The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 7 · Section 3
SECT. III.
3. NOw let me ſpeak unto the third particular, viz. How Jeſus Chriſt is to How Chriſt is to be conſidered as being-Mediatour. As God Man.be conſidered, or look't upon as being a Mediatour.
I anſwer, not as God only; not as the ſecond Perſon in the Trinity only; not as man only; but as Theanthropos, as God-Man: As God manifeſted in the fleſh, 1 Tim. 3. 16. As the Word made fleſh which dwelt amongſt us, and we beheld his glory as the only begotten of the Father, Joh. 1. 14. As the ſecond Perſon of the Trinity incarnated, as Immanuel God with us: A Virgin ſhall conceive and bring forth a Son, and thou ſhalt call his Name Immanuel, Iſa. 7. 14. with Matth. 1. 23. and ſo the Angel to Mary in Luke 1. 31. Behold thou ſhalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and ſhalt call his Name Jeſus, verſe 32. He ſhall be great, and ſhall be called the Son of the Higheſt, and the Lord God ſhall give unto him the Throne of his Father David, verſe 33. And he ſhall raign over the houſe of Jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom there ſhall be no end: So Gal. 4. 4. When the fulneſſe of time was come, God ſent forth his Son made of a woman, &c. to redeem them that were under the Law: (And Chriſt is ſaid to bear our ſins in his own body, 1 Pet. 2. 24. And to make his ſoule an offering for ſin, Iſa. 53. And by his death and blood to reconcile us, Rom. 5. 9. Col. 2. 22.) As Chriſt was God from all eternity; ſo in time he was made Man: True God he was. Joh. 1. 1. The Word was God: and true Man alſo be was. Heb. 2. 14. He did partake of fleſh and blood; and verſe 17. In all things made like unto his brethren: and Acts 20. 28. of him it is ſaid, that God purchaſed his Church with his own blood (that is) the Son of God being made man, did ſo purchaſe his Church.
So then, Jeſus Chriſt is our Mediatour conſidered as God and Man: And the Reaſons of it.Reaſons are theſe.
1. A Mediatour muſt be a middle Perſon 'twixt differing parties, equally diſtant from both, and equally drawing nigh to both parties betiwxt whom he doth A Mediatour muſt be a middle Perſon 'twixt differing parties.mediate. Now Chriſt who was God, by becoming man, is therefore a middle Perſon betwixt God and Man; for upon this account he partakes of the Nature of them both; and as he is neare to the Father as God, in like manner he is as near to us as he is man.
2. A Mediatour muſt be indifferent, and faithful in the behalf of both parties, He muſt be indifferent and faithful in behalf of both parties.not leaning too much unto the one, nor inclining too much unto the others; not preſſing on the one ſide, nor prejudicing on the other ſide, but dealing righteouſly between both, and evenly: And thus did Chriſt our Mediatour, being God and Man: He was (as it were) therefore ſo equally intereſted and ballanced on the behalf of both, that man could not have choſen a better; nor God have appointed a fitter; and neither a ſurer Mediatour than Chriſt. For as be himſelf was God, it concerned him to ſalve his honour, and to give him ſatisfaction: And as he himſelf was alſo Man (and under obligation for him) it concerned him as much to lay out himſelf for the good and intereſt of man in procuring reconciliation and ſalvation for him. So that partaking of both their Natures as a Mediatour, he was thereby not only intruſted by both parties, but alſo a like engaged in the behalf of them both: And truely therefore was the Divine and humane Nature united in his Perſon, that ſo God and Man might be united and reconciled by his mediation.
3. Beſides, thoſe opera foreign neceſſarily muſt be the opera foreign The works of Chriſts mediation were ſuch as no Perſon could effect except he were both God and Man.the works of Chriſts Mediation which did reſt upon him to perform and diſpatch, (by his Fathers will and his own conſent and ſuſception) were ſuch as no perſon could effect, unleſs he were both God and Man; for he was both to die, and to overcome death; dye he could not unleſs he had been Man; and overcome death he could not unleſs he had been God. He was to be under the Law, that he might redeem us from the Law: He muſt therefore be Man, that ſo he might be under the Law; and he muſt therefore be God alſo, elſe he could not have Redeemed us from the Law: He was to ſuffer, and by ſuffering to ſatisfie and merit. If he had been God only, he could not have ſuffered; if he had been Man only, he could not have ſatisfied, and merited. He was to lay down his life, and to take it up again; he could not have done the former, had he not been Man; nor could he have done the latter, had he not been God.
Object. Now whereas ſome denying the true Humanity of Chriſt (as others have denyed his Divinity) do object, That Chriſt took upon him the form of a ſervant, Phil. 2. 7. and that he was ſent in the likeneſſe of ſinful fleſh, Rom. 8. 3. and therefore he was not made Man indeed, and therefore not to be conſidered as God and Man in his Mediatourſhip.
