QUESTION VII. 83 very foundation and substance, the mystery and glory, of the gospel ; such arethese : " That all mankind are sinners; are destitute of holiness and happiness ; and sinful man cannot recover himself to the fa-. your and image òf God ; and there is no way of access to God for himbut by a Mediator." John xiv. 6. No man cometh to the Father but by me: And I take this doctrine of the necessity and use of a Mediator, to be the ground-work of the difference betwixt natural and revealed religion. " That this Mediator is the Son of God dwelling in flesh; or, that the Son of God has taken upon him human nature for this very end, to become a Mediator :" This seems to be pro- perly the great mystery of the gospel, and it should be acknow- ledged without controversy, that God was manifest in theflesh ; 1 Tim. iii. 16. " That Jesus of Nazareth is this glorious Person, this only Mediator. There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Jesus Christ ;" 1 Tim. ii. 5. Ifye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins ; John viii. 24. " That in order to the salvation of man, Christ is appointed by the Father to instruct us, as a teacher or prophet; to make an atonement for our sins, and to intercede for us as a priest; and to give us laws, and rule and judge us as our Lord and king:" For he has given us most frequent, plain, and express notices in his word, that this is the way whereby he saves us ; and if we know not so much as this of the method of his salva- tion, how can we apply to him for it, or receive it at his hands with any degree of faith ? " That the Lord Jesus Christ is to be believed, trusted in, received, and submitted to, under these several characters which he sustains, by all that wouldpartake of this salvation :" For if hebe absolutely rejected in either of thesehisoffices, we have no reason to expect him to fulfil any part of his salvation to us, or in us. If we refuse him that speaketh from heaven as our pro- phet, we cannot escape ; Heb. xii. 25. If we utterly reject his proper sacrifice as a priest, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment,_ and fiery indignation; Heb. 26, 27. And if we refuse this man as a king to reign over us, we shall be slain before his face ; Lukexix. 27. He will take vengeance on them that obey not his gospel ; 2 Thess. i. 8. " That God forgives repenting sinners, and is reconciled to them, not for the merit of their repentances, ' for the sake of what Jesus Christ had done and suffered. This is a very evident consequent from the former doctrines, and has a plain and ne- cessary connexion with them. Itseems to be the very substance of the gospel, that we are justified or saved, not by our own
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