and God. The former some call his .substantial, the latter his energetical, or operative mediation : Though I rather conceive that which is called his substantial mediation, is but the aptitude of his person to execute the mediatorial function ; and that it doth not constitute two kinds of mediation. His being a middle person, fits and capacitates him to stand in the midst betwixt God and us. This, I say, is the proper sense of the word ; though Mstirng, a Mediator, * is rendered variously ; sometimes an umpire or arbi- trator ; sometimes a messenger that goes betwixt two persons ; sometimes an interpreter, imparting the mind of one to another ; sometimes a reconciler or peace-maker. And in all these senses Christ is the Msovrrjc, the middle person in his mediation of recon- ciliation or intercession; i. e. either in his mediating, by suffering to make peace, as he did on earth ; or to continue, and maintain peace, as he doth in heaven, by meritorious intercession. Both these ways he is the only Mediator. And he manageth this his mediation,
1. As an umpire or arbitrator -j- ; one that layeth his hands upon both parties, as Job speaks, chap. ix. 33. so doth Christ, he lay- eth his hands (speaking after the manner of men) upon God, and saith, Father, wilt thou be at peace with them, and re-admit them into thy favour ? if thou wilt, thou shalt be fully satisfied for all that they have done against thee. And then he layeth his hand upon man, and saith, Poor sinner, be not discouraged, thou shalt be justified and saved.
% As a messenger or ambassador, so he came to impart the mind of God to us, and so he presents our desires to God ; and in this #ense only Socinus would allow Christ to be Mediator. But therein he endeavours to undermine the foundation, and to exclude him from being Mediator by a suretiship ; which is,
3. The third way of his mediation. So the apostle speaks, Heb. vii. he is zyfoog J, the surety, or pledge. Which, as the learned David Pareus well expresseth it, is one that engageth to satisfy another, or gives caution or security by a pledge in the hand for it. And indeed, both these ways, Christ is our mediator by suretiship, viz. in a way of satisfaction, coming under our obliga- tion to answer the law ; this he did on the cross and in a way of caution, a surety for the peace, or good behaviour. But to be more explicit and clear, I shall,
* Christ is called a Mediator, both as he is a middle person, and as he is one who mediates ; he is middle in person; he mediates by office. Trelcat. Instit. p. 98.
T "MiGir^g. An Umpire, Arbitrator, a midsman, a reconciler.
+ 'E.yFvog is a surety, one that engages for another, by pledge in hand. From yvioy, which signifies hand, and tv in, as if it were, ss/ yvtu), in hand; or, as Suidas would have it, from yorl} or yce/a the earth which is firm, stable, immoveable.
110 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. VIII.
Secondly, In the next place enquire, what it implies and carries in it, for Christ to be a Mediator betwixt God and us. And there are, mainly, these five things in it.
1. At the first sight, it carries in it a most dreadful breach and jar betwixt God and men ; else no need of a Mediator of reconciia-
tion. There was indeed a sweet league of amity once between them, but it was quickly dissolved by sin ; the wrath of the Lord was kindled against man, pursuing him to destruction, Psal. v. 5. " Thou " hatest all the workers of iniquity ." And man was filled with unnatural enmity against his God, Rom. i. 30. dsosvfsig, haters of God ; this put an end to all friendly commerce and intercourse be- tween him and God. Reader, say not in thy heart, that it is. much, that one sin, and that seemingly so small, should make such a breach as this, and cause the God of mercy and goodness so to ab- hor the works of his hands, and that as soon as he had made man : for it was a heinous and aggravated evil. It was upright, perfect man, created in the image of God, that thus sinned: he sinned when his mind was most bright, clear and apprehensive ; his con- science pure and active ; his will free, and able to withstand any temptation : his conscience pure and undefiled ; he was a public a? well as a perfect man, and well knew that the happiness or misery of his numberless offspring was involved in him.
The condition he was placed in, was exceeding happy : no ne- cessity or want could arm and edge temptation : he lived amidst all natural and spiritual pleasures and delights, the Lord most de- lightfully conversing with him ; yea, he sinned while as yet his creation-mercy was fresh upon him ; and in this sin was most hor- rible ingratitude : yea, a casting off the yoke of obedience almost as soon as God had put it on. God now saw the work of his hands spoiled, a race of rebels now to be propagated, who, in their suc- cessive generations would be fighting against God : he saw it, and his just indignation sparkled against man, and resolves to pursue him to the bottom of hell.
2. It implies, a necessity of satisfaction and reparation to the jus- tice of God. For the very design and end of this mediation was to make peace, by giving full satisfaction to the party that was wronged. The Photinians, and some others, have dreamed of a reconcilia- tion with God, founded not upon satisfaction, but upon the ab- solute mercy, goodness, and free-will of God. " But concerning " that absolute goodness and mercy of God, reconciling sinners to " himself, there is a deep silence throughout the scriptures * :n and whatever is spoken of it, upon that account, is as it works to
f Be absoluta enim bonitatef el voiuntate salvandi, scriptura mogis muta est quanx piscis. Dietetic,
*£RM. VIII. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. Ill
us through Christ, Eph. i. 8, 4, 5. Acts iv. 12. John vi. 40. And we cannot imagine, either how God could exercise mercy to the prejudice of his justice, which must be, if we must be reconciled without full satisfaction * ; or how such a full satisfaction should be made by any other than Christ. Mercy, indeed, moved in the heart of God to poor man ; but from his heart it found no way to vent itself for us, but through the heart-blood of JesuS Christ: and in him the justice of God was fully satisfied, and the misery of the creature fully cured. And so, as -f- Augustine speaks, " God neither lost the severity of his justice in the goodness of " mercy, nor the goodness of his mercy in the exactness of his " seventy ." But if it had been possible God could have found out a way to reconcile us without satisfaction, yet it is past doubt now, that he hath pitched and fixed on this way. And for any now to imagine to reconcile themselves to God by any thing but faith in the blood of this Mediator, is not only most vain in itself, and destructive to the soul, but most insolently derogatory to tha wisdom and grace of God.