party. The great God could have been infinitely blessed in the enjoyment of himself to all eternity, though no creature had been formed; but in this case, it is evident there could have been no mediator.

A mediator also supposes, that between these a variance or breach of friendship had taken place. Where parties are living in peace and concord, there can be no need of a mediator: there is no need of one to mediate between the Creator and holy angels; for they have ever kept their first estate, and persevered in sintess obedience. Though their happiness be established, and increased by Jesus Christ, yet nowhere is he spoken of as a mediator between God and them and had man persevered in that holy and happy state in which he was created, a mediator would have been as unnecessary as a physician where there is no disease. In that primeval state, man approached to his Creator with holy confidence; and his acts of worship went up before him with acceptance, without the mediation of any one. What was the cause of breach of friendship between them? What made the creature to shun the presence of his Creator, and attempt to hide himself from his sight? What was it that banished confidence from his mind, and covered his soul with horror and dread? It was sin; the violation of that law under which he was placed: yes,-that infinite evil hath dissolved the bonds of friendship,- hath separated between us and our Creator, and hath caused him, in righteous judg ment, to hide his face from us. You who entertain views of sin as a venial and trivial thing, will see little necessity for a mediator, and little glory in Christ Jesus, as sustaining that blessed office. But take your Bible, sit down, and lay your conscience open to the discoveries which the Most High hath given of the evil of sin, and of his infinite abhorrence of it. What expelled angels from the realms of glory, Adam, with the whole human race in him, from the favour of God and the earthly Paradise? It was sin. What swept millions of men, women, and children, into eternity, by a flood of water,-laid in ashes Sodom, Gomorrah, and the cities around, by fire from Heaven? It was sin. What is the cause of all those pains, afflictions, and judgments, under which the inha bitants of the earth do groan? What hath prepared a hell, and kindled a fire that shall never be quenched? All these proclaim in the ears of reason, that the transgression of the divine law is an evil unspeakably great; but in the sufferings of Jesus, when he bare our sins in his own body on the tree, we behold it as an evil which is infinite.

But might not the holy and blessed Creator have condescended to treat with his offending creatures immediately, without the interposition of a mediator? This supposition gives a very injurious representation of the character of the Most High. Among men, where the parties are on a level, mutual confession of filts, and mutual concessions may be made; and thus a reconciliation may se effected: but it must be remembered, that the parties under

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consideration are not on a level; there is between them an infinite distance, the Creator and the creature: —and besides, God never offended man, never did any injury to him, and had no conces sions to make. The honour of his righteous law must be yindicated, and the glory of his holiness maintained, though the whole of our guilty race should perish eternally. It would be daring im piety to imagine, that the great and eternal Jehovah should dispense with the rights of his justice and honour of his law in other words, should undeify himself, to treat immediately with rebels; · to pardon and restore them to favour without a satisfaction.

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But if a Mediator were necessary, might not a created being, a holy man, or an angel, have been qualified for this office? It appears, from the character of the person whom God hath ordained, that it was suitable and necessary that the Mediator should be taker of the natures of both parties:-" God is not a man, as we are, that we should answer him, and come together in judgment;" but he who is able to be days-man between us, must be able to lay his hand upon us both.” To constitute one a proper Mediator, it seems, to our minds, to be necessary that he should be a partaker of both natures ; the nature of God, who is offended; and of man, who has given the offence: and such a Mediator is Christ Jesus. He is God and Man in two distinct natures; and yet is one glorious and wonderful person! Human nature rendered him capable of obeying and suffering, and the divine nature stamped infinite value on his obedience and sufferings; and thus he hath laid a foundation for an honourable reconciliation between God and guilty men. This implies indeed a plurality of persons in the Godhead. This the Bible clearly reveals; and without this revelation, we cannot conceive how there could have been one qualified to be a Mediator between the holy and blessed God and us guilty and polluted creatures.

But from whom did the motion of a Mediator originate? Was it from the guilty and offending party? No, surely. Sinful and rebellious man did not solicit pardon and favour from his Creator, nor had any wish for reconciliation. The thought is too grand, too stupendous to have been conceived by a finite mind!

But Oh, astonishing mercy, amazing love, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite condescension! The great, majestic, soul-reviving idea originated with the party offended, -the eternal God himself. Let us exclude for ever from our minds every thought of the Most Higli as an austere Being, backward to forgive, reluctant to shew mercy, and as necing importunities to be reconciled. All such thoughts are most unjust, and greatly injurious to his revealed character. The appointment of Jesus Christ to be Mediator was not the effect of the wish of man; but of the infinite goodness and eternal love of God. He first loved "Herein is love; not that we loved God but that be

loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." "All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ; for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." And the eternal Son engaged in the office of Mediator, not from any solicitation on our part, but in cheerful acquiescence with the will of the Father. "Lo, I come! I delight to do thy will, O my God! yea, thy law is within my heart!"

