Redemption

O the unspeakable depths of the goodness and mercy of God ! O the riches of his superabounding grace ! When there was no other way of redemption , God sent his only begotten Son , that by his precious blood , as of a lamb without blemish and without spot , we might be redeemed from all the consequences of our vain conversation received by tradition from our fathers ; and not only from its consequences ,but from its power and practice . It is a knowledge , a personal , experimental knowledge of this redemption , which lays us under a spiritual obligation to walk worthy of our high calling . And it acts in this way . A view of faith of the bleeding , dying Lamb of God , a seeing and feeling of what he suffered in the garden and on the cross to redeem us from hell , will ever make sin hateful in our eyes , and holiness longed after  as the soul,s happiest element . If ever sin is mourned over , hated , confessed , and forsaken ; if ever there be ardent desires after a conformity to Christ's image ; if there ever there be longing after a union and communion with him , it is at the foot of his cross . By it and it alone  is the world crucified to us , and we to the world ; and well may we say that our highest attainment in grace is to have the experience of the Apostle ; " I am crucified with Christ ; nevertheless I live ; yet not I , but Christ liveth in me ; and the life which i now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God , who loved me , and gave himself for me ."(Galatians 2:20. )

J.C.Philpot

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