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OF CHRIST, AS THE MEDIATOR OF THE

COVENANT.

ANOTHER relation, or office, which Christ bears in the covenant, is that of Mediator; three times in the epistle to the Hebrews is he called the Mediator of the new, or better covenant or testament, chap. viii. 6. and ix. 15. and xii. 24. The apostle Paul asserts, that there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. ii. 5. Both Jews and Gentiles have a notion of a Mediator; the Jews call the Messiah the Mediator, or middle one; Philo the Jew, speaks of the most ancient word of God, as a middle Person between God and men, not unbegotten as God, nor begotten as man, but the middle of the extremes, one between both. The Persians call their God Mithras, a Mediator; and the Dæmons with the heathens, seem to be, according to them, mediators between the superior gods and men; but we have a more sure word of prophecy to direct us in this matter; Christ is the one and only Mediator. It will be proper to enquire.

I. In what sense Christ is the mediator of the covenant; not as Moses, who stood between God and the people of Israel, to shew them the word of the Lord, Deut. v. 5. Christ indeed is the revealer and declarer of his Father's mind; but this more properly belongs to him as the angel or messenger of the covenant, as he is called in Mal. iii 2. than the Mediator of it. Christ is a mediator of reconciliation; such an one as interposes between two parties at variance, in order to bring them together, and in some way or other reconcile them to each other. A mediator is not of one, of one party; for where there is but one party, there can be no difference, and so no need of a mediator; but God is one, he is of one party, the offended party, and man is the other, the offending party; and Christ is the mediator between them both to bring them to. gether: he is the antitype of Jacob's ladder, that reaches both and joins them together. And so Suidas a learned Grecian, interprets the word for mediator, by a peace-maker. Christ

i. 21.

acts the part of a mediator, by proposing to his Father to make satisfaction for the offence committed, and so appease injured justice. Christ is a mediator of reconciliation in a way of satisfaction. Reconciliation supposes a former state of friendship, a breach of that friendship, and a renewal of it; or a bringing into open friendship again. Man in a state of inno, cence was in a state of friendship; but man being in this hon. our abode not, he was driven out of his paradisaical Eden; and appeared to be, as all his posterity are, not only at a dis. tance from God, and alienation to him, but enmity against him, as the carnal mind of man is; and in this state the elect of God was considered, when Christ undertook in covenant to be the mediator of reconciliation for them; and in this condition he found them, when he came to make actual reconciliation for them; you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, now hath be reconciled, Col. It should be observed, that the elect of God are con sidered in the covenant of grace as fallen creatures; and that Christ being a mediator of reconciliation and satisfac, tion for them, supposes them such, In the covenant of work there was no mediator; nor is there any mediator for angels, none was provided, nor admitted, for the fallen angels, they were not spared; and the good angels needed not any, having never sinned. Nor is this reconciliation, Christ is the Mediator of, as thus stated, any contradiction to the everlasting love of God. David had the strongest affec tion for his son Absalom as can well be imagined; Absalom committed a very henious offence, murdered his brother Amnon, David's first-born, and heir to his crown; he fled from justice, and from his father's wrath: Joab became a mediator between them, first by means of the woman of Tekoah, and then in his own person, and succeeded so far as to obtain leave that the young man be called from his exile; neverthe less, David would not admit him into his presence until two years after; yet all this while the heart of David was towards his son. It was owing to the good will and free favour of

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God, that a Mediator was admitted for sinful men; and it appeared still greater, in providing one to be a Mediator of reconciliation for them, as made by the blood, sufferings, and death of Christ. Reconciliation is the principal branch of Christ's office in the covenant as Mediator. Another follows, namely: his intercession, or advocacy, which precedes upon reconciliation or satisfaction made: If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins, 1 John. ii. 1, 2. He is the angel of God's presence, who always appears there for his people, and ever lives to make intercession for them; he is first the Mediator of reconciliation, and then of intercession. He is the medium of acceptance, both of persons and services, which are only accepted in the Beloved, and become accepta. ble through his prevalent mediation and intercession; and he is the medium of conveyance of all the blessings of the covepant of grace. The next thing to be considered is,

