21; and in the fulness of time he came into this world, obeyed the law, satisfied justice, and brought his people into a state of grace and favour; yea, into a more exalted state of friendship with God than was lost by the fall, Eph. ii. 18. Now, in order to the accomplishing of this work, it was necessary that the Mediator should be God and man in one person. It was necessary that he should be man,-1. That he might be related to those he was a Mediator and Redeemer of.-2. That sin might be satisfied for, and reconciliation be made for it, in the same nature which sinned.-3. It was proper that the Mediator should be capable of obeying the law broken by the sin of man, as a divine person could not be subject to the law, and yield obedience to it, Gal. iv. 4, Rom. v. 19.-4. It was meet that the Mediator should be man, that he might be capable of suffering death; for, as God, he could not die, and without shedding of blood there was no remission, Heb. ii. 10, 15, viii. 3.-5. It was fit he should be man, that he might be a faithful high priest, to sympathize with his people under all their trials, temptations, &c. Heb. ii. 17, 18, iv. 15.-6. It was fit that he should be a holy and righteous man, free from all sin, original and actual, that he might offer himself without spot to God, take away the sins of men, and be an advocate for them, Heb, vii. 26, ix. 14; 1 John iii. 5. But it was not enough to be truly man, and an innocent person; he must be more than a man: it was requisite that he should be God also, for, 1. No mere man could have entered into a covenant with God to mediate between him and sinful men.-2. He must be God, to give virtue and value to his obedience and sufferings; for the sufferings of men or angels would not have been sufficient.-3. Being thus God-man, we are encouraged to hope in him. In the person of Jesus Christ the object of trust is brought nearer to ourselves; and those well-known tender affections which are only figuratively ascribed to the Deity, are in our great Mediator thoroughly realized. Further, were he God, and not man, we should approach him with fear and dread; were he man and not God, we should be guilty of idolatry to worship and trust him at all, Jer. xvii. 5. The plan of salvation, therefore, by such a Mediator, is the most suitable to human beings that possibly could be; for here "Mercy

and truth meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other," Psal. lxxxv. 10. The properties of Christ as Mediator are these: I. He is the only Mediator, 1 Tim. ii. 4. Praying, therefore, to saints and angels is an error of the church of Rome, and has no countenance from the Scripture.-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.-3. He is the Mediator both for Jews and Gentiles, Eph. ii. 18, 1 John ii. 2.-4. He is Mediator both for Old and New Testament saints.-5. He is a suitable, constant, willing, and prevalent Mediator; his mediation always succeeds, and is infallible. Gill's Body of Div., vol. i. oct. p. 336; Witsii Econ. Fœd. lib. ii. c. 4; Fuller's Gospel its own Witness, ch. iv. p. 2; Hurrion's Christ Crucified, p. 103, &c.; Dr. Owen on the Person of Christ; Dr. Goodwin's Works, b. iii.

MEDITATION is an act by which we consider anything closely, or wherein the soul is employed in the_search_or consideration of any truth. In religion it is used to signify the serious exercise of the understanding, whereby our thoughts are fixed on the observation of spiritual things, in order to practice. Mystic divines make a great difference between meditation and contemplation: the former consists in discursive acts of the soul, considering methodically and with attention the mysteries of faith and the precepts of morality; and is performed by reflections and reasonings which leave behind them manifest impressions on the brain. The purely contemplative, they say, have no need of meditation, as seeing all things in God at a glance, and without any reflection. See BEGUINS and QUIETISTS.

1. Meditation is a duty which ought to be attended to by all who wish well to their spiritual interests. It ought to be deliberate, close, and perpetual, Psal. cxix. 97; i. 2. 2. The subjects which ought more especially to engage the Christian mind are the works of creation, Psal. xix.; the perfections of God, Deut. xxxii. 4; the excellencies, offices, characters, and works of Christ, Heb. xii. 2, 3; the offices and operations of the Holy Spirit, John xv. and xvi.; the various dispensations of Providence, Psal. xcvii, 1, 2; the precepts, declarations, promises, &c. of God's word, Psal. cxix.; the value, powers, and im

