world unto himself." There is reconciliation on God's part, for it is said, " He was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself: not imputing their trespasses unto them." Then, at the 20th verse, you have reconciliation on our part, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled unto God." Here is both reconciliations.

Only you must know, that we do not find in express terms in Scripture, that God is said to be reconciled to us, but we are said to be reconciled to him, because we are the parties offending, and God the party offended. Now the Scripture always speak so, that the party offending is to reconcile himself, or to be reconciled, as in the vth of Matthew, "If thy brother hath aught against thee, leave thy gift, and first be reconciled to thy brother." Thou that hast offended go and be reconciled to thy brother. And so we say in ordinary speech, if a man hath justly provoked another, go and reconcile yourself unto him, that is, do that whereby he may be pacified and satisfied. And so God is reconciled unto us, when we do that whereby his anger may be turned away, and he pacified, which is the work of a Mediator.

But what need a Mediator for this work, say the Socinians, for God was always willing to be reconciled to us; "God so loved the world that he gave his Son:" he loved them first, before Christ; what need a Mediator then? say they.

And say the Arminians, to invalidate and enervate election, If we be elected, and so loved from all eternity, what need a Mediator to bring about actual reconciliation in time.

To all which I answer,

Yes, very much. For,

1. You must know that affections are given to God in Scripture according to effects and dispensations sometimes. Sometimes God is said to love or hate in reference to his eternal decree. So Rom. ix., " Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated," before they had done good or evil.

Sometimes God is said to love, or to be angry, or to hate in reference to his dispensations. And so the elect, that are loved from all eternity, are born the children of wrath, in rcgard of legal dispensation. Elect we are, and so loved, in regard of God's eternal good will, and yet under wrath when we are born, in regard of legal dispensation.

2. You must know that this reconciliation with God, or God being reconciled to us, doth not make a real change in the inward affection of God, but in the outward dispensation of God.

3. You must know this, that God may be willing to be reconciled unto us, in regard of his eternal good will, and yet not be actually reconciled in regard of his eternal good will. As David was willing to be reconciled to Absolom, but he was not actually reconciled, and therefore Joab comes as a mediator between them, to bring about the actual reconciliation. And if you look into the last of Job, you will find, as Macovius doth well observe to the purpose in hand, that when God was very angry with Eliphaz and his friends, insomuch as the Lord said to Eliphaz, at the 7th verse, "My wrath is kindled against thee, and thy two friends;" that yet notwithstanding then God puts them upon a means of taking away his displeasure: "Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering, and my servant Job shall pray for you," and mediate for you. So that God was angry, and his wrath kindled, yet he was willing to be reconciled, and finds out a mediator to bring about this actual reconciliation. And so here, although God be angry with his own elect, in regard of the dispensation, yet notwithstanding he may be willing to be reconciled in regard of his eternal good will. But,

4. You must know this also, that God may and doth will this for that sometimes, and yet not for this will that, as Aquinas speaks.

For example: God doth will rain for corn, and rain is the cause of corn willed; he doth will rain for corn, yet corn is not the cause of his will willing the corn. So here, God doth will Christ's mediation for reconciliation, and the mediation of Christ is the cause of reconciliation, but yet, notwithstanding, the mediation of Christ is not the cause of God's will willing reconciliation. So that thus now you see what the proper work of a Mediator is, that is, to mediate between God and us; it is to reconcile God to us, and to reconcile us unto God. That is the first.

Secondly, Jesus was and is the fittest person in the world. to mediate between God and us. There was no creature fit to umpire the business between God and us; and therefore

Job saith well," Neither is there any days-man betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both," chap. ix. 33. Man was not fit to mediate, because man is the persou offending; angels not fit to mediate, for the shoulder of an angel could not bear the weight of mediation work, neither could an angel satisfy; God the Father not fit for this work, the first person in the Trinity, for he was the person offended; the Holy Ghost not fit for this work, for it is his work to apply the blood of this mediation; so then there is none other fit, but Christ is fit, Jesus is fit, the fittest person.

For, first of all, he is the person appointed by the Father. If a man will undertake to mediate between two, and be not chosen thereunto, he is not fit for it; but if chosen, then he is fit. Why, Jesus is the person chosen; "Mine elect servant (saith the Father) whom I have chosen, I have given him for a covenant unto the people," Isa. xlii.

He was and is the fittest person to mediate between God and us, for he is a middle person, partaking of God's nature and of man's. Extremes are joined together by a middle. Who more fit to mediate between two, than he that is a middle between them?

