hi body being raised from the dead; his divine nature or person, in raising it up of himself. To observe no more, the redemption and purchase of his people, is a plain proof of both Datures being concerned in his work. The purchase-price is his precious blood, his blood as man; but what gave virtue to that blood, is, that it was the blood of him that is God as well as man; and therefore God is said to purchase the church with his own blood, Acts xx. 28. III. It was not only requisite and necessary, that the Mediator should be God and man, but that he should be both in one Person; or, rather, that the human nature should be taken up, and united to, and subsist in the person of the Son of God. What he assumed was not a person, but a nature, and is called a thing, nature, seed, Luke i. 35. Heb i 16 had it been a person, there would be two persons in Christ, and so two mediators, contrary to the express words of scripture, 1 Tim. ii. 5. These two natures being in personal union, the works and actions of either, though distinct and peculiar to each, yet belong to the whole Person, and are predicated of it; Hence it may be observed, that Christ is described in one nature, by qualities, works, and actions, which belong to him in the other, and is what divines call a communication of idioms, or properties; thus the Lord of glo. ry is said to be crucified; God is said to purchase the church with his blood; and the Son of man is said to be in heaven, while he was here on earth, 1 Cor. ii. 8. Acts xx. 28. John iii. 13. nor is it any objection that two natures should influence one and the same action, the soul and body of man, united together, concur in the performance of the same action, whether good or bad. I shall enquire,

III. How Christ came to be the mediator of the covenant, even the mediator of reconciliation in it; this affair began with God the Father; All things are of God, that is, the Father, as appears by what follows, Who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. v. 18, 19. I was set up from everlasting, Prov. viii. 23. says Christ; that is, by his divine Father; and God not only set him up but set him forth, Rom. v. 25.

and declared him in prophecy to be the Prince of peace; the Mediator acted as such, throughout the whole old testament-dispensation: he exercised his several offices then: his Pro. phetic office, by making known to Adam the covenant of grace, immediately after his fall; his Kingly office, in gathering, governing, and protecting his church, and his Priestly office, through the virtue of his blood reaching backward to the foun dation of the world, and therefore said to be the Lamb slain so early, Rev. xiii. 8. the actual existence of Christ's human nature from eternity, was not necessary to his being a Mediator of the covenant; it was enough that he agreed in covenant, to be man in time. Some parts of his work did not require the actual existence of the human nature; he could draw nigh to God, as Jehovah's fellow without it. It only remains

now.

IV. To shew what a Mediator Christ is, the excellency of him as such. 1. He is the one and only Mediator; There is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus; the papists plead for other mediators, angels and saints departed: and distinguish between a Mediator of redemption, and a me. diator of intercession; the former, they own, is peculiar to Christ, the latter common to angels and saints; but there is no Mediator of intercession, but who is a Mediator of re demption and reconciliation. The instances produced are in. sufficient, and respect either the uncreated angel, Jesus Christ himself, Zech. i. 12. Rev. viii. 3. or saints, ministers, and members of churches in the present state, and not as departed, Rev. v. 8. and if, Rev. vi. 9. is to be understood of departed spirits, it is only an instance of prayer for themselves, and not for others. 2. Christ is a Mediator of men only, not of angels; good angels need not any, and as for evil angels, none is provided nor admitted, as before observed. The persons for whom Christ acted as a Mediator, by means of death, for the redemption of their transgressions, were such as were called, and received the promise of the eternal inheritance, Heb. ix. 15.-3. Yet he is the Mediator both for Jews and Gentiles;

and therefore both have access to God through the one Me, diator, Christ, Rom. ix. 23, 24. and iii. 29, 30. 4. Christ is Mediator both for old and new testament-saints; there is but one Mediator for both; he is the Foundation of the apostles and prophets. 5. Christ is a prevalent Mediator, his mediation is always effectual; as for his prayers they are always heard; I knew that thou hearest me always, John xi. 42. 6. Christ is an everlasting Mediator, he has an unchangeable priesthood, and he ever lives to make intercession; and when his mediatorial kingdom will be completed, and there will be no need of him, either as a Mediator of reconciliation or intercession, at least in the manner he has been, and now is Christ may be the medium of the glory and happiness of his people to all eternity.

OF CHRIST AS THE SURETY OF THE

COVENANT.

