I.26 (Jhrifí yefü.ra the only Mediator Vol. I. Befides that it is exprefly faid here in the Text, there is but one Mediator be tweenGod -and men, the man aryl fcfas, and that the Scripture no where mentions any other I fay, befides this, we are conftantly dire&ed to offer up our Prayers and Thankfgivings, and to perform all Ads of Worfhip in his Namè, and no other, andwith a Promife, that the Prayers and Services, which we offer in his name, will be gracioufly anfwered and accepted : 7ohn 54. 13, 14. Whatfoever ye(hall ask in in name, that will Ido; that the Father may beglorified in the Son. If ye (hall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. And Ch. t 6. 23, 24. And in that day ye fhall ask me nothing : verily, verily, . I fay unto you, whatfoever ye fhall ask the Father in my name, he willgive it you. Hitherto have ye askednothing in my navre; ask and ye fhall receive, that your joy may be full. In that day; that is when I have left the World, and am gone to my Father, as he explains It at the 28th verfe, In that day ye jball ask me nothing; but whatfoever ye (hall ask the Father in my name, he will give it You. That is, You (hall not need to addrefs your Prayers tome, but to my Father in my Name. And Ver. 26, 27. At that dayye (hall ask in my name; that is, from the time that I am afcended intò Heaven, ye {hall put up all your Prayers and Requefts to God, in my Naine ; and IPy not unto you, that I will pray the Father foryou ; for the Father him- felf lovethyou ; that is, I need not tell you (though I fhall certainly do it) that I will intercede with the Father for you ; for he of himfelf is kindly difpofed and affeâed towards you, for my fake ; The Father himfelf loveth you, becaufeye have loved me. St. Paul likewife commands Chriftians to perform all Ads of Religious Wor- 'hip in the Name of Chrift : Col. 3. 16, 57. Singing with grace inyour hearts to the Lord, and whatfoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. And this Precept of addreffing all our Prayers and Thankfgivings to God, by Jefus Chrift, as the only Mediator between God and us, is the more remarkable, becaufe it is gi- ven in oppofition to the Worfhipping of God by any other Mediators and Inter- ceffors in Heaven for us ; and to that Superftition which had begun fo early to prevail among force Chriftians at Coloffe and Laodicea, of Worfhipping God by the Mediation and Intercefíion of Angels, againft which,he. had cautioned in the former Chapter; Ver. 18, 19. Let no man beguile you ofyour reward in a voluntary humility, and worfhipping ofAngels, not holding the head. , Intima- ting, that for Chriftians to addrefs themfelves to God, by any other Mediator, but Jefus Chrift only, wes a defe&ion from Chrift the Head, and High Priefl of our Profetjion. And that this is the Apoftle's meaning, Theodoret allures us, in his Comment upon this place, where he tells us, That force who maintained an obfervance of the Law, together with the Gofpel, afferted alfo, That Angels were to be worfhipped ; flying, That the Law was given by'them. And this Cuftom, he tells us, remained a long time in Phrygia and Pifidia, and that up= on this account it was, that the Synod of Laodicea in Pbrygia (about the mid- dle ofthe 4th Century) forbad Chriftians by a Law, to pray to Angels. And yet more exprefly in his Comment upon thofe Words, Chap. 3. Ver. '57. Whatfoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord fetus, gi- ving thanks to God and the Father by him. For becaufe, (fays he) they (meaning thofe of whom St. Paul warns the Cologians to beware) becaufe they did com- mandmen to worfhip Angels, be enjoins the contrary ; that they fhould adorn both their words and allions with the memory (or mention) of the name of Chrig their Lord : And fend ye up (faith he) thankfgiving to God and the Father by him, andnot by the Angels. And then he makes mention of the Canon of the Synod of Laodicea, which (fays he) in purfuance of this Rule, and being defirous to cure that old Difeafe, made it a Law, that none fhould pray unto Angels, nor forfake the Lord Jefus Chrift. It feems then that tome Re- .liques of that Impious Cuftom, of Praying to Angels, which Theodoret here calls, That old Difeafe, had continued from St. Paul's time, to the Council of Laodicea, which was-the occafron of that fevere Canon then made about that mat- ter; the very Words whereof I will fet down, becaufe they are remarkable; viz.
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