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XVIII.

CHA P. XVIII.

Of the permanent Efficacy, and Obligation of FAITH in the MEDIATOR.

S

EEING then, in fine, that the Mediator was appointed of God upon the Fall of Man, as the Foundation of the new Covenant of Obedience, and all his future Mercies unto him, and the Fountain of his Remedy and Recovery; being the Import of that never-failing Promise of fubduing the Enemy of his Happinefs, and of impartially bleffing all the Nations upon Earth; and the original Ground of that diffufive fundamental Principle of Natural Religion, That he is a Rewarder of those that diligently feek to please him: And that, in due time, after several Renewals of that faving Promise, fome good Preparation of the Knowledge of God, and of ourselves in our lapfed Condition was imparted from Heaven with a long Series of Prophecy, connected to the critical Time of Expectation; he came into the World and manifefted himself in our Flefh; and reestablish'd the Religion of the End, the original Law of our Nature in the three Branches fpecified, and not only re-afferted its Obligation from the general Corruption it was fallen under in Theory, and Practice; but improved our Knowledge in many Particulars, to the Convic

XVIII.

tion, or at least Admiration of all acquainted CHAP. with it; and not only taught a perfect Rule of Manners, but perfectly obey'd it; and to his divine Life added innumerable Miracles to prove himfelf the Son of God, fent from his Father, the Father of all our Mercies, to give Life and Efficacy to the languishing and utterly dif hearten'd Religion of the Means, Repentance and Prayer; by dying a Propitiation for our Sins; rifing from the Dead; afcending to the right Hand of God a perpetual Interceffor for us: And further, to enlighten those natural Means of finful Men, and faften the Engagement of the new Covenant, and perpetuate thofe Benefits, and incorporate them into our Constitution, to retrieve the decaying Impreffion, and rivet them into our Body and Soul, he inftituted Baptifm and the Lord's Supper; and moreover procured to our Prayers in his Name, a new internal Affiftance to our enfeebled Faculties; and brought the Authority of God and himself over us to light, by bringing the Rewards and Punishments of his Laws to light, and to the Affurance of bis Difpofal of them at the laft Day; and inftituted Helps and Inftruments for the Adminiftration of thefe Things, as we are fociable as well as accountable Creatures. And if this Mediator, Christ the Lord, rules, prefides, directs, and animates all thefe Things to the Glory of God the Father, now, and to the End of the World; then, as the true Light that came into the World, a Law-giver of them feverally, able to fave, and deftroy, he might well enact to the Confciences of all Men, to whom these Prefents and Bleffings of his Gospel fhall come, Ye believe in God, believe alfo in ME*. * John xiv.

L 4

How

CHAP. How fuitable to him, and gracious to us is that XVIII. Character of him in the Volume of the Book, i. e.

The Author and Finisher of our Faith? Heb. xii. 2.

.

THUS fhould Chrift dwell in our Hearts by FAITH, fo as to be able to say with his Apoftle, The Life that I now live in the Flefb, I live by the Faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave bimfelf for me, whom baving not seen we love; and in whom tho' now we fee bim not, yet believing, we rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory t. And this fhews the true Sublime of thofe Expreffions, be defired to know nothing but JESUS CHRIST, and him CRUCIFIED for fuch a Death, tho' the great Scandal at first of a Saviour that could not fave himself, a ftumbling Block to the Jews, and to Greeks Foolishness; yet, with Refpect to its ineftimable Benefits, and the Methods of God in baffling the Devil, and giving Life to the World that way, is in that very Circumftance, preach'd and proclaim'd by him, to be the Power of God and the Wisdom of God, and therefore the Glory as it is the Bafis of his Religion; and that Foolithness of God in the Eye of the Greek was wiier than any of their Philofophers, in Deeds and Doctrines, to make wife unto Salvation. The Death of the Mediator being founded in the Nature of the best Government of God over finful Man, is the true Sublime of Divine Government, therefore the Apoftle, might well place all his Glory, and confign all his Eloquence to it; being fo much the Demonftration of the Spirit, and of the Power of all Superior, Divine, and therefore of all Human Reason.

1 Cor. iv. a.

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AND elsewhere he accounts all Things as Lofs XVIII. in Comparison of the tranfcendent Gain of the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jefus *. For the incomparable Excellency of it confifts in making wife unto Salvation, by first discovering and enlightning the right Ends, and likewife the only true Means, of that true Religion of Man, that is acceptable to God; and fecondly directing how to apply the Means for the accomplishing the End. A Man may be knowing in the End, and alfo in the Means, but he is wife as to neither of them, nor has any Title to the Character of Wisdom (which is conftantly the complex Idea of a moral Agent applying the proper Means to the End he has pitch'd upon, fuppofe his own Happiness in this Life, and the next) till he has accordingly begun and perfevered to apply the Means agreeable to their Nature and Defign, to the Furtherance of that chofen End. And this is the Bufinefs and the very Affair of this admirable Faith with Mankind; which is therefore faid to abound to us ward in all WISDOM and PRUDENCE +: This is the Divine Glory and Guidance, invaluable Comfort and Affurance of the Light, the Way, and the Truth that came into the World to lead Men to Heaven and Happiness.

THIS Belief, tam neceffitate Medii quam Pracepti, is, without Controverfy, the leading, animating Article, and moft concerning Truth of the Gofpel (fuppofing the Belief of a God) the Corner-Stone whereon we build our Name and Discipleship, and the Reafon of the thence re

■ Phil. iii. 8.

↑ Eph. i. 8.

fulting

CHAP. fulting Hope that is in us. This is the peculiar XVIII. Obligation why we ought to fhew ourselves, a

peculiar People zealous of good Works. This the good Chriftian Tree that bears the good! Fruit of Chriftian Works; and we are order'd to make and preferve that Tree good, as it was first planted, and improve it in its Growth, in order to produce its Fruit in due Goodness and Quantity. If no Tree, no real acceptable Fruit; if corrupt, the Fruit can be no better*; and where it is fometimes, without Fruit, or at other times the Fruit withereth and falleth off, it is twice dead, plucked up by the Root to This is the Foun dation or Covenant of God, that ftandeth fure, baving this Seal, The Lord knoweth them that are bis: and let him that nameth the Name of Christ depart from Iniquity.s

THERE are two most dangerous and degenerous Extremes relating to this moft amiable and beneficial Faith. One is of thofe, who place all Religion in the End, without any, or without fufficient Regard to the appointed Means, thinking there is no Religion, Neceffity, or very little Use of them.

THE other is of thofe, who either place all, or the most of their Christianity in refting in, with a Judgment and Zeal confin'd to the Means, without any, or without due Reference to the End they were purposely ordain'd to produce; foolishly rating and efteeming them more neceffary and valuable than the End they were fubfervient to. This Extreme produces great Variety of Errors and Mistakes, more or less,

• Matth. xii. 331

+2 Jude 12.

injurious