from a fuperior Reason, the Perfection of all CHAP Reason, may kindly discover to, inftruct, and VIII. improve inferior, weaker Reafon, as (if great Things may be compar'd to fmall) a Sir Ifaac Newton may make a Difcovery in the natural World; and when, and after discover'd, the inferior Reafon of all Men may approve, and rejoice in it as accurately and harmoniously adjusted to the Government of the natural World, as the other is to the moral. And if natural Light could not have reach'd the Discovery in one Cafe, as it might and did in the other; is not the Reafon of Man infinitely benefited and obliged for the Illumination, and Salvation of fuch a Difcovery? Perhaps, this mighty Deliverer, this Word of God, may, by his Condefcenfion to their State and Nature, be the Saviour of many other lapfed embody'd Spirits in the manifold Systems of the Univerfe; for he is represented not only faithful and true, but to have on MANY Crowns, and a Name written, that no MAN knew but him. felf.

ESPECIALLY, fince by all the ableft Judges of Reason, it must be unanimously agreed, upon a thorough Examination, that the fittest and most complete Mediator between God and Man, ought certainly to be constituted, just as the Revelation represents, of the two Natures of both, and equally partaking of each, Son of God, and Son of Man; as the Medium of Communication, and the Center of Reconciliation exactly placed between both. The two Natures united together, don't make a middle Nature, but a middle Perfon acting by thefe two Natures; with Men, he is the Repre

Rev. xix. 11, 12,

fentative

CHAP. fentative of God; with God, the Representative VIII. of Men. As he has the Nature of Man, he differs from God he mediates with; and having the Nature of God, he differs from Man. Being thus conftituted, he is fure to do equal Juftice to both Parties, at Enmity. How thould he not do right, how can he poffibly wrong us, who are Bone of his Bone, and Flesh of his Flefh? Or how neglect the Rights, or infringe upon any of the Prerogatives of God, who is God himself, defcended from the Bofom of his Father? therefore called our Righteoufnefs, and alfo the Righteousness of God, and in both refpects the righteous one; He is our Righteoufnefs by being the Sanctification and Acceptance of that Righteousness, which is in our fincere Endeavours to perform: Thus God in the Mediator righteous, recapitulated all Righteousness in Heaven, and Earth. What makes the Execution of the Office of an Umpire fo nice and difficult, and so constant a Jealoufy attending it, of favouring one Side more than another? But the Want of a Medium that affords fufficient Security and Pledge to both Parties against the leaft Self-Intereft or Partiality; and in Concern fo equally distant from, and indifferent to each, as to be perfectly disinterested and impartial towards both. But in this Mediation, there is the Tie of Nature; moreover to both the Parties; which is the highest Pledge and Security that can be given to each, that the Intereft of both fhall be equally thought of, and confulted. By virtue of his Divine Nature as Son of God, he is incapable of doing anything in his Mediation, but what fhould be to the Glory of God the Father, and the Illuftration of the Attributes of the Deity; he is faithful in all his House with the Fidelity of a Son, who has an Interest

Intereft himself therein, tranfcending the Faith- CHAP. fulness of any Servant: And as touch'd with our VIII. Infirmities, he is incapable of forgetting to be a merciful High Priest for us.

AND as in no other, but himself, was ever the true Nature of God, and the true Nature of Man united, in one Cbrift, fo is he alone the one true Mediator, the one beft Medium of Congruity that can ever be thought of, for eftablishing perfect Peace and Reconciliation; to the Intent, that both Parties might be fecure, and are thereby admirably fecured of an equal Interest in him; that the Honour and Authority of one might as well be confulted and faved; at the fame Time, the Sins and Weakness of the other were condefcended to, pity'd, and pardon'd, unto Salvation. Confidering God as a Governor, and ourfelves as his Subjects, if he would be extreme in rigour of Justice, to mark what we have done amifs, who could abide it? by the Deeds of the 'Law, and the Covenant of Works, no Flesh could ftand in his Sight. If, on the other hand, *he should be fo extremely remifs in the Easiness of his Goodness, as to forgive upon every repeated Offence, without any farther Confideration or Condition; who would value to obey, or confider himself under Dominion, or bound by any •Law. to ferve God? Therefore there muft arife a third Perfon (seeing the Nature of God and his Attributes are immutable, and the natural obedient Powers of Man have been changed and alter'd) as a Medium of Juftice, and a Medium of Goodness, to be difpenfed to the Sons of Men.

