Sixteen Sermons Volume 2, Sermon 4
SERMON IV. Chriſt Jeſus, the only Mediator between God and Men.
The Third Sermon on 1 Tim. II. 5, 6.
For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Chriſt Jeſus; who gave himſelf a ranſom for all.
IN the Two former Diſcourſes upon this Text, I have treated on the Second Propoſition I laid down from the Words; viz. That there is but one Mediator between God and men, the Man Chriſt Jeſus. In treating on this Propoſition, I ſhewed,
Firſt, That it is agreeable to Scripture.
Secondly, VOL. II.That it is agreeable to one great End and Deſign of the Chriſtian Religion, and of our Saviour's coming into the World, which was to deſtroy Idolatry out of it.
Thirdly, That from the Nature and Reaſon of the thing, there can be but one Mediator or Interceſſor in Heaven with God for Sinners; and that he can be no other than Jeſus Chriſt.
Fourthly, I ſhew'd how contrary to this Doctrine, the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome is, in their Invocation of Angels and the Bleſſed Virgin, and the Saints, and making uſe of their Mediation and Interceſſion with God for Sinners.
This I endeavoured to do, by ſhewing, 1ſt. How contrary this is to the Doctrine of the Scriptures. 2ly. How contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of the Church, for ſeveral of the firſt Ages of it. And thus far I have gone.
I proceed now in the 3d. Place, to anſwer the chief Pretences and Excuſes which are made by thoſe of the Church of Rome, Serm. IV.for this Doctrine and Practice.
As, 1. That they only ſay, that it is lawful to Pray to Angels and Saints; but do not enjoyn and require it. To this I anſwer Two things.
(1.) In ſaying that it is lawful to Pray to Saints and Angels (if they went no farther) they ſay, that which they can never make good; becauſe Prayer is an Act of Religious Worſhip, and peculiar and proper to God only, and therefore cannot be given to any Creature, Angel, or Saint. This I have proved from Scripture, where our Saviour commands us, when we pray, to ſay, Our Father which art in Heaven; that is, to direct and addreſs our Prayers to God only. And St. Paul likewiſe forbids the worſhipping Angels by invocating of them, and making uſe of them as Mediators between God and us, in his Epiſtle to the Coloſſians: which Theodoret expreſly interprets concerning the Invocation of Angels, and applying our ſelves to them, as Mediators and Interceſſors with God in Heaven for us. And the Council of Laodicea declares this Practice to be Idolatry. Beſides that the ancient Fathers of the Chriſtian Church, for above Three Hundred Years, never ſpake of praying to any, but God only; and do expreſly condemn the Invocation of Angels, much more of the Saints, who are Inferior to them; and therefore they always define Prayer to be an Addreſs to God, a Converſing and Diſcourſing with God; which would be a falſe Definition of Prayer, if it were lawful to pray to any but to God only. All which conſidered, one may juſtly wonder at the Confidence of ſome Men, who would have it taken for granted, without any Proof, that the Invocation of Saints and Angels is Lawful.
(2.) If it were true, that it is lawful to pray to Angels and Saints; it is not true, that the Church of Rome does only declare it to be lawful, but does not require and enjoyn it; as ſome of their late Writers pretend.
With what Face can this be ſaid, when there are ſo many Prayers to Angels and Saints, and eſpecially to the Bleſſed Virgin, in the Publick Offices of their Church, in which all are ſuppoſed to join, as much as in the Prayers which are put up to God by the Prieſt? 'Tis true indeed, the People underſtand neither; but they are preſent at both, and join in both alike; that is, as much as Men can be ſaid to join in that which they do not underſtand; as that Church ſuppoſeth People may do and receive great Edification alſo, by joining with the Prieſt, in a Service which they do not underſtand. But, how they can be edified by what they do not underſtand, I muſt confeſs my ſelf as little able to underſtand, as they do their Prayers. But whether they underſtand them, or not, 'tis certain that if the People have any part in the Publick Prayers of the Church, they are bound to pray to Angels and Saints.