mortality of the soul, Mark viii. 36; the noble, beautiful, and benevolent plan of the Gospel, 1 Tim. i. 11; the necessity of our personal interest in and experience of its power, John iii. 3; the depravity of our nature, and the freedom of divine grace in choosing, adopting, justifying, and sanctifying us, 1 Cor. vi. 11; the shortness, worth, and swiftness of time, James iv. 14; the certainty of death, Heb. ix. 27; the resurrection and judgment to come, 1 Cor. xv. 50, &c.; and the future state of eternal rewards and punishments, Matt. xxv. These are some of the most important subjects on which we should meditate. 3. To perform this duty aright, we should be much in prayer, Luke xviii. 1; avoid a worldly spirit, 1 John ii. 15; beware of sloth, Heb. vi. 11; take heed of sensual pleasures, James iv. 4; watch against the devices of Satan, 1 Pet. v. 8; be often in retirement, Psal. iv. 4; embrace the most favourable opportunities-the calmness of the morning, Psal. v. 1, 3; the solemnity of the evening, Gen. xxiv. 63; sabbath days, Psal. cxviii. 24; sacramental occasions, &c., 1 Cor. xi. 28. 4. The advantages resulting from this are, improvement of the faculties of the soul, Prov. xvi. 22; the affections are raised to God, Psal. xxxix. 1, 4; an enjoyment of divine peace and felicity, Phil. iv. 6, 7; holiness of life is promoted, Psal. cxix. 59, 60; and we thereby experience a foretaste of eternal glory, Psal. lxxiii, 25, 26; 2 Cor. v. 1, &c.

MEEKNESS, a temper of mind not easily provoked to resentment. In the Greek language it is paos, quasi paos, facilis, easiness of spirit, and thus it may be justly called; for it accommodates the soul to every occurrence, and so makes a man easy to himself, and to all about him. The Latins call a meek man mansuetus, qu. manu assuetus, used to the hand; which alludes to the taming and reclaiming of creatures wild by nature, and bringing them to be tractable and familiar, James iii. 7, 8: so where the grace of meekness reigns it subdues the impetuous disposition, and teaches it submission and forgiveness. It teaches us to govern our own anger whenever we are at any time provoked, and patiently to bear the anger of others, that it may not be a provocation to us. The former is its office, especially in superiors; the latter in inferiors, and both in equals, James iii. 13. The excellency of such a spirit appears, if we

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consider that it enables us to gain a victory over corrupt nature, Prov. xvi. 32; . that it is a beauty and an ornament to human beings, 1 Pet. iii. 4; that it is obedience to God's word, and conformity to the best patterns, Eph. v. 1, 2; Phil. iv. 8. It is productive of the highest peace to the professor, Luke xxi. 19; Matt. xi. 28, 29. It fits us for any duty, instruction, relation, condition, or persecution, Phil. iv. 11, 12. To obtain this spirit, consider that it is a divine injunction, Zeph. ii. 3; Col. iii. 12; 1 Tim. vi. 11. Observe the many examples of it Jesus Christ, Matt. xi. 28; Abraham, Gen. xiii.;_ xvi. 5, 6; Moses, Numb. xii. 3; David, Zech. xii. 8; 2 Sam. xvi. 10, 12; Ps. cxxxi. 2; Paul, 1 Cor. ix. 19. How lovely a spirit it is in itself, and how it secures us from a variety of evils. That peculiar promises are made to such, Matt. v, 5; Isaiah lxvi. 2. That such give evidence of their being under the influence of divine grace, and shall enjoy the divine blessing, Isaiah lvii. 15. See Henry on Meekness; Dunlop's Serm., vol. ii. p. 434; Evans's Sermons on the Christ. Temper, ser. 29; Tillotson on 1 Pet. ii. 21; and on Matt. v. 44; Logan's Sermons, vol. i. ser. 10; and Jortin's Sermons, vol. iii. ser. 11.