THE Greek word for surety is used but once throughout the whole new Testament, Heb. vii. 22. the word is derived either from engus, near, because a surety draws nigh to one on behalf of another; thus Christ drew nigh to his Father, and became a Surety to him for them, Jer. xxx. 21. or rather it is derived from guion which signifies the hand; because when one becomes a surety, he strikes hands with him; a rite much used in suretyship, and is often put for it, and used as synony. mous; see Prov. vi. 1. and xvii. 18. and xxii. 26. The He brew word for surety, in the Old Testament, Gen. xliij 9 has the signification of mixing, because, as Stockius observes, in suretyship persons are so mixed among themselves, and joined together, that the one is thereby bound to the other. It may be proper to consider,

I. In what sense Christ is the surety of the covenant. 1. He is not the Surety for his Father, to his people, engaging that the promises made by him in covenant shall be fulfilled; which is the Socinian sense of Christ's suretyship. Such is the faith. fulness of God that has promised, that there needs no surety

for him; his faithfulness is sufficient, which he will not suffer to fail. Besides, though Christ is equal with his Father, is Jehovah's fellow, and has all the perfections of Deity in him, yet he is not greater than he; he cannot give a greater secu rity than the word and oath of God; it is with an ill grace these men advance such a notion; since they make Christ to be but a mere man; and what dependence can there be upon him, Jer. xvii. 5. what greater security is it possible that a mere man should give, than what the promise of God itself gives? Nor, 11. Is Christ in such sense a Surety, as civilians call a fidejussor, or such a surety that is jointly engaged with a debtor, for the payment of a debt. 1. He is not a mere accessory to the obligation of his people for payment of their debts; he and they are not engaged in one joint-bond for payment; he has taken their whole debt upon himself, as the apostle Paul did in the case of Onesimus. 2. Nor was any such condition made in his suretyship-engagements for his people, that they should pay if they were able. God the Father knew full well, that it was impossible for them, in their circumstances, ever to pay. Nor is such a supposition to be made, that Christ might desert his suretyship, withdraw himself from it; for from the instant he became a Surety for his people, he became a Servant to his Father, and he called and reckoned him as such; Thou art my servant, O Israel; behold my servant whom I uphold, Isai. xlix. 3. 4. Nor is it to be supposed, that Christ might not fulfil his suretyship-engage. ments, or not make satisfaction, as might be expected; since if he did not, it must be either for want of will, or want of power; not of will, since the persons he became a surety for, he bore the strongest affection to; nor for want of power, since, as a divine Person, he is the mighty God; as Mediator, has all power in heaven and in earth.

II. Christ is in such sense a Surety, as civilians call an expromissor, one that promises out and out, absolutely engages to pay another's debt; takes anothers obligation, and transfers it to himself, and by this act dissolves thef ormer obligation, and

enters into a new one, which civilians call novation; though they do not in every thing tally; for the civil law neither describes nor admits such a surety among men as Christ is; who so substituted himself in the room and stead of sinners, as to suffer punishment in soul and body for them; but in some things there is an agreement. 1. Christ, by his suretyship, has taken the whole debt of his people upon himself. God the Father expected satisfaction of Christ, and said, deliver them from going down to the pit; I have found a Ransom, Job xxxiii. 24. 2, When Christ became a Surety for his people, their sins were no longer imputed to them, but were imputed to Christ, were placed to his account, 2 Cor. v. 19. Isai. liii. 6. for,-3. The old testament-saints were really freed from guilt, condemnation, and death, before the actual payment was made by Christ their Surety: yea, they were received into heaven, and actually glorified, before the suretyship-engage ments of Christ were fulfilled, Isai. xliii. 25, Heb. xi. 13-16. 4. It is certain that the old testament-saints had knowledge of the mediatorial engagements of Christ, and prayed and plead. ed for the application of the benefits of them to them, Job. xix. 25. Psal. cxix. 122. Isai. xxxviii. 14. And now from this suretyship of Christ arise both the imputation of sin to Christ, and the imputation of his righteousness to his people; this is the ground and foundation of both, and on which the priestly office of Christ stands, and in virtue of which it is exercised, 2 Cor. v. 21. Heb. vii. 20-22. I proceed,

II. To consider what Christ as a Surety, engaged to do,"

1. He engaged to pay the debts of his people, and satisfy for the wrong done by them; this may be illustrated by the instance of the apostle Paul engaging for Onesimus, If he bath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on my account; I Paul, have written it with mine orun hand, I will repay it Philem. 18, 19. as debts oblige to payment, so sins to punishment; but Christ being an infinite Person. As God, was able to pay off those debts, and answered for those sins, and engaged to do it, and has done it. There is a twofold debt paid by