In all these cases, the circumstan- || the fixed laws of nature, our preces preceding any change are call-sent and future happiness necessaed the causes of that change: and rily depend on our cultivating good since a determinate event, or ef- dispositions. fect, constantly follows certain circumstances, or causes, the connex ion between cause and effect is concluded to be invariable, and therefore necessary. It is universally acknowledged, that there can be no effect without an adequate cause. This is even the foundation on which the only proper argument for the being of a God rests. And the Necessarian asserts, that if, in any given state of mind, with respect both to dispositions and motives, two different determinations, or volitions, be possible, it can be on no other principle, than that one of them should come under the description of an effect without a cause; just as if the beam of a balance might incline either way, though loaded with equal weights. And if any thing whatever, even a thought in the mind of man, could arise without an adequate cause, any thing else, the mind itself, or the whole universe, might likewise exist without an adequate cause. This scheme of philosophical necessity implies a chain of causes and effects established by infinite wisdom, and terminating in the greatest good of the whole universe; evils of all kinds, natural and moral, being admitted, as far as they contribute to that end, or are in the nature of things inseparable from it. Vice is productive not of good, but of evil to us, both here and hereafter, though good may result from it to the whole system: and according to This scheme of philosophical necessity is distinguished from the Calvinistic doctrine of Predestination in the following particulars. 1. No Necessarian supposes that any of the human race will suffer eternally; but that future punishments will answer the same purpose as temporal ones are found to do: all of which tend to good, and are evidently admitted for that purpose. Upon the doctrine of necessity, also, the most indifferent actions of men are equally necessary with the most important; since every volition, like any other effect, must have an adequate cause depending upon the previous state of the mind, and the influence to which it is exposed. 2. The Necessarian believes that his own dispositions and actions are the necessary and sole means of his present and future happiness; so that, in the most proper sense of the words, it depends entirely on himself whether he be virtuous or vicious, happy or miserable. 3. The Calvinistic system entirely excludes the popular notion of free-will; viz. the liberty or power of doing what we please, virtuous or vicious, as belonging to every person, in every situation; which is perfectly consistent with the doctrine of philosophical necessity, and indeed results from it. 4. The Necessarian believes nothing of the posterity of Adam's sinning in him, and of their being || Christ is a branch, will be effectually overturned. See NECESSITY, PRE-EXISTENCE, SPINOSISM, Soul, UNITARIAN, and books under those articles. MEANS OF GRACE denote those duties we perform for the purpose of improving our minds, affecting our hearts, and of obtaining spiritual blessings; such as hearing the gospel, reading the scriptures, self-examination, meditation, prayer, praise, christian liable to the wrath of God on that account; or the necessity of an infinite Being making atonement for them by suffering in their stead, and thus making the Deity propitious to them. He believes nothing of all the actions of any man being necessarily sinful; but, on the contrary, thinks that the very worst of men are capable of benevolent intentions in many things that they do; and likewise that very good men are capable of conversation, &c. The means are falling from virtue, and consequently of sinking into final perdition. Upon the principles of the Necessarian, also, all late repentance, and especially after long and confirmed habits of vice, is altogether and necessarily ineffectual; there not being sufficient time left to produce a change of disposition and character, which can only be done by a change of conduct of proportionably long continuance. to be used without any reference to merit, but solely with a dependance on the Divine Being; nor can we ever expect happiness in ourselves, nor be good exemplars to others, while we live in the neglect of them. It is in vain to argue that the Divine decree supersedes the necessity of them, since God has as certainly ap-. pointed the means as the end. Besides, he himself generally works. by them; and the more means he thinks proper to use, the more he displays his glorious perfections. Jesus Christ, when on earth, used means; he prayed, he exhorted, and did good, by going from place to place. Indeed, the systems of nature, providence, and grace, are all carried on by means. The scriptures abound with exhortations to them, Matt. v. Rom. xii. and