Sol. I anſwer.
1. To the firſt (the form of a ſervant) doth not prove that he was not really The form of a ſervant opened.a ſervant, no more than in verſe 6. his being in the form of God doth prove that he is not really God: But he was ſo in the form of God, that yet he was true God; In like manner he was ſo in the form of a Servant, that he was alſo a true Servant: Nevertheleſs know, to be in the form of a thing may be taken two wayes.
1. Sometimes for a meere ſhew or appearance, without the truth of that ſubſtance whereof it is a form or appearance: Thus the Apoſtle ſpeaks of ſome who had the form of godlineſſe, 2 Tim. 3. 5. (that is) a meere outward appearance without the preſence, power, or ſubſtance thereof.
2. Sometimes for the evidence of a real being: for the word foreign, is alſo ſuch a form as grows upon, and manifeſts the truth of an Eſſence or Being; as the form of a Seal left in the wax, is an evidence that a true ſeale hath made that impreſſion. So the external way of Chriſt in his humiliation and ſufferings, his humbling of himſelf to the death, &c. did (like a form) ſhew indeed that he was a true and perfect man, and were the evidences of the truth of his Humanity.
2. To the ſecond alſo I anſwer, That there is a difference between fleſh and ſinfull What is meant by ſinful fleſh.fleſh: A ſinful Humane Nature is one thing, and an Humane Nature is another thing: Chriſt was not made ſinful fleſh (his conception by the Holy Ghoſt freed him from that contagion; and truely he could never have been made a Mediatour for ſinners, had he himſelf been a ſinner) yet was he made fleſh, or true man: He was fleſh in truth, though ſinful fleſh only in ſimilitude, becauſe of his reproaches, and abaſements, and ſufferings; He was in the opinion of the world numbred amongſt tranſgreſſors, and accounted by men to be ſmitten of God, for his own ſins; yet this in truth was not ſo: For he was made like unto us in all things, ſin only excepted.
Thus have I opened unto you what a Mediatour is: The neceſſity of a Mediatour; that Chriſt is the Mediatour, and he only; that he is ſo as God made man. Before I paſſe to the other particulars, I will make ſome uſefull Applications from thoſe truths already delivered.
Uſe. 1 Is there a Mediatour of the New Covenant? And is Jeſus Chriſt the Son of God that Mediatour? This may inform us of many things.
1. Of the Atrocity or hainouſneſſe of ſ…n. It was a good expreſſion of Bernard, Agnoſce, O homo, quam gravia ſunt vulnera, pro quibus neceſſe eſt Dei Filium Information. Of the hainouſneſs of ſin.vulnerari! O ſirs! we make light of ſin, it is but a paſtime to a foole to commit iniquity; we commit ſin, and we forget our ſins; By our ſins we make a breach, a difference 'twixt God and our ſoules. And we think it an eaſie matter to cloſe up the differences thus raiſed by our ſins; As that King after his ſwearing and wicked doing would kiſs his Crucifix, and thought that was enough to make his peace; ſo we. O but we are exceedingly miſtaken; though it be eaſie to fall out with God, yet it is not eaſie to fall in with God; though it be eaſie to offend and provoke him, yet it is not eaſie to be reconciled to him: When man hath ſinned againſt God, none can make his peace with God, but the Son of God, and he muſt do it as a Mediatour: He muſt come down from heaven to make our peace in heaven. And he muſt be made man to reconcile ſinful man; and he muſt be made under the Law, to deliver from the curſe of the Law; and he muſt be put to death to deliver us from death: Sin makes ſuch a difference that no Angel, no Man, no Creature can take it off, but Jeſus Chriſt the Mediatour.
2. Of the wonderful goodneſs of God to us ſinners, and to us enemies; that he Of the wonderful goodneſs of God to ſinners.gave and ſent his own Son to be a Mediatour for us, 1 Joh. 4. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and ſent his Son to be the propitiation for our ſins: He began in love to us, who began the breach and enmity with him; and ſent his Son (the Son of his love to the abuſers of his love) to be a propitiation for our ſins, whereas he might have ſent down wrath and damnation upon us ſinners, Rom. 5. 8. God commendeth his love towards us, in that whiles we were yet ſinners, Chriſt dyed for us. O what love is this, not to ſpare his Son, and yet to ſpare his enemies! Chriſt who had no ſin of his own muſt dye, that ſinners who had no righteouſneſs of their own mighr live. Quod meretur malus, patitur bonus; man ſinneth and deſerves the curſe; and he that was God and Man ſuffers to take away this curſe, and to make our peace.
3. Of the exceeding love of Chriſt unto us; who ſaw our ſinful fall and pittied Of the exceeding love of Chriſt.us, and when no Redeemer, no Mediatour could be found, he became a Mediatour, he voluntarily conſented to take upon him the Mediatorſhip for ſinners, we made our ſelves neceſſary debtors, and he made himſelf a free Mediatour.
