II. But this leads us to our second topic: “And one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.” The two doctrines, you perceive, are intimately related to each other. “One God”—“One Mediator.” As we have but “one God,” we need but “one Mediator.” As that Mediator is himself God, the merit of his mediation is sufficient for the salvation of all them that believe.
The office of a Mediator supposes two parties at variance, between whom he interposes to produce a reconciliation. It is thus “between God and man.” God gave man a law, “holy, and just, and good;” man revolted, and “there is wrath.” Reconciliation is impossible, without the intervention of a mediator. Let us look at the parties engaged in this dreadful controversy.
On one side we see Jehovah, possessed of infinite perfections, and clothed with uncreated excellence and glory. He is self-existent, independent and eternal. Omnipresence, Omniscience, and Almightiness are his. He is great in wisdom, full of goodness, slow to anger, and ready to pardon. His love is ineffable, and “his mercy endureth for ever.” He is “glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders.” These perfections are the pearls and diamonds in his crown. “With him also is terrible majesty.” Life and joy are in his smile, but the angel of destruction waits upon his frown. One beam of his love can raise thousands of men to heaven: one glance of his anger, sink myriads of angels to hell. “He sitteth upon the circles of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers.” “All nations before him are as nothing; they are counted less than nothing and vanity.” “He doeth according to his will among the children of men, and ruleth the armies of heaven.” “At his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.” O what majesty and power belong unto the Lord our God!
With this imperfect view, contrast the impotence and insignificance of sinful man. What is he? A being of yesterday, “whose breath is in his nostrils,” and “whose foundation is in the dust.” A frail, helpless, perishing thing; dependent upon God, the Creator, for all his comforts, for life itself. What is man? A fool; an alien from all good; an embodiment of all evil. His understanding is dark; his will perverse; his affections carnal. His “throat is an open sepulchre;” swallowing up “whatsoever things are true, pure, lovely, or of good report;” emitting a pestilential vapor, which withers every green herb, and sweet flower, and delicious fruit, of honor to God, and happiness to man. “The poison of asps is under his tongue;” an inflaming poison, affecting all the members, and “setting on fire the whole course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell.” “His heart is fully set in him to do evil;” “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” He is an enemy to his Maker; a rebel against Jehovah; a blank—nay, worse—a blot in God’s creation; dead to every virtue, dead to every thing but sin; lost to every gracious purpose of his being; a withered branch, fit only to be plucked off, and cast into the fire; stubble, ready for the burning. “Let him alone!” said Reason. “Cut him down!” cried Justice. “I hate the workers of iniquity!” added Holiness. “He or I must perish!” exclaimed Truth. “Spare him! Spare him! Spare him!” pleaded weeping Mercy. And Wisdom came forth, leading the Son of God, and said: “I have found a ransom! Behold the Mediator!” And all the attributes met and embraced at the manger, and kissed each other at the cross!
It was man’s place, as the offender, to seek a reconciliation. God was under no obligation. But, alas! man had neither the means nor the inclination. What could be done? Hear, O ye heavens! and be astonished! Listen, O earth! and wonder and adore! While man was far from God, an enemy in his heart by wicked works, rushing on in determined hostility to his Maker’s government, and there was no sacrifice found for his sin, and no disposition in him to seek a sacrifice, God sought within himself the adequate and only means of pardon and peace. He found in his own bosom the Lamb for the altar; exhibited him to Israel in the predictions and promises of the Old Testament; and in the fulness of time, sent him forth to expiate sin, by the offering of himself, once for all. “For the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.”
God provided a Mediator. Why? Did he fear that the deserved ruin of the human race would dethrone eternal Justice? No. Eternal Justice would have been honored as much in their destruction as in their salvation. The law would have been as fully vindicated in the infliction of its penalty upon the transgressor, as in the reparation of its breach by a vicarious atonement. The glory of the Divine government would have been untarnished, as when the rebel angels were cast down from heaven, and locked up in everlasting darkness. This wondrous provision was not the result of necessity, but the prompting of Infinite Love. Divine Mercy sought to remove the barrier interposed by Divine Justice. The sinner cannot be pardoned, till his Great Substitute has met the demands of the law. There must be a full satisfaction and settlement of its claims, as the only ground on which the rebel can be acquitted.
Love is the “Alpha and Omega” of redemption, the love of God to man. Read it in the journey of the Mediator from heaven to earth! Read it in his pilgrimage through the land of sorrow! Behold him “nailed to the shameful tree!” See the blood and water gushing from his side! Hear the sound of the water-spouts, as the floods of wrath rollover him! Then ask the reason. The answer is: “God is love.” “He is not willing that any should perish.” It seemed good in his sight to save his rebel children, whatever it might cost him. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” “Herein is love, not that we loved God”—no; we hated him; we were his sworn, inveterate foes; “but that he loved us”—loved us while we were yet enemies—loved us with an ineffable love; “and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Wonderful must be the qualifications of such a Mediator. He fills with his own merit the gap between two worlds. He bows the heavens, and lifts up the earth to meet them. He takes hold of God and man, and brings them together in himself. He reconciles the rebel and the law, glorifies the Father by humbling himself, and his cross becomes our life, and his tomb the birthplace of our immortality.
England and Wales could not be united till the son of the king of England was born in Wales, and became Prince of Wales. The English regarded him as heir to the throne of England; while the Welsh claimed him as their brother, a native of their own country, born in the castle of Caernarvon. Behold “the well beloved”—“the only begotten of the Father,” “heir of all things,” “Lord of lords, and King of kings,” born “in Bethlehem of Judea;” “the Son of God—the Son of man;” partaking of both natures, and representing both parties in the great controversy. He is “the Mighty God, and the Everlasting Father;” yet he is our near kinsman—bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. In his person, heaven and earth are joined; by his blood, God and man are reconciled. Heaven is his throne, for God is his father; earth is his principality, for it is the land of his nativity. In him angels recognise their King, and men behold their brother.
I gaze on the cross, and methinks I hear the victim say: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth; for I am God, and beside me there is none else. I opened a way for my people of old, by dividing the waters, to the Canaan of Promise; I am now preparing a path for believers, through the red sea of my blood, to the inheritance in heaven. I gave the law amid fire and smoke on Sinai, and thundered forth my curse upon its violater; I am here on Calvary, to honor that violated law, and remove that curse from its violater by taking it upon myself. Behold my hands, my feet, my side! This blood, O men! is your sacrifice. I will expiate your sin by my sufferings. I will magnify the law, and make it honorable. And though in your nature I hang on this tree to-day, I will revive, and live for ever, to make intercession for the transgressors, and save to the uttermost all that come unto God by me!”