And if the Creed of Pope Pius IV. framed by Virtue of an Order of the Council of Trent, be of any Authority with them; one of the Articles of it is, that I do firmly hold, that the Saints, which Reign together with Chriſt, are to be worſhipped and invocated, and that they do offer up Prayers to God for us. And this Creed all the Governors of Cathedrals and Superior Churches, and all who hold any Dignity, or Benefice with Cure of Souls from them, are bound ſolemnly to make Profeſſion of, and Swear to, and carefully to cauſe it to be Held and Taught, and Preached by all that are under their Charge; ſo that they are to Teach the People, that the Saints which reign together with Chriſt, are to be worſhipped and prayed to. And therefore unleſs People are not bound to do that, which they are to be Taught it is their Duty to do, they are by Virtue of this Article, required to worſhip and pray to Saints. And if the Publicly Office of their Church be the Publick Worſhip; and Pope Pius his Creed, the Publick Faith of the Romiſh Church, no Man can be either of the Faith, or in the Communion of that Church, who does not only hold it Lawful, but his Duty, to worſhip the Saints in Heaven, and to pray to them, and accordingly does join in the Worſhip of them, and Prayers to them, as much as in any other part of Divine Service.
2. Another Pretence for this Doctrine and Practice, is, that the Saints in Heaven do pray for us; and what is this but to be Mediators and Interceſſors with God for us? And if ſo, why may not we pray to them, to intercede with God for us? To this I anſwer four things.
(1.) We do not deny that the Saints in Heaven pray for us that are here upon Earth, becauſe they may do ſo for any thing we know; but that they do ſo, is more than can be proved, either by clear Teſtimony of Scripture, or by any convincing Argument from Reaſon, and therefore no Doctrine or Practice can be ſafely grounded upon it,
(2.) Tho' it were certain, that the Saints in Heaven do pray for us; yet they are not Mediators and Interceſſors properly ſo called: For all Interceſſion ſtrictly and properly ſo call'd, is in Virtue of a Sacrifice offered by him that intercedes; and therefore he only by whom Expiation of Sin is made upon Earth, can be properly an Interceſſor with God in Heaven; but this, no Angel or Saint hath done, or can do.
And (as I have ſhew'd in ſome of the former Diſcourſes) it is the plain ſcope of a great part of the Epiſtle to the Hebrews to prove this very thing, that under the Goſpel we have an High Prieſt that lives for ever, and appears in the Preſence of God for us, in the Virtue of that Blood which he ſhed, and that Sacrifice which he offered upon the Croſs for the Expiation of Sin: And that by this High Prieſt only we have Acceſs with Freedom and Confidence to the Throne of Grace, and by him do offer up all our Prayers and Thankſgivings, and all other Acts of Religious Worſhip to God: And this the Apoſtle ſhews was typified in an imperfect Manner, by the Jewiſh High Prieſt under the Law, who was but one, and none but he only could enter into the Holy of Holies, with the Blood of the Sacrifices, that were ſlain and burnt without, by which Blood he made an Atonement, and Interceded for the People; and though every Prieſt might pray for the People, and the People for one another, which is a kind of Interceſſion; yet that peculiar kind of Interceſſion, which was performed by the High Prieſt, in the Holy of Holies, in virtue of the Sacrifice that was ſlain without, could not be made, but by the High Prieſt only. By all which was typified our High Prieſt under the Goſpel who only hath made Expiation of Sin, by the Sacrifice of himſelf, and is enter'd into Heaven, to appear in the Preſence of God for us, where he lives for ever, to make Interceſſion for us, in virtue of that Blood which was ſhed for the Expiation of Sin, and which can only be preſented to God, by him that ſhed it. And this is properly Interceſſion, like that of the High Prieſt under the Law for the People of Iſrael; and this kind of Interceſſion can be made by none in Heaven for us, but only by the High Prieſt of our Profeſſion, Jeſus the Son of God, and by none elſe can we offer up our Prayers and Services to God, and conſequently we cannot addreſs our ſelves to any other, Angels or Saints, as Mediators with God for us.
(3.) Suppoſing it certain, that the Saints do pray for us; yet we may not addreſs ſolemn Prayer to them to pray for us, becauſe Prayer and ſolemn Invocation is a part of that Religious Worſhip which is peculiar to God.
