130 Chrifl yefits, the only Mediator Vol. i. pùipòfe ; and this fefus Chrift only hath done. He is both our High-Prieft, and our Sacrifice ; and therefore he only, in the Merit and Virtue of that Sacrifice, which he offered upon Earth, can intercede in Heaven for us, and offer up our Prayers toGod. Others may pray to God for us; as our Brethren upon Earth do, and perhaps the Angels and Saints in Heaven ; but none of thefe can offer up our Prayers to God, and procure the Acceptance of them ; for that can only be done in Virtue of a Sacrifice firft offered, and by him that offered it ; this being thepeculiar Office and Qualification of a Mediator or Intercefor, properly fo called. It is the plain Defign ofthe Author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews, to prove thak Chrift is our onlyMediator in Heaven, in Virtue of that Sacrifice for Sin, which he offered upon Earth; and that healone appears in the PrefenceofGodfor us, to pre- fent our Requefts to him, and obtain a gracious Anfwer of them ; and he 'hews at large, how this was particularly typify'd by the Yezvifh High-Priefi, who, upon the great Day of Expiation, after the Sacrifice was 'lain without, entered alone into the Holy of Hohes, with the Blood ofthe Sacrifices, in Virtue whereof he made Interce /on for the People. Anfwerable to this, efus the High-Prieff of our Profeon, offered himfelf a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men, and, in Virtue of that Sacrifice, is entered into the High Plate not made with Hands, that is, into Heaven it fef, there to appear in the Prefence of Godfor us, where he livesfor ever to make Interceffion for us, in Virtue of that Eternal Redemption, which he bath obtainedfbr us, by the Price of his Blood, as the Apoftle declares in feveral Chapters of that Epiftle. So that this Interceffion .being founded in the Merit of a Sacrifice, which he alone offered, he is of Neceffity the only Mediator between God andMen. And for this Reafon it is, that the Mediation. and Interceffion of Chrift is fo frequently in Scripture mentioned together with the Expiation which he made for the Sins of Men, or (which is the fame) with the Price which he, paid for the Redemption of Mankind ; becaufe the one is founded in the other, and depends upon it. So we find, t John 2. 5, 2. If any Man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, fefus Chrilt the righteous, and he is the Propitiation for our Sins; and notfor ours only, but alfofor the Sins of the whole World. And here 'likewife in the Text, There is one Mediator between God and Men, the Man Chrifl Jefus, who gave himfelf a Ranfom for a ; therefore the only Me- diator between GodandMen ; becaufe he onlygave imfelfa Ranfom for all Men. The Efficacy and Prevalency of his Mediation, b ing founded in the Merit and Virtue of the Ranfom ofhis Blood. And the Force of thefe Texts, and the Reafoning from them, is not to be avoided and turned off, by diftinguifhing between a Mediator ofRedemption and ofIntercellion, and by laying, that it is true, that Chrift is the only Mediator of Redemption, but there may be many Mediators of Interceffion : For if the Force of his being Advocate or Interceffor be founded in the Virtue of his Ranfom and Propitiation (as I have plainly 'hewn, to the Convi&ion of any that are not ftronglyprejudiced, and that will read and confider what the Scripture Pays in this Matter without Prepoffefììon,) then it is plain, that noire can be a proper Me- diator ofIntercefon, but he that paid the Price of our Redemption : So' that the Mediator ofour Redemption, and our Mediator ofIntercefon, muff ofneceflity be one and the fame Perfori; and none can appear in theQuality of our Advocate with the Father, but he onlywho is the Propitiationfor the Sins ofthe whole World. I fhould now have proceeded to W. The Fourth thing I propofed in the handling of this Argument, namely, To thew how contrary to this Doetrine ofthe Chriftian Religion, concerning one only Mediator and Intereeffor in Heaven for us, the Do&rive and Pra&ice of the Church ofRome is in this Matter; namely, in their Invocation of Angels, and the Bleffed Virgin, and the Saints, and flying to their Help, and making ufe of their Mediation and Intereeffon withGod for Sinners : As likewife how contrary all this is to the Do&rineandPra&ice of the Chriftian Church, for feveral of the firft Ages ofit. And then I fhould have anfwered their chief Pretences and Ex- cures for thefe Things, and 'hewed that this Pra&ice of theirs is not only needlefs (being
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