Zech. vi. 12, 13. This is fpoken of John the Baptift in Malachi; Mal. iii. 1. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me. Then the prophet speaks of Chrift himself, chap. iv. 2. But unto you that fear my name, fhall the fun of righteousness arife with healing in his wings; and ye fhall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall. Here is a further explication than was before. Christ under the law was under a vail, and is clearly revealed under the gofpel; fo, that the law is our Schoolmafter to bring us to Chrift, Gal. iii. 24. So that this thing is that which God hath from the beginning been making out to man, and as he was pleased, did give the world some further information. This is the great point that we chriftians are highly gratified in, greatly provided for, by God. Let it be the fenfe and language of our fouls, let it be to us açcording to thy word. Therefore acknowledge God in Chrift, go to God by Jefus Chrift.

Ever fince fin, from the beginning, God hath been exhibiting and declaring Chrift to us, as the only means of our acceptance and recommendation to God. I began at the promise, the first draught of gospel truth, the feed of the woman shall break the ferpent's head, and then went to that to Abraham. And there is, for this, one fignal promise there, which I omitted by virtue of that promife, Ifaac muft either be the Meffias, or the progenitor of him; he is therefore to be a facrifice by God's appointment; and Abraham's intention was prevented, by the prefenting of a ram. Here was an instruction to Abraham, that the Meffias fhould fave the world by his death,

death, the facrifice of himself; and while there was a fufpenfion, there fhould be a continual facrifice, as was fhewn forth by the ram, which was throughout the whole Jewish pedagogy, wherein you have a world of ceremonies and types of Chrift, things that were only good because of divine inftitution; and in that they did foreshew the Messias; and when he came, these were changed into the gospel-form of faith, and worship. The ftanding type of Chrift, the high-prieft and the tabernacle were an exhibition of him; and all the prophets fpake of him, and represented him. Here I omitted one fignal one, the prophecy in Daniel, Dan. ix. 24. The fum of which is, that it is revealed to Daniel, that the captivity fhould return, the temple be built, and that in about 400 years, Chrift the Meffias fhould be exhibited; an account of his death is there given. So that the law, as the apostle faith, was a school-mafter to Chrift. So the attonement made by Chrift's blood hath been from the beginning. So that Chrift is faid to be a lamb flain from the foundation of the world, Rev. xiii. 8. because of Chrift's willingnefs; he did freely undertake it. So that Chrift hath been under fome manifestation, from the beginning, and hath had fundry and several atteftations from the very first approach of God to man. He hath fpoken feveral times of Christ, and still more and more to the purpose, till, at last, he did fully exhibit his fon. This is that which the apoftle speaks to the Hebrews, Heb. i. 1. One fcripture more for this ; when the difciples were converfing together about the death of Christ, and at last said, we hoped that

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he fhould have faved his people, our Saviour faith, O fools, and flow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not Chrift to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory, Luke xxiv. 25, 26.

2dly. Without God's jealoufy we may go to God by Christ, and may make Christ the mean of our acceptance, and use him as the way, make advantage of his merit; for he is truly a meritorious and procuring caufe, and there is none befides him. This I obferve, because it is dreadful to read the fecond command. Without God's jealousy, we may go to God by Christ, and may put Chrift between God and us, in all acts of worship, in all our addreffes to God. On the one part, you may put none befides him; and on the other fide, to neglect a way of God's appointment, fhews us to be careless of our own welfare. It is a giving honour, and the prerogative that God hath for his only Son, to be an advocate for apoftate creatures; and herein, not the highest angel in glory may in any measure participate. This is the angel of the church, that takes their prayers, and perfumes them with incenfe and fo of fers them up to God, Rev. viii. 3. As there is one God, fo there is one mediator between God and man, the Lord Chrift Jefus, 1 Tim. ii. 5. We are come unto Fefus the mediator of the new covenant, Heb. xii. 24. There is an unchangeable priesthood established in his hands, chap. vii. 24. He will ever continue, and never give over, till he hath rendred up God's portion to himself, in full tale; and then fhall God be all in all,

tion. If it could have been propofed, a man prefently might have liked it; but who could have put it into being? This is highly acceptable to the reason of a man's mind, now it is propofed. For I do not find that revealed truths have any repugnancy to the nature of man: they have a tranfcendency, but no repugnancy. So acceptable is this knowledge, now it is declared by God. Those men that have been the wifeft of men among the philofophers, they had a great conceit of this truth, of a mediation between God and man; and thought the pure deity was fo high and lofty, fo pure and abftract, that we, in our meanness, could not have accefs. (Platon Symp.) They thought thus, that had not this light of fcripture: which I take notice of here to abase the arrogancy of fome that are born within the pale of the church. The heathen did conceive, that it was too much for us in our meannefs to approach fupreme and fovereign Deity. Therefore they conceited a fort of middle powers, which were either angels, or glorified spirits, and were called Dæmons. I could give you a great many of thofe. They have the very notion: how they came by it, that we know not; but they have the very notion, only they mistake in the perfon.

I have two reafons why I trouble this congregati on with this philofophy (1.) There are a great many, that under a pretence of learning and philofophy, do ftand out against gospel-truth; and this is pernicious to their own fouls, and others, when men by wifdom will not know God. Again, (2.) You will not blame me fure for expounding fcripture;

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for unless you know this, you will not understand many places of scripture. It was the idolatry of Manaffeh, 2 Kings xxi. 3. It was the host of heaven they worshipped, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 3. the fovereign Gods in the fun, moon and stars. But the Damons or middle beings, the fcripture calls Baalim. This doctrine of Demons divinity St. Paul difputes a. gainft, Col. ii. 18. where he tells us, that under a fhew of humility, they bring in this doctrine: therefore they would go to God by the mediation of those Dæmons. But St. Paul gives reasons against them, viz. The fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Chrift, v. 9. therefore there needed no collegue with him. We are compleat in him; v. 10. We need none with him. And I Cor. x. 21. where he faith, we cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and the table of devils, it fhould be of Dæmons, because there is but one mediator. And he seems to be a fetter forth of strange Gods, because he preached to them Jefus and the refur rection, Acts xvii. 18. The great idolatry that hath been, hath been about thefe Dæmons: fo St. Paul understood it. I perceive that in all things you are. too much given to Demons, v. 21. Now against this St. Pauldoth affert as one God, unlimited and unbounded and principal, fo one interceffor, that is Jefus Chrift. Rev. ix. 20. And the rest of the men which were not killed by thefe plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, i. e. Dæmons, it is a middle power, a deified perfon, a glorified person, or angel; and they worshipped these. And now I hope you will have me excused for troubling you with this piece of heathenish philofophy;

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