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he is "Jefus the Mediator of the new covenant;" and his blood is "the blood of fprinkling, that fpeaketh better things than that of Abel." By his means, he who was before an enemy is reconciled to God, brought within the bond of the covenant of peace, and gets a right to all the benefits of it. As by his gracious Spirit he extinguishes the real enmity of the finner against God, fo by his interceffion he removes the legal enmity in God against the finner. He intercedes as the Secretary, or favourite courtier of heaven, bringing in the finner into the comfortable gracious prefence of God, procuring him accefs to God, and communion with him in duties: Eph. iii. 12. "In whom we have boldness and access, with confidence, by the faith of him." Thus, through the vail of his flesh, the believing finner draws nigh to God, and God draws nigh to him with his quickening, fanctifying, and comforting influences. The finner looks on God with the confidence a child does on a father.-He intercedes as a Refident at the court of heaven: Heb. ix. 24. "He is entered into heaven itfelf, now to appear in the prefence of God for us. And by this means he maintains that peace which he has made betwixt God and believers: Rom. v. 1. "Being juftified by faith, we have epace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift :" He keeps the believer's trade with heaven open free for them: Rom. v. 2. " By whom also we have access by faith, into this grace, wherein we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." He removes any emergent differences, Ifa. liii. 12.; and fo enfures, by the covenant of peace, that there can never be a total rupture betwixt heaven and them: Heb. vii. 25. "Wherefore he is able to fave them to the uttermoft that come to God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion

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for

for them."-He intercedes as an Advocate at the bar of God: 1 John, ii. 1. " If any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Christ the righteous." He pleads their caufe before God, upon the ground of his own fufferings, against all their accufers and whatever is charged upon them, fo that they are freed from condemnation, their right and title to heaven is ftill vindicated, notwithstanding their many failures; and wrath can go no farther against them than temporary strokes.

He intercedes as a Solicitor for his people before the Lord. He prefents their petitions, and folicits for the granting of them. With much incenfe he offers the prayers of all faints upon the golden altar which was before the throne, Rev. viii. 3. They have many wants, both as to temporal and spiritual things. They muft go to God for them, and put up their petitions. But he must prefent them, elfe they cannot be heard.

5. He is the Adminiftrator of the covenant, God's deputy-governor, to difpofe of the benefits of the covenant, and to manage the whole matter betwixt the Lord and finners: Matth. xxviii. 18. "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.' As Jofeph was fet over the land of Egypt, fo he is set over his Father's house, all commerce betwixt the Lord and finners being through his mediation. As they can offer nothing to God acceptably, but through him; fo they can receive no benefit from heaven but through his hand: John, v. 22. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son." He has to bring the elect to 'confent to the covenant; to rule and govern them in it; to protect, provide, and furnish them with all neceffaries through the wilderness; and, finally, to give them the crown and kingdom at laft; this is the office and work to which Chrift was anointed; neither men nor angels

Could any ma

gels could be fit for such a trust. nage it without a fulnefs of the Spirit lodged in him? therefore, as in John, v. 22. (quoted above), and in ver. 23. All men fhould honour the Son, even as they honour the Father: he that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father that sent him." All men fhould honour the Son, for none but one who had the fulness of the divine perfections could be capable of fuch a truft. Who elfe was fit to be days-man between God and finners? Who elfe could be the meffenger of the covenant, for who hath known the mind of the Lord, but his onlybegotten and well-beloved Son, who from eternity lay in his bofom?

I conclude with a very fhort improvement.

1. Learn hence, that the work of the falvation of finners, restoring them to the favour of God, and to make them happy, is a great work, and a work which was not eafily accomplished. It was a work above the power of men or angels, a work not to be performed but by him who has all power in heaven and earth. Think on this, ye that judge it fuch an eafy thing to obtain mercy; and affure thyfelf it is a work which can never be done but by Christ's own hand.

2. Highly esteem and honour Christ, particularly by believing in him, who is thus qualified for this great work. O what need of the fulness of the Spirit in him to fupport him under the load of the elect's debt,-in order to the difcharging it, -and to touch and turn the hearts of finners unto God!

Laftly, See your abfolute need of Chrift. You must have an intereft in him, elfe you cannot be faved. His mediation only can save you from the wrath of God, and from the loweft hell. Amen.

JESUS

JESUS A PREACHER OF GOOD TIDINGS TO

THE MEEK.

SERMON XLVIII.

ISA. Ixi. 1. The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek.

IND

N thefe and the following words, we have reprefented the great, the important work for which Jefus was appointed, and to which he was specially called by his heavenly Father,―work for which he was completely qualified, by the Spirit of the Lord God being upon him. We propose to confider the several parts of this work, in that order in which they are fet before us; and accordingly begin with that part, his having "to preach good tidings to the meek."-In which words we have,

1. The work itself in which the Son of God was employed, and to which he was called: To preach good tidings. He was a minifter by office: Rom. xv. 8. "Now I fay, that Jefus Chrift was a minister of the circumcifion, for the truth of God, to confirm the promises of God made to the fathers;" the great minifter of the gofpel. He VOL. III.

E

was

was the best among men; he brought good tidings, the best of tidings; by these tidings is meant the gofpel, Luke, iv. 18. This is the good news, the tidings of peace and falvation, which Jefus brought from heaven to earth.-We have,

2. The special object of this part of the work, the meek. The word fignifies, fuch as are meek, humble, and fubmiffive, being made fo by poverty and affliction. In the parallel place, it reads poor, and the one explains the other. If it is inquired, what poor ones are meant? I think it is plain, it is not those who are mean in the world, but the poor in fpirit, for these poor ones are meek. These meek poor ones are claffed with the broken-hearted, and both diftinguished from the captives and prisoners, by the original accentuation. So that by the meek here is meant, the poor in fpirit, those who, as being convinced by the law, have feen themselves to be poor, that they have nothing in which they could ftand before God as righteous, but look on themselves as wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked, Rev. iii. 17. And it is remarkable, that our Saviour's fermon on the mount begins with good tidings to fuch perfons: Matth. v. 3. "Bleffed are the poor in fpirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

But here there occurs a question: Was Chrift to preach the good tidings of the gospel to none but these? To this I answer, The gospel was in itself good tidings unto all: Luke, ii. 10. " And the angel faid unto them, Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which fhall be to all people." Our Lord preached to all who heard him promifcuously thefe good tidings, but in effect they were not good to any but to the poor in fpirit among them. None but thefe could relifh the goodness of them; to others they were taftelefs,

but

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