Chapter 8. Of Christ the Mediator

Chapter 8. Of Christ the Mediator

I. It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only-begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man,¹⁶⁸ the Prophet,¹⁶⁹ Priest,¹⁷⁰ and King;¹⁷¹ the Head and Saviour of his Church,¹⁷² the Heir of all things,¹⁷³ and Judge of the world;¹⁷⁴ whom he did, from all eternity, give a people to be his seed,¹⁷⁵ and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.¹⁷⁶

II. The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance, and equal with the Father did, when the fullness of time was come, fake upon him man's nature,¹⁷⁷ with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin:¹⁷⁸ being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, of her substance.¹⁷⁹ So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together

in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion.¹⁸⁰ Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.¹⁸¹

III. The Lord Jesus, in his human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure;¹⁸² having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,¹⁸³ in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell;¹⁸⁴ to the end that, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth,¹⁸⁵ he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a mediator and surety.¹⁸⁶ Which office he took not unto himself, but was thereunto called by his Father,¹⁸⁷ who put all power and judgment into his hand, and gave him commandment to execute the same.¹⁸⁸

IV. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake,¹⁸⁹ which, that he might discharge, he was made under the law,¹⁹⁰ and did perfectly fulfill it;¹⁹¹ endured most grievous torments immediately in his soul,¹⁹²

and most painful sufferings in his body;¹⁹³ was crucified, and died;¹⁹⁵ was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption.¹⁹⁶ On the third day he arose from the dead,¹⁹⁷ with the same body in which he suffered;¹⁹⁸ with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of his Father,¹⁹⁹ making intercession;²⁰⁰ and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world.²⁰¹

V. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father,²⁰² and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him.²⁰³

VI. 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 serpent's head, and the lamb slain from the beginning of the world, being yesterday and today the same and forever.²⁰⁴

VII. Christ, in the work of mediation, acteth according to both natures; by each nature doing that which is proper to itself;²⁰⁵ 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.²⁰⁶

VIII. To all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same;²⁰⁷ making intercession for them,²⁰⁸ and revealing unto them, in and by the Word, the mysteries of salvation;²⁰⁹ effectually persuading them by his Spirit to believe and obey; and governing their hearts by his Word and Spirit;²¹⁰ overcoming all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation.²¹¹