Chapter 8
Of Christ the Mediator
- It pleased God in His eternal
purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord
Jesus, His only begotten Son, according
to the covenant made between them both,
to be the Mediator between God and
man;1 the
Prophet,2
Priest3 and
King;4 head and
Saviour of His church,5 the heir of all
things,6 and judge of
the world;7 unto whom
He did from all eternity give a people to
be His seed, and to be by Him in time
redeemed, called, justified, sanctified,
and glorified.8
- The Son of God, the second person in
the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal
God, the brightness of the Father's
glory, of one substance, and equal with
Him who made the world, who upholdeth and
governeth all things He hath made; did,
when the fulness of time was come, take
upon Him man's nature, with all the
essential properties and common
infirmities thereof,9
yet without sin;10
being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the
womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit
coming down upon her: and the power of
the Most High overshadowing her; and so
was made of a woman of the tribe of
Judah, of the seed of Abraham and David
according to the Scriptures:11 so that two whole,
perfect, and distinct natures, were
inseparably joined together in one
person, without conversion, composition,
or confusion; which person is very God
and very man, yet one Christ, the only
mediator between God and man.12
- The Lord Jesus in His human nature
thus united to the divine, in the person
of the Son, was sanctified, and anointed
with the Holy Spirit, above
measure;13 having in
Him all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge;14 in whom
it pleased the Father, that all fullness
should dwell15 to the
end, that being holy, harmless,
undefiled,16 and full
of grace, and truth,17 He might be thoroughly
furnished to execute the office of a
mediator, and surety;18 which office He took not
upon Himself, but was thereunto called by
His Father;19 who
also put all power and judgement in His
hand, and gave Him commandment to execute
the same.20
- This office the Lord Jesus did most
willingly undertake,21 which that He might
discharge He was made under the
law,22 and did
perfectly fulfil it, and underwent the
punishment due to us, which we should
have borne and suffered,
23 being made sin and a curse for
us;24 enduring most
grievous sorrows in His soul; and most
painful sufferings in His body;25 was crucified, and died,
and remained in the state of the dead;
yet saw no corruption:26 on the third day He
arose from the dead,27 with the same body in
which he suffered;28 with which He also
ascended into heaven;29 and there sitteth on the
right hand of His Father, making
intercession;30 and
shall return to judge men and angels at
the end of the world.31
- The Lord Jesus, by His perfect
obedience and sacrifice of Himself, which
He through the eternal Spirit once
offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied
the justice of God,32
procured reconciliation, and purchased an
everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of
heaven, for all those whom the Father
hath given unto Him.33
- Although the price of redemption was
not actually paid by Christ, till after
His incarnation, yet the virtue,
efficacy, and benefit thereof was
communicated to the elect in all ages
successively, from the beginning of the
world, in and by those promises, types,
and sacrifices, wherein He was revealed,
and signified to be the seed of the woman
which should bruise the serpent's
head;34 and the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the
world:35 being the
same yesterday, and today, and for
ever.36
- Christ, in the work of mediation,
acteth according to both natures, by each
nature doing that which is proper to
itself; yet by reason of the unity of the
person, that which is proper to one
nature, is sometimes in Scripture,
attributed to the person denominated by
the other nature.37
- To all those for whom Christ hath
obtained eternal redemption, He doth
certainly and effectually apply, and
communicate the same; making intercession
for them;38 uniting
them to Himself by His Spirit; revealing
unto them, in and by the Word, the
mystery of salvation; persuading them to
believe, and obey;39
governing their hearts by His Word and
Spirit,40 and
overcoming all their enemies by His
almighty power and wisdom;41 in such manner and ways as
are most consonant to His wonderful, and
unsearchable dispensation; and all of
free and absolute grace, without any
condition forseen in them, to procure
it.42
- This office of Mediator between God
and man is proper only to Christ, who is
the prophet, priest, and king of the
church of God; and may not be, either in
whole, or any part thereof, transferred
from Him to any other.43
- 10. This number and order of offices
is necessary; for in respect of our
ignorance we stand in need of His
prophetical office;44
and in respect of our alienation from
God, and imperfection of the best of our
services, we need His priestly office, to
reconcile us, and present us acceptable
unto God;45 and in
respect of our averseness, and utter
inability to return to God, and for our
rescue, and security from our spiritual
adversaries, we need His kingly office,
to convince, subdue, draw, uphold,
deliver, and preserve us to His heavenly
kingdom.46
Footnotes:
1. Isa
42:1; 1Pe 1:19-20.
2. Ac
3:22.
3. Heb
5:5-6.
4. Ps
2:6; Lk 1:33.
5. Eph
1:22-23.
6. Heb
1:2.
7. Ac
17:31.
8. Isa
53:10; Jn 17:6; Ro 8:30.
9. Jn
1:14; Gal 4:4.
10.
Ro 8:3; Heb 2:14,16-17; 4:15.
11.
Mt 1:22-23; Lk 1:27,31,35.
12.
Ro 9:5; 1Ti 2:5.
13.
Ps 45:7; Ac 10:38; Jn 3:34.
14.
Col 2:3.
15.
Col 1:19.
16.
Heb 7:26.
17.
Jn 1:14.
18.
Heb 7:22.
19.
Heb 5:5.
20.
Jn 5:22,27; Mt 28:18; Ac 2:36.
21.
Ps 40:7-8; Heb 10:5-10; Jn 10:18.
22.
Gal 4:4; Mt 3:15.
23.
Gal 3:13; Isa 53:6; 1Pe 3:18.
24.
2Co 5:21.
25.
Mt 26:37-38; Lk 22:44; Mt 27:46.
26.
Ac 13:37.
27.
1Co 15:3-4.
28.
Jn 20:25,27.
29.
Mk 16:19; Ac 1:9-11.
30.
Ro 8:34; Heb 9:24.
31.
Ac 10:42; Ro 14:9-10; Ac 1:11; 2Pe
2:4.
32.
Heb 9:14; 10:14; Ro 3:25-26.
33.
Jn 17:2; Heb 9:15.
34.
1Co 4:10; Heb 4:2; 1Pe 1:10-11.
35.
Rev 13:8.
36.
Heb 13:8.
37.
Jn 3:13; Ac 20:28.
38.
Jn 6:37; 10:15-16; 17:9; Ro 5:10.
39.
Jn 17:6; Eph 1:9; 1Jn 5:20.
40.
Ro 8:9,14.
41.
Ps 110:1; 1Co 15:25-26.
42.
Jn 3:8; Eph 1:8.
43.
1Ti 2:5.
44.
Jn 1:18.
45.
Col 1:21; Gal 5:17.
46.
Jn 16:8; Ps 110:3; Lk 1:74-75.
©1998 Limerick Free
Baptist Church
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Free Baptist Church of Limerick