Golden Sands, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
The Ranſom which Grace layes down for the Saintss
THirdly, conſider the Ranſome which Free Grace lay's downe for the Saints. The beſt of them before converſion are under a double bondage. 1. In the hands of a moſt cruell Tyrant. 2. Of a moſt exacting Creditor.
Firſt, of a moſt uſurping tyrant, Sinne, which exerciſeth dominion over them, and to which they alſo for a time yeeld themſelves as ſervants to obey it, Rom. 6.6,—20. Sin reign's like a Lord of miſ-rule, the moſt Princely Off-ſprings of heaven, the moſt royall births among the Saints, have known the ſorrows of vaſſals under it. They alſo, till a Deliverer com's, are ſold under ſin, Rom. 7.14. as ſlaves are ſold for a baſe price, and to doe baſe work. And as for the Devill with his fellowes, all the while the poore Saints are in this kind of bondage under ſinne, they are but the tyrants executioners: bloody ones indeed they are; for beſides the horrid threats of death and hell with which they ſcare them, how ſorely do they whip them to all thoſe cruell ſervices in which they are employed by ſin? Beleeve it, they ſtrike ſmartly, who will take off, they lay on moſt deadly blowes, ſcourges that draw blood apace, and cut deepe, even to the very bone. As the task-maſters of Egypt made the Children of Iſrael ſerve with rigour & hard bondage, and made their liv's bitter, what with their work, and their ſore beating them, Exod. 1.13, 14. Thus theſe Diabolicall tormenters lay about them moſt ſeverely, uſing the precious ſons of Zion, as if no better then the Skullions of hell. Nor wil they ſuffer a moments reſt to them, but make them work even in the very fire, among fiery temptations, to allude to that of the Prophet Hab. 2.13: Now ſo long as the Saints are under ſuch a mercileſſe tyrant, and ſuch Dragon-lawes, ſo fiercely impoſed and executed, how great a bondage is it?
Secondly, they are in the hands alſo of a moſt exacting Creditor, Divine Juſtice; for whatever Free-grace pleaſe to doe, in bearing its owne loſſes, and forgiving its owne debts; yet Juſtice will not be ſo ſatisfied, neither for it ſelfe, nor for all thoſe other Attributes which have been as much wronged as ever Grace it ſelfe was; the Saints are as much behind hand with Juſtice, Wiſdome, Faithfulneſſe, Goodneſſe, Patience, and all the reſt; therefore Juſtice ſerv's an Arreſt upon them, and that not only in its own name, but in the name of all the other Creditors; yea & it keeps them in ſafe cuſtody without bayle or main-prize; and to priſon they muſt goe, there to lye, till they have anſwered for all wrongs, and pay'd all debts, even to the utmoſt farthing; which if they can never attain, the wrath of God ſeizeth on them in pains unutterable for evermore, Mat. 5.25, 26.
