the world to take away fin by the facrifice of himself; and, in the merit and virtue of that facrifice, appearing in heaven in the prefence of God for us, is become a perpetual advocate and a moft powerful interceffor with God in heaven for us. So that inftead of the endless facrifices of the Jewish religion, which were ineffectual to the real expiation of fin, and only types and fhadows of the true expiatory facrifice, and instead of the bloody and inhumane facrifices of the Heathen idolatry; the Son of God hath, by one facrifice for fin once offered, perfected for ever them that are fanctified, and obtained eternal redemption for us. And instead of the mediation of angels, and the fouls of their departed heroes, which the Heathen made ufe of to offer up their prayers to the gods, we have one mediator between God and men, appointed by God himself, Jefus the Son of God, who in our nature is afcended into heaven, to appear in the prefence of God for

.us.

And who fo fit to be our patron and advocate, as he who was our facrifice and propitiation?

Thus the method of our redemption, as it was by the wisdom of God admirably fuited to the common apprehenfions of mankind, concerning the neceffity of a facrifice to make expiation of fin, and of a mediator to interceed with God for finners; fo was it likewife excellently fitted, not only to put an end to the Jewish facrifices, but likewife to abolish the barbarous facrifices and rites of the Heathen idolatry, and to cashier that infinite num ber of mediators and interceffors by whom they addreffed their prayers to the Deity; and, instead of all this, to introduce a more reasonable and fpiritual worship, more agreeable to the nature and perfections of God, and the reafon of mankind; which was one of the main and principal defigns of the Chriftian religion. And therefore to bring in any other mediators, to interceed in heaven for us, whether angels or faints, and by them to offer up our prayers to God, is directly contrary to the defign of the Chriftian religion.

III. It is likewife evident from the nature and reafon of the thing itself, that there is but one mediator and interceffor in heaven, who offers up our prayers to God, and that there can be no more: because under the gospel there being but one High Prielt, and but one facrifice VOL. IV.

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Once

once offered for fin; and interceffion for finners being founded in the merit and virtue of the facrifice by which expiation for fin is made, there can be no other mediator of interceffion, but he who hath made expiation of fin, by a facrifice offered to God for that purpose. And this Jefus Chrift only hath done. He is both our High Priest and our facrifice; and therefore he only, in the merit and virtue of that facrifice which he offered upon earth, can interceed in heaven for us, and offer up our prayers to God. Others may pray to God for us; as our brethren upon earth do, and perhaps the angels and faints in heaven: but none of these can offer up our prayers to God, and procure the acceptance of them; for that can only be done in virtue of a facrifice firft offered, and by him that offered it; this being the peculiar office and qualification of a mediator or interceffor, properly fo called.

It is the plain defign of the author of the epiftle to the Hebrews, to prove that Chrift is our only mediator in heaven, in virtue of that facrifice for fin which he offered upon earth; and that he alone appears in the prefence of God for us, to prefent our requests to him, and obtain a gracious anfwer to them: and he fhews at large, how this was particularly typified by the Jewish High Prieft, who upon the great day of expiation, after the facrifice was flain without, entered alone into the holy of holics, with the blood of the facrifices, in virtue whereof he made interceffion for the people. Anfwerably to this, Jefus, the high priest of our profeffion, offered himself a facrifice for the fins of men; and, in virtue of that facrifice, is entered into the high place not made with hands, that is, into heaven itself, there to appear in the prefence of God for us; where he lives for ever to make interceffion for us, in virtue of that eternal redemption which he hath obtained for us, by the price of his blood; as the Apostle declares in feveral chapters of that epiftle. So that this interceffion being founded in the merit of a facrifice, which he alone offered, he is of neceffity the only mediator between God and men.

And for this reafon it is, that the mediation and interceffion of Chrift is fo frequently in scripture mentioned together with the expiation which he made for the fins of men, or, which is the fame, with the price which he

paid for the redemption of mankind; because the one is founded in the other, and depends upon it. So we find 1 John ii. 1. 2. If any man fin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jefus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our fins; and not for ours only, but also for the fins of the whole world. And here likewife in the text, There is one mediator between God and men, the man Chrift Fefus; who gave himself a ransom for all: therefore the only mediator between God and men, because he only gave himself a ransom for all men; the efficacy and prevalency of his mediation being founded in the merit and virtue of the ranfom of his blood.