(4.) Suppoſing it not only certain that the Saints in Heaven do pray for us, but likewiſe that they might be proper Mediators and Interceſſors with God for us; yet we ought not to pray to them, becauſe they cannot hear us, as I ſhall have occaſſion to ſhew fully by and by.
3. Another of their Pretences or Excuſes for this Practice, is, that praying to Saints to pray for us, is no more than what we do to good Men upon Earth, when we deſire them to pray for us. So the late Expounder of the Catholique Faith, namely the Biſhop of Meaux, tells us, that they pray to the Saints in Heaven, in the ſame order of Brotherly ſociety, with which we entreat our Brethren upon Earth to pray for us.
But that this is not a true Repreſentation either of their Doctrine or Practice in this matter, will appear by theſe following Conſiderations.
(1.) That they pray to the Angels and Saints in Heaven, with the ſame ſolemn Circumſtances of Religious Worſhip, that they pray to God himſelf, in the ſame place, and in the ſame humble Poſture, and in the ſame Religious Offices and Services, in which they pray to God; which ſurely is never done by any to their Brethren upon Earth.
(2.) That in their Prayers and Thankſgivings, they joyn the Angels and the Bleſſed Virgin arid the Saints together with God and Chriſt, as if (to uſe their own Phraſe) it were in the ſame order of Brotherly Society, and as if they were all equally the Objects of our Invocation and Praiſe; of which in my laſt Diſcourſe, I gave ſeveral plain Inſtances; but this alſo is never done to our Brethren upon Earth.
(3.) That in the Creed of Pope Pius IV. it is expreſly ſaid, that the Saints which reign together with Chriſt, are to be Worſhipped and invocated; but this ſurely they will not allow to be done to our Brethren upon Earth. And the Council of Trent does expreſly ground the Worſhip and Invocation of Saints, upon their reigning with Chriſt in Heaven; and therefore this Worſhip and Invocation of Saints muſt neceſſarily be ſomething more, than according to the ſame order of brotherly Society, with which we entreat our Brethren upon Earth to pray for us: Otherwiſe the Reaſon given by the Council of their reigning with Chriſt in Heaven, would be frivolous; if the ſame thing may be done to our Brethren upon Earth.
(4.) In the Publick Offices of their Church, they do not only pray to the Saints to pray for them, but they direct their Prayers and Thankſgivings immediately to them, for all thoſe Bleſſings and Benefits which they ask of God, and thank him for. Of which innumerable Examples might be given out of their Publick Offices; particularly in the Office of the Bleſſed Virgin, they pray to the Angels thus; Deliver us we beſeech you by your command from all our Sins.
And the words of the Decree of the Council of Trent [ad eorum orationes, opem, auxiliumque confugere, to flee to their Prayers, aid, and help] unleſs we will make them a meer tautology, muſt of neceſſity ſignifie ſomething more than begging of them to pray for us. And indeed thoſe words of their aid and help, ſeem to be added one purpoſe to give countenance to thoſe direct Prayers which are made to the Saints, for all Spiritual and Temporal Bleſſings, and which ſtill remain without any Change in their Publick Offices; and unleſs we will underſtand them contrary to the plain and obvious Senſe, of thoſe Prayers, they muſt ſignifie ſomething more than Praying to the Saints to pray for us.
'Tis true indeed, that the Catechiſm which was framed by order of the Council of Trent, for the Explaining of their Doctrines, makes the difference between their Prayers to God, and to the Saints, to lie in this, that we ſay to God, Have mercy one us, or hear our Prayers; but to the Saints, Pray for us. But I have ſhewn before, that this is not the conſtant Form of Praying to Saints, but that frequently they make direct Addreſſes to them for their help and aid. And this the Compilers of the Catechiſm were ſenſible of, and therefore they add, although it be Lawful in another manner to ask of the Saints themſelves, that they would have mercy on us; becauſe they are very merciful. And is not God ſo too? And then where is the difference between their Prayers to God, and to the Saints? If it neither lie in the Matter of them, nor in the Form, nor in the Reaſon of them; if we pray to them for the ſame thing, and in the ſame Form, have mercy on us, and our Prayers to them be grounded upon the ſame Reaſon, that our Prayers to God are, namely becauſe they are merciful; where then is the difference between them?
