2. But again. Mercy implies pardon; not merely compassion. We may compassionate, and yet not pardon. A judge may compassionate the criminal whom he justly condemns to death, and may mingle tears with the fatal sentence. But mercy in the mind of God is not merely confined to the flowing forth of compassion and pity. He is a sovereign; and not only can compassionate the trembling culprit, but also, by a free act of his distinguishing favor can freely forgive every transgression that he has committed.
3. But again. Mercy, also, implies that the party to whom the act is manifested, is a criminal, a transgressor. Mercy is not for the righteous and holy; but for the guilty sinner, the transgressor, the criminal at God's holy bar. Israel, then, is treated as a criminal, and pardoned as a criminal. Israel does not come to the throne to lay down her merits, and take up God's mercy as a counterbalance for them; but Israel comes as a poor criminal, ruined and undone, sentenced and condemned by God's righteous law. And to none other but criminals, deeply dyed criminals, will the sound of mercy be sweet. But oh, what a sweet sound is there in mercy, when pardoning love reaches the conscience! when the mercy of God is manifested by his blotting out and casting behind his back all Israel's guilt, filth and shame!
Now here is the exhortation, the divine exhortation, "Let Israel hope in the Lord"—Israel sunk, however low; Israel tempted, however severely; Israel condemning herself, however justly; Israel almost on the brink of despair—let her still "hope in the Lord." Has she ceased to hope in the creature? Has she ceased to look to an arm of flesh? Does she despair of salvation from any other source or quarter but the blood of the Lamb? Is she crying, sighing, longing, panting, and begging of the Lord to appear in her soul? "Let Israel," then, "hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy." He will not spurn his waiting Israel from his feet; he will not smite her with the lightnings of his wrath; he will show mercy to the poor guilty sinner that comes with dust upon his head, clothed with sackcloth and ashes, mourning and lamenting his vileness before the Lord. There is no wrath in the bosom of the Lord against him; there is mercy, pardoning mercy in the bosom of Jehovah for Israel; therefore "let Israel hope in the Lord."
If Israel looks to herself, she cannot have one grain of hope; if she looks to the law she cannot have one ray of expectation; or if she looks to an arm of flesh, none can do her good. But if Israel looks "to the hills from whence comes her help"—to God the Father, in his electing love—to God the Son, in his redeeming blood—to God the Spirit, in his sanctifying work; if Israel is thus enabled to anchor within the veil, thus to "hope in the Lord," her hope shall not be cut off, shall not be disappointed; it shall not be as "the hope of the hypocrite," a spider's web, that the first gust of eternal displeasure shall forever sweep away.
B. But there is another reason—"And with him is PLENTEOUS REDEMPTION." How this text is perverted! I never heard many sermons from Arminian preachers since I knew anything of divine things; but I doubt not that this passage has been abused by thousands, to prove, or attempt to prove, universal redemption. But how they overlook "Israel" here! If it ran thus—"Let the world hope in the Lord;" then there would have been some coloring from plenteous redemption being universal redemption. But when it runs so clearly and is backed up by, "He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities," how limited immediately does the word become! And yet, though limited in extent as regards persons, yet plenteous in itself towards those characters to whom it comes. And I am very sure that nothing but "plenteous" redemption can suit you and me.
But what is "REDEMPTION?" Does it not signify a buying, a purchase? and if it signifies a buying, a purchase, there must be a price laid down. If I go into a shop, and buy an article, of course I lay my money down, and take up the article; otherwise it is not buying, but stealing. So spiritually. Redemption implies an actual price. What is this price? The blood of the Lamb. "You are not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Pet. 1:18, 19.) That was the redemption price; and when we look at it in the Spirit's light, how "plenteous" is that redemption! View it as the blood of the Son of God—the Godhead giving infinite and eternal value and efficacy to it—how precious must that blood be—the blood of God! As the Apostle says, "Feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood." (Acts 20:28)
Not that God can bleed any more than God can die; but the God-Man, "Immanuel, God with us," bled and died. Oh, how great, how precious, how plenteous then, that redemption must be, that was effected by the blood of Christ! Now, when we look at redemption in this point of view—first, at the infinite virtue and efficacy of redemption, seeing it was Godwho became incarnate, and God-Man, Immanuel, bled and died upon the cross—and, secondly, at the demerit of sin, its awful character, its dreadful nature—when we look at redemption in these two points of view, we see that nothing short of a "plenteous redemption" could suit our souls, or save us from the wrath to come.
