The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. The Covenant of Grace conſidered in relation to Chriſt the Mediatour.
THIS laſt verſe I have purpoſely choſen to carry on farher the diſcourſe of the Covenant of Grace in relation to Chriſt Jeſus as Mediatour The Covenant of Grace conſidered …n relation to Chriſt as Mediatour.thereof: And let me tell you that herein lies the ſtrongeſt hopes, and the ſweeteſt comforts, and the ſureſt grounds that we ſinners have; that as there is a New Covenant (a Covenant of Grace) ſo that Jeſus Chriſt is the Mediatour thereof: For ſet Jeſus Chriſt aſide as Mediatour in this Covenant, there would be no admiſſion of ſinners into it, nor any participation of the good things in it, nor any ability of our ſtanding or abiding in it.
I finde in Scripture a ſeven-fold relation that Jeſus Chriſt hath to the Covenant.Chriſt hath a ſeven-fold relation to the Covenant. He is the ſubſtance of the Covenant. The principal confederate party.
1. He is the ſubſtance of the Covenant, even the Covenant itſelf, Iſa. 42. 6. I will give thee for a Covenant of the people, Iſa. 49. 8. He is our very peace, and our very life, and our very ſalvation; and (if I may not be miſtaken) he it is that fulfils, and makes the Covenant good on both ſides.
2. He is the principal confederate party: As Adam was in that Covenant of works ſtanding for himſelf and all his poſterity; ſo Jeſus Chriſt in this Covenant of Grace for himſelf and all that believe on him, Heb. 1. 5. I will be to him a Father, and be ſhall be to me a Son, 1 Joh. 20. 17. I aſcend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.
3. He is the Meſſenger of the Covenant, (Mal. 3. 1. The Meſſenger of the Covenant The Meſſenger of the Covenant.whom ye delight in) He it is who opens and reports unto us the good will of his Father, and the gracious love of the Father, and what hath paſt and hath been agreed on 'twixt the Father and him touching our ſalvation; he reveals this Covenant, and treats with ſinners about it, and ſhews them the way how to come in, and prevailes with them by his Spirit.
4. He is the Witneſs of the Covenant, Iſa. 55. 4. Behold I have given him The Witneſs of the Covenant.for a Witneſs to the people. Rev. 1. 5. From Jeſus Chriſt the faithful witneſs, &c. He teſtifies to the Covenant, by word, and deed, and oath, and his teſtimony is true, 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful ſaying and worthy all acceptation, that Jeſus Chriſt is come into the world to ſave ſinners: He is the Yea and Amen to every word of promiſe and grace that God hath ſpoken concerning us, that it is good and true, that God hath ſaid it, and that he will performe it.
5. He is the Surety of the Covenant. Heb. 7. 22. Jeſus was made a Surety of The Surety of the Covenant.a better Testament and Covenant: As God is (in ſome reſpect) a Surety for Chriſt, Iſa. 52 13. Behold my ſervant ſhall deale prudently; ſo Chriſt is a Surety for God, undertaking that his Father ſhall perform what he hath promiſed, Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me ſhall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wiſe caſt out, verſe 38. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that ſent me. verſe 39. And this is the Fathers will which hath ſent me, that of all which he hath given me, I ſhould loſe nothing, but ſhould raiſe it up again at the laſt day. And a Surety for us; He did enter into Bond for us to pay our ranſome; To become ſin for us, that we may be made the righteouſneſs of God in him.
6. He is the Teſtator of the Covenant, and he died to confirm the Covenant: The Teſtator of t… Covenant.His death ſealed it, ſo that we may challenge and plead the good of the Covenant as children do their Eſtates left unto them in a Teſtament ſealed, Heb. 9. 16, 17. Where a Teſtament is, there muſt alſo of neceſſity be the death of the Teſtator: For a Teſtament is of force after men are dead.