II. The fitness of Christ for his work and office, as the Mediator of the covenant; as Dr. Goodwin expresses it, the suit of trespass was commenced, and ran in the name of the Father, of the first Person for the rest; it seems more in cha racter that the Son should mediate with the Father, than the Father with the Son; but the principal fitness of Christ for his office, as Mediator, at least for the execution of it, lies in the union of the two natures, human and divine; as he partakes of both natures, he has an interest in, and a concern for both; he is fit to be a Mediator between God and man. 1. It was requisite that he should be man-1. That he might be related to those he was a Mediator of; that he might be their brother, their near kinsman, their Goel, according to the law, Lev. xxv. 48, 49.-2. That sin might be satisfied for, and reconciliation be made for it, in the same nature which sinned; as the same individuals that sinned were not to suffer; it seems reasonable that an individual of that nature should, in their room, Gen. ii. 17.-3. It was proper that the Mediator should be capable of obeying the law, broken by the sin of

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man: as a divine Person could not be subject to the law; had he assumed the angelic nature, that would not have been capable of obeying all the precepts of the law, which are required of men; hence Christ was made of a woman, that he might be made under the law, Gal. iv. 4. Rom. v. 19.-4. It was meet the mediator should be man, that he might be capable of suffering death; as God he could not die, and had he assumed the na ure of an angel, that is incapable of dying; yet the penalty of the law, death, was necessary to make reconciliation; it was proper Christ should have somewhat to offer; peace was to be made by blood, and therefore a nature must be assumed capable of shedding blood, see Heb. ii. 10—15. and v. 9. and viii. 3.-5. It was fit the mediator should be man, that he might be a merciful, as well as a faithful High-Priest, have a fellow-feeling with his people, and sympathize with them under all their temptations, and succour and relieve them, from love and affection to them, as their friend and brother, Heb. ii. 17, 18.-6. It was necessary that he should be holy and righteous, free from all sin, original and actual, that he might offer himself without spot to God, Heb. vii. 26, and ix. 14. II. It was not enough to be truly man, and an innocent person; he must be more than a man, to be a mediator between God and man; it was requisite, therefore, that he should be God as well as man.-1. That he might be able to draw nigh to God, and treat with him about terms of peace; all which a mere man could not do; and therefore it is with wonder said, Who is this that engaged his heart to ap proach unto me, saith the Lord? Jer. xxx. 21. : none but Jehovah's fellow could or dared to do this.-2. That he might give virtue and value to his obedience and sufferings. Being God as well as man, his righteousness is the righteousness of God, and so sufficient to justify all that believe in him, and them from all their sins; and his blood is the blood of the Son of God, and so cleanses from all sin, and is a proper atonement for it. Being Mediator, Redeemer, and Saviour, it naturally and necessarily leads men to put their trust and confidence in

him; whereas, if he were a mere man, and not God, this would entail a curse upon them; for cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh his flesh his arm, Jer. xvii. 5. It is his deity that is the foundation of worship, God will not give his glory to another, Isai. xlii. 8.

Nor is it any objection to his being a mediator, as to his divine nature, that then the Father and the Spirit would be mediators too, the divine nature being common tɔ them all; since it is not in the divine nature, essentially considered, but as it subsists in the second Person, the Son of God, that Christ is Mediator, and performs his office : to exercise this office in it, is no lessening and degrading of his Person, since it is a glory that none but a divine Person is fit to bear. Supposing a rebellion in a nation, against the king of it, and this king should have a son, who is heir to his throne, and so must be equally of fended with the rebels as his father, and yet should take upon him to be a mediator between his father and the rebels, and make peace between them; where would be the impropriet of it, though he himself, with the father, is the party offended?

The mediation of Christ thus stated, meets with and militates against two errors; one, of those, who say he is only a mediator as to his human nature; and that of others, who assert him to be only a mediator as to his divine nature. Most certain it is, that there are several acts and works of Christ, as mediator, in which both natures manifestly appear, and are concerned; not to make mention of the incarnation itself. In the obedi. ence of Christ both natures are to be perceived; not only the human nature, in his being obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; but the divine nature also; or otherwise, where is the wonder, that though he was a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things that he suffered, Heb. v. 8. In the act of laying down his life for men, both natures appear; the human nature, which is passive in it, and is the life laid down; the divine nature, or the divine Person of Christ, who is ac. tive in it, and laid down his life of himself; and both are to be observed in his taking of it up again; his human nature, in

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