4. I will mention but one Pretence more, which is, that by Praying to the Saints in Heaven, they do not make them Gods; and therefore there can be no Suſpicion or danger of Idolatry inthe caſe.
To this I ſhall anſwer Two things.
(1.) That praying to them in all places, and at all times, and for all ſorts of Bleſſings, does ſuppoſe them to have the incommunicable Perfections of the Divine Nature imparted to them, or inherent in them, namely his Omnipotence, and Omniſcience, and Immenſe Preſence; and to whatever Being we aſcribe theſe Perefections,Serm. V. in ſo doing we make it God; for Prayer to God is no otherwiſe an acknowledgment of his Omnipotence, Omniſcience, and Immenſe Preſence, than as we do in all places, and at all times, pray to him for all things; and ſo they do to the Saints, and that not only with vocal but with mental Prayer, which the Council of Trent allows, and in ſo doing, neceſſarily ſuppoſeth them to know our hearts, directly contrary to the Reaſon which Solomon gives, why we ſhould put up all our Prayers and Supplications to God, (1 Kings 3.39.) for thou, even thou, only knoweſt the hearts of all the Children of Men.
(2.) Bellarmine is ſo ſenſible of the dint of this Argument, that he is forced to acknowledge the Saints which reign with Chriſt in Heaven to be Gods by participation, (that is, a ſort of inferiour Gods, as the Heathen ſuppoſed their Mediators to be) and that therefore we may flie to their Aid and Help, as well as to their Interceſſion and Prayers. And is this alſo to pray to the Saints in Heaven, in the ſame Order of Brotherly Society, with which we entreat our Brethren upon Earth to pray for us? This methinks is great Familiarity, to treat Gods by Participation, juſt in the ſame manner as we do our Brethren upon Earth. Certainly either Bellarmine hath raiſed the Saints in Heaven too high, when he makes them Gods by participation; or the Biſhop of Meaux hath ſunk them too low, when he thinks they are to be treated and addreſt to, in the ſame Rank of Brotherly Society, with mortal Men here upon Earth.
One cannot but think the Decree of the Council of Trent to be very obſcure and ambiguous, when it can admit of Two ſo very different Explications. If the infallible Judge of Controverſies can ſpeak no plainer; I think we had even beſt ſtick to the Bible, and hear what God ſays in his Word, and endeavour to underſtand it as well as we can.
I proceed now to the Fourth thing which I propoſed, namely, to ſhew that this Practice of theirs, of Addreſſing our ſelves to Angels and Saints, and making uſe of their Mediation, to offer up our Prayers and Thankſgivings to God is not only Needleſs, being no where commanded by God; but Ʋſeleſs alſo, and unprofitable.
They are ſo far from pretending, that it is commanded by God, that ſeveral of their later Writers would fain make us believe that it is not enjoined by their Councils; but only declared to be lawful, or at moſt, but recommended as profitable. Nor is there any Example of praying to Saints, either in the Old or New Teſtament: Not in the Old, (as they of the Church of Rome confeſs) becauſe the Saints were not then admitted into Heaven; nor in the New, for fear of ſcandalizing the Jews, and of making the Gentiles think they propoſed new Gods, and new Mediators to them, inſtead of the old; which are the Reaſons given by their own Writers.
