the fixed laws of nature, our present and future happiness necessarily depend on our cultivating good In all these cases, the circumstan- 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 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 to do: all of which tend to good, a God rests. And the Necessa-and are evidently admitted for that rian asserts, that if, in any given purpose. Upon the doctrine of 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. 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. This scheme of philosophical neeessity 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 virtuous or vicious, as belonging 3. The Calvinistic system entirely excludes the popular notion of free-will; viz. the liberty or power of doing what we please, to every person, in every situation; which is perfectly consist as they contribute to that end, or are in the nature of things inseparable from it. Vice is productive ent with the doctrine of philosonot of good, but of evil to us, phical necessity, and indeed results both here and hereafter, though good may result from it to the 4. The Necessarian believes nowhole system: and according to thing of the posterity of Adam's from it. Christ is a branch, will be effectu ally 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 sinning in him, and of their being 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 conse- to be used without any reference quently 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. 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 as a man, could not have a soul which had existed before his body: and the whole doctrine of the preexistence of souls, of which the opinion of the pre-existence of 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 gue that the Divine decree supersedes the necessity of them, since God has as certainly appointed 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. scriptures abound with exhortations to them, Matt. v. Rom. xii. and none but enthusiasts or immoral characters ever refuse to use them. The MEDIATOR, a person that intervenes between two parties at variance, in order to reconcile them. Thus Jesus Christ is the Mediator between an offended God and sinful man, 1st Tim. ii. 5. Both Jews 1 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 אמצע, 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, μεσιτης, 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 have been sufficient.-3. Being 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 remission, 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 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 ascribed to the Deity, are, in our great Mediator, thoroughly realized. Farther, were he God, and not man, we should approach him with fear and dread; were he man, and not God, we should be guilty of idolatry to worship and trust him at all, Jer. xvii, 5. The plan of salvation, therefore, by such a Mediator, is the most suitable to human beings that possibly could be; for here "Mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other," Psal. lxxxv, 10. The properties of Christ as Mediator are these: 1. He is the only Mediator, 1st Tim. ii, 4. Praying, therefore, to saints and angels is an error of the church of Rome, and has no countenance from the scripture.-2. Christ is a Mediator of men only, not of angels; good angels need not any; and as for evil angels, none is provided nor admitted.-3. He is the Mediator both for Jews and Gentiles, Eph. ii, 18. 1st John ii, 2.-4. He is Mediator both for Old and New Testament saints. -5. He is a suitable, constant, willing, and prevalent Mediator; his mediation always succeeds, and is infallible. Gill's Body of Div., vol. i, oct., p. 336; Witsii Econ. Fad., lib. ii, c. 4; Fuller's Gospel its own witness, ch. 4, p. 2; Hurrion's Christ Crucified, p. 103, &c.; Dr. Owen on the Person of the understanding, whereby our thoughts are fixed on the observation of spiritual things, in order to practice. Mystic divines make a great difference between meditation and contemplation: the former consists in discursive acts of the soul, considering methodically and with attention the mysteries of faith and the precepts of morality; and is performed by reflections and reasonings which leave behind them manifest impressions on the brain. The pure contemplative, they say, have no need of meditation, as seeing all things in God at a glance, and without any reflection. See BEGUINS and QUIETISTS. I. Meditation is a duty which ought to be attended to by all who wish well to their spiritual interests. It ought to be deliberate, close, and perpetual, Psal. cxix, 97. Psal. i, 2.-2. The subjects which ought more especially to engage the Christian mind are the works of creation, Psal. xix; the perfections of God, Deut. xxxii, 4; the excellencies, offices, characters, and works of Christ, Heb. xii, 2, 3; the offices and operations of the Holy Spirit, 15th and 16th ch. of John; the various dispensations of Providence, Psal. xcvii, 1, 2; the precepts, declarations, promises, &c., of God's word, Psalm cxix; the value, powers, and immortality of the 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 fying, and sanctifying us, 1st Cor. vi, 11; the shortness, worth, and swiftness of time, James iv, 14; the certainty of death, Heb. ix, 27; the resurrection and judgment to come, 1st Cor. xv, 50, meek man mansuetus, qu manu assuetus, used to the hand; which alludes to the taming and reclaiming of creatures wild by nature, and bringing them to be tractable and familiar, James iii, 7, &c.; and the future state of eter-8: so where the grace of meek nal rewards and punishments, Matt. xxv. These are some of the most important subjects on which we should meditate.-3. To perform this duty aright, we should be much in prayer, Luke xviii, 1; avoid a worldly spirit, 1st John ii, 15; beware of sloth, Heb. vi, 11; take heed of sensual pleasures, James iv, 4; watch against the devices of Satan, 1st Pet. v, 8; be often in retirement, Psal. iv, 4; embrace the most favourable opportunities, the calmness of the morning, Psal. v, 1, 3; the solemnity of the evening, Gen. xxiv, 63; sabbath days, Psal. cxviii, 24; sacramental occasions, &c. 1st Cor. xi, 28.-1. The advan-formity to the best patterns, Eph. ness reigns, it subdues the impetuous disposition, and learns it submission and forgiveness. It teaches us to govern our own anger whenever we are at any time provoked, and patiently to bear the anger of others, that it may not be a provocation to us. The former is its office, especially in superiors; the latter in inferiors, and both in equals, James iii, 13. The excellency of such a spirit appears, if we consider that it enables us to gain a victory over corrupt nature, Prov. xvi, 32; that it is a beauty and an ornament to human beings, 1st Pet. iii, 4; that it is obedience to God's word, and con tages resulting from this are, improvement of the faculties of the soul, Proverbs xvi, 22; the affections are raised to God, Psalm xxxix, 1, 4; an enjoyment of Divine peace and felicity, 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 πραθ quasi fa facilis, easiness of spirit, and thus it may be justly called; for it accommodates the soul to every occurrence, and so makes a man easy to himself, and to all about him. The Latins call a To v, 1, 2. Phil. iv, 8. It is productive of the highest peace to the possessor, Luke xxi, 19. Matt. xi, 28, 29. It fits us for any duty, instruction, relation, condition, or persecution, Phil. iv, 11, 12. 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 variety of evils. That peculiar promises are made to such, Matt. v, 5. Isaiah lxvi, 2. That such give |