7. He is the Mediatour of the Covenant: Thus is he ſtiled in the Text, the The Mediatour of the Covenant.Mediatour of the New Covenant. Thus in Heb. 8. 6. The Mediatour of a better Covenant. Thus in Heb. 9. 15. The Mediatour of the New Teſtament. He is that dayes-man 'twixt God and us, that layes his hand upon us both, ſuch a one as Job wiſhed for, Job 9. 33. He takes up all differences, anſwered all demands, payed the ranſome, and reconciled us.
There is,
1. Internuncius, A Meſſenger between two parties.
2. Arbiter, An Umpire, an indifferent man choſen to judge between two. A litigantibus eligitur, & habet totius rei poteſtatem.
3. Interceſſor, who uſeth entreaty for another.
4. Advocatus, who defendeth or ſoliciteth another mans cauſe.
5. Mediator ut ſupra; and there is a Mediator per modum Annuntiationis, or Revelationis, as M…ſes who ſtood between God and the people, Indicans illis verbum Dei, Deut. 5. 5. I ſtood between the Lord and you at that time, to ſhew unto you the Word of the Lord, per modum reconciliationis: So Jeſus Chriſt who by his death or ſacrifice appeaſed God, and reconciled us unto God, 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God, and one Mediatour between God and men, the man Jeſus Chriſt. verſe 6. Who gave himſelf a ranſome for all.
But what is a Mediatour? He is
1. Qui medius est inter duos parum inter ſe congruentes, aut etiam ſibi invicem What is a Mediatour.hoſtes; he is a middle Perſon (a third Perſon) between two who are either jarring and quarrelling, or elſe who plainly fall… out and becomes enemies; he is one who ſteps in 'twixt the offending, and offended perſon.
2. Qui mediat inter partes: He is one who mediates between thoſe parties, (that is) who undertakes to take up their differences, and to atone and reconcile them, and make them one in love and friendſhip again, and for that purpoſe engageth himſelf to give ſuch a ſatisfaction to the offended party, whereby all grounds of injury and diſpleaſure being removed, he, and the offending party comes to ſtand in the terms of affection, peace, and amity, as if no difference ever had been between them.
3. Qui promovet, he is one who doth ſo attend and perſonate the reconciling of parties, that he gives not over that work or enterpriſe, untill he hath accorded them, and drawn them into a ſtate of love and reconcilement, untill he hath indeed made them friends.
4. Qui utriuſque nomine: He is one who tranſacts this work between the parties in the name of the both parties dealing with the offending party in the name of the offended; and with the offended party, in the name of the offeding party; ſo to ſatisfie the one, and ſo to relieve and help the other.
In all theſe reſpects is Chriſt a Mediatour 'twixt God and us ſinners.Chriſt is ſuch a Mediator.
1. God the Father he is that one party, and the ſinner is the other party; betwixt both of them Jeſus Christ the Son of God comes in as a middle or third party.
2. And mediates, takes it upon him to ſet them at one again, who by reaſon of ſin …e are at variance and enmity; and this he doth by undertaking to give ſatisfaction to God offended and provoked by ſin.
3. And ſo proſecutes this work that he refuſeth not any thing required and inſiſted upon by the offended God, neceſſary to make him reconciled, but willingly yeilds to do and ſuffer all (and did ſo) to make up a peace twixt him and ſinners.
4. In the tranſacting of all this, He acted in the name of them both, with the one, and with the other.
For the opening of this excellent and uſeful Point, I ſhall touch briefly upon ſeven particulars.
1 The neceſſity of a Mediatour between God and us ſinners.
2. That Jeſus Chriſt is the Mediatour, and he only.
3. How Jeſus Chriſt is to be conſidered, as ſtanding under the Name and Office of a Mediatour.
4. According to what Nature in Chriſt he is our Mediatour, whether according to his Divine nature only, or Humane Nature onelyonly, or both.
5. What did concern Chriſt to do or ſuffer for us as Mediatour.
6. What the merits, efficacies, vertues and benefits are depending on him as Mediatour, and flowing from his mediation.
7. What Chriſt ſtill doth in the behalf of the people in Covenant, for whom he is a Mediatour.