not the Son of God hath not Life but the wrath of God abideth on him 2. See another Text John 14.6 Jesus saith unto him I am the Way the Truth and the Life no man cometh to the Father but by me I am the way by which you may come to the Father as to your last and highest End and Happiness I am the Door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved John 10.9 There 's as much as He that hath the Son hath Life But then observe No man cometh unto the Father but by me He who hath not the Son of God hath not the Way nor the Truth nor the Life 3. Take a third Witness to confirm both parts of the Point Acts 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved The Affirmative That Salvation and Life is in Christ is included in the excluding word Neither is there Salvation in any other Salvation is in and by Jesus Christ but not in any other for there is none other name c. And therefore if any one hath not the Son of God he hath not Life From what is said you may come to be past fear and doubt of your everlasting Salvation if you have the Son of God as you shall hear by and by you may be sure your Life your Treasure your Happiness is safely laid up for you And on the contrary a Man that reads these Words may read his own Doom He who hath not the Son hath not Life Conclude now as you have or or have not the Son of God Jesus Christ the Saviour so you shall live or die eternally But yet take this for prevention of Trouble or Despair As it is certain no Man hath any Right or Title to eternal Life except he believeth and hath the Son so he who hath not the Son at present now may have him may believe and be saved if he attend for him in the means of Grace and have him while he may be had that is while he is offer'd to him I take the Words as Doctrins or Divine Propositions without putting them into any other Form 1 D. He that hath the Son hath Life 2 D. He that hath not the Son hath not Life In opening the first observe these Particulars 1. Who and what is this Son spoken of in the Text. 2. What it is to have the Son 3. What is that Life which they have who have the Son 4. The reason why he who hath the Son hath Life or how it will follow and appear that he who hath the Son Jesus hath and must needs have Life 1. By the Son is to be understood Jesus Christ the Son of God our Mediator and Redeemer of whom there is frequent mention in this Chapter The Son is that same Holy One and wonderful spoken of in the first Verse Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God v. 5. Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God He who came by Water and Blood even Jesus Christ ver 6. He to whom the Father the Word or the Second Person in the Godhead and the Holy Ghost bear witness the Three in Heaven that bear witness and to whom the Three bear witness on Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood ver 7 8. He who is called Son his Son Son of God ten times from ver 8. to the end of the Chapter And observe ver 20. And we know the Son of God is come He who was given and sent is come in our Flesh to be a Mediator between God and us and hath given us an Vnderstanding to know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and eternal Life This Son this Son of God is the true God and eternal Life is in him ver 11. He is called Life John 14.6 and the Word of Life 1 John 1.1 and Eternal Life v. 2. He is the true God and hath Life in Himself and he is eternal Life essentially as the Son of God the only begotten Son John 3.16 And because the only begotten begotten by eternal Generation by the Father he was Life and had Life in Himself from Eternity before the Beginning therefore he is immutable and immortal he is Eternal Life originally and in the Fountain And that eternal Life which the Father of his meer Grace and Love hath given to us who are born of God is in his Son who is entrusted with it for us and hath power to give it to us John 17.2 and he who hath him hath eternal Life for that reason From these Scriptures learn four great Points and Matters of Faith 1. That Jesus Christ is so the Son of God that he is certainly the True God 2. That the Son of God is come into the World as sent of God as made of a Woman as manifest in the Flesh having taken part of the same Flesh and Blood which his Brethren were partakers of Gal. 4.4 1 Tim. 3.16 Heb. 2.14 3. That the only begotten Son of God hath Life in Himself yea is the Life the word of Life and eternal Life 4. That Christ his Son Jesus Christ hath that eternal Life in him as our Mediator Saviour and Head which God hath given to them who are born of God regenerated by the Spirit and adopted to be the Sons of God and Heirs of Life Jesus Christ our Mediator and Saviour is that Son which whoever hath hath Life Give me the attentive Ear to two Texts more which being taken together as they ought to be will prove That the Son of God is the same with Jesus our Saviour and that as our Jesus he is called the Son of God Luke 1.31 32 35. And behold thou shalt conceive in the Womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the highest c. And to her Question who thought it to her a thing incomprehensible but not impossible ver 34. How can it be seeing I know not a Man The Angel answered and said unto her The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee Therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God The Name Jesus is the Name of the Son of God as Mediator given him from the End or Effect of his coming into the World Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his people from their Sin The same is called according to the Prophesie of Isaiah Emmanuel God with us and the same called the Son of God Mat. 1.23 He shall be called * Dr. Owen of the Person of Jesus Christ against Biddle p. 180. c. Mr. Estwick's Articles of Mr. Biddle's Faith confuted p. 211. A. B.
