N00342:242
The mystery of Christ opened and applied. In several sermons, concerning the person, office,…The mystery of Christ opened and applyed. In several sermons, concerning the person, office,…
The mystery of Christ opened and applied. In several sermons, concerning the person, office, and glory of Jesus Christ. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in N. England. ; [Twelve lines of quotations]The mystery of Christ opened and applyed. In several sermons, concerning the person, office, and glory of Jesus Christ. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in N. England. ; [Twelve lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by Richard Pierce for Joseph Browning, 1686
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is not enough for men to believe in God, except they believe in Christ, and so in God through the Mediator. Joh. 14. 1.
Instruct. II. Great is their Sin who make into themselves other Mediators besides Christ. They rob Christ of his chief Glory. Herein was the great and grosest Superstition of the Gentiles of Old, that they fancied and worshipped many mediators, Demons or middle-gods. They looked upon the souls of their Heroes or deceased Worthies, to be Demons, or Agents between the Sovereign Deity and them. And this is the great […] of the apostate Christians, h. e. the Papists; Their Idolatry does consist chiefly in their Doctrine of Demons 1. ⟨p. 142⟩Tim. 4. 1. Indeed, they do in world acknowledge that there is no Mediator of Redemption or Satisfaction but Christ, and yet they think to satisfy for their own sins themselves, by their doing Penance: and they pray for Salvation on account of such a Saint, or such a Martyr. And they Teach that their is more Mediators of Intercession than one. But that is contrary to clear Scripture. Hence the Apostle having him speaking about Intercession, •aith, there is one Mediator. Cap. 2. 1, 5. None but Christ fits in the Throne of God. Tho' Believers shall sit in Christ's Throne at the Last Day, yet none but Christ shall sit In God's Throne. Rev. 3. 21. Hence none else is to be the Agent between God and all the Elect. It's an encroaching on Christ's Prerogative-Royal, and therefore derogatory to exalt any other to that Dignity. It belongs to Christ as exalted to the right Hand (of Throne) of the Father, there to present our Devotions to the Father of Glory. Rom. 8. 34. As none but the High Priest might enter into the Holy Place; so it belongs to Christ alone to be a Mediator in Heaven. He appears for us, as our Agent. We have no other Agent in Heaven but Christ: None else to appear for us there.