In this moſt miſerable double bondage, in the ſtate of unregeneracie, doe the poore Saints lie; and are like to continue ſo, unleſſe freegrace com's in for their reli…ſe, which at one time or other it is ſure to doe, and with ſo powerfull an hand too, that immediately it reſcu's them from all theſe miſeries at once. And the meanes by which Grace doth this, is by laying downe a Ranſom, (even the ſame which before we told you went for the price of a purchaſe alſo) the life-blood of Chriſt. He is the great Lord Treaſurer of heaven, Free-grace her Caſh keeper, at whoſe onelyonly appointment 'twas (for in this buſineſſe ſhe rul's all) that he came downe from his glory, with all the fulneſſe of the Godhead in him bodily. He brought all his wealth with him, that he might be ſure to take off all reckonings before his return. Well, when he did come, and that by free-grace her ſending, what was the work ſhe ſet him about? was it not to performe her promiſes, and make good her engagements for the poore Saints? Goe, ſaith Grace to him, goe downe from heaven, goe and ranſome ſuch and ſuch whom I have elected. Loe I am ready, ſaith Chriſt, Pſal. 40.7, 8. I goe willingly: and as he ſaid, he did; according to all the Commiſſion that Grace gave him, he moſt punctually perform's. Grace order's him to lay down a ranſome, and he doth ſo, and that ſuch a ranſome, as is every way, and to all purpoſes, effectually ſufficient. He gave his life a ranſome for many. Mat. 20.28. the word imports a double ranſome, foreign à foreign ſolvo, to pay, or to looſe, as when one unty's bands or fetters.anſwerable to the double bondage mentioned. Firſt, a ranſome by power, whereby the captive with ſtrong hand is reſcued from the oppreſſor. Secondly, a ranſome by price, whereby full ſatisfaction is made to the Creditor, either in ready money, or ſomething elſe equivalent, and ſo the Priſoner ſet free both from the gaole and the debt too. Now in both theſe ſenſes the death and blood-ſhed of Jeſus Chriſt is become a ranſome to the Saints. Firſt, it ſets them free from the power of ſinne, the Devill, death and hell, by conquering and triumphing over them. Who gave himſelfe for us, that he might redeeme us from all iniquity, Tit. 2.14. As Grace before delivered from ſinne, in reſpect of the guilt of it, by forgiving it, and therein declared the riches of it, as the Apoſtle tells us, Eph. 1.7. By whom (ſpeaking of Chriſt) we have the forgiveneſſe of ſins, according to the riches of grace; ſo here alſo it deliver's from the dominion of ſin, even through the redemption of his blood, as we there alſo have it. And by the ſame blood he ſav's from death and hell too, yea and him that hath the power of them both, which is the devil, Heb. 2.14. Through death he deſtroyed death, Coloſ. 2.15. Having ſpoiled Principalities and powers, he made a ſhew of them openly, triumphing over them. He ſpeaks it of thoſe principalities and powers, which are alſo called ſpirituall wickedneſſes, Epheſ. 6.12.
Secondly, yet that was not the onelyonly ranſom that was laid down, for Grace pay's the Creditors alſo, even all that they can demand; whatſoever it is, that the Saints are endebted to any Creditor in heaven or in earth, Grace diſchargeth all; for the vaſteſt ſummes it makes ſuch ample ſatisfaction, not only for Principle, but for Intereſt, even to an hour's forbearance, that more in juſtice cannot be required. Therefore 'tis ſaid of Chriſt, that he ſaveth to the utmoſt, Heb. 7.25. becauſe he hath paid the utmoſt farthing, as 'tis phraſed, Mat. 5.26. ſo that none of the Creditors, no not Juſtice it ſelf, as exacting as it is, hath any thing to doe now to keepe the Priſoner any longer, but looketh graciouſly, & ſaith, Deliver him from going down into the pit, I have found a ranſom, Job 33.24 The Gaoler what ever he be muſt open doores, and let his priſoner out; yea and more then ſo, he muſt deliver up the keyes alſo, even all that bunch of keyes with which the poore Saints were locked in. And if you aske, into whoſe hands theſe keyes are given? 'tis into the hands of Grace, who having them at her diſpoſe, ſhe againe put's them into Chriſt's hands to keep. Rev. 1.18. I have the keys, ſaith he, of hell and death. A priviledge which he may well injoy, having been the pay-maſter of all the debts, and the ſetter of the Priſoners free: though ſtill indeed it muſt be remembred, it was with Free-Grace her money.