Matth. 20.28 Oh! what an inestimable Ransom is that 3. The Nature of Christs Mediation His Work was not so easie and cheap as the Socicinians make it They make our Mediator to be a Messenger sent from God to make known his Will to the World Catech. Racov. de prophetico Christ munere or an Interpreter of his Mind But to what End doth the Apostle add this Who gave himself a Ransom for all if that was all But he who is that One and only Mediator between God and Man gave himself a Ransom for those who could never have redeemed their own Lives who lay under the Sentence of Death and Condemnation Let it not be tedious to you to read and ponder Heb. 9.14 15. How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offer'd himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God The Offerer or Priest was Christ the Offering or Sacrifice was Himself Body and Soul even unto Death and Blood that which gave Efficiency and Power to the Offering was the eternal Spirit or Divine Nature he to whom it was offered was God who in Justice required and in Mercy accepted it for them who believe and repent to purge Conscience from Guilt and Pollution vers 15. And for this Cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called may receive the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance Here we have the Reason or Cause of Christ's Mediatory Office He is a middle Person dealing between both Parties God and Men and for both To God he gave himself a Ransom Nam ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 officium non minus pertinent hominum vice apud Deum fungi quam Dei vice apud homines Grot. de Satisfactione Christi p. 172. which is a Satisfaction for Sin and sinful Men For them that are called he procured the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance the means by which he obtained Pardon for the sins of the Hebrews under the First Testament whereof Moses was a Typical Mediator and the eternal Inheritance for them who are called and believe was his Blood the Blood of Attonement And this great Work of Christ was performed by him as a Priest and so he is a Mediator in his Priestly Office and procures Peace and Reconciliation as a Priest and therefore as a Priest he is Mediator As a Priest he offered up himself to God in our sted and for our Good so he stood between us Sinners and the offended God and made Attonement and as Priest he appears for all that believe in him for he is an Advocate and makes intercession which he could not do if he were not the Propitiation for our sins 1 John 2.2 And so he is a Mediator between both for both for he is the Mediator of the New Testament having satisfied by his Death and Obedience for the Violation of the first Covenant made with Adam in the Guilt of which all Mankind are involved and for the sins of the Hebrews under the first Testament made with their Fathers which no Sacrifice could expiate or satisfie for All the Mercy and Goodness of God is conferred upon them that are called and brought to believe and obey him by a Testament or Covenant and all that Man is obliged to as Duty and Obedience is required in that Testament whereof Christ is Mediator And therefore some judicious Divines put this into the Description of the Office of Christ Mediator that Christ is the Person God-Man who doth confederate God and Man in the same Covenant of Grace Christianus Schotanus Disput 19. De Mediatore Thess prima Le Blanc Thess 1. An Christus sit Mediator secund utramque naturam p. 109. Tileni Syntagma de Incarnatione Fil. Dei Disput 1. Thess 4. and make them one again The whole Work of Christ as Mediator may be reduced to two Heads 1. To satisfie for the Breach of the first Covenant and redeem sinful Men from the Curse of it 2. To bring God and Man into another Covenant the Covenant of Grace and to make them one To this end it was necessary 1. That he should be a Mediator of Redemption and Reconciliation 2. That as God is one there should be one Mediator and so there is one and but one 1 Tim. 2.5 3. This one Mediator is said to be Man in this Text but not meer Man nor Mediator as Man only excluding the Divine Nature but the Man Christ Jesus He addeth to the Nature Man the Names Christ Jesus which contain the Nature and Person of the Son of God and signifie that wonderful Person Pet. Martyr administros Regn. Polonici L. Com. p. 1113. our Lord Jesus Christ The Words do not shew according to which Nature Christ is Mediator but that the Mediator is Man and that Jesus Christ is Man who bringeth us to God It is usual in Scripture to speak of the Person of our Mediator Jesus Christ by one of his Natures Genevenses Thes Theol. de Christo Med. Thes 27. p. 49. Centur. 1. not excluding the other from the Unity of the Person So by the Man Christ may be understood that Person who hath that Nature which is truly called Man and that for divers Reasons 1. That the Apostle would encourage us to put our Trust and Confidence in him Reverend Mr. J. Ball of the Covenant p. 269. as being our Elder Brother 2. To encourage us in the Duty of Prayer through the Mediator to which we are exhorted as knowing the greatness of that Power and Authority which Christ hath with his Father residing in our Nature 3. That it might appear that our Mediator was the same Christ or Messiah which was promised from the Beginning as the only Restorer of miserable Sinners the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.14 4. That no man to whom the Gospel is preached Nequis igitur se torqueat ubinam ille quaerendus Mediator aut qua via ad ipsum perveniendum hominem nominans propinquum imo contiguum nobis esse admonet quandoquidem caro nostra est Calvin Instit l. 2. c. 12. S. 1. 2. of any Condition or Quality whether in Authority or under Authority high or low rich or poor should be discouraged or terrified from seeking and accepting that Salvation which by the Gospel is proposed and offered to all Conditions of men seeing there is one Mediator for all as there is one God over all and good to all and that one Mediator is the man Christ Jesus who is near to us and bound not only by the bond of Nature as Man but by Office and Undertaking as Mediator Redeemer and Reconciler to save all that come unto him Now if you have cause to fear everlasting Destruction for want of a Mediator and Redeemer nor for want of Tenderness of Compassion or
