CHAPTER 8; OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR
Paragraph 1. 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 priest,3 and king;4
head and savior of the 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
1 Isa. 42:1; 1 Pet.
1:19,20
2 Acts 3:22
3 Heb. 5:5,6
4 Ps. 2:6; Luke 1:33
5 Eph. 1:22,23
6 Heb. 1:2
7 Acts 17:31
8 Isa. 53:10; John
17:6; Rom. 8:30
Paragraph 2. 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 upholds and governs all things He has made, did, when
the fullness of time was complete, take upon Him man's nature, with all
the essential properties and common infirmities of it,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
9 John 1:14; Gal.
4;4
10 Rom. 8:3; Heb.
2:14,16,17, 4:15
11 Matt. 1:22, 23
12 Luke 1:27,31,35;
Rom. 9:5; 1 Tim. 2:5
Paragraph 3. 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 dwell,15 to the end
that being holy, harmless, undefiled,16 and full of grace and truth,17
He might be throughly furnished to execute the office of 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
13 Ps. 45:7; Acts
10:38; John 3:34
14 Col. 2:3
15 Col. 1:19
16 Heb. 7:26
17 John 1:14
18 Heb. 7:22
19 Heb. 5:5
20 John 5:22,27;
Matt. 28:18; Acts 2;36
Paragraph 4. 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 fulfill
it, and underwent the punishment due to us, which we should have born 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 dead27
with the same body in which He suffered,28 with which He also ascended
into heaven,29 and there sits at the right hand of His Father making
intercession,30 and shall return to judge men and angels at the
end of the world.31
21 Ps. 40:7,8; Heb.
10:5-10; John 10:18
22 Gal 4:4; Matt.
3:15
23 Gal. 3:13; Isa.
53:6; 1 Pet. 3:18
24 2 Cor. 5:21
25 Matt. 26:37,38;
Luke 22:44; Matt. 27:46
26 Acts 13:37
27 1 Cor. 15:3,4
28 John 20:25,27
29 Mark 16:19; Acts
1:9-11
30 Rom. 8:34; Heb.
9:24
31 Acts 10:42; Rom.
14:9,10; Acts 1:11; 2 Pet. 2:4
Paragraph 5. The Lord Jesus,
by His perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the
eternal Spirit once offered up to God, has 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 has
given unto Him.33
32 Heb. 9:14, 10:14;
Rom. 3:25,26
33 John 17:2; Heb.
9:15
Paragraph 6. Although the
price of redemption was not actually paid by Christ until after His incarnation,
yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefit thereof were 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 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
34 1 Cor. 4:10; Heb.
4:2; 1 Pet. 1:10, 11
35 Rev. 13:8
36 Heb. 13:8
Paragraph 7. Christ, in the
work of mediation, acts 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
37 John 3:13; Acts
20:28
Paragraph 8. To all those
for whom Christ has obtained eternal redemption, He does certainly and
effectually apply and communicate the same, making intercession for them;38
uniting them to Himself by His Spirit, revealing to them, in and by His
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 foreseen in them
to procure it.42
38 John 6:37, 10:15,16,
17:9; Rom. 5:10
39 John 17:6; Eph.
1:9; 1 John 5:20
40 Rom. 8:9,14
41 Ps. 110:1; 1 Cor.
15:25,26
42 John 3:8; Eph.
1:8
Paragraph 9. 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
43 Tim. 2:5
Paragraph 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 to 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
44 John 1:18
45 Col. 1:21; Gal.
5:17
46 John 16:8; Ps.
110:3; Luke 1:74,75