And alas! what a caſe had the poor Saints beene in, if free grace, beſides the bearing ſo great loſſes, and forgiving ſuch mighty debts due unto it ſelfe, had not done this alſo? even made an end and gotten a full acquittance from all the other creditours? How did the Saints groan under their many obligations; and what feares were they in continually? ſtil looking for new arreſts every hour. Juſtice for its part, and the other creditors with it, ſtood upon it, nor would they hearken to any compoſitions, or make abatements in the leaſt. As for ſuretyes, or undertakers; the whole creation could not afford them. Should they have crav'd the helpe of Angels, alas! their baile would never have beene taken, becauſe their riches would never have amounted to any conſiderable part of payment, they might ſoone have crack'd their credits, have broken and undone themſelves upon it, but could never have taken off the debts: The poore Saints, in meane time, ſtand gazing upon each other, with paleneſſe in their faces, with floods of teares in their eyes, and as many ſorrowes in their hearts, while they thinke of this their helpleſſe and moſt hopeleſſe condition. But behold! in this moſt pittifull and deplorable a diſtreſſe, juſt in the very nick of it, Free grace com's in with her bags of untold gold, I ſay free grace (who had enter'd into bonds before) ſhe lay's downe the whole debt, in manner as hath beene ſaid. An act of bounty which not only out-went the former ten times over in the multiplications of new ſummes, becauſe ſo many creditors had their owne from it; but moſt of all, in that it procured a full deliverance: take an inſtance to cleare it. If a man be endebted to me ten thouſand pounds, and be alſo endebted to many other creditors, and to each of them as much as to my ſelfe; for me to forgive him mine owne debt, and that ſo great an one, even every penny of it, you will ſay 'tis a very bountifull and friendly act; but to pay downe ſo much ready money alſo in his behalf unto his other creditors, without which (notwithſtanding my forgiving him as concerning my ſelfe) he muſt have lay'n and rotted in priſon, you will acknowledge this is far greater bounty, and a more excellent kindneſſe then the former. For perhaps you might ſuppoſe, I forgave him mine own debt, becauſe I could never hope to get it of him; but to anſwer for his debts to others alſo, and that in ready money, out of mine owne purſe; all that heare it, will conclude, this is a ſtrange piece of moſt ſingular liberality; yea & as unparallel'd a love alſo. And thus hath Grace done for the poor Saints, pay'd all (as hath been ſaid) with good gold and ſilver, ſhall I ſay? nay with that which is farre more precious then ſuch corruptible things, the blood of Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. Hence it is, that the Saints are ſaid to be bought with a price, 1 Cor. 6.20. with an honourable price, as the word is.foreign. Yea, they are bought twice over, with a double price, they are twice ranſom'd, with a ranſom ſo great as hath ſatisfied all parties, and perfectly delivered from all bondages. And which yet add's to all the reſt, 'tis not a ranſome for the preſent onelyonly, but a moſt full and ſatisfying ranſome to all eternity. Indeed if a Gally-ſlave of Turky, or any other tyrant captive be once ranſomed, and ſo delivered, yet if he be taken againe, he cannot be redeemed without a new ranſome; or if a debter be once diſcharged, and run into new debts, he muſt make new payments, or elſe to priſon againe. But here the caſe is far otherwiſe; the ranſome is everlaſting, the ſatisfaction is for ever. Heb. 9.12. The blood of Chriſt offered once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. So that though ſinne in the dominion of it, may have mind enough to ſeize on the Saints, and embondage them againe, yet 'tis more then it can ever doe: And though Juſtice may ſeem to come again upon them, & take them by the throat, in the ſeverall afflictions & ſufferings they encounter with: yet let there be no miſtake here, for it is not properly from the hand of Juſtice that the ſoreſt troubles at any time befall the Saints, as though thereby it would receive ſome ſatisfaction from them, and pay it ſelf out of their ſufferings. No verily, there can be no ground for ſuch a thought as this; Juſtice being already fully and eternally ſatisfied, as concerning the Saints, through the death of Chriſt. It is from the hand of Grace rather, (who we may be ſure will never laſh too hard) that all theſe laſhes come; and that for excellent intents and purpoſes: as Parents when they correct their children, it is not out of unappeaſed wrath or hatred to their perſons, but out of tendereſt care & love. Heb. 12.5,—12. Well then, we have ſeen ſomwhat more of the riches of Grace in the ranſome it lay's down for the Saints. The ranſome of a mans life are his [owne] riches, ſaith Solomon, Pro. 13.8. but the ranſome of the Saints lives, are the Riches of Grace.