He was, therefore, under the necessity of substituting a gravity of manner in room of that warmth and fire of which he was so capable by nature, and which he so much admired in others, when managed with prudence.

It was impossible to hear him without attention; or to attend to him without improvement. He had a happy talent at unfolding the true meaning of the sacred writer of his text ;-at concentrating and giving perfect unity to every subject which he treated, and presenting to his audience the clearest and most comprehensive views of it.

The sermons of Doctor Witherspoon were distinguished for judicious division, for profound remarks on human nature and human life, and for luminous illustrations of Scripture. In his discourses, he delighted to dwell chiefly on the great and distinguishing doctrines of the gospel; and these he brought, as far as possible, to the level of every understanding, and to the feelings of every heart. He sel. dom chose to lead his hearers into speculative discussions; and never to entertain them by a mere display of talents. All ostenta. tion in the pulpit he viewed with

the utmost aversion and contempt. During the whole of his presidency, he was extremely solicitous to train those studious youths who had the ministry of the gospel in view, in such a manner as to secure the greatest respectability as well as useful. ness, in their sacred profession. It was his constant advice to young preachers, never to enter the pulpit without the most care. ful preparation. It was his am. bition to render those in the holy ministry the most pious and exemplary body of men in America.

His personal religion is well known. Few men were ever more anxious to walk closely with God; and by a sober, right. eous, and pious life, to adorn the doctrines of the gospel. Besides the daily devotions of the closet and the family, he regularly set apart, with his household, the last day of every year for fasting, humiliation, and prayer. He was also in the practice of spending days in secret exercises of this kind, as occasion requir. ed. He was enabled while on earth, to continue patiently in well-doing ;'-and he is now in heaven enjoying his everlasting reward.

he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power. For he must reign

till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted who did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."

It has hence been argued that Christ must be inferior to God the Father, who will put all things under the feet of Christ. Since it is by a power delegated to him by God, that he reigns, and subdues his enemies.

Answer. Though Christ be true God, yet in the office of Mediator he sustained and acted in a character inferior to the Father, from whom he received his mediatorial commission with its powers and authority.

By vir. tue of this power or authority he reigns, and subdues his enemies. The Father made him Lord and Christ, committing all power and authority to him as God, Man, Mediator. In this character he is, and acts under him, as his minister, and accord. ing to the commandment received from him. But his essential power or authority, as God must be distinguished from his delegated power or authority as Christ. The mediatorial authority indeed sets him above all power in heaven or earth, except the supreme power of the Deity. But as it was delegated to him by the Father, so Christ acts under him, acknowledges that he is above him, and does homage to him. But his voluntary condescension does not ungod him, but

he is still God over all blessed for ever.

It is further said that the Son shall deliver up the kingdom to God even the Father: which shews that he all along holds and administers it under him, which is evidence of his inferiority.

Answer. It is granted that when all Christ's enemies are subdued, and the ends for which he received his mediatorial author. ity attained, he will deliver up the kingdom to God the Father. This is plain from the express testimony of the apostle. But as the Son of God was God before he was Christ the Mediator, so he will be God blessed for ever when his office and authority as Mediator shall be resigned to the Father, from whom he received it.

But it is further argued, that when Christ shall have given up the office and authority, which he hoids under God as Mediator, then shall the Son also himself be subject to him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all. If Christ is under, or subject to the Father merely because he condescended, and consented to become Media or, and the Father's minister, then, upon his resigning this office, he no longer would be subject to him, if he is God by na. ture. But the apostle says that when he shall have giv. en up his mediatorial kingdom, then the Son shall still be subject to him who put all things under him, that is to the Father. This shows that Christ being under God does not arise merely from his becoming Mediator, but must be founded in inferiority of

nature.

Answer. The Son of God has

a twofold right of dominion; the one essential to him as God, the other delegated to him as Me. diator, and the minister of God. Whatever person is truly God is also Sovereign Lord. The Son of God never was, nor will be divested of this prerogative.

But when he assumed our nature, and became Mediator, he received authority from the Father. He was made Christ and Lord. This delegated authority which Christ receives from the Father comes also under a twofold consideration. 1. The Father gave him power and authority to be Mediator; he fur. nished him with all suitable powers for holding and executing this office. 2. He has given him also power and authority as Godman, as the reward of his condescension, humiliation, obedience, and fidelity in the execution of this his office.

was ne

It was necessary that the Mediator be authorized by God to his office. And as great authority, as well as power, cessary to the effectual execution of this office, this was delegated to Christ by the commission which he received from the Father. He had authority, as Mediator, to make laws and ordinances for the church, to work miracles, lay down his life, and take it again, govern the church, and the world in subserviency to the interests of his kingdom. He had power and authority to apply the blessings he had purchased for men, to call them into his kingdom, to save them from sin and misery, and give them eternal life, to subdue all his and their enemies, to judge the world, and render to all according to their works. All this Christ the Me

diator has power and authority to do. And when all this is done and the end of his commission fully answered, he will resign his office of Mediator, as having nothing further to do in that character.