none but enthusiasts or immoral characters ever refuse to use them. In short, the three doctrines of Materialism, Philosophical Necessity, and Socinianism, are considered as equally parts of one system. The scheme of necessity is the immediate result of the materiality of man; for mechanism is the undoubted consequence of materialism, and that man is wholly material, is eminently subservient to the proper or mere humanity of Christ. For if no man have a soul distinct from his body, Christ, who in all other respects appeared MEDIATOR, a person that inas a man, could not have a soul tervenes between two parties at vawhich had existed before his body:riance, in order to reconcile them. and the whole doctrine of the pre-Thus Jesus Christ is the Mediator existence of souls, of which the between an offended God and sinopinion of the pre-existence of ful man, 1st Tim. ii. 5. Both Jews and Gentiles have a notion of a deemer of.-2. That sin might be Mediator; the Jews call the Mes- satisfied for, and reconciliation be siah yss, the Mediator, or Mid-made for it, in the same nature dle One. The Persians call their which sinned.-3. It was proper god Mithras, IT, a Mediator; that the Mediator should be caand the dæmons, with the hea-pable of obeying the law broken thens, seem to be, according to by the sin of man, as a divine perthem, mediators between the superior gods and men. Indeed, the whole religion of Paganism was a system of mediation and intercession. The idea, therefore, of salvation by a Mediator, is not so novel or restricted as some imagine; and the scriptures of truth inform us, that it is only by this way human beings can arrive to eternal felicity, Acts iv, 12. John xiv, 6. Man, in his state of innocence, was in friendship with God; but, by sinning against him, he exposed himself to his just displeasure; his powers became enfeebled, and his heart filled with enmity against him, Rom. viii, 6: he was driven out of his paradisaical Eden, and totally incapable of returning to God, and making satisfaction to his justice. Jesus Christ, therefore, was the appointed Mediator to bring about reconciliation, Gen. iii, 12. Col. i, 21; and in the fulness of time he came into this world, obeyed the law, satisfied justice, and brought his people into a state of grace and favour; yea, into a more exalted state of friendship with God than was lost by the fall, Eph. ii, 18. Now, in order to the accomplish-ferings of men or angels would not ing of this work, it was necessary that the Mediator should be God and man in one person. It was necessary that he should be man, 1. That he might be related to those he was a Mediator and Re son could not be subject to the law, and yield obedience to it, Gal. iv, 4. Rom. v, 19.-4. It was meet that the Mediator should be man, that he might be capable of suffering death; for, as God, he could not die, and without shedding of blood there was no remis sion, Heb. ii, 10, 15. Heb. viii, 3. -5. It was fit he should be man, that he might be a faithful highpriest, to sympathize with his people under all their trials, temptations, &c. Heb. ii, 17, 18. Heb. iv, 15.-6. It was fit that he should be a holy and righteous man, free from all sin, original and actual, that he might offer himself without spot to God, take away the sins of men, and be an advocate for them, Heb. vii, 26. Heb. ix, 14. 1st John iii, 5. But it was not enough to be truly man and an innocent person; he must be more than a man: it was requisite that he should be God also, for, 1. No mere man could have entered into a covenant with God to mediate between him and sinful men.-2. He must be God, to give virtue and value to his obedience and sufferings; for the suf have been sufficient.-3. Being thus God-man, we are encouraged to hope in him. In the person of Jesus Christ the object of trust is brought nearer to ourselves; and those well-known tender affections which are only figuratively ascrib- the understanding, whereby our ed to the Deity, are, in our great thoughts are fixed on the observaMediator, thoroughly realized. tion of spiritual things, in order to Farther, were he God, and not practice. Mystic divines make a man, we should approach him great difference between meditawith fear and dread; were he tion and contemplation: the former man, and not God, we should be consists in discursive acts of the guilty of idolatry to worship and soul, considering methodically and trust him at all, Jer. xvii, 5. The || with attention the mysteries of faith plan of salvation, therefore, by and the precepts of morality; and is such a Mediator, is the most suit- performed by reflections and reaable to human beings that possibly sonings which leave behind them could be; for here "Mercy and manifest impressions on the brain. truth meet together, righteousness The pure contemplative, they say, and peace kiss each other," Psal. have no need of meditation, as lxxxv, 10. The properties of seeing all things in God at a glance, Christ as Mediator are these: 1. and without any reflection. See He is the only Mediator, 1st Tim. BEGUINS and QUIETISTS. ii, 4. Praying, therefore, to saints I. Meditation is a duty which and angels is an error of the ought to be attended to by all church of Rome, and has no coun- who wish well to their spiritual tenance from the scripture.