deep refentment, Nolo Deum abfolutum, "I will have nothing to "do with an abfolute God," i. e. with God without a Mediator. Thus the Devils have to do with God: but will whofe nature Chrift is come, put yourselves into their state and cafe? God forbid ! Inference 2. ye, in Hence alfo be informed, how great an evil it is to join any other Mediators, either of reconciliation, or meritorious interceffion, with Jefus Chrift. O this is a horrid fin, and that which both pours the greatest contempt upon Chrift, and brings the furest and forest destruction upon the finner! I am afhamed my pen should english what mine eyes have feen in the writings of Papists, afcribing as much, yea, more to the mediation of Mary than to Chrift, with no lefs than blafphemous impudence, thus commenting upon fcripture: "What is that which the Lord faith, I have trod the wine-prefs alone, and of the people there was no man with me? True Lord, there was no man with thee, "but there was a woman with thee, who received all thefe "wounds in her heart which thou receivedft in thy body." I will not blot my paper with more of this, but refer the learned reader as under *, where he may (if he have a mind to see more) be informed, not only what blafphemy hath dropped from fingle pens, but even from councils, to the reproach of Jefus Christ, and his blood. How do they ftamp their own fordid works with the peculiar dignity and value of Christ's blood; and therein seek to enter at the gate which God hath shut to all the world, because Jesus Chrift the prince entered in thereby, Ezek. xliv. 2, 3. He entered into heaven in a direct immediate way, even in his own name, and for his own fake; this gate, faith the Lord, fhall be hut to all others: and I wish men would confider it, and fear, left while they seek entrance into heaven at the wrong door, they do not for ever fhut against themselves the true and only door of happiness. Inference 3. If Jefus Christ be the only Mediator of reconciliation be twixt God and men; then reconciled fouls should thankfully afcribe all the peace, favour, and comforts they have from God, Liber * Mariale Argentinenfe, lib. I. chap. 4. fol. 13. Vincent. Brun. in meditat. feft. B. Virginis, Colon. 1559. p. 11. Cantionum Dilinga, Anno 1573. Concil. Trident. Seff. 25. Pfait. Maria, Anno 1573. P. 29 to their Lord Jefus Chrift. Whenever you have had free admiffion, and sweet entertainment with God in the more public ordinances, or private duties of his worship; when you have had his fmiles, his feals, and with hearts warmed with comfort, are returning from thofe duties, fay, O my foul, thou mayeft thank thy good Lord Jefus Chrift for all this! had not he interpoled as a Mediator of reconcilation, I could never have had access to, or triendly communion with God to all eternity. Immediately upon Adam's fin the door of communion with God was locked, yea, chained up, and no more coming nigh the Lord: not a foul could have any access to him, either in a way of communion in this world, or of enjoyment in that to come. It was Jelus the Mediator that opened that door again, and in him it is that we have boldnefs, and accefs with confidence, Eph. iii. 12. "We can now come to God by a new and living 66 way, confecrated for us through the vail, that is to fay, his "flesh," Heb. x. 20. The vail had a double use, as Chrift's flesh antwerably hath: it hid the glory of the Sanctum Sanctorum, and alto gave entrance into it. Chrift's incarnation rebates the edge of the divine glory and brightness, that we may be able to bear it and converfe with it; and it gives admission into it alfo. O thank your dear Lord Jelus for your prefent and future heaven! thefe are mercies which daily emerge out of the ocean of Chrift's blood, and come fwimming in it to our doors. Bieffed be God for Jefus Chrift! Inference 4. If Jefus Chrift be the true and only Mediator, both of recon ciliation and meritorious interceffion betwixt God and men, how fafe and fecure then is the condition and flate of believers? Surely, as his mediation, by fufferings, hath fully reconciled, to his mediation, by interceffion, will everlastingly maintain that flate of peace betwixt them aud God, and prevent all future breaches. Being juftified by faith, we have peace with God, through our "Lord Jefus Chrift," Rom v. 1.: it is a firm and lafting peace, and the Mediator that made it, is now in heaven to maintain it for ever, and prevent new jars; Heb. ix. 24. "There to appear in the prefence of God for us;" according to the custom of princes and states, who, being confederated, have their agents refiding in each others courts, who upon all occafions appear in the prefence of the prince, in the name and behalf of thoie whom they reprefent, and negotiate for. And here it is proper to reflect upon the profound, and incomprehenfible wildom of God, who hath made an advantage to us, even out of our fin and mifery. Come, fee and adore the wifdom of our God, that hath fo improved, reduced, and disposed the fall of Adam, as to make a fingular advantage, thereby to advance his offspring to a better ftate! It was truly faid by one of the antients upon this account, "That Job was a happier man on the dunghill, than Adam was in paradife *." His holiness indeed was perfect, his happiness very great; but neither of them permanent and indefeafable, as our happiness by the Mediator is. So that, in the fame fente fome divines call Judas his treafon, fælix fcelus, a happy wickednefs: we may call Adam's fall felix lapfus, a happy fall, because ordered and overruled by the wifdom of God, to fuch an advantage for us. And to that purpose Austin somewhere fweetly fpeaks, "†O how "+ "happily did I fall in Adam, who rose again more happily in "Chrift!" Thus did the Lord turn a poifon into an antidote, • thus did that dreadful fall make way for a more blessed and fixed fate. Now are we fo confirmed, fixed, and established in