And it is Needleſs likewiſe; becauſe the Mediation of Jeſus Chriſt alone is ſufficient for us, and more than the Interceſſion of Millions of Saints and Angels. He alone is able to ſave to the utmoſt all thoſe that come to God by him, as the Apoſtle to the Hebrews ſpeaks. Hath not he made a clear and full Promiſe to us, that whatever we ask in his Name, ſhall be granted us? And have we any Reaſon to doubt, either of his Inclination and good will, or of his Power and Intereſt to do us good? What need then is there to ſue for the Favour, or to take in the Aſſiſtance of any other, even of thoſe who are thought to be moſt powerful, and the chief Miniſters and Favourites in that Heavenly Court? After ſuch an Aſſurance that my Buſineſs will be effectually done there, by that great Advocate with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt the Righteous; why ſhould I apply my ſelf to St. Peter, though he be ſaid to keep the Keys of Heaven; or to Michael the Arch-Angel, though he be the chief of the Miniſtring Spirits; or to the Bleſſed Virgin her ſelf, notwithſtanding thoſe glorious Titles of the Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of Mercy, which they of the Church of Rome, are pleaſed to beſtow upon her, and without her conſent, and as may reaſonably be preſumed, againſt her will?
I will put a Caſe, which may help to render this matter a little more plain and ſenſible to us, ſo as every Man may be able to judge of it. Suppoſe a King ſhould conſtitute his Son, the great Maſter of Requeſts; with this expreſs Declaration and Aſſurance, that all Petitions that were addreſt to him by his Son, ſhould be graciouſly received and anſwered; in this caſe, though every Man might uſe his own Diſcretion, at his own Peril, and take what courſe he pleaſed, yet I ſhould moſt certainly prefer all any Petitions to the King, in the way which he had ſo plainly directed, and ſhould trouble never a Courtier of them all with my Buſineſs; for fear the King ſhould think, that I did either diſtruſt his Royal Word, or deſpiſe his Son, by my ſoliciting the Aid and Help of every little Courtier, after I had put my Petition into the Hands of this great Maſter of Requeſts.
And now I will not diſtruſt any of your Underſtandings ſo far as to make the Application. I will only add, that it is an Eternal Rule of Truth, and which never fails in any Caſe, Fruſtra fit per plura, quod fieri poteſt per pauciora, it is in vain to attempt that by more Ways and Means, which may as well and as effectually be done by one; becauſe this would be perfect loſs of time and pains: And therefore they who would ſend us ſo far about, as to trouble all the Saints and Angels in Heaven with our Petitions, when they cannot deny but that our great Mediator is alone ſufficient; do ſeem to me to ſend us upon a very ſleeveleſs Errand: So that if with all their Skill in Fencing, they could defend this Practice from being Ʋnlawful, yet this one thing is a ſufficient Objection in Reaſon againſt it, that it is perfectly Needleſs.
Or if we could imagine any need of this; all Addreſſes to them muſt be vain and unprofitable, if they do not know our Wants, and hear out Prayers that are put up to them; which St. Auguſtin thought they do not know and hear, Fatendum eſt (ſaith he, L. De Curâ pro mortuis) neſcire quidem mortuos, quid hic agatur; it muſt be acknowledged, that the Dead are ignorant of what is done here. This was his Opinion; but we are certain that they cannot know our Wants, nor hear our Prayers at all Times and in all Places; unleſs they can either be preſent every where, which no Finite Being can be; or elſe God be pleaſed in ſome Supernatural way to communicate to them the Knowledge of our Wants, and of the Prayers which we put up to them; which we can never know that he does, unleſs he have communicated to us, that he is pleaſed to do ſo, of which the Scripture no where gives us the leaſt intimation.
But becauſe they pretend, that the Scripture gives us ſome hints of this, I ſhall briefly examine what they ſay about this Matter.
I. That the Angels know our Condition here below, becauſe they are ſaid to rejoyce at the Converſion of a Sinner; and therefore the Saints do likewiſe know our Condition, becauſe they ſhall be like the Angels. But this is not ſaid of them till after the Reſurrection, when we ſhall have no Occaſion to pray to them. Beſides that it may well enough be ſuppoſed, that God may reveal both to the Angels and Saints in Heaven, the Converſion of a Sinner, becauſe it may contribute to the Increaſe of their Joy and Happineſs: But will it hence follow, that God reveals to them all other Circumſtances of our Condition, our Dangers and Temptations and Troubles, our Sins and our Sufferings, the Knowledge whereof would no ways contribute to the Increaſe of their Happineſs? And yet in order to their Interceſſion with God for us, their Knowledge of theſe things would be moſt beneficial to us.