-2. interests. It ought to be deliberate, Christ is a Mediator of men only, close, and perpetual, Psal. cxix, 97. not of angels; good angels need not Psal. i, 2.-2. The subjects which any; and as for evil angels, none ought more especially to engage is provided nor admitted.—3. He the Christian mind are the works is the Mediator both for Jews and of creation, Psal. xix; the perGentiles, Eph. ii, 18. 1st John ii,fections of God, Deut. xxxii, 4; 2.-4. He is Mediator both for the excellencies, offices, chaOld and New Testament saints.racters, and works of Christ, Heb. -5. He is a suitable, constant, xii, 2, 3; the offices and operawilling, and prevalent Mediator; tions of the Holy Spirit, 15th and his mediation always succeeds, 16th ch. of John; the various disand is infallible. Gill's Body of pensations of Providence, Psal. Div., vol. i, oct., p. 336; Witsii xcvii, 1, 2; the precepts, declaEcon. Fad., lib. ii, c. 4; Fuller's rations, promises, &c., of God's Gospel its own witness, ch. 4, p. 2; word, Psalm cxix; the value, Hurrion's Christ Crucified, p. 103, powers, and immortality of the &c.; Dr. Owen on the Person of soul, Mark viii, 36; the noble, beautiful, and benevolent plan of the gospel, 1st Tim. i, 11; the necessity of our personal interest in and experience of its power, John iii, 3; the depravity of our nature, and the freedom of Divine grace in choosing, adopting, justi Christ. MEDITATION is an act by which we consider any thing closely, or wherein the soul is employed in the search or consideration of any truth. In religion it is used to signify the serious exercise of VOL. II. N fying, and sanctifying us, 1st Cor. meek man mansuetus, qu manu vi, 11; the shortness, worth, and assuetus, used to the hand; which swiftness of time, James iv, 14; alludes to the taming and rethe certainty of death, Heb. ix, claiming of creatures wild by na27; the resurrection and judg- ture, and bringing them to be ment to come, 1st Cor. xv, 50, tractable and familiar, James iii, 7, &c. ; and the future state of eter-8: so where the grace of meeknal rewards and punishments, ness reigns, it subdues the impetuMatt. xxv. These are some of ous disposition, and learns it subthe most important subjects on mission and forgiveness. It teaches which we should meditate.-3. To us to govern our own anger whenperform this duty aright, we should ever we are at any time provoked, be much in prayer, Luke xviii, 1; and patiently to bear the anger of avoid a worldly spirit, 1st John ii, others, that it may not be a pro15; beware of sloth, Heb. vi, vocation to us. The former is its 11; take heed of sensual plea-office, especially in superiors; the sures, James iv, 4; watch against latter in inferiors, and both in the devices of Satan, 1st Pet. v, 8; equals, James iii, 13. The excelbe often in retirement, Psal. iv, 4; lency of such a spirit appears, if embrace the most favourable op- we consider that it enables us to portunities, the calmness of the gain a victory over corrupt namorning, Psal. v, 1, 3; the so- ture, Prov. xvi, 32; that it is a lemnity of the evening, Gen. xxiv, beauty and an ornament to human 63; sabbath days, Psal. cxviii, beings, 1st Pet. iii, 4; that it is 24; sacramental occasions, &c. obedience to God's word, and con1st Cor. xi, 28.-. The advan- formity to the best patterns, Eph. tages resulting from this are, im- v, 1, 2. Phil. iv, 8. It is producprovement of the faculties of the tive of the highest peace to the soul, Proverbs xvi, 22; the af- possessor, Luke xxi, 19. Matt. xi, fections are raised to God, 28, 29. It fits us for any duty, Psalm xxxix, 1, 4; an enjoy-instruction, relation, condition, or ment of Divine peace and fe- persecution, Phil. iv, 11, 12. licity, Phil. iv, 6, 7; holiness of life is promoted, Psal. cxix, 59, 60; and we thereby experience a foretaste of eternal glory, Psal. Ixxiii, 25, 26. 2d Cor. v, 1, &c. MEEKNESS, a temper of mind not easily provoked to resentment. In the Greek language it is #ga quasi fa facilis, easiness of spirit, and thus it may be justly called; for it accommodates the soul to every occurrence, and so makes man easy to himself, and to all about him. The Latins call a a To obtain this spirit, consider that it is a Divine injunction, Zeph. ii, 3. Col. iii, 12. 1st Tim. vi, 11. Observe the many examples of it: Jesus Christ, Matt. xi, 28; Abraham, Gen. xiii. Gen. xvi, 5, 6; Moses, Num. xii, 3; David, Zech. xii, 8. 2d Sam. xvi 10, 12. Ps. cxxxi, 2; Paul, 1st Cor. ix, 19. How lovely a spirit it is in itself, and how it secures us from a va riety of evils. That peculiar promises are made to such, Matt. v, 5. Isaiah lxvi, 2. That such give |