by grace and adoption then he that was the Sonne of God by nature who fitter to repaire the Image of God decayed in us then he by whom at first man was made after the Image of God Thus Christ was a fit and equall middle person conjoyned by the bands of friendly society and peaceable agreement with both the parties God and men that he might be a Mediatour of reconciliation and peace betweene God and man He tooke unto him the sanctified nature of man that therein he might draw neere unto men and be the root of them that are sanctified and retained the nature of God that so he might not depart from God Here it is questioned according to which nature Christ is Mediatour whether as man only or as God and man That he is a Mediatour according to the concurrence of both natures in the unity of his person it is confessed by all for if he were not both God and man he could not mediate between God and man but whether he be a Mediatour according to both natures concurring in the worke of Mediation there be some that make question Our resolution is that Christ is Mediatour according to both natures the humane nature doing that which pertained to the humanity Bellar. de Christ lib. 5. cap. 7. § Potest tamen and the divine nature that which pertained to the divinity but the humane and divine both concurring to produce one act or work of Mediatorship As the divine and humane nature concurre to make one Christ so the acts of the divine and humane Plura principia ad operationem unam possunt concurrere Lun ibid. cap. 7. not 1. nature distinct in vertue and operation by co-operation concurre to make up the same work of Mediation Some of the works of Christ the Mediatour were the works of his humanity in respect of the thing done and had their efficacy dignity and value from his divinity in that they were the works of him that had the divinity dwelling bodily in him and some the works of his divinity the humane nature concurring only instrumentally as the remitting of sins the giving of the Spirit the raising of the dead and such like The works of Ministery the Sonne of God Iâ—n cont 2. l. 5. cap. 5. not 29. performed them in the nature of man It was the Sonne of God and Lord of life that died for us on the Crosse but it was the nature of man not of God wherein he died The works of Authority and power were all performed by the divine nature yet not without an instrumentall concurrence of the nature of man Christ suffered as man but the divine nature did support and sustaine the humane He died as man as God he overcame death conquered and rose againe as man he was made an offering for our sins the worth and value of the Sacrifice was from the divinity The two natures in Christ be distinct in their essence and Iâ—n Paral. lib. 3. in cap. 9. Hebr. properties and so in their operations that we must not imagine one action of both natures but as the natures be united in one person so the operations concurre to make up one work of a Mediatour Many chiefe necessary and essentiall acts concerning our Iun. animad in Bell. contr 2. l. 5. ca. 3. not 9 reconciliation with God are from the Deity of Christ as from the next proper immediate and formall beginning The Incarnation of Christ is from the Deity which did assume the humanity which when it was not could not assume it selfe The manifestation of God was a work truly divine from the humanity of Christ as an instrument from the Deity as the true cause Christ as Joh. 1. 18. Matt. 11. 27. man teacheth as an instrument and Christ the Word teacheth as Mediatour for he is not only Mediatour who supplyeth the roome of an instrument but the Deity did move the humanity as his instrument that is personally united and not as anothers Joh. 10. 18. To lay down his life passively belongs to the flesh to lay down his life or soule actively to the word The resurrection of Christ is Iun. ibid. cap. 6. not 1. Rom. 8. 34 and 4 25. Rom. 1. 4. Mar. 2. 10. Joh. 15. 26. and 16. 7. an essentiall part of our Redemption but Christ rose not by the propriety of his flesh but by the power of his Deity Christ as Mediatour performed many divine acts but the humanity alone cannot be the beginning of a divine act as Christ as Mediatour hath authority to forgive sins to send the holy Spirit not meritoriously alone as Bellarmine distinguisheth but efficiently to conjoyne us unto God and bring us to salvation Christ as Mediatour is the King and Head of his Church which dignity and office Meritum Meâ—â—ationâ—â— est Mediatio personae cannot agree to him that is meere man For the Head is to give influence of sence and motion unto the body and Christ gives supernaturall sence and motion unto his mysticall body and that both by way of efficiency and by way of disposition fitting us that an impression of grace may be made upon us He prepareth and fitteth men to the receipt of grace by the acts of his humanity A tâ—ta quidem Trinitate datur Spirituâ— sed ad personam Mediatoris haec actio terminatur quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which he suffered death and dying satisfied Gods wrath removed all matter of dislike procured the favour and acceptation of God and so made men fit to receive the grace of God and to enjoy his favour He imparteth and conferreth grace by the operation and working of his divine nature it being the proper worke of God to enlighten the understandings of men and to soften their hearts If it be alleadged that there is nothing that one person of the Trinity doth towards the creatures but they all doe it and consequently that those things which Christ did in his divine nature pertained not to the office of a Mediatour being common to all the Persons The answer is though the action be the same and the worke done by them yet they differ in the manner of doing it For the Father doth all things authoritativè and the Son subauthoritativè as the Schoole-men speake that is the Father as he from whom and of whom are all things the Son as he by whom are all things not as â—y an instrument but a principall efficient And in this sort to quicken give life and to impart the Spirit of Sanctification to whom he pleaseth especially with a kind of concurring of the humane nature meriting desiring and instrumentally assisting is proper to the Son of God manifested in our flesh and not common to the whole Trinity As the second person in Trinity did assume our nature and not the Father or the holy Ghost and as Christ is the Head of the Church not the Father or the holy Spirit so he