II. Becauſe the rich Man was concerned in Hell for the Salvation of his Relations on Earth, they argue that it is much more probable, that the Saints in Heaven are concerned for us, and are ready to pray for us, and therefore it is very credible, that ſome way or other, they have the Knowledge of our Condition and Wants, though we cannot certainly tell what that particular way is.
To which I anſwer.
(1.) That it is a known Rule amongſt all Divines, that no certain Argument can be drawn from the Circumſtances of a Parable, but only from the main Scope and Intention of it; nor is it ſo likely that the wicked in Hell ſhould have any ſhare in that, which St. Paul tells us, is the great Vertue of the Saints in Heaven, I mean Charity; and if they have it not, then no Argument can be drawn from it. Some of their Commentators think, that this Motion of the rich Man to Abraham concerning his Brethren, did not proceed from Charity to them, but to himſelf; leſt his Torment and Puniſhment ſhould be increaſed by their coming to Hell, by the means of the ill Example which he had given them, when he was upon Earth: And Cardinal Cajetan thinks that he was concerned for his Brethren out of Pride and Ambition, and becauſe it would be for the Honour of his Family, to have ſome of them in that Glory (ſo far above any thing in this World) which he ſaw Abraham and Lazarus poſſeſt of. This is a Reaſon, which I confeſs I ſhould not have thought on; and yet perhaps it might be likely enough to enter into the Mind of a Cardinal. And I cannot but obſerve by the way, that this Petition or Requeſt, which the rich Man in Hell made to Abraham, is the only Inſtance we meet with in Scripture, of any thing like a Prayer that was put up to any of the Saints in Heaven.
Well! But ſuppoſe that the rich Man in Hell had this Charity for his Brethren and we will eaſily agree, that the Saints in Heaven have much more Charity, not only for their Kindred, but for all Men here upon Earth; let us now conſider the particular way and manner which the great Divines of the Church of Rome (I mean the School-men, who cannot be content to be ignorant of any thing) do aſſign of the Knowledge which the Saints in Heaven have of the Condition and Wants of men here below.
They tell us that they know all our Prayers and Wants in the Glaſs of the Deity, or Trinity; which Metaphor of the Glaſs of the Deity, or Trinity, if it have any meaning, it muſt be this, that the Saints in Heaven beholding the Face of God or the Divine Eſſence, in which the Knowledge of all things is contained, they may in that Glaſs ſee all things that God knows: But then they ſpoil all this fine Speculation again, by telling us, that this Glaſs does not neceſſarily repreſent to them all that Knowledge which is in the Divine Mind; but that it is a kind of voluntary Glaſs, in which the Saints are only permitted to ſee ſo much as God pleaſeth; but how much that is, they cannot tell us. Which amounts to no more than this; that the Saints in Heaven know as much of our Condition here upon Earth, as God is pleaſed to reveal to them: And if this be all, it is as good a Reaſon why we ſhould pray to good men in the Eaſt or Weſt-Indies, to pray for us and help us, becauſe they alſo know as much of our Neceſſities and Prayers, as God thinks fit to reveal to them.
But if the Saints muſt have a Revelation from God of our Prayers, before that they know that we pray to them; then the ſhorteſt and ſureſt way both, is to pray to God, and not to them; or however (as Bellarmine confeſſeth) it were very fit to pray to God, before every Prayer we make to the Saints, that he would be pleaſed to reveal that Prayer to them, that upon this Signal and Notice given them by God, they may betake themſelves to pray to God for us. But unleſs it were very clear from Scripture, that God had appointed this Method, it is in Reaſon ſuch a way about, as no Man would take that could help it: And it ſeems to me to as little purpoſe; for why ſhould not a Man think God as ready to grant him all his other Requeſts, without the Mediation and Interceſſion of Saints, as this one Requeſt of revealing our Prayers and Wants to them? And if this way be not thought ſo convenient, I know but one more, and that is, to pray to the Saints to go to God, and beg of him, that he would be pleaſed to reveal to them our Spplications and Wants, that they may know what to pray to him for in our behalf; which is juſt ſuch a wiſe courſe, as if a Man ſhould write a Letter to his Friend that cannot read, and in a Poſtſcript deſire him, that as ſoon as he hath received it, he would carry it to one that can read, and entreat him to read it to him.Serm. VI. So that which way ſoever we put the Caſe, what courſe ſoever we take in this Matter, it will be ſo far from ſeeming Reaſonable, that we ſhall have much ado, and muſt handle the buſineſs very tenderly, to hinder it from appearing very Ridiculous.
