Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/271

 what the  children  of  Israel  suffered  in  their  Egyptian bondage and  their  captivity  at  Babylon. Reflect what you would  have  to  suffer  were  you  enslaved  by  some  unfeeling Turkish  despot,  and  what  would  you  not  give for your  ransom?

II. The slavery  of  sin  is  far  more  severe  than  this. Sin enslaves  us  to  the  devil,  as  St. Paul observes  (2  Tim. ii.  26),  and  renders  us  subject  to  the  torments  of hell. We were  all  thus  enslaved,  and  there  were  no means  by  which  we  could  be  delivered  from  this  tyranny, had not  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God  descended  from heaven and  undertaken  to  atone  for  our  sins,  and  deliver us  from  this  cruel  bondage. We owe  this  benefit to Him  "who  gave  Himself  for  us,  that  He  might  redeem us  from  all  iniquity." (Titus ii.  14.)

III. Christ did  not  do  this  for  His  own  advantage,  or because  He  had  any  need  of  us. " Thou  art  my  God," says David,  "for  Thou  hast  no  need  of  my  goods." (Ps. xv. 2.)  He  did  not  act  thus  from  any  deserts  of  ours, which then  neither  were  nor  could  be  any,  but  from  His own mere  goodness  and  mercy. " In  His  love  and  in  His mercy,"  says  Isaias,  "  He  redeemed  them,  and  lifted  them up  all  the  days  of  old." (Is. lxiii.  9.)  Who  would  not  love so loving  a  Lord,  and  surrender  himself  entirely  to  that Being, without  whose  assistance  he  would  have  been  entirely lost?

I. The  manner  in  which  Christ  redeemed  you  from  the slavery of  sin  was  most  efficacious. The Royal  Prophet might well  tell  the  world  that  "  with  Him  there  is  plentiful redemption." (Ps. cxxix.  7.)     By  His  absolute