doth give life and sence to the body and not the whole Trinity If the speciall Offices of Christ be considered severally much more if all of them be considered joyntly it will evidently appeare that both natures must necessarily concurre in the formall execution of them For he cannot worthily performe the office of the chiefe Doctor of the whole Church and heavenly Prophet nor execute the office of an eternall high Priest that is offer a Sacrifice truly propitiatory daily heare the prayers of all his people and present them before God nor exercise kingly power and authority in heaven and earth who worketh to the forme of meere humanitie or onely as he is man When in those offices there must be a divine excellencie and efficacie The end of personall union is the administration of his office Qualis substantia personae tâ—â— liâ— operatie qualis operatio talis substantia and the personall union of two natures in Christ had not been necessary unlesse both had concurred as a formall beginning to that worke For every agent necessarily worketh according to and by its forme whence it followeth either that the person of the Mediatour doth not consist of two natures or both natures of Christ as proper formes doe necessarily concurre to the proper works of a Mediatour because the proper operations must be conjoyned in one worke of a Mediatour as both natures are joyned and united in one person There is one God saith the Apostle and one 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. Mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus adding the man Christ to shew that in him were both natures that is he was God and man in one person and so a fit middle person or Mediatour And man may be taken personally not naturally it being most usuall to name the whole person of Christ from either 1 Cor. 2 â— nature as he is called the Lord of glory when his person is understood And so in this place the man Christ that is that person Iaâ— animad in Bell. contr l. 5. 6. 3. not 11 12. who hath that nature by which he is truly called man and of that appellation there may be divers weighty reasons more amongst the rest this that the Apostle would encourage us to put our trust and confidence in him as being our elder brother By voluntary dispensation Christ is Mediatour as God incarnate and not by nature as God And according to that dispensation Christ Joh. 17. 3 and 14. 1. 1 Joh. 2 1 2. is Mediatour to the Father who is personally called God sometimes in this respect and distinguished from Christ as Mediatour and Christ is our Advocate to the Father but never represented in Scripture praying to the Son or holy Spirit but the Father only which dispensation is carefully to be observed from which we must not depart upon any vain speculation which humane curiosity might suggest A Mediatour must be a middle person equally distant and equally drawing nigh to both parties betwixt whom he doth mediate Bellarm. de Christ l. 5. c. 2. §. Praeterâ—a Ille solus est verè medius inter Deum hominem cum utriusq naturam habeat And thus Christ God incarnate is a fit middle person for he draws as neare to the Father as God as to us as man and is as farre distant from God as he is man as he is from us as God and he comes as neare to the Father as he departeth from us and comes as neare to us as he doth to the Father But Christ as a just man is not so a middle person for he comes not so nigh to the Father as just as he doth to us as man nor is so farre distant from us as just as he comes nigh to us as man Then as Mediatour he should be joyned to the Father in will only but in nature dis-joyned and be distant from man not in nature but in quality only then should he be Mediatour not as substantially one with the Father but only as he is united to him in will If it be alleadged that if Christ be Mediatour as God incarnate then he is Mediatour to himselfe because he is God and then also he should differ from himselfe because a Mediatour is a middle person We answer it is not necessary a thing should differ from the Iun. ibid. cap. 5. not 1 3 5 15. extreames according to all that in respect whereof it is of a middle condition but it is sufficient if it differ in some thing from one and in some thing from another as is before explained So the Son of God incarnate by voluntary dispensation differeth not only from the Father and the holy Ghost but from himselfe as God only scil as man he differeth from himselfe as God and as God from himselfe as man The whole Trinity being offended with us for sin was to be pacified but the Scripture teacheth Christ was our Mediatour to the Father and we must silence our conceits and learne of God what to believe And assuredly if the Father be reconciled the whole Trinity is reconciled And further it may be added that he who according to absolute essence or nature is the partie offended may according to voluntary dispensation sustaine the person and doe the office of a Mediatour and so Christ was primarily a Mediatour to the Father for us and by consequence and secundarily to the whole Trinity and so to himselfe as God It is further objected if Christ be Mediator according to his divine nature then all three persons in Trinity be Mediatours but this is a meere deceit for the divine nature is taken essentially for the divine nature common to Father Son and holy Ghost or personally for the divine essence considered distinctly in the Father Son and holy Ghost In the latter sence we say Christ according to his divine nature is our Mediator as he was incarnate and did assume our nature unto his divine person and not the Father or the holy Ghost But then it will be said he was inferiour to the Father In office it is true by voluntary dispensation he is inferiour but in nature Iun. ibid. not 13. he is equall to the Father and nothing hinders but one equall to another in nature may by voluntary and free choice under-take Phil 2. 6 7. an office of inferiority Being in the forme of God he humbled himselfe The Scripture teacheth expressely that God the Father Joh. 1. 18. 3. 16. 3. 13. Rom. 5. 8. Ephes 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. 1 Joh. 1. 7. â— 1. 4. 10. Act. 20. 28. gave his only begotten Son to death for us and the only begotten or proper Son of God according to both natures and in both states is said to administer his office the property of either nature observed as also the only begotten Son of God is said to descend from heaven to earth for our sakes and to suffer death for us
mediatory one generall the other speciall which some of late have devised but that he makes Intercession for all and every of them that are given unto him of the Father and only for them and that his Intercession is ever certain and effectuall as when he saith to Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and to all the Luke 2â— â—2 Joh. 14. 10. Apostles I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever And when we heare from Christ himselfe that according to the proper office of his Mediatorship he makes Intercession only for them that are given unto him of the Father we may conclude that in speciall manner he offered up himself a sacrifice to the Father for them only Other arguments are alleadged for confirmation of this truth which who list may reade at large in sundry Treatises of this matter â— but it would be too long to insist upon each particular therefore here I will breake off this controversie and proceede to that which followeth in this intended discourse CHAP. III. How Christ hath fulfilled the office of Mediatour or how he is the Mediatour of the New Testament IN the fulnesse of time the eternall Sonne of God took unto him our nature and became God and Man in one person that he might be an equall middle person between God and man The necessity of a Mediatour appeares in this that man is guilty and God true and righteous If man had continued in his integrity he had stood in no need of an expiation if God had been unrighteous in the passages of mans sