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And thus I have given a brief account both of what the Holy Spirit hath done, and of what he still continues to do, towards the promoting and effectuating of Christ's mediation for God with men: and by what hath been said, it abundantly appears that he hath done for us, and still continues to do, all that our case and necessity requires; and that there is nothing imaginable wanting on his part towards the reducing and reconciling our minds to God. So that now he may justly say to us, as God doth to his vineyard, Isa. v. 4. What could I have done more for my vineyard that I have not done? or, as the Hebrew expresses it, What is to be done more? Not but that by his omnipotent power absolutely considered, the Holy Spirit can do more for us than he ordinarily doth; he can in an instant infuse a new nature into us, in despite of all the resistance of our wills, and make such irresistible impressions in our minds, as our most inveterate prejudice and enmity against God shall never be able to withstand: but then his power always acts by the direction of his wisdom, and can do no otherwise; that is, it can do no more than it can wisely do, and it is certain that ordinarily and regularly it cannot wisely so act upon men, as to determine their natural liberty to good and evil; since by so doing he must not only commit a perpetual violence on the frame of our beings, and thereby reverse the established course of our natures, but also destroy the very being of virtue in us, which is no longer virtue than while it is free and unconstrained: but whatsoever he can wisely do, or, which is all one, consistently with the liberty of our nature, he hath done, and still continues doing. So that now, to the reduction of our souls to God,

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there is nothing wanting but our own consent and free cooperation, which if we will refuse we may; for, for a desperate obstinacy there is no remedy: if we will not comply with the blessed Spirit, it is certain he will not save us whether we will or no. So that when inquisition shall be made for the blood of our souls, the utmost we can charge him with is, that he did not drag us to heaven in spite of our teeth, and bind up our hands in the cords of an irresistible fate, to hinder us from murdering ourselves: but, if we have so little regard of ourselves as to spurn at our own happiness, it is by no means fit that he should force it upon us, and it would be a very mean and unreasonable condescension in him to prostitute his grace to such as scorn and refuse it. If therefore, after all these things that the Spirit hath done for us, we persist and finally perish in our enmity against God, he may fairly wash his hands in innocency over us, and charge our blood upon our own heads; and, how deplorable soever our condition proves in the future state, his justice will triumph gloriously in our ruin; and our own consciences, together with all the reasonable world, will be forced to be his compurgators, and to pronounce him infinitely just and righteous in all his ways.

SECT. II.

Concerning the particular offices of Christ's mediation. FOR the clearer stating what are the particular offices of the Mediator, it will be necessary briefly to inquire into the state and condition of the parties between whom he mediates, as they stand related to

one another. For he being to officiate for and between God and man, to be sure his offices must be such as their respective states and conditions do require. For how can he officiate effectually between them, unless he performs all those good offices on both sides, which, considering their states as they stand related to one another, are necessary to create a mutual accord and agreement between them? Now the state of God, as he stands related to us, is that of a supreme and absolute sovereign over blind and rebellious subjects, who were so far depraved and degenerated, as that we neither understood his will, nor were at all disposed to obey it. Wherefore, that he might officiate effectually for God with us, his ignorant and rebellious subjects, it was necessary, first, that he should perform the office of a prophet, in revealing God's will and pleasure to us, of which the whole race of mankind was so deplorably ignorant. Secondly, that he should perform the office of a king, in exacting our obedience to God, and subduing our stubborn wills to his heavenly pleasure; so that in officiating for God with us, it was necessary that he should both teach us as God's prophet, and rule us as God's king. And then the state of man, as it respects God, is that of a most guilty and criminal subject, who, by a continued course of rebellion, had justly and highly incensed and provoked his sovereign Lord against him; in which state of things it was highly necessary that, in officiating for us with God, our mediator should in the first place render him some great and honourable reparation in our behalf, such as he, in his infinite wisdom, should think meet to exact, for those high and manifold affronts and indignities which we had offered to his sacred person and autho

rity. For without some such reparation he could not well have admitted of any reconciliation with us, without prostituting his own authority, and rendering it cheap and vile in the eyes of bold and insolent offenders. Now the greatest reparation he could make for us was to take our punishment on himself, by offering up his own life to God as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. And then, secondly, it was necessary, that having made this reparation for us, he should thereupon become our advocate, and plead his sacrifice to God in our behalf, that for the sake thereof he would be so far propitious to us, as to admit us, upon our unfeigned repentance, to his grace and favour. Both which are comprehended in the priestly office, which consists, as I shall shew hereafter, in atoning God with sacrifice. So that the particular offices, which the respective states of God and man require of him that mediates between them, is to teach and rule for God, and to expiate and advocate for men.

But for the better understanding of these particular offices, it is necessary we should briefly consider the method and economy of them, and explain in what order and manner the Mediator hath proceeded and advanced in the exercise and administration of them. Which, in short, was thus: By commission from God the Father he came down into the world; where the first mediatorial office he undertook was that of a prophet, in the discharge whereof he made a full revelation of God's mind and will to the world. And having performed this, at least so far as was needful in his own person, he next enters upon the first part of his priestly office, which was, to make an expiation for the sins of the world by the sacrifice of

himself; and this being finished, he a little after proceeded to the other part, which was, to make an oblation of his sacrifice to God in heaven, and in virtue thereof to advocate for us, and solicit our pardon and admission into the divine favour: upon the performance of all which, and as a glorious reward of it, he was admitted to sit down at the right hand of God in the throne of regal authority, next and immediately to the Father. For so, Phil. ii. 8, 9, 10. the apostle tells us, He humbled himself, and became obedient to the death, even the death of the cross: wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. And in Heb. xii. 2. his sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God is the consequence of his enduring the cross and despising the shame of it. So that in short, the order and method in which he proceeded in his mediatorial offices was this: first he prophesied; then he made expiation for our sins on the cross; then presented his expiation in heaven, and therein began to advocate or intercede for us; and then he received that regal authority by which he is to reign till the consummation of all things. And therefore, for the more clear and distinct explication of these particular offices, it will be the most proper to treat of them in the same order wherein they are placed in the divine economy, beginning first with the prophetic, thence proceeding to the priestly, and thence to the kingly office.

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