Chap. viii. Of Christ the Mediator S
1
IT pleased God in his eternall purpose to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son to be the mediator between God and man the prophet priest and king the head and saviour of his Church the heir of all things and judge of the world 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
2
THE Son of God the second person of the Trinity being very and eternall God of one substance and equall with the Father did when the fullness of time was come take upon him mans nature with all the essentiall properties and common infirmities thereof yet without sin being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the virgin Mary of her substance So that two whole perfect and distinct natures the Godhead and the Manhood were inseparably joyned 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
3
THE Lord Jesus in his human nature thus united to the divine was sanctified and anointed with the holy Spirit above measure having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell to the end that being holy harmless and undefiled and full of grace and truth he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator and Surety which office he took not unto himself, but was thereunto called by his Father who put all power and judgement into his hand and gave him commandment to execute the same
4
THIS office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake which that he might discharge he was made under the Law and did perfectly fulfill it endured most grievous torments immediately in his soul and most painfull sufferings in his body was crucified and died was buried and remained under the power of death yet saw no corruption on the third day he rose from the dead with the same body in which he suffered with which also he ascended into heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father making intercession and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world
5
THE Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself which he through the eternall Spirit once offered up unto God hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father and purchased not only reconciliation but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto him
6
ALTHOUGH the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after his incarnation yet the virtue efficacy and benefits thereof were communicated unto 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 serpents head and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world being yesterday and to day the same and for ever
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CHRIST in the work of mediation acteth according to both natures by each nature doing that which is proper to it self 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
8
TO all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same making intercession for them and revealing unto them in and by the word the mysteries of salvation effectually persuading them by his spirit to believe and obey and governing their hearts by his word and spirit overcoming all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom in such manner and wayes as are most consonant to his wonderfull and unsearcheable dispensation