He is the fittest person, for he is the fittest to make reconciliation between God and us, to reconcile God to us and us unto God.

He is the fittest to reconcile God to us; for that God might be reconciled he must be satisfied, his justice satisfied and his anger satisfied. Now Jesus Christ was God and Man; as man he ought to satisfy but could not, as God he could satisfy but he ought not, but as God-man he both could and ought, and so the fittest. And again,

Who more fit to reconcile God unto us, than he that was the most fit to intercede, that had credit and favour and love with the Father? Now Jesus lay in the bosom of the Father; "This is my beloved Son ;" and, "I was the Father's delight," saith he, in the viiith of Proverbs. Therefore the most fit to intercede and so to reconcile God unto us.

Who more fit to reconcile God to us, than he that was fit to be a surety to undertake for us. If a man come to mediate with a person offended for another; saith the person offended, But will you undertake he shall do so no more? Yes. Why, then I am willing. Now Jesus is called our Surety in the

viiith of Hebrews. He undertakes that though we have broken with God already we shall break no more; and therefore the fittest person to reconcile God to us.

But, again, the fittest person also to reconcile us to God. Who more fit to reconcile us to God than he that can change our natures? Now Jesus is able to change our na"I find (saith Paul) a law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity unto the law of sin which is in my members: oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" then," I thank God through Jesus Christ." And, Rom. viii. 2, " The law of the Spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death." And,

Who more fit to reconcile us to God than he that can beget good thoughts in us concerning God? So long as a man hath hard thoughts of God he will never be reconciled to God. Now Jesus Christ lay in the bosom of his Father, and can tell the soul what volumes of love there were and are in the bosom of the Father for it, from all eternity, and so can beget love in the soul towards God, and so able to reconcile the soul to God. You have it clearly in John i. 18, he lay in the bosom of the Father, &c.

And then, to say no more but this, who more fit to reconcile us to God than he that can give the Holy Ghost into our souls? For as God is reconciled to us by the blood of Christ, so we are reconciled to God by the Spirit of Christ. Now Jesus gives the Spirit: "I will send the Comforter," saith Christ. So that he, he is the fittest person in all the world to reconcile God to us, and to reconcile us to God, and so the fittest person in all the world to mediate between God and us. And so you have the second thing.

Thirdly. But then, as Jesus is the fittest person to mediate between God and us, so he hath undertaken this work of mediation, and he will certainly carry it on unto due perfection.

I say, he hath undertaken it, and therefore he is called the Mediator: "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus," 1 Tim. ii. 5, and he alone is the Mediator. I confess, indeed, the word μcorns is given to Moses, and Moses in the iiird of Galatians is called a mediator: "The law was ordained by angels in the hand of

a mediator," verse 19; that is not Christ. But the law was ordained by angels in the hand, that is, by the ministry of a mediator. Christ was not the minister of angels, Moses was, and therefore Moses is to be understood here. The same word that is used concerning Christ is used here.

But now, although Moses was a mediator, a typical mediator, and did stand between God and the people, as in Deut. v., to deliver out the law unto them; "I stood between the Lord and you at that time to shew you the word of the Lord," verse 5; though, I say, Moses is called a mediator, because he stood between God and the people, to give and deliver out the law to them; yet you never find that Moses is called a mediator in a way of redemption, or satisfaction, or paying of any ransom. So Jesus only is. "There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all," 1 Tim. ii. And so also in the ixth of Hebrews: "For this cause he is the Mediator of the new testament." For what cause? Why, verse 14, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." And for this cause is he the Mediator. It is never said so of Moses; no, but Christ the Mediator, and he only the Mediator in a way of satisfaction, and redemption, and paying of a price. Well, thus he hath undertaken the work.

And certainly he will carry on his work of mediation unto due perfection; for, saith the apostle, he is faithful in all his house, as Moses was: Moses as a servant, he as a Son. Moses the mediator was faithful in all the house of God to a pin ; surely Jesus the Son will be faithful in this work of mediation, and carry it on to the uttermost.

But then you will say, What assurance have we that Jesus will carry on this work of mediation unto the uttermost, unto due perfection.

First of all you have the assurance of the first great promise that was made, "The seed of the woman shall break the serpent's head." Gen. iii. Saith the Lord to the serpent, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed." If there be enmity between Satan and us, there will be peace between God and us; where God