mediator between God and men. Having taken upon him our flesh, and so far abased himself as to become man, we should submit ourselves to him, in all his requirements. Our Lord Jesus Christ was made like unto us, and suffered death, that he might become an advocate and mediator between God and us, and open a way whereby we may come to God. Those who do not endeavour to bring their neigh.bours and unbelievers to the way of salvation, plainly show that they make no account of God's honour, and that they try to diminish the mighty power of his empire, and set him bounds, that he may not rule and govern all the world: they likewise darken the virtue and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, and lessen the dignity given him by the Father.

The apostle, in his epistle to the Hebrews, saith, chap 17, 18. "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he

be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertarting to God, to make reconciliation for the sts of the people. For in that he himself hath Suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." If a man know not what adversity meaneth, he hath no compassion on those that suffer; but being drunk with pleasure, thinketh poverty to be nothing. Our Lord Jesus Christ was partaker of all our miseries, and tasted all our afflictions; sin only excepted. And why so? To the end, that when we come to him, he may be ready to help us; having tasted our afflictions in his own person, he entreateth God to have pity.

When he appeareth as mediator, we have nothing to fear: we may come with uplifted hands, calling upon God our heavenly Father, doubting not but that he will receive us as his children, through the merits of his Son, and make us feel the fruit of our adoption so that we may come familiarly to him,

laying open our necessities, and making known the grief which tormenteth us, that we may be relieved therefrom. The papists endeavour to prove that the Saints are our patrons, and that they make intercession for us; alleging that we are not worthy to appear before God. But if this be the case, of what use is the office of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is mediator, and man?

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Let us notice what is contained in the law God commanded the people to pray to him, he forthwith showed them in what manner they should perform this service; which was this: the people were to stand afar off in the court of the temple; neither the king nor any other one, except the priest, was allowed to approach the sanctuary; for he was the figure of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the reason why he was clothed in new garments, and was consecrated and dedicated to God. The high priest, entering into the sanctuary, carried with him the blood of the sacrifice which he had offered by which we may understand, that no man can find favour with God, only by virtue of the sacrifice which is offered in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus, God hath shown by this solemn ceremony, that we could not call upon him, unless there were an advocate to make intercession for the whole body of the church; and that this intercession must be grounded upon a sacrifice offered. This is the reason why St. Paul, after he had spoken of the intercession of Jesus Christ, addeth, Who gave himself a ransom for all. For these things cannot be separated one from the other; the death and passion of the Son of God, and that he is our mediator, to the end that we may have access in his name to God the Father.

Hath not Jesus Christ appeared to show the truth, the substance, and the perfection of the figures of the law? and yet Satan striveth to darken our

minds, that we may not perceive this mediator that was given. We see in the beginning of the gospel that there were many hereticks, who believed the angels to be advocates. St. Paul, speaking of such, saith, Col. ii. 18. "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind." St. Paul giveth such honour to Jesus Christ, that all other intercessours and advocates must give way, and he be received as the only Saviour.

For forty years past, a man might as soon have heard Mahomet called the Saviour of the world, as the Son of God named as a mediator and advocate among the papists. And at this day, if any of us call Jesus Christ a mediator and advocate, they will immediately commence quarrelling with us, wishing to know whether we mean that Christ is the only advocate, or that the Saints are advocates likewise. If we endeavour to maintain the dignity of the Son of God, they are displeased with us: let us therefore be armed with the doctrine of the apostle, which teacheth us that we cannot come nigh to God, only through the mediation of Jesus Christ.

The papists are so impudent, and past shame, (I mean their doctors,) that when they wish to prove the matter which they have forged against the pure doctrine of the gospel, they say, "it is true that there is a mediator, but he is not the only one for when we call a man one, it is not understood that he only is in the world, and none else!" But is not that which St. Paul saith in this place, that there is one mediator, as true as that where he saith, there is one God? It is the just vengeance of God, seeing they have endeavoured to take away the office of mediatorship, that they should be brought into shame and ignominy because they have dishonoured the Son of God, the Lord of glory; him to whom the

Father commandeth both great and small to do homage; before whom all knees must bow, and in whose person we must worship the majesty of our God.

The papists acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the only mediator of redemption; that it is he alone that redeemed the world: but as touching intercession, that he is not alone, that the Saints who are dead have this office as well as he. The apostle saith, that we were redeemed by the blood of the Son of God, therefore we must pray for all the world; for there is one mediator that hath opened the way whereby we may come to God. Jesus Christ is not only called mediator because he hath made reconciliation by his death, but because he appeareth now before the majesty of God, that we through him may be heard; as St. Paul showeth in the 8th chapter to the Romans: Jesus Christ hath therefore redeemed us by his death and passion, and now maketh intercession for us before God.

When we are exhorted to pray one for another, it is not diminishing the office of our Lord Jesus Christ, but that through his means we may all be made one together. When a man prayeth for himself, he ought also to include in his prayers the whole body of the church; that we may not separate that which God hath joined together. The doctrine of the gospel must be our rule and guide: doth that lead us to departed Saints ? doth it appoint them for our patrons and advocates? No, no: there is not a syllable in holy writ that maketh mention of it. It is true, that while we live in this world, there ought to be mutual charity between us, and every one ought to pray for his neighbours; but if I do any thing more than the scripture directeth me, I go astray.

In the law it was said, that the people should not come near the sanctuary, but should tarry in the

court; and that no man should enter into it, but him that offered the sacrifice. Even so let us consider our own unworthiness; knowing that we are not only earthly creatures, but that we are full of sin, having become polluted and unclean in Adam; therefore we can bring nothing to recommend us to God, because we are not worthy to open our mouths before him let us then acknowledge our disease, that we may come to the remedy. And what is this remedy? It is to have our Lord Jesus Christ for our High Priest; he who shed his blood, and gave himself a ransom for all. Therefore, let us not doubt but that God is now merciful to us, seeing Christ hath reconciled us to him, by virtue of his death and passion.

As the High Priest bore the names of the children of Israel upon his shoulders, and had before him a tablet which contained twelve precious stones, signifying the twelve tribes of Israel, even so Jesus Christ bore our sins and iniquities upon the cross, and now beareth us, as it were, in his heart: this is the foundation upon which we stand. Therefore, let us not doubt but that we shall find favour with God, if we come to him in the name of this mediator. We must not devise advocates and patrons after our own notions, but content ourselves with the simplicity of holy writ. Jesus Christ is called the mediator, not only because he maketh intercession for us at present, but because he suffered for the sins of the world.

Therefore, let us learn to glorify God, and thank him with all humbleness, because it hath pleased him to draw us out of the abominations of the papists, that we may be stirred up to walk in fear and carefulness. Seeing it hath pleased God to give us such an advocate and mediator as his own Son, let us not be afraid to come and present ourselves before him, and call upon him in all our necessities: not that