them Thousands yea Millions of Lives are lost in their Quarrels and Wars But here is the Son who saves his Subjects Lives raiseth their dead Bodies to Life he is the Prince of Peace and Life and he that believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life O what love and thanks shall be render'd to the Father of Mercy for his Son and to the Son for Life 5. Then here is good News to Sinners that are sensible of sin that know somewhat of the Death which they deserved and that fear it that desire Life and long for it but fear and doubt if not despair of Life O Souls here 's good News for you for Christ and Life are both to be had If you would have Life you must have Christ and if you have Christ you have Life both Christ and Life are to be had Life may be had O! if the Soul cry out and say How how is Life the Life of my Soul to be had The Spirit of God hath told you and his Servant John He that hath the Son hath Life the way to have Life is to have Christ Have him and you have Life that is most certain If the Soul pant and faint and pine for Life and cry out O when shall I be so happy as to live The Answer is ready As soon as you have Christ so soon you shall have Life Long long for Christ then make haste and come he will receive the Soul whom necessity drives 6. The way of having life is very wonderful and high yet attainable It is by Christ and by having Christ God gives life eternal life to his beloved ones but not one of them is fit to keep it for himself much less for others it is in his Son The Son comes down from Heaven in our Natures and he must die or we cannot have it We are dead and love Death in loving the way of Death and we are under the power of Murderers and Destroyers nay more we are under a Law of Sin and Death under the Curse of God Christ could cast out Devils with a Word and destroy the Destroyers without pain or shedding one drop of Blood but he could not deliver us from Death under the Sentence and Curse of the Law but by Blood The life of pardon by forgiving Sin was by precious Blood for without the shedding of Blood there is no remission of Sin Heb. 9.22 Behold how costly a life is our life Whence comes it From Heaven By whom by the Son By the imputation of his merit infusion and communion of his Spirit Per imputationem sc quae faciunt ad justificationem partim per participationem quae pro nostra sanctificatione gloria So those great Divines agree Bp. Reynold 's Life of Chr. and Hoornbeck as before p. 801. How by the Son By his Death and Life Passion and Resurrection From what O wonder at it it is life fetcht out of the Fire out of Death and Hell pluckt out of the Jaws of Devils and secured from all Dangers and Hazards but then he who hath it hath the Son 7. Then he who hath Christ is happier in having Christ than all other Persons in the World for he and he alone hath life when and while all other Persons are dead dead in Law dead in Sin dead to God and dead to their own Souls Good 8. Then the only sure and ready way to escape Death and to be sure of Life is to have Christ to come to him to believe in him and make him your own You know the ordinary way is that of the rich Man Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may inherit life Mat. 19.16 Memorable is the Relation of blessed Bilney's Conversion As the Woman in the Gospel had consumed all she had upon Physicians and yet was still worse and worse till she came to Christ c. Before I came to Christ I had likewise spent all I had upon ignorant Physicians they appointed me Fastings Watchings buying of Pardons and Masses c. But at last I heard speak of Jesus even then when the N. Testament was put forth by Erasmus At first I was allured to read rather for the Latin than for the Word of God At the first reading I hit upon the Sentence of St. Paul O most comfortable Sentence to my Soul It is a faithful Saying c. 1 Tim. 1.15 This did so exhilerate my Heart wounded with the guilt of my Sins insomuch that my bruised Bones leapt for joy And then I learnt that all my Travels all my Fasting and Watches all the Redemption by Masses and Pardons without Faith in Christ were but an hasty and swift running out of the way or like sowing Fig-leaves c. Neither could I be relieved or eased of the sharp stingings of my sins before I was taught of God that as Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wilderness c. That whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting Life c. B. of Martyrs 2 Vol. Letter to Tonstale The way he approved of was hard and he went a great way in it but there was a harder way and he could not find in his Heart to take it Souls Souls the way is but one and it is very fair save your pains of Pilgrimages and Cords and all the devised ways of human Reason and Superstition The way you know and me you know said our Saviour So say I because his Word saith so Have Christ and you shall live 2. Use of Exhortation to you all to have the Son O that I could perswade you to have Christ and to have him for Life and so to have him as to have Life by him Oh! how many have but Notions of him Some know not as much as the meaning of his Names and Office and such as their Faith is such their Life is A Notional Faith can have but a conceited Life an imaginary Life such as will last no longer but while they neglect their Salvation and receive the Grace of God in vain O have him as you have been taught what it is to have him I beseech you go along with me and set Consideration on work while I perswade you and then I will answer what you desire to know Arguments drawn from necessity and that extream and from advantage and gain and loss and both the greatest are very prevailing Let the greatest Wit in the World think if he can what is more necessary or equally necessary What Gain comparable to the gain of Life eternal Or what loss can come into a comparison with a loss of Life Who can number the Reasons to perswade you to have the Son for your Saviour and if you weigh them all other things are lighter than Vanity being put in the Ballance with them This one Reason should perswade us to have Christ because our life and all those good great and glorious things contained in life is first in Christ and