The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 7 · Section 4
SECT. IV.
4. I Now proceed to the fourth particular, viz. according to which Nature in Acco…d…ng to which Nature in Chriſt he is a Mediator.Chriſt he is a Mediatour; whether according to his Divine Nature only, or according to his Humane Nature only, or according to both?
For the reſolving of this queſtion, I deſire to lay down a few concluſions.
1. That there are in Chriſt (our Mediatour) two diſtinct Natures, viz. The There a…e in Chriſt two diſtinct Natures.Humane Nature, in reſpect of which he is Man; and the Divine Nature, in reſpect of which he is God: And I the rather deliver this, becauſe ſome have endeavoured to bereave Chriſt of his Humane, and others of his Divine Nature: and both of them expreſly contrary to the Scriptures, Joh. 3. 13. No man hath aſcended up into heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven: Certainly, he who ſpake this, who ſaid that he was the Son of Man, and was ſeen to be ſo, was indeed ſo; and at that time was not in heaven, but on earth, and yet at that time he ſaith that he is in heaven; Why then of neceſſity he muſt have another Nature beſides his humane Nature, even a Divine Nature by which he is in heaven, as well as an humane Nature by which he was then on earth, Joh. 10. 30. I and my Father are one, and Joh. 5. 18. He made himſelf equal with God. but Joh. 14. 28. My Father is greater than I: Now it cannot poſſibly be that Chriſt ſhould be one, and equal with the Father, and yet be leſſer than the Father according to one and the ſame Nature, Joh. 20. 27, 28. Thomas when he had ſeen Chriſt and (probably) touched Chriſt, he ſaid, my Lord, and my God: He whom he ſaw and touched was Man, and the ſame whom he confeſſed was alſo God; and therefore that Chriſt whom he ſaw and confeſſed was both God and Man, Rom. 1. 3. Concerning his Son Jeſus Chriſt our Lord, which was made of the ſeed of David according to the fleſh, verſe 4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holineſſe by the reſurrection from the dead.
2. That thoſe two Natures united in the Perſon of Chriſt, do ſtill retain their distinct eſſence, and proprieties, and opperations, ſo that there is no tranſmutation of The two Natures united in the Perſon of Chriſt do ſt…ll retain their diſt…nct Eſſence, Properties, and Operations.the one into the other, nor mixture or confuſion of them, but as the Divine Nature (notwithſtanding the perſonal union) ſtill remains God, and is Eternal, Omnipotent, Inviſible, Infinite, Immortal, Impaſſible, ſo the Humane Nature aſſumed into the unity of the Perſon of Chriſt doth ſtill remaine a Creature, finite, viſible, mortal, and capable of ſuffering, and obnoxious unto death: And although the Perſon of Chriſt (in whom the Divine and Humane Nature are united) is capable of the affirmation of either Nature (as you may truely ſay that Chriſt is God, and Chriſt is Man, and Chriſt is eternal, and Chriſt is in time, that Chriſt is immortal and infinite, and Chriſt is mortal and finite; for what may be affirmed of either Nature, all that may be affirmed of Chriſt in concreto) yet this cannot be affirmed of the Natures in Chriſt reciprocally: you cannot ſay that the Divine Nature of Chriſt did dye or ſuffer, but this is affirmable only of the Humane Nature of Chriſt: And you cannot ſay of the Humane Nature of Chriſt that it is Eternal, and infinite, and everywhere, yet this you may ſafely affirm of his Divine Nature by reaſon of that union which they call Hypoſtatical: The Perſon of Chriſt hath two diſtinct Natures, and the properties of both; And yet the Natures themſelves retain their properties incommunicable one unto the other.
3. By vertue of the Perſonal union (that is) of the Divine and Humane Nature By verue of the Perſonal union the Humane Nature is advanced by the Divine.in Chriſt the ſecond Perſon in Trinity, although it be impoſſible for the Humane Nature thereby to become the Divine Nature; Nevertheleſs hereby the Humane nature is exceedingly exalted and enriched by the Divine nature, ſo that no other Creature did or could attain unto that perfection of holineſs, and righteouſneſs, and dignity, which the humane Nature of Chriſt did enjoy by vertue of union with the Divine nature in the perſon of Chriſt.
4. Thoſe two Natares thus united in the Perſon of Chriſt were (if I may ſo expreſs The two Natures united in the Perſon of Chriſt were the Principles of all the actions and works of Mediatorſhip.my ſelf) the Principles of all the Actions, and Paſſions, or Works of Mediatorſhip and Redemption: For unto them did both the Natures of Chriſt concur by way of communion, yet ſtill reſerving their own properties, and proper way of working, the Divine Nature doing what was proper unto it, and the Humane Nature what was proper unto it. Some of the works of Chriſt our Mediatour, were the works of his Humane Nature in reſpect of the thing done; but they had their efficacy, dignity, and value from his Divine Nature, in that they were the works of him who had the God-head dwelling bodily in him; And ſome of the works were the work of the Divine Nature, but yet they were done by the inſtrumental concurring of his Humane Nature: Wherefore as the Divine and Humane Nature did concurre to make one Chriſt, ſo the acts of thoſe Natures (diſtinct in their operation and vertue) did concur and contribute to make up the ſame work of Mediator.
5. As the Divine and humane Nature are united into the Perſon of Chriſt, and Chriſt according to both theſe Natures is Mediator.had their concurrences in his works of Mediation, ſo Jeſus Chriſt according to both theſe Natures is our Mediatour.
The Papiſts do hold the contary: Though they do ſay that Chriſt who is Mediatour is both God and Man, yet they do deny that he is a Mediatour as God and Man, and that he is a Mediatour only according to his humane Nature as man.
