by their high priest, who interceded with GoD, andS ERM. offered up prayers in behalf of the people. The LXXI. Gentiles, they addreffed themselves to God by innumerable mediators, by angels, and the fouls of their departed heroes, which were the pagan faints. Instead of all these, God hath appointed one mediator and interceffor in heaven for us, "JESUS the Son of GOD, and by "him all mankind," both Jews and Gentiles, "have access by one spirit unto the Father." And we have no need of any other, as the apoftle to the Hebrews reafons, chap. vii. 24, 25. "But "this perfon (speaking of CHRIST) because he conti"nueth for ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood,

anаpábaтov, a priesthood which doth not pafs "from one to another," as the priesthood under the law did, when upon the death of one high priest, another fucceeded in his place; but our high prieft under the gospel, "fince he abides for ever, is able to "fave to the uttermoft all thofe that come to GoD by him, seeing he ever liveth to make interceffion "for us. So that JESUS CHRIST is an all-fufficient mediator, and able to carry on and accomplish the work of our falvation from first to laft: and as we do not find, that God hath appointed any other; so we are fure, that there needs no other," fince he "is able to fave to the uttermoft all thofe that come "to GoD by him, and that he lives for ever to "make interceffion for us."

Secondly, I proceed now in the second place, to fhew, that this doctrine or principle of "one media"tor between GOD and man," is moft agreeable to one main end and defign of the chriftian religion, and of our SAVIOUR's coming into the world, which was" to deftroy idolatry out of the world," which St. John calls "the works of the devil," 1 John VOL V. Р

SERM. iii. 8. " for this purpose the Son of GOD was maniLXXI. fefted, that he might deftroy, va aún, that he

might diffolve or demolish the works of the devil;" by which St. John does more especially mean the idolatrous worship of the heathen, which consisted in the multitude of their gods and the bloody and barbarous rites and facrifices, whereby they worshipped them; and likewife in the multitude of their mediators between the gods and men, who were also esteemed by them an inferior fort of deities. Both these kinds of idolatry had ftrangely prevailed, and over-run the world, before the appearance of our LORD and SAVIOUR, who came on purpose to deliver mankind from the horrible fuperftition and flavery of the worship of falfe gods, to pull down this kingdom of the devil, and to demolish that fabrick which he had been fo long a rearing, and to beat him out of thofe ftrong holds, which he thought had been impregnable.

gave

GOD indeed fome check to these, many ages before, and not long after their first appearance, by the Jewish religion, which was on purpose introduced, and confirmed, and established by fo many and fuch mighty miracles to preserve and keep alive in the world the primitive tradition and belief" of the one true God;" and likewife to be (as it were) fome shadow and rude draught of that more perfect difpenfation of the chriftian religion which by "facrifice once offered," and by "one mediator between GoD and men," was to put an end to the infinite fuperftitions of the heathen worship, and all the bloody and barbarous rites of it, and likewise to the idolatry they were guilty of, in the worship of their inferior deities, whom they looked upon as a middle fort of powers between the gods and men,

one

and

and therefore addreffed themselves to them, as me-S ERM. diators between the fuperior and heavenly gods, and LXXI. men here on earth. This was plainly one of the great defigns of the chriftian religion; and therefore it concerns Chriftians to understand it, and to be very careful, that they do not fuffer themselves to be deluded by any fpecious pretences whatfoever, to bring these things back again into the christian religion, for the ruin and extirpation whereof, it was purposely defigned and intended.

And this feems plainly to be the meaning of that caution, wherewith St. John concludes his catholick or general epiftle, namely, that Chriftians fhould be very careful, that they were not carried back again into the heathen idolatry, by the confident pretences of the Gnoftick hereticks to higher degrees of knowledge and illumination, than other Chriftians had: that is, by their pretending to be "the infallible

church, and the only true and genuine Chriftians." For it is, against this fect, that this epiftle is plainly defigned, which St. John thus concludes, chap. v. from ver. 18. to the end; "we know that whofo

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ever is born of GOD finneth not;" meaning that he doth not commit the "fin unto death," which he had spoken of just before, viz. apoftafy from christianity to the heathen idolatry, or that which was very like it) "whofoever is born of GoD doth "not commit this fin, but he that is begotten of GOD, keepeth himself, and that wicked one touch"eth him not," that is, he preferveth himself from the contagion of idolatry into which the devil was fo bufy to feduce mankind. "And we know that

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we are of GOD;" that is, do belong to the true GoD, and are worshippers of him: "and the whole world lyeth in wickednefs, " Tong xa, is in ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται,

P 2

the

LXXI.

SERM.the power, or under the dominion of that wicked one;" that is, the greatest part of mankind was funk into idolatry, and the worship of the devil. "And

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we know that the Son of GOD is come, and hath

given us an understanding, that we may know "him that is true." We know, that is, we Chriftians are better taught by the christian religion, to acknowledge and worship the only true GoD: " and "we are in him that is true, in" or "by his Son JE"SUS CHRIST;" that is, we worship the only true GOD, by his Son JESUS CHRIST. And then he concludes, "little children keep yourselves from idols;" intimating hereby, that the worshipping of any other, befides this only true GOD, and by any other mediator than JESUS CHRIST, is idolatry.

. There were indeed two very ancient and common notions, both amongft Jews and Gentiles, of the original whereof it is hard to give any certain account; only this is certain, that they did prevail very early, and did very generally poffefs mankind; and they were thefe; firft, that God was not to be appeafed towards finners, merely upon their repentance, without the death and fuffering of fome other in their ftead; and that God would accept of this vicarious punishment and fuffering, instead of the death of the finner himself. And this feems to have given the original to the facrifices of living creatures, to appeafe the wrath of GOD towards finners, which in procefs of time, as the worship of falfe GoDs prevailed in the world, did proceed to that degree of fuperftition and barbarous inhumanity, that by the inftigation of the devil, men offered up the blood of their children, and facrificed their fons and daughters to their idols and falfe gods. Secondly, another common notion, which had likewife poffeffed man

LXXI.

kind, was, that God was not to be immediately ap-S ER M. proached by finful men, but that their prayers were to be offered up to the deity, by certain mediators and interceffors, that were to procure for them the favour of the gods, and the gracious anfwer and acceptance of their prayers. And this was the original of that other fort of heathen idolatry, which consisted in the worship of their demons and heroes, that is, of angels and fouls departed, viz. of fuch eminent perfons, as had been great benefactors to mankind, and for their worthy deeds upon earth were canonized and tranflated into the number of their inferior gods. By thefe, as the chief courtiers and favourites of heaven, they addreffed their prayers and fupplications to the fuperior gods.

Now with thefe notions which had generally poffeffed mankind (how imperfect foever) GoD was pleased to comply fo far, as in the frame of the Jewish religion (which was defigned for a type of the more perfect institution of the chriftian religion, and a preparation for it) I fay, GOD was pleased to comply fo far with these notions, as to appoint facrifices to be slain and offered up for the finner; and likewise "an high priest, that once a year fhould enter into "the holy of holies, with the blood of facrifices" that were offered up for the people to make expiation for them, and in virtue of that blood, "fhould "intercede for the people," as the apoftle to the Hebrews does declare at large. And when "God "fent his Son in the fulness of time," he was pleased likewife, in the difpenfation of the gofpel, (that perfect inftitution which was never to be altered) to have fo much regard to thefe common notions, and apprehenfions of mankind, as to provide for the fupply of those two great wants, which they feemed al