Thus I have examined their chief Pretences from Scripture, for the Countenancing this Doctrine and Practice, and have ſhewn how little, or rather nothing at all is there to be found for it; and That alone is Reaſon enough againſt it, though there were nothing in Scripture againſt it, that there is nothing in Scripture for it: But I have already produced clear Proof out of the New Teſtament againſt it. And becauſe they think the leaſt ſhew and probability from Scripture, a good Argument on their ſide, I will offer them a probable Argument out of the Old Teſtament, upon which though I will lay no abſolute ſtreſs, yet I believe it would puzzle them, upon their Principles, to give a clear Anſwer to it; and it is from 2 Kings 2.9. where Elijah, juſt before he was taken up into Heaven, ſays to Eliſha, Ask what I ſhall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee; thereby intimating (as one would think) that then was the laſt Opportunity of asking any thing of him: But if Elijah had underſtood the Matter right (as the Church of Rome does now) he ſhould rather have directed him, to have pray'd to him when he was in Heaven, where he would have a more powerful Intereſt, and be in a better Capacity to do him a Kindneſs. For the Reaſon the Church of Rome gives, why they did not pray to the Saints under the Old Teſtament (namely becauſe they were not then admitted into Heaven) will not hold in the Caſe of Elijah, who was taken up into Heaven Body and Soul, and conſequently in as good Circumſtances to be prayed to, as any of the Saints and Martyrs that have gone to Heaven ſince.
I ſhould now have proceeded, in the Fifth and laſt place, to have ſhewen, That this Practice is not only Needleſs and Ʋſeleſs, but very Dangerous and Impious; becauſe contrary to the Chriſtian Religion, and greatly derogating from the Merit and Virtue of Chriſt's Sacrifice, and from the Honour of the only Mediator between God and Men, Chriſt Jeſus. And indeed, how can we apply our ſelves to any other Mediators and Interceſſors with God in Heaven for us, without a groſs and apparent Contempt of the High Prieſt of our Profeſſion, Jeſus the Son of God? As if we either diſtruſted his Kindneſs and Affection, or his Power and Intereſt in Heaven, to obtain at God's hand all thoſe Bleſſings which we ſtand in need of. The Apoſtle to the Hebrews tells us expreſly, that he is able to ſave to the utmoſt all thoſe that come to God by him; that is, who addreſs their Prayers and Supplications to God in his Name and Mediation. But if we will chuſe other Mediators for our ſelves, of whom we are not ſure that they can either hear or help us, we may fall ſhort of that Salvation, which the Apoſtle tells us we are ſecure of by the Mediation of Jeſus Chriſt; for he is able, &c.
But this hath been ſhewn ſo abundantly in the former part of this Diſcourſe, and is ſo clearly conſequent from the whole, that I ſhall here conclude my Diſcourſe upon the Second Propoſition I laid down from the words of my Text, viz. That there is but one Mediator between God and Men, the Man Chriſt Jeſus.
As to the Third Propoſition contained in the Text, viz. That this one Mediator, Jeſus Chriſt, gave himſelf a Ranſom for all, I have treated on that Subject particularly, on another*A Sermon concerning the Sacrifice and Satiſfaction of Chriſt. Printed in the year, 1693. Occaſion.
And as to the Fourth and laſt Propoſition, viz. That the Mediation or Interceſſion of Jeſus Chriſt is founded in his Redemption of Mankind; and becauſe he gave himſelf a Ranſom for all, therefore He and He only is qualified to Intercede for all men, in vertue of that Sacrifice which he offered for the Salvation of Mankind, I judge nothing more needful to be added, to what has fallen in concerning that Subject, in my handling the Second Propoſition, in this and the two former Sermons.