These words as they are set down in the Hebrew are (according to the style of this Prophet) very short and sententious, & therefore difficult to translate into English without some Periphrasis, but the sense is here truly expressed, In me is thy help; which you may see confirmed from v. 4. There is no Saviour beside me, and verse […] I will ransom them from the power of the grave, Oh death I will be thy plague, O grave ⟨p. 2⟩I will be thy destruction; Suppose the Prophet should speak here of temporal salvation, help and ransom, (which he doth not) yet the argument is strong; if there be no Saviour from temporal woe and misery but only the Lord Jesus, how much more is he from woes eternal? only understand me here aright; I am not now speaking of mans deliverance and salvation by price in way of satisfaction of Justice (for that I have already handled) but of his deliverance and salvation,1 by power; not of mans purchased deliverance, which is by the blood of Christ, but of mans actual deliverance, which is by the efficacy & power of the spirit of Christ. Some captives among men are redeemed by price only, some by power without price; but such is the lamentable captivity of all men, under the severity of justice, and the power of sin, that without the price of Christs blood, Eph. 1.7. and the power of Christs spirit, John 8.36. there is no deliverance; the Lord JESUS having paid the price for our deliverance. Yet it is with us as with a company of captives in prison; our sins like strong chains hold us, Satan our keeper will not let us go, the prison doors through unbelief are shut upon us, Rom. 11.32. a•d thereby God and Christ are kept out from us; what power now can rescue us, that are held fast under such a power, even ⟨p. 3⟩after the price is paid? truly it can be no other but that in my text, In me is thy help; when our ransom is paid, the Lord must come himself and fetch us out by strong hand. Isay 53.1. To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? truly to very few, yet to some it is; and certainly, look as they make Christ no Saviour indeed who deny his salvation by price and satisfaction, so those also make him an imperfect Saviour who deny salvation and actual deliverance of man to be only by the Almighty arm and efficacy of his spirit and power: excellent therefore is the speech of the Apostle, Acts 5.30.30.
THese words as they are set down in the Hebrew are (according to the style of this Prophet) very short and sententious, & therefore difficult to translate into English without some Periphrasis, but the sence is here truly exprest, In me is thy help; which you may see confirmed from v. 4. There is no Saviour beside me, and verse 〈…〉 I will ransome them from the power of the grave, Oh death I will be thy plague, O grave ⟨p. 2⟩I will be thy destruction; Suppose the Prophet should speak here of temporall salvation, help and ransome, (which he doth not) yet the argument is strong; if there be no Saviour from temporall woe and misery but only the Lord Jesus, how much more is hee from woes eternall? only understand me here aright; I am not now speaking of mans deliverance and salvation by price in way of satisfaction of Justice (for that I have already handled) but of his deliverance and salvation,1 by power; not of mans purchased deliverance, which is by the blood of Christ, but of mans actuall deliverance, which is by the efficacy & power of the spirit of Christ. Some captives among men are redeemed by price only, some by power without price; but such is the lamentable captivity of all men, under the severity of justice, and the power of sinne, that without the price of Christs blood, Eph. 1.7. and the power of Christs spirit, Iohn 8.36. there is no deliverance; the Lord JESUS having paid the price for our deliverance. Yet it is with us as with a company of captives in prison; our sins like strong chaines hold us, Satan our keeper will not let us goe, the prison doores through unbeleefe are shut upon us, Rom. 11.32. a•d thereby God and Christ are kept out from us; what power now can rescue us, that are held fast under such a power, even ⟨p. 3⟩after the price is paid? truly it can be no other but that in my text, In me is thy help; when our ransom is paid, the Lord must come himselfe and fetch us out by strong hand. Isay 53.1. To whom is the arme of the Lord revealed? truly to very few, yet to some it is; and certainly, look as they make Christ no Saviour indeed who deny his salvation by price and satisfaction, so those also make him an imperfect Saviour who deny salvation and actuall deliverance of man to be only by the Almighty arme and efficacy of his spirit and power: excellent therefore is the speech of the Apostle,
- 1See the Sincere Convert.