But if God the Creator had mercy in his heart towards guilty men, what need was there for one to be a Mediator between them? That his mercy might be manifested without any dis paragement to his justice and holiness. Because he was a merciful God, he willed the restoration of rebellious men to his fayour; and because he was holy and just, he would do it only by a Mediator; that, while pardoning mercy was bestowed, the glory of his holiness and justice might shine forth in the view of the whole universe. In the person and mediation of Christ alone, we have a consistent view of the attributes of Deity. Here we behold "Mercy and Truth met together, Righteousness and Peace kissing each other."

When did Christ Jesus begin to officiate as Mediator? To this blessed office he was appointed from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. As there was no need of a Mediator till the entrance of sin, so his actual discharge of this office was co-eval with the first promise; for what was that promise, but the revelation of Christ as the Mediator between God and sinful man? Under the Old Testament dispensation he acted as Mediator before his actual incarnation. Under this character he was revealed in promises, for" to him gave all the prophets witness ;" and the church had a visible emblem of this in the mercy-seat, which covered the tables of the law; and above which was the cloud of glory between the cherubim and now, in consequence of his incarnation, death, and ascension to Heaven, he is much more clearly exhibited by the gospel. "He is our peace, who hath made peace by the blood of his cross."

He is the only Mediator. As there is but one God, so one Mediator, and only one. "I," saith he, "I (exclusive of every one else) am the way: no man cometh to the Father but by me.” The practice of the members of the Romish church, in employing angels, the Virgin Mary, and other departed saints as me diators, is absurd in itself, injurious to the character of Christ Jesus, and blasphemy against God.

And his mediation will be eternal. As he had no predeces When he shall sor, he shall have no successor in this office. have reconciled the whole elect to the Father, and presented them before his presence with exceeding joy, he will continue through all eternity, in our nature, to stand between them and the throne,

* Gen. iii. 15.

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and be the medium through which they shall for ever enjoy communion with God, and behold his glory. After his glorious appearing, there will indeed be no more sinners reconciled to God; but he will not then, I apprehend, lay aside his office. His continual mediation will be the ground of the eternal duration of their reconciled state, and to all their holy confidence in. the presence and worship of the eternal Jehovah. The Lamb shall be the light of the celestial city. "I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." "They serve him day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

The mediation of Jesus Christ is the glory of the Christian. religion; and shews that it is from Heaven, and not of men. Much instruction and spiritual consolation may be derived from this subject. How rich, and how sovereign the mercy of God our Creator! Rebel angels stood in need of a Mediator as much, as men; but the compassion of the Most High was never moved towards them. The eternal Son did not undertake their restoration, nor assume their nature, though elder in the creation, and originally more dignified beings than man. Them he hath left for ever in a state of rebellion against their Creator, and under his holy indignation, whilst, O sovereign mercy, he cheerfully undertook the office of Mediator between God and us; as Jacob, when blessing the children of Joseph, laid his right hand upon the younger son.

If our minds are rightly impressed with a view of the holiness and purity of God's nature, we shall tremble at the thought of approaching to him in any way but by the mediation of Jesus Christ. Nolo Deum absolutum, said Luther. "I will have nothing to do with an absolute God." As there could have been no typical throne in the tabernacle and temple without the mercy. seat, so, without the mediation of Christ, there could have been no throne of grace; and if God were not on a throne of grace, he could not be accessible by sinners.

Reader, is your mind oppressed with fear of the infinite holiness of God, and with a sense of the number and aggravations of your sins? Jesus is the Mediator, and his blood cleanseth from all sin. His mediation, realized by faith, will dispel all your guilty fear, convey peace to the disquieted conscience, and filial boldness to the soul. In all the acts of gospel-worship, let

your confidence towards God be derived not from your sincerity, nor from any thing done or to be done by you, but solely and, entirely from the mediation of Jesus. Do you approach unio. the Most High in prayer? Let it be done in the name of Christ. Do you engage in the pleasant exercise of praise and thanksgiving? Do it in the faith of Christ, the Mediator." By him let us offer the sacrifice of praise to. God continually; that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks unto his name. Do you hear the gospel preached do you receive the Lord's Supper? — də you distribute to the necessities of the saints? Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks unto God, even the Father by him." And O, with what cheerful confidence may we come unto God by the mediation of Christ! "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, Tet us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. We have boldness to enter into the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail: that is to say, his flesh. We have an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in the full assurance of faith.”

O, how much are they to be pitied, whose blinded minds see not the necessity, the wisdom, and the glory of Christ as the Mediator! The holy God and a sinful creature cannot meet in safety any more than flax with a consuming fire. If he be rejected under this character, there can be nothing but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation. May God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shine into their hearts, giving to them the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ!-and then it will be the ground of their confidence and joy of their hearts, that there is a Mediator be tween God and their souls, even the nan Christ Jesus!

D. II.

I WAS not a little pleased with reading in a late Number the Dialogue between the School-Boy and his Father, as it tended not only to exemplify, but also to apply several hints which have, from time to time, appeared in your useful Miscellany, relative to the comparatively small attention which is paid to the ministers of the gospel.

Permit me to say, as a further evidence in point, that I know a congregation, which was a few years ago under the necessity of erecting a new meeting-house. Being unable to bear the whole expence of the building, the minister cheerfully went out to