Inf. 3. If Jesus Christ be the only Mediator of reconciliation betwixt God and men ; then reconciled souls should thankfully as* cribe all the peace, favours, and comforts they have from God, to their Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever }^ou have had free admission, and sweet entertainment with God in the more public ordinances, or private duties of his worship ; when you have had his smiles, his seals, and with hearts warmed with comfort, are returning from those duties, say, O my soul, thou mayest thank thy good Lord Jesus Christ for all this ! had not he interposed as a Mediator of reconciliation, I could never have had access to, or friendly com- munion with God to all eternity.
Immediately upon Adam's sin, the door of communion with God was locked, yea, chained up, and no more coming nigh the Lord : not a soul could have any access to him, either in a way of communion in this world, or of enjoyment in that to come. It was Jesus the Mediator that opened that door again, and in him it is that we have boldness, and access with confidence, Eph. iii. 12. '* We can now come to God by a new and living way, consecrated *6 for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh," Heb. x. 520. The vail had a double use, as Christ's flesh answerably hath : it hid the glory of the Sanctum Sanctorum, and also gave entrance into it. Christ's incarnation rebates the edge of the divine glory and brightness, that we may be able to bear it and converse with it ; and it gives admission into it also. O thank your dear Lord Jesus for your present and future heaven ! these are mercies which daily emerge out of the ocean of Christ's blood, and come swim- ming in it to our doors. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ !
Inf. 4. If Jesus Christ be the true and only Mediator, both of reconciliation and meritorious intercession betwixt God and men,
JB. Virginis, Colon. 1559. p. 11. Liber Contionum Dilingce, Anno 1573. ConciU Trident. Sess. 25. Psalt, Maria?, Anno 1573. p. 29.
SEEM. VIII. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. lli
how safe and secure then is the condition and state of believers t Surely, as his mediation, by sufferings, hath fully reconciled, so his mediation, by intercession, will everlastingly maintain that state of peace betwixt them and God, and prevent all future breaches. " Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our " Lord Jesus Christ," Rom. v. 1. It is a firm and lasting peace, and the Mediator that made it, is now in heaven to maintain it For ever, and prevent new jars, Hek ix. 24. " There to appear in the pre- " sence of God for us ;" according to the custom of princes and states, who, being confederated, have their agents residing in each others courts, who upon all occasions appear in the presence of the prince, in the name and behalf of those whom they repre- sent, and negociate for.
And here it is proper to reflect upon the profound and incom- prehensible wisdom of God, who hath made an advantage to us, even out of our sin and misery. Come, see and adore the wisdonl of our God, that hath so improved, reduced, and disposed the fall of Adam, as to make a singular advantage thereby to advance his offspring to a better state ! It was truly said by one of the an- cients upon this account, " That Job was a happier man on the " dunghill, than Adam was in paradise *." His holiness indeed was perfect, his happiness was great : but neither of them perma- nent and indefeasible, as our happiness by the Mediator is. So that, in the same sense some divines call Judas's treason, fcelix scelus, a happy wickedness: we may call Adam's i'dM, Jbelix lapsus, a happy fall, because ordered and over-ruled by the wisdom of God, to such an advantage for us. And to that purpose Austin some- where sweetly speaks, " -j* O how happily did I fall in Adam, who " rose again more happy in Christ r Thus did the Lord turn a poison into an antidote, thus did that dreadful fall make way for a more blessed and fixed state. Now are we so confirmed, fixed, and established in Christ, by the favour of God, that there can be no more such fatal breaches, and dreadful jars betwixt God and his reconciled ones for ever. The bone that is well set, is stronger where it is knit, than it was before. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ !
Inf. 5. Did Jesus Christ interpose betwixt us and the wrath of God, as a Mediator of reconciliation ? did he rather chuse to receive the stroke upon himself, than to see us ruined by it ? How well then doth it become the people of God, in a thankful sense of this grace, to interpose themselves betwixt Jesus Christ and the evils they see like to Jail upon his name and interest in the world ? O that there were
mFcelicior Job in sterquilinio, quam Adamus in Paradiso.
f 0 quam fceliaiter cecidi in kdamo. qui post lapsumjielieius resurrexi in Christo, Aug
118 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. IX.
but such a heart in the people of God ! I remember it is a saying of Jerom, when he heard the revilings and blasphemings of many against Christ, and his precious truths, " * O (said he) that they " would turn their weapons from Christ to me, and be satisfied " with my blood !" And much to the same sense is that sweet one of Bernard, " f Happy were I, if God would vouchsafe to " use me as a shield." And David could say, " The reproaches " of them that reproached thee, fell on me, Psal. lxix. 9. Ten thousand of our names are nothing to Christ's name : his name is TtaXov ovofia, a worthy name ; and no man that gives up his name as a shield to Christ, but shall thereby secure and increase the true honour of it. And though wicked men, for the present may be- spatter them, yet Jesus Christ will take it out of the dirt, (as one speaks), wipe it clean, and give it us again f. Oh, it is the least one can do, to interpose ourselves and all that is dear to us, be- twixt Christ and the wrath of men, when he (as you hear) inter- posed himself betwixt you and the eternal wrath of God !
The first Branch of Christ's Prophetical Office, consisting in the Revelation of the Will of God.
Acts hi. 22. A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your Brethren, like unto me ; him shall ye hear in all things, whatso* ever he shall say unto you.
XXAVING, in tbe former discourses, shewn you the solemn preparations, both on the Father's part, and on the Son's, for the blessed design of reconciling us by the meritorious mediation, of Christ ; and given you a general prospect of that his mediation, in the former sermon; method now requires, that I proceed to shew how he executes this his mediation, in the discharge of his blessed offices of Prophet, Priest and King.
His prophetical office consists of two parts ; one external, consist- ing in a true and full revelation of the will of God to men, accord-
* Utinam in me convertant tela, ct meo sanguine satientur. Jer.
•f- Bonum est mihi, si dignetur Deus me uti pro clypeo. Bern.