And what think you was the Son of God to be, and to do, and to ſuffer, when he conſented to be a Mediatour? Truely he became Man as we are, and a ſervant, and a ſufferer, and muſt deale with the wrath of God and curſe of the Law, and the fulfiller of all righteouſneſs for us, and the ſatisfying of the juſtice of God, and make peace, and deliver us from all our enemies, and perfectly redeem and ſave our ſoules! Even his love (if it be lawfull to draw out ſuch a compariſon) exceeded the love of all the Trinity beſides: …f that of Aquinas be true, that it was greater love to give Chriſt to die for ſinners, than freely to have forgiven ſinners; why may it not then (in ſome reſpect) be a greater love in Chriſt to give himſelf and dye to make our peace, than only to give himſelf ſo to ſuffer? a ſuffering love is accounted greater than a beſtowing love.Of the great obligations which lie upon us to look after Chriſt.
4. Of the great obligations which lie upon us to look after Chriſt, and by faith to own him as our Mediatour; There being no other Name given but his, by which we can be ſaved. O Chriſtians, why is Chriſt no more prized, no more ſought, no more ſeriouſly and earneſtly attended and attained? Is he not a Mediatour? and is there another? Every ſinner (and ſo is every one of us) needs a Mediatour 'twixt God and him (O that we did indeed ſee the neceſſity of a Mediatour) to make peace, to reſtore him into the favour of God, to purge away his ſins! And God (to ſhew his willingneſs for reconciliation with you) gives his own Son, and he gave himſelf; why then can you not ſee the way of your own mercies? why do you not enter into this door of hope? A Mediatour only ſaves a ſinner; but the Mediatour ſaves not, if you do not receive him, and believe on him.
Uſe. 2 The next Uſe ſhall be for Comfort to us ſinners; and the comfort is this, That there is a Mediatour, and Chriſt Jeſus is that Mediatour, and that as ſo For Comfort.he is God and Man: why, where lies the comfort?
1. This Mediatour undertakes all things between God and us; all things in our This Mediator undertakes all things betwixt God and us.name to God, and all things in the Name of God to us: He deals for us with God, and for God with us to make up a perfect reconciliation: No leſſe lies upon him as Mediatour, then fully and perfectly to reſtore us again: He is our peace, and makes peace: and this he took upon him being Mediatiour.
2. He will certainly ſtand unto the Covenant of Mediatorſhip, agreed upon between He will ſtand to the Covenant of Mediatorſhip.God the Father and himſelf for us; Nay, let me ſpeak a bold truth, Jeſus Chriſt muſt ſtand unto it: though it was a free act of his to engage himſelf to be our Mediatour and Surety; yet being engaged, he is not free to perform that Office or no.
Queſt. It is a queſtion ſtarted and aſſerted by ſome, whether Filius Dei potuit ſponſioni ſuſceptae renunciare & ſe ſubducere: The Remonſtrants (If I miſtake not) ſay that he might have done it if he had pleaſed Abdicare, & negligere praemium in compacto promiſſum.
Sol. Theſe men would not only hold out a poſſibility for us to fall from grace, but they bid faire for it in Chriſt himſelf.
But this Opinion is falſe. For
1. When Chriſt engaged himſelf as Mediatour, his obedience of Righteouſneſs was a Debt which he was bound to pay; he became thereby our Surety and Debtor to the Father.
2. He then alſo was made under the Law, and under that he was not if the Law did not binde and challenge him to perform that obedience; nor yet could he ſatisfie the Law; for no obedience ſatisfies the Law, but that which the Law can challenge as due unto it.
3. He did not come (as Mediatour) to gratifie a friend, but to do the will of him that ſent him: and this was the will of his Father, that he ſhould loſe none of them that were given unto him.
4. Why was Peter ſo ſharply reproved and ſilenced by Chriſt, when he wiſhed him to pitty himſelf? and in his agony he ſubmitted, Not my will, but thy will be done.
3. He hath gone through all the works of a Mediatour, he hath born our ſins, He hath gon… through all the wurks of a Mediator. He muſt needs be willing to do us good.ſatisfied juſtice, blotted out the handwriting which was againſt us, ſlain enmity, made peace, brought in everlaſting righteouſneſs, ſo that now he is Immanuel, even God with us.
4. It cannot be but he muſt be moſt willing to do us good, to pity us, to help us, to ſave us: for as a Mediatour, he is married to us, he is nearly linkt unto us, aſſuming our very nature into the unity of his Perſon, Heb. 2. 17. In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren; that he might be a mercifull, and faithfull High P…ieſt to God, to make reconciliation for the ſins of the people.
3. Then in your daily failings (for which you are humbled) you have a Mediatour to go unto, 1 Joh. 2. 1.
4. Then for the Aſſecution of any good, you need go with confidence to God, for you have a Mediatour, Heb. 4. 15, 16.