MEETING-HOUSE, a place appropriated by Dissenters for the purpose of public worship. Since the act of uniformity passed, 1662, by which so many hundreds of ministers were ejected from their livings, meeting-houses have become very numerous. For a considerable time, indeed, they were prohibited by the conventicle act; but, at last, toleration being granted to Dissenters, they enjoyed the privilege of meeting and worshipping God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and which they still possess to this day. The number of meeting-houses in London may, perhaps, amount to about one hundred and fifty, though some reckon upwards of two hundred. In all the respectable towns, and even in many villages of England, there are meeting-houses; and, within a few years, they have greatly increased.

MELANCHOLY, sadness or gloom; arising either from habit of body, or the state of the mind. To remove it, the following remedies may be applied, 1. Early rising. 2. Plain, nourishing food. 3. Exercise in the open air. Or if it arises particularly from the mind,

1. Associate with the cheerful. 2. Study the Scripture. 3. Consider the amiable character of God. 4. Avoid sin. 5. Be much in prayer. See Burton, Baxter,

and Rogers on Melancholy. MELANCTHON, PHILIP, Luther's fellow-labourer in the Reformation, was born February 16, 1497, at Bretten, in the palatinate of the Rhine. His father, George Schwartzerd, was keeper of the armoury of the Count Palatine, and died in 1507; and his mother, Barbara, was a near relative of Reuchlin. He was distinguished, at an early age, by his intellectual endowments. His rapid progress in the ancient languages, during his boyhood, made him a peculiar favourite with Reuchlin. At his advice he changed his name, according to the custom of the learned at that time, from Schwartzerd (Black earth) into the Greek name Melancthon, of the same signification; and, in 1510, went to the university of Heidelberg. Here he was preeminent in philological and philosophical studies, so that the following year he was deemed qualified for the degree of bachelor of philosophy, and was made the instructor of several young counts. But as this university denied him the dignity of Magister, on account of his youth, he went to Tubingen, in 1512, where, in addition to his former studies, he devoted himself particularly to theo logy; and, in 1514, after obtaining the degree of master, delivered lectures on the Greek and Latin authors. In 1518, he received from the great Erasmus the praise of uncommon research, correct knowledge of classical antiquity, and of an eloquent style. On Reuchlin's recommendation, he was appointed, in his 22d year, to be professor of the Greek language and literature, at the university of Wittemberg, where he was brought into contact with Luther; and, by his enlightened mind, ripened judgment, philosophical and critical acumen, the uncommon distinctness and order of his ideas, his extraordinary caution, yet stedfast zeal, contributed greatly to the progress and success of the Reformation, in connexion with the activity, spirit, and enterprise of Luther. His superiority as a scholar, his mild, amiable character, and the moderation and candour with which he treated the opposite party, rendered him peculiarly suitable to be a mediator. No one knew better than he how to soften the rigor of Luther, and to recommend the new doc

trines to those who were prepossessed against them, His "Loci Theologici," which first appeared in 1521, opened the path to an exposition of the Christian creed, at once scientific and intelligible, and became the model to all Protestant writers on dogmatics. He urged decidedly, in 1529, the protest against the resolutions of the diet of Spire, which gave his party its name. In 1530, he drew up the celebrated Confession of Augsburg. This and the Apology for it, which he composed soon after, carried the reputation of his name through all Europe. Francis I. invited him to France, in 1535, with the view to a pacific conference with the doctors of the Sorbonne; and he soon after received a similar invitation to England, but political reasons prevented his accepting either of the invitations. He went to Worms, in 1541, and soon after to Ratisbon, to defend the cause of the Protestants; but failing by his wisdom and moderation to produce the peace which he so earnestly desired, he was reproached by his own party for the steps which he had taken, which they considered as leading to an unworthy compromise with the Catholics. The same happened to him at Bonn, in 1543; but neither Luther nor any of his friends, how much soever they disapproved of his measures, ever entertained a doubt of the purity of his intentions, or his fidelity to the cause of Gospel truth. Much as Melancthon had to suffer from Luther's vehemence, the friendship of these two noble-spirited men, agreeing in their religious belief, remained unbroken till Luther's death, when Melancthon lamented for him with the feelings of a son.