What am I? what are you? but a desperately wicked wretch—a vile, an awfully vile sinner—a monster of iniquity? What then, can save such wretches from the very depths of hell—what can redeem us from the wrath to come, and bathe our souls in the raptures of endless bliss, instead of howling forever beneath the wrath of God—I say, what can thus take us from the very jaws of hell, and transport us to the gates of heaven but "plenteous redemption?" What but the super-aboundings of grace over the aboundings of sin, can deliver my guilty, polluted, justly condemned soul, can snatch it from the jaws of hell, and lift it up to the bosom of God to be with him through the countless ages of eternity? It must be "plenteous redemption" to do this for one sinner—I repeat, for one sinner!
When we view sin in all its aggravated nature, all its magnitude, all its defilement, all its horrible, most detestable, and abominable character; when we view even the sin of one day, or one hour, as opposed to the infinite purity of the Lord God Almighty; what short of "plenteous redemption" can pluck one sinner from the jaws of eternal destruction? But when we include all the elect of God, as numerous as the stars in the winter sky, or the sands upon the seashore, what short of "plenteous redemption" can save the whole election of grace?
I cannot call that "plenteous redemption" which meets me half way. It must come into my very conscience, be dropped from the mouth of God into my very heart, and save me body and soul as a lost sinner from the wrath to come, or it cannot be a redemption suited to my aggravated sins, my desperate case. But "with him"—in his bosom, in his heart, in his hands, in his dying love, in his risen power—in all that he is and all that he has for the church of God—"with him his plenteous redemption;" and therefore, "let Israel hope in the Lord;" because with the Lord is mercy, even for such a wretch as I, and "plenteous redemption" even for one so deeply stained with guilt as you.
III. We pass on, as time is waning, to the gracious PROMISE– "And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities." If we were to listen to what people say about Christians and believers, we would think they had no sin about them; that they were so holy, spiritual, and religious that sin and they had forever parted company; that when they gave themselves to the Lord, they shook hands with sin, and never had to do with it more. No, if you would believe some, they had long ago buried sin, and written his funeral epitaph; and you might walk in their beautifully laid out, neatly graveled and flower-decked cemetery on a summer evening, and see written, 'here lies sin!' Foolish, foolish men! ignorant, ignorant creatures! deceivers! perverters of God's truth! I say feelingly, that we never know anything about sin, nor what sin is, until God is pleased to quicken our souls to fear his great Name. We do not know sin's hideousness, its mighty power, its subtle insinuations—the iniquity, the horrid iniquity, we carry in our bosom—until God is pleased to plant his precious fear in our hearts.
But look at our text—"He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities." No light word that. Not, 'his little peccadillos,' 'his slight failings,' 'his slender faults,' as though Israel were such a pious, humble, excellent creature, that it was only once or twice throughout the year that he did or thought anything wrong. "His iniquities!"—a strong word that; but no stronger than the case justifies, no stronger than every one taught of God feels he deserves. And "all his iniquities." We might have thought, if we talked with some people, that Israel had not above half-a-dozen iniquities. But the word of God says, "all his iniquities." Let us look at some of them.