Object. 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one Mediatatour between God and Man, the Man 1 Tim. 2. 5.Chriſt Jeſus.
Anſwered. Sol. But this place will not prove what they do deſire; indeed it doth prove that Chriſt is Man, who is the Mediatour: but it doth not ſay that he is Mediatour only as Man; yea and the next verſe may ſatisfie us, that he muſt be conſidered as God as well as Man being Mediatour. For it followeth in verſe 6. who gave himſel a Ramſome for all, &c. Now Chriſt giving himſelf a Ranſome was was not Man only, but God alſo; therefore the ſame Apoſtle ſaith, that God was in Chriſt reconciling the World to himſelf, 2 Cor. 5. 19. and that by his own blood he purchaſed the Church, Acts 20.
Ob. But it is there ſaid, The Man Chriſt Jeſus, and why is it ſaid the Man, but to ſhew that only as Man he is Mediatour? So Bellarmine.
Sol. 1. By the ſame reaſon we may argue, that Chriſt only as Man, doth forgive ſins, Becauſe it is ſaid in Matth. 9. 6. The Sonne of Man hath power to forgive ſins.
2. But the reaſon why he ſaith the Man Chriſt Jeſus, is not that as ſo only he was Mediatour, but that he might teach Believers not to deſpaire o… any ſorts of men for whom he (before) wills them to pray; Becauſe Chriſt was made Man, and ſuſtained the perſon of all ſorts of men.
3. As it is there ſaid the Man, ſo it is ſaid the Man Chriſt Jeſus: That Man is the Mediatour who is Chriſt (the Annointed of God) and Jeſus who is ſo called, becauſe he ſaves his people from their ſins. But as meere man he cannot do ſo, it is no meer Man, but God who is the God of ſalvation: And although Chriſt might die meerely as man, yet as a Med…atour he muſt alſo conquer death, which he could not do but as he was God.
Object. But the Apoſtle diſtinguiſheth the Mediatour there from God, ſaying, one God, and one Mediatour; thus Bellarmine argues.
Sol. And ſo the Apoſtle in another place diſtinguiſheth Chriſt from man, (Gal. 1. 1. Paul an Apoſtle not of man, nor by man, but by Jeſus Chriſt) yet hence it will not follow that Chriſt only according to his Divine Nature did call Paul to be an Apoſtle; no more doth it here, becauſe he diſtinguiſheth God and the Mediatour, that therefore the Mediatour is not God.
But now to return to the proof of the Aſſertion▪ that Chriſt is a Mediatour in reſpect of both his Natures, as he was God, and Man; not as God only, nor as Man only, but as God Man; many Arguments there are to evidence it.Arguments to prove it. Chriſt layed down his life and raiſed it again according to both Natures. He is our Prieſt, Prophet and King, according to both Natures.
1. According to what Nature Chriſt did lay down his life, and raiſed it again, according to that Nature is Chriſt a Mediatour (this cannot be denyed, becauſe Chriſt as Mediatour died, and roſe again. for us) but to lay down his life and raiſe it again, was an act of his Divine Nature, as well as of his Humane. Ergo. for he died as man, and raiſed himſelf as God.
2. If Chriſt in reſpect of both his Natures be our Prieſt, and Prophet, and King: Then according to both his Natures he is a Mediatour. But, &c Ergo.
1. He is a Prieſt as to both his Natures; This will appear if you conſider Pſal. 110. 4. Thou art a Prieſt for ever after the Order of Melchizedeck. Heb. 7. 2. This Melchizedeck was King of Righteouſneſs, and King of Peace; and verſe 3. Without Father, and without Mother, without deſcent, having neither beginning of dayes, nor end of life, but was like the Son of God, and abideth a Prieſt for ever. Why, here is a clear Type of the Perſon of Chriſt as out Prieſt and Mediatour, unto which Chriſt doth perfectly anſwer; and if as thus conſidered he anſwer to Melchizedek, then he muſt be (as Melchizdeck was) without Father, and without Mother: And indeed ſo Chriſt was in a different reſpect to both his Natures; For as to his Humane Nature he was without Father, and as to his Divine Nature he was without Mother: And moreover as ſuch a Prieſt, he muſt be without beginning of dayes, and end of life, which cannot be affirmed of him but as God.
Again, Melchizedeck as Prieſt is ſaid to be like the Son of God: if ſo, then Chriſt as the Son of God is a Prieſt, but as the Son of God he is God; Ergo. as God he is our Mediatour: Jeſus Chriſt as a Prieſt muſt have not only a Sacrifice to offer, but an altar on which that ſacrifice muſt be offered: The Sacrifice was himſelf in reſpect of his Humane Nature; the Altar to ſanctifie that Sacrifice was his Divine Nature, and himſelf offering and ſacrificing was the Prieſt conſiſting of both thoſe Natures.
2. He is a Prophet in reſpect of both Natures; for in both his Natures he reveales the will of his Father unto us: In reſpect of his Humane Nature he doth ſo, Heb. 1. 2. God in theſe last dayes hath ſpoken unto us by his Son; and in reſpect of his Divine Nature, it is ſaid, Joh. 1. 9. That was the true light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world; and certainly to open the heart and mind as Chriſt did (Acts 16. 14 Luke 24. 32, 45.) is the work only of God.
3. He is alſo a King in reſpect of both his Natures: nor can his Divine Nature be ſecluded in this; for to call out a people to himſelf, and to renew their hearts, and to ſubdue their ſins, and to rule in their hearts by his Spirit, belongs to Chriſt as King; but theſe cannot be erected by Chriſt but as God. Ergo,