A friend of mine was in Ireland, and saw a little Irish boy who had
caught a sparrow, and the poor little bird was trembling and panting
in his hand, from which it wanted to get away. It was evidently very
much affrighted. The gentleman told the boy to let it go, as the bird
could not do him any good; but the boy said he would not let it
escape, for he had been chasing it for three hours before he could
catch it. The gentleman then offered to buy the bird, and the boy
agreed to a price, which was paid. He took the poor bird and held it
out on his palm, where it sat for a time, scarcely able to realise the
fact that it had got its liberty; but at last it flew away, chirping,
as if to say to the gentleman, "You have redeemed me."
That is an illustration of what is meant by redemption. Satan is
stronger than any man upon earth, and there is no match for him but
Christ. The lion of Calvary--the lion of the tribe of Judah--He is
stronger than the lion of hell. When Christ on Calvary said, "It is
finished!" it was the shout of the conqueror. He came to redeem the
world by His death.
Once when I was re-visiting my native village I was going to a
neighbouring town to preach, and saw a young man coming from a house
in a carriage, in which was seated an old woman. I felt interested in
them, and asked my companion who they were. I was told to look at the
adjoining meadow and pasture, and great barns that were on the farm,
as well as a good house. "Well," said my companion, "that young man's
father drank that all up, and left his wife in the poorhouse. The
young man went away and worked until he had got money enough to redeem
that farm, and now it is his own, and he is taking his mother to
church." That is another illustration of redemption.
In the first Adam we have lost all, but the second Adam has redeemed
everything by His death. A friend of mine who was in Paris went to a
great meeting of Jews, at which one of the leading men presided, and
that man said the Jews had the honour of killing the Christian's God;
and those Jews stamped and applauded at the statement. They were proud
of the act, and cried out, "His blood be upon us, and upon our
children," and that imprecation has been literally fulfilled in their
history. Now His blood either cries for our peace and salvation or for
our condemnation.