And to such I would say, as J Tertullian to Marcion, whom ha calls the murderer of truth, " spare the only hope of the whole <w world, O thou who destroyest the most necessary glory of our u faith V All that we hope for is but a phantasm without this. Peace of conscience can be rationally settled on no other founda- tion but this ; for God having made a law to govern man, and this law violated by man ; either the penalty must be levied on the delinquent, or satisfaction made by his surety. As good no law, as no penalty for disobedience ; and as good no penalty, as no execution. He therefore that will be made a mediator of reconci- liation betwixt God and man, must bring God a price in his hand, and that adequate to the offence and wrong done him, else he will not treat about peace ; and so did our Mediator.
3. Christ being a Mediator of reconciliation and intercession, implies the infinite value of his blood and sufferings, as that which in itself was sufficient to stop the course of God's justice ', and render him not only placable, but abundantly satisfied and well pleased, even with those that before were enemies. And so much is said of it Col. i. 21, 22. " And ye that were sometimes alienated, and ene- " mies in your minds by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, in
* From these positions, it follows, that neither the perfect nature nor perfect justice of God can allow any transgression of the law to pass without full satisfaction. Bradshaw on Justification, p. 68.
f Nee in bonitate misericordi<z perdit judicii severitatem ; nee in judicando cum severi* tate mniltit inisericordite bunitatem. Aug. in Psal. 100.
t Parcc unicce spei totius orbis, 0 tu qui dcslruis necessarium decus Jidcu Tertul. lib. de Carne Christi.
11£ THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. VIII.
" the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, and " unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight." Surely, that which can cause the holy God, justly incensed against sinners, to lay aside all his wrath, and take an enemy into his bosom, and establish such an amity as can never more be broken, but to rest in his lovej and to joy over him with singing, as it is, Zeph. hi. 17. this must be a most excellent and efficacious thing.
4. Christ's being a Mediator of reconciliation, implies the ardent love and large pity that filled Ms heart towards poor sinners. For he doth not only mediate by way of entreaty, going betwixt both, and persuading and begging peace ; but he mediates, (as you have heard) in the capacity of a surety, by putting himself under an obli- gation to satisfy our debts. O how compassionately did his heart work towards us, that when he saw the arm of Justice lifted up to destroy us, would interpose himself, and receive the stroke, though he knew it would smite him dead ! Our Mediator, like Jonah his type, seeing the stormy sea of God's wrath working tempestuously, and ready to swallow us up, cast in himself to appease the storm. I remember how much that noble act of Marcus Curtius is cele- brated in the Roman history, who being informed by the oracle, that the great breach made by the earthquake could not be closed, except something of worth were cast into it, heated with love to the commonwealth, he went and cast in himself. This was looked upon as a bold and brave adventure. But what was this to Christ ?
5. Christ being a Mediator betwixt God and man, implies as the fitness of his person, so his authoritative call to undertake it. And indeed the Father, who was the wronged person, called him to be the umpire and arbitrator, trusting his honour in his hands. Now Christ was invested with this office and power virtually, soon after the breach was made by Adam's fall ; for we have the early pro- mise of it, Gen. iii. 15. Ever since, till his incarnation, he was a virtual and effectual Mediator ; and, on that account, he is called, " the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world,'1 Rev. xiii. 8. And actually, from the time of his incarnation. But having dis- cussed this more largely in a former discourse, I shall dismiss it here, and apply myself to the third thing proposed, which is,
Thirdly, How it appears that Jesus Christ is the true and only Mediator betwixt God and men. I reply, it is manifest he is so,
1. Because he, and no other, is revealed to us by God. And if God reveal him, and no other, we must receive him, and no other as such. Take but two scriptures at present, that in 1 Cor. viii. 5. " The heathen have many gods, and many lords," i. e. many great gods, supreme powers and ultimate objects of their worship ; and lest these great gods should be denied by their immediate and un-
SERM. VIII. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. US
hallowed approaches to them, they therefore invented heroes, demi- gods, intermediate powers *, that they were as agents, or lord- mediators betwixt the gods and them, to convey their prayers to the gods, and the blessings of the gods back again to them. " But " unto us (saith he) there is but one God, the Father, of whom " are all things, and we by him," i. e. one supreme essence, the first spring and fountain of blessings, and one Lord, i. e. one Media- tor, " by whom are all things, and we by him." By whom are all things which come from the Father to us, and by whom are all our addresses to the Father : So Acts iv. 12. " Neither is there " salvation in any other ; for there is none other name under " heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." No other name *(-, i. e. no other authority, or rather, no other person authorized under heaven, i. e. the whole world : for heaven is not here opposed to earth, as though there were other intercessors in heaven besides Christ : no, no, in heaven and earth God hath given him, and none but him, to be our Mediator. One sun is sufficient for the whole world ; and one Mediator for all men in the world. So that the scriptures affirm this is he, and exclude all others.
2. Because he, and no other, is fit for, and capable of this of- fice. Who but he that hath the divine and human nature united in his single person, can be a fit dayVman to lay his hand upon both ? Who but he that was God, could support under such suf- ferings, as were, by divine justice, exacted for satisfaction ! Take a person of the greatest spirit, and put him an hour in the case Christ was in, when he sweat blood in the garden, or uttered that heart-rending cry upon the cross, and he had melted under it as a moth.
3. Because he is alone sufficient to reconcile the world to God by his blood, without accessions from any other. The virtue of his blood reached back as far as Adam, and reaches forward to the end of the world ; and will be as fresh, vigorous, and effica- cious then, as the first moment it was shed. The sun makes day before it actually rises, J and continues day sometimes after it is set : so do doth Christ, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for