But Christ not only receives kingly power and authority to qualify him for the execution of the office of Mediator, but he also receives glory, power, and authority as God-man, in reward of his condescension, humiliation, obedience, and fidelity in undertaking and executing this office. Because he humbled him. self, and became obedient to death, God hath highly exalted him, that at his name every knee should bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord. sovereign authority is the inseparable prerogative of his divine nature, so it is derived or communicated to the man Jesus Christ, by virtue of the union of the di

As

vine and human natures in the

person of Christ. And as this personal union of the divine and human nature will never be dissolved, so the kingly authority of Christ over his saints will be everlasting.

We must not then think that Christ as God-man will cease to be king, when he is no longer Mediator. He will never be degraded, never divested of his lordship or dominion over the sbjects of his kingdom. Though he will not hold or exercise authority as Mediator, after all his enemies are subdued, and his kingdom settled in peace; yet, as the reward of his Mediatorial administration, he will for ever hold and exercise the honor and authority of king of saints. Of this the Scriptures assure us in

such plain and pointed language, that it seems rather strange any should imagine that Christ will ever abdicate or give up his royal crown and throne. What can be more express than the follow. ing testimonies. Heb. i. 8, Unto the Son he saith, thy throne O God is for ever and ever. Isa. ix. 7, Of the increase of his government and kingdom there shall be no end. Dan. vii. 14, His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroy ed. Luke i. 32. He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Rev. ii. 15, The kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever. How incredi bleis it, that God's own Son, the object of his highest compla. cence, and whom he delights to honor above all, should receive only a temporary, transitory crown, when our poor services and light afflictions in the way of duty have the promise of an eternal crown of glory.

It is easy to see that Christ's giving up his authority as Mediator, when a Mediator is no longer needed, (which I conceive is what the apostle means in the passage we have been consider. ing) is quite consistent with his reigning king of saints for ever. And even in this character

it may be said, without any prej. udice to the essential divinity of the Son of God, that he shall be subordinate and subject to the Father, who put all things under him. For as the Son of God has a human nature, which will for ever remain personally united to him after he shall cease to be

Mediator, so, he has an eternal kingly authority given or delegated to him by the Father as the reward of his merits, whereby his human nature is exalted in glory, honor, and authority above all creatures. But this everlasting dominion which Christ has received as the reward of his merits, being given or delegated to him by the Father, must be subordinate to the supreme, underived, essential dominion of the Father. As Christ the Mediator is subject to the Father, so when he shall be no longer Mediator, he shall still hold kingly authority, but still subordinate to the Father, who has crowned him with glory and honor for the suffering of death. But the subordinate everlasting royalty, with which Christ as God-man is invested, no more intrenches on the essential rights and prerogatives of his godhead, than the subordinate authority with which he was invested as Mediator.

Though it is said that the kingdom, or the authority which is delegated to Christ as Mediator will be delivered up by him to God, even the Father, yet we need not conceive that this act of homage is paid to the first person exclusively of the other persons of the godhead; but the Father who is styled the Fountain of the Deity, or the Original of the other divine persons, seems rather to be considered as representing the whole blessed and undivided Trinity. Nothing however need, or ought to be inferred from this implying a denial of the true and proper divinity of the Son of God the object of religious homage to men and angels.

What seems to have embarrassed and misled some in their ṛea

sonings on this subject I conceive is their supposing that Christ is God, merely because the Father made him God by delegating great power and authority to him. The Father indeed made him Lord and Christ when he commissioned him to be Mediator, as has been noticed before. But it is never said that he made him God. Christ would not have been able to sustain and execute the office of Mediator effectually, whatever divine assistance he may be supposed to have had, if he had not been God. A mere man has not that personal dignity, or those divine perfections, which are requisite for the attain. ment of those ends for which a

Mediator was needed. Admit ting that a mere man by extraordinary assistance could do and suffer all that Christ did as man, still it would be but the doings and sufferings of a mere man, and not of a divine person, and so would be insufficient and ineffectual. I have enlarged the more in replying to the objection grounded on that passage of Scripture, which we have been considering, because some have thought it could not be well answered, and others have thought this text very hard to be underStood. Whether any others have explained it exactly in the same manner, I know not. How far these observations are just and pertinent others will judge. I will mention but one objection more. I would not have noticed so many as I have, if they had not been published and circulated among us.

VIII. It is said that Christ's Divinity is inconsistent with the gospel doctrine of his mediation. For if Christ be God, he is the VOL. II. New Series.

party injured and offended by sin. And it is asked who is to be our Mediator when we address ourselves to Christ, as our of fended God? To say he mediates with himself, is the same as to say we must go to him without a Mediator.

I shall not attempt to carry the discussion of this objection through that intricate labyrinth of subtility, which has been form. ed for its defence. For I am weary of the business, and wish to cut it as short as I can.

It has commonly been thought and said, that Christ is admirably qualified to be a Mediator between God and men, by the union of the divine and human nature in his person; yea that he would not otherwise be such a Mediator as we need, or able to execute the office effectually. But the objection asserts that if Christ be God he cannot be Me diator, he being the party of. fended; for then he must mediate with himself, which is ab. surd.

But I conceive that it is not very difficult to give a sufficient answer to this puzzling question, who is to be our Mediator when we address ourselves to the Son of God, as our offended God? And the answer is, we go to him in the name of Christ, who being God and man in one person is appointed as Mediator to effect a reconciliation between the triune God and the sinner. Nor is it absurd that he who as

God is offended by our sins should, as God-man, mediate a reconciliation between God and