Iniquities of eye—has conscience no voice there? Is no iniquity ever practiced by your eye? Let conscience speak. Iniquity of ear—is there no iniquity that enters into your heart through the ear? You cannot listen to a conversation in the street, without iniquity entering into your heart through what Bunyan calls, "Ear-gate." Iniquity of lip—do you always keep your tongue as with a bridle? Do your lips never drop anything unbecoming the gospel? Is there no carnal conversation, no angry word at home, no expression that you would not like the saints of God to hear? What! your lips always kept so strictly, that there is never a single expression dropped from them, that you would be ashamed to utter before an assembly of God's people? Iniquity of thought—if your eyes, ears, and lips are clean, is there no iniquity of thought? What! in that 'workshop within'—no iniquitous suggestions, no evil workings? Oh, how ignorant must we be of ourselves, if we feel that we have no iniquity of thought! Iniquity of imagination—does not fancy sometimes bring before you scenes of sensuality in which your carnal heart is vile enough to revel? Iniquity of memory—does not memory sometimes bring back sins you formerly committed, and your evil nature is perhaps base enough to desire they had been greater? Iniquity of feeling—no enmity against God's people ever working? no pride of heart? no covetousness? no hypocrisy? no self-righteousness? no sensuality? no base thoughts that you cannot disclose even to your bosom friend? Let conscience speak in your bosom. I know what conscience says in mine. I do not stand before you as a holy being. God knows the iniquities I daily, hourly feel working in my carnal mind, often to my grief and shame.
But here is the blessed promise—a promise only suited to Israel; for all but Israel lose sight of their iniquities, and justify themselves in self-righteousness. None but Israel feel and confess their iniquities; and therefore to Israel is the promise of redemption limited—"He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities." What! all? Yes. Not one left? No, not a trace, not a shade, not the shadow of a shade; all buried, all gone, all swallowed up, all blotted out, all freely pardoned, all cast behind God's back. If a single spot or wrinkle could be found upon our souls before the Majesty of heaven, it would condemn us forever to the lowest hell! therefore the church stands before God, in Christ, "not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." (Eph. 5:27.) "You are all fair, my love; there is no spot in you." (Song 4:7)
But again. There is the guilt of iniquity, that our conscience feels and groans under. There is the filth of iniquity, that so defiles us and puts us to shame. There is the power of iniquity, the inward working of sin, ever striving for the mastery. But God has said, "He shall redeem (or deliver) Israel from all his iniquities"—iniquities of eye, ear, thought, imagination, memory, action, lip, and life—from every iniquity, its guilt, its filth, and its power—he shall redeem and deliver, wash and cleanse his Israel perfectly and completely from all.
Now, is there not every encouragement here for Israel to "hope in the Lord?" 'Yes,' the answer rises, 'every reason; but am I one of this Israel?' Well, can you find some of the features of Israel traced out this morning? I have gone as low as I could, to mark out the very first work of God upon the soul. Surely you can come in here, if God has quickened your soul into spiritual life. Has he convinced you of guilt, and made you cry, "God be merciful to me, a sinner?" Has he taught you to seek his face, given you a spirit of prayer, raised up hungerings and thirstings after righteousness, and brought you to beg and cry that he would appear in your soul? These are marks and features of a divine work upon your conscience. You are one of God's Israel if you can find these things in your heart. "Behold," said the Lord, in the early days of Nathanael, whom he had seen under the fig-tree, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" (John 1:47.) There is no deceit in a true Israelite, but honesty, integrity, and sincerity.
Now, the Lord will encourage his Israel in every stage and state, in every case and circumstance, to hope in him—to hope in his word (as David says, "I hope in your word," Psalm. 119:81), in his invitations, in his truths, in himself; in himself, I repeat, as made manifest in our conscience, as from time to time revealed to our souls. But why should Israel "hope in the Lord?" On what grounds? What reason is given for it? "With the Lord there is mercy"—mercy to pardon the blackest crimes, to absolve the deepest-dyed transgressor. No, more; "and with him is plenteous redemption." A price has been paid; God's justice has been satisfied; the holy law has had all its demands; God's attributes do not clash; "Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other." (Psalm. 85:10.) And thus, "he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities," however numerous, however aggravated, however powerful they may be. How suitable and encouraging, therefore, is this divine exhortation. May the Lord drop it, from his own mouth, from time to time, into our hearts!
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