Christ, by the favour of God, that there can be no more fuch fatal breaches, and dreadful jars betwixt God and his reconciled ones for ever. The bone that's well fet, is ftronger where it is knit, than it was before. Bleffed be God for Jefus Christ! Inference 5. Did Jefus Chrift interpole betwixt us and the wrath of God, as a Mediator of reconciliation? did he rather chufe to receive the stroke upon himself, than to fee us ruined by it? How well then doth it become the people of God, in a thankful fenfe of this grace, to interpose themselves betwixt Jefus Chrift and the evils they fee like to fall upon his name and intereft in the world? O that there were but fuch a heart in the people of God! I remember it is a faying of Jerom, when he heard the revilings and blafphemings of many against Christ, and his precious truths, "O (faid he) that they would turn their weapons from "Christ to me, and be fatisfied with my blood!" And much to the fame fenfe is that fweet one of Bernard, 66 Happy were "I, If God would vouchfafe to ufe me as a fhield." And David could fay, "The reproaches of them that reproached thee, fell " on me," Pfal. Ixix. 9. Ten thousand of our names are nothing to Chrift's name: his name is xaλoy ovqua, a worthy name; and *Felicior Job in ferquilinis, quam Adamus in Paradifo. + O quam feliciter cecidi in Adamo, qui poft lapfum felicius refurrexi in Chrifto. Aug. Utinam in me convertant tela, et men fanguine fatientur. Jer, no man that gives up his name as a shield to Christ, but shall thereby fecure and increase the true honour of it. And though wicked men, for the prefent may befpatter them, yet Jefus Chrift will take it out of the dirt, (as one fpeaks), wipe it clean, and give it us again. O, it is the least one can do, to interpofe ourselves and all that is dear to us, betwixt Christ and the wrath of men, when he (as you hear) interpofed himself betwixt you and the eternal wrath of God! Opens the first Branch of the Prophetical Office, confifting in the Revelation of the Will of Go D. ACTS iii. 22. A Prophet fhall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your Brethren, like unto me; him fhall ye hear in all things, whatfoever he shall say unto you, HAVING, in the former difcourfes, fhewn you the folemn preparations, both on the Father's part, and on the Son's, for the bleffed defign of reconciling us by the meritorious mediation of Chrift; and given you a general profpect of that his mediation, in the former fermon: method now requires, that proceed to fhew how he executes this his mediation, in the discharge of his bleffed offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. His prophetical office confills of two parts; one external confifting in a true and full revelation of the will of God to men, according to John xvii. 6. “I have manifested thy name to the "men thou gaveft me." The other in illuminating the mind, and opening the heart to receive and embrace that doctrine. The first part is contained in the words before us; "A prophet shall "the Lord your God raise up," &c. Which words are thofe of Mofes, recorded in Deut. xviii. 15.; and, here, by Peter pertinently applied to Chrift, to convince the incredulous Jews, that he is the true and only Meffiah, and the great prophet of the church; whofe doctrine it was highly * O, if I could be a bridge over the water for my Lord Jefus to walk upon, and keep his feet dry! (), if my poor bit of heaven could go between my Lord and blafphemy and dishonour! faid another Worthy.. dangerous to contemn, though out of the mouths of fuch (otherwife contemptible) perfons as he and John were. And it is well obferved by Calvin, he fingles out this teftimony of Mofes, rather than any other, because of the great esteem they had for Mofes, and his writings, beyond any others. Now in the words themselves are two general parts. First, Chrift, according to this prophetical office, defcribed. Secondly, Obedience to him, as fuch a prophet, strictly enjoined. First, You have here a description of Christ in his prophetical office; "A prophet fhall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me." Where Chrift is described, 1. By his title, Prophet; and that, princeps prophetarum, the prince of the prophets, or the great and chief fhepherd, as he is ftiled, Heb. xiii. 1c. 1 Pet. v. 4. It belongs to a prophet to expound the law, declare the will of God, and foretel things to come: all these meet, and that, in a fingular and eminent manner, in Christ our prophet, Matth. v. 21, &c. John i, 18. 1 Pet. i. 11. I 66 2. He is described by his type; a prophet like unto Mofes, who therein typified and prefigured him. But is it not faid of Moses, in Deut. xxxiv. 10. that there arofe not a prophet fince " in Ifrael, like unto Mofes, whom the Lord knew face to face?" True, of mere men there never arose so great a prophet in lírael, as Moles was; either in refpect of his familiarity with God, or of his miracles which he wrought in the power of God * : but Mofes himself was but a star to this fun. However, in these following particulars, Chrift was like him. He was a prophet that went between God and the people, carried God's mind to them, and returned theirs to God, they not being able to bear the voice of God immediately †, Deut. xviii. 16, 17. "According to all that thou defirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb, "in the day of the affembly, faying, Let me not again hear the "voice of the Lord my God, 66 any more, that I die not.” makes the promife which is They have well spoken that 66 neither let me fee this great fire And upon this their request, God cited in the text; verse 17, 18. which they have spoken: I will *Not like, in the following particulars, namely, his familiarity with God, and miracles. Eft. on this place. They who dreaded that majefty of God, fpeaking from hea ven, could not be afraid to hear it, when in flesh, and made like themselves. |