AND because it required the utmost Wisdom of God to reconcile and accomplish this; there

fore

CHAP. fore the Perfon who came down from Heaven to VIII. effect it, is faid to be the aóyos, the Word that was with God, and was God, the Supreme Reafon of all Things, and the Wisdom of God unto Man's Salvation. Thus the inferior Wisdom and Reason of Man may reft fatisfy'd, that he fhall be taken Care of by that Share or Moiety of Chrift, his buman Nature; as God the Father is, taken Care of, by the other Moiety of his Divine Nature*.

AND this wonderful, mighty Counsellor, Prince of Peace, the Mediator between God and Man, being thus conftituted of both Natures; naturalizes our Notion of, and Faith in him, to our Mind and Reason, and gives the greatest Affurance poffible, that he is likewife in his Office the fureft, the jufteft, the most capable, the most acceptable Mediator to both Parties that could be pitch'd upon, in all the Univerfe; and, at the fame Time, affords the greateft Proof that God's Ways with Sinners are equal, and at an infinite Distance from Arbitrariness. Whom God repofes himself upon, we have all the Reafon in the

*Irenæus and Cyprian fpeak fublimely upon this Union of the two Natures. Opportuerat enim mediatorem dei & hominum per fuam ad utrofque domefticitatem, & ad amicitiam & ad concordiam utrofque reducere, & facere, ut deus affumeret hominem, & homo fe dederat deo. Qua enim ratione filiorum adoptionis ejus participes effe poffemus, nifi per filium, eam quæ eft ad ipfum, recepiffemus ab eo communionem, nifi verbum ejus communicaffet, caro factum? Iren. Lib. III. cap. 20. Indulgentiæ divina gratia arbiter & magifter, fermo & filius dei mittitur, qui per prophetas omnes illuminator & doctor humani generis prædicabatur, bic eft virtus dei, hic ratio, bic fapientia ejus gloria: hic in virginem illabitur, carnem fpiritu fanéto co-oper ante induitur. Deus femper cum homine mifcetur, hic deus nofter, hic Chriftus eft, qui mediator duogum boniinem induit, quem perducat ad patrem. Cypr. de van, idol.

World

World to confide in the fame Perfon, fince he is CHAP. as qualify'd and difpofed by Nature, as he is autho-, VIII. rized by Office to make a thorough Reconciliation. What can be better adjusted than this Belief of his equal fharing both Natures, in the Fulness and Perfection thereof, for afcertaining us, who are apt to judge every one to ftand affected, as they ftand related by Blood and Nature, of the equal Concern, and all Perfection of this Mediator of Redemption, and Interceffion for us?

MOSES was a Mediator, not by Nature, but Office only, chofen first by the People who were in a Confternation at the great quaking of the Mountain, luminous Appearances and Voices of the Majesty and Greatnefs of God, fupernatural and terrible; and approved afterwards by God. But his Province was in the old Covenant, he had no Concern in the New. The Mofaick Statutes and Judgments, the fpecial Policy of Rites, and the peculiar Ordinances of Ceremonies, were the old Original, do this and live, put under wholefome Difcipline, into an actual Lineage and Preparation for the Birth of the Mediator of the explicitly appearing new and better Covenant: They terminated in this Life; therefore called Statutes that were not good, and Judgments whereby they should not live*; and the Burthen was fo great, VOL. I. e

that

Ezek. xx. 25. Should not live: The probable Senfe is, fhould not live always; because the Defign of Providence in thofe Statutes and Judgments concerning Meats, Sacrifice, and other Rites of Severation was temporary, to preserve them a peculiar Nation, a feparate unmixing People from all the Nations round about, by Ordinances to eat and facrifice what other Nations worshipped, as the Ox and his Tribe, the Sheep and Goat adored as Gods in Egypt, and to abstain from Meats, and the Manner of Dreffing, which were probably in the

greatest