CONVERSATION V.

ON THE MEDIATION OF CHRIST.

E. You spake, Father, of the Lord Jesus Christ being our Mediator; now, though I have often heard him called by this title, I wish to know more particularly what it means.

F. A mediator among men, is one who endeavours to bring into agreement two parties that are at variance. The office of a mediator among men is well known among all civilized nations. As to a Mediator between God and man, though the necessity of such a person has been strongly felt by men of all nations, it is divine revelation alone that has discovered an acceptable and suitable Mediator. In the consciousness of guilt, the heathens apply to their constituted priests to avert the wrath of their deities, and conciliate their favour, though they are grossly ignorant of the only living and true God; yet their conduct in this shows that they feel their want of a Mediator.

E. I think I never met with the word mediator except in the New Testament.

F. Nevertheless you find many things said in the Old Testament that refer to the mediation of Christ. The threatenings against the serpent, of bruising his head by the seed

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of the woman, regards him as mediator; for it is part of his work, in reconciling man to God, to destroy the works of the devil. In this work he was to suffer from the malignity of the serpent, who should bruise his heel; but this also would contribute to effect our peace with God, for it is by his sufferings in the flesh that has obtained peace and salvation for us. To Abraham, Christ was promised, as his seed in whom all nations should be blessed; and this blessedness is obtained by the nations knowing and confiding in the " one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." And all the institutions of God by Moses-the tabernacle, the mercy-seat, the ark of the covenant, the consecration of the high priest and priests, the sacrifices for sin, the burnt offerings and peace offerings-had a typical reference to the mediation of the Lord Jesus; and as he has come, according to the promise of God, all these typical or figurative institutions are for ever abolished.

E. I suppose, then, the Jews now do wrong in attending to the institutions of Moses, since Christ came into the world.

F. They certainly do; for "now once in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." God abhors all other offered sacrifice for sin, and

by his prophet says, "He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense as if he blessed an idol." It is because the Jews will persist in these so far as their circumstances will permit, and reject Christ, in whom God is well pleased, that he abhors their offering, and rejects them from being his people.

H. But, Father, are we to understand that Jesus Christ is merely a man like other men?

F. Oh no! your mother has directed you to commit many scripture passages to memory, proving that Jesus Christ is God as well as

man.

M. You have learned many such; and I wish you to quote some passages from the prophets, that are either cited or referred to in the New Testament, which declare that Christ is God.

F. The very forms of expression employed by the apostles, when speaking of his assuming human nature, convey the idea of his preexistence; thus, in the 2nd chapter of the Hebrews it is said, "Forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the same." If he were no more than man, such language would be without meaning; but the apostle had, in the first chapter, declared, that he is God; that he was not an angel is evident from what he says

again, "for verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham;" and in the epistle to the Romans Paul expressly says, "of whom (that is, of the Israelites, or the seed of Abraham,) as concerning the flesh, Christ came; who is God over all, and blessed for ever." But I am preventing you from giving your quotations.

M. I shall quote the first passage; it is in the 7th chapter of Isaiah, at the 14th verse, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." This is cited by Matthew, in the 2d chapter of the Gospel written by him; where, speaking of the birth of "Jesus, who shall save his people from their sins," he adds, "Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel; which, being interpreted, is God with us."

E. There is another passage in the 9th of Isaiah, part of which is quoted by the angel Gabriel in his address to Mary: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, (as Father of the everlasting age,) the Prince

of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end: upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

M. The angel in his address rather refers to this passage than cites it. What can you

produce, Henry?

H. In the 45th Psalm, at the 5th verse, it is said, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre; thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." In the first chapter of the Hebrews this is cited by the apostle, and applied to the Son-it is Jesus Christ he means, is it not?

M. Yes, Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and is the same there spoken of by the title "the Son."

H. There is another passage in the 102d Psalm, quoted in the same chapter of the Hebrews, "Of old hast thou laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands; they shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old as a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end." Does