A great part of the confidence which Luther enjoyed, was now transferred to his surviving friend. Germany had already called him her teacher, and Wittemberg revered in him its only support, and the restorer of its university after the Smalcaldic war. The new Elector, Maurice, treated him with distinction, and did nothing in religious matters without his advice. But some theologians, who would fain have been the sole inheritors of Luther's glory, attacked his dogmas, and raised suspicions of his orthodoxy. The approximation of his views, on the subject of the Lord's Supper, to those of the Swiss reformers, occasioned him much censure, as did still more his acquiescence in the introduc

tion of the Augsburg Interim into Saxony, in 1549. Flacius and Osiander 'greatly annoyed him: the former on the subject of religious ceremonies, and the latter on that of justification; but the investigation of his orthodoxy, which was instituted at Naumberg, in 1554, resulted in his entire justification. The unity of the church, to promote which he made another attempt at Worms, in 1557, was his last wish. He died at Wittemberg, April 19, 1560, aged sixty-three years. A more amiable, benevolent, open, and unsuspicious character never ornamented the Christian name. His endeavours to promote education are never to be forgotten; and while the history of the Reformation continues to be a subject of interest, Melancthon will command respect and esteem.

MELCHITES, the name given to the Syriac, Egyptian, and other Christians of the Levant. The Melchites, excepting some few points of little or no importance, which relate only to ceremonies, and ecclesiastical discipline, are, in every respect, professed Greeks; but they are governed by a particular patriarch, who assumes the title of Patriarch of Antioch. The name of Melchites, or Royalists, was given to them because they agreed with the Greeks who submitted to the Council of Chalcedon, and was designed by their enemies to brand them with the reproach of having done so merely in conformity to the religion of the emperor. They celebrate mass in the Arabic language. The religious among the Melchites follow the rule of St. Basil, the common rule of all the Greek monks.

MELCHIZEDECIANS, a denomination which arose about the beginning of the third century. They affirmed that Melchizedeck was not a man, but a heavenly power superior to Jesus Christ; for Melchizedeck, they said, was the intercessor and mediator of the angels; and Jesus Christ was only so for man, and his priesthood only a copy of that of Melchizedeck.

MELETIANS, the name of a considerable party who adhered to the cause of Meletius, bishop of Lycopolis, in Upper Egypt, after he was deposed, about the year 306, by Peter, bishop of Alexandria, under the charge of his having sacrificed to the gods, and having been guilty of other heinous crimes; though Epiphanius makes his only failing to have been an excessive severity against the lapsed. This dispute, which was at

first a personal difference between Mele tius and Peter, became a religious controversy; and the Meletian party subsisted in the fifth century, but was condemned by the first Council of Nice. They joined with the Arians against the orthodox party of Athanasius, without, however, adopting their heresy.

Schismatics, of the same name, arose at Antioch, in 360, when Meletius, of Melitene, in Armenia, was chosen bishop by the Arians, and was afterwards driven out, on account of his orthodoxy. The Roman and Greek churches reckon this Meletius among their saints.

MELITONI, so called from one Melito, who taught that not the soul, but the body of man, was made after God's image.

MEMORY, a faculty of the mind, which presents to us ideas or notions of things that are past, accompanied with a persuasion that the things themselves were formerly real and present. When we remember with little or no effort, it is called remembrance simply, or memory, and sometimes passive memory. When we endeavour to remember what does not immediately and of itself occur, it is called active memory, or recollection. A good memory has these several qualifications: 1. It is ready to receive and admit with great ease the various ideas, both of words and things, which are learned or taught.-2. It is large and copious to treasure up these ideas in great number and variety.-3. It is strong and durable to retain, for a considerable time, those words or thoughts which are committed to it.-4. It is faithful and active to suggest and recollect, upon every proper occasion, all those words or thoughts which it hath treasured up. As this faculty may be injured by neglect and slothfulness, we will here subjoin a few of the best rules which have been given for the improvement of it. 1. We should form a clear and distinct apprehension of the things which we commit to memory.-2. Beware of every sort of intemperance, for that greatly impairs the faculties.-3. If it be weak, we must not overload it, but charge it only with the most useful and solid notions.-4. We should take every opportunity of uttering our best thoughts in conversation, as this will deeply imprint them.-5. We should join to the idea we wish to remember, some other idea that is more familiar to us, which bears some similitude to it, either in its nature, or in the sound of the word.—