And the force of thefe texts, and the reafoning from them, is not to be avoided and turned off, by diftinguithing between a mediator of redemption and of interceffion; and by faying, that it is true, that Chrift is the only mediator of redemption, but there may be many inediators of interceffion: for if the force of his being advocate or interceffor be founded in the virtue of his ranfom and propitiation, as I have plainly fhewn, to the conviction of any that are not strongly prejudiced, and that will read and confider what the fcripture fays in this matter without prepoffeffion; then it is plain, that none can be a proper mediator of interceffion, but he that paid the price of our redemption. So that the mediator of our redemption, and our mediator of interceffion, must of neceffity be one and the fame perfon; and none can appear in the quality of our advocate with the Father, but he only who is the propitiation for the fins of the whole world.

I fhould now have proceeded to the fourth thing I proposed in the handling of this argument, namely, to fhew how contrary to this doctrine of the Chriftian religion, concerning one only mediator and interceffor in heaven for us, the doctrine and practice of the church of Rome is in this matter; namely, in their invocation of angels, and the bleffed virgin, and the faints, and flying to their help, and making ufe of their mediation and interceffion with God for finners; as likewife how contrary all this is to the doctrine and practice of the Chriftian church for several of the firft ages of it: and then I fhould have anfwered their chief pretences and excuses for these things;

and shewed that this practice of theirs is not only needlefs, being no where commanded by God, but useless alfo and unprofitable; and not only fo, but very dangerous and impious, being contrary to the Chriftian religi on, and highly derogating from the virtue and merit of Chrift's facrifice, and from the honour of the only mediator between God and men. But of this another time.

SERMON

LXXII.

Christ Jefus the only mediator between God and men.

I TIM. ii. 5. 6.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Chrift Jefus, who gave himself a ransom for all.

I'

The third fermon on this text.

N these words are four propofitions; three expreffed, and the fourth implied.

1. That there is one God.

2. That there is one mediator between God and men, Chrift Fefus.

3. That he gave himself a ransom for all.

4. That the mediation or interceffion of Jefus Christ is founded in his redemption of mankind: that because he gave himfelf a renfom for all men; therefore he, and he only, is qualified to interceed for all men, in virtue of that facrifice which he offered for the falvation of all mankind.

The Second of thefe I fpake to the last time, and endeavoured to fhew,

I. That God hath appointed but one mediator, or advocate, or interceffor in heaven for us, by whofe mediation we are to offer up all our prayers and fervices to God.

II. That this doctrine of one mediator is moft agree

ab

able to one main end and defign of the Christian religion, and of our Saviour's coming into the world; which was, to destroy idolatry.

III. That from the nature and reafon of the thing, (viz. because intercession for sinners is founded in the merit of that facrifice by which expiation of fin is made), there can be no other mediator of interceffion, but he who hath made expiation for fin, by a facrifice offered to God for that purpose. And this Jefus Christ only hath done. Thus far I have gone. I proceed now to

IV. The fourth thing which I proposed in the handling of this argument, namely, to fhew how contrary to this doctrine of the Chriftian religion, concerning one only mediator and interceffor in heaven for us, the do&rine and the practice of the church of Rome is in this matter; namely, in their invocation of angels, and the bleffed virgin, and the faints; and flying to their help, and making use of their mediation and interceffion with God for finners.

And that I may proceed more diftinctly in this ment, I fhall handle it under these particular heads.

argu

1. I fhall endeavour to fhew, that the doctrine and practice of the church of Rome in this matter is contrary to the doctrine of the Christian religion, concerning one only mediator and interceffor in heaven for us.

2. That it is contrary to the doctrine and practice of the Chriftian church, for feveral of the firft ages of it. 3. I fhall endeavour to anfwer their chief pretences and excuses for this doctrine and practice.

4. To fhew, that this doctrine and practice of theirs, is not only needlefs, being no where commanded by God, but ufelefs alfo and unprofitable.

5. And not only fo, but very dangerous and impious because contrary to the tian religion, and greatly derogating from the virtue and merit of Chrift's facrifice, and from the honour of the only mediator between God -and nien.

1. I fhall endeavour to fhew, that the doctrine and practice of the church of Rome in this matter is contrary to the doctrine of the Christian religion, concerning one only mediator and interceffor in heaven for us; namely, in their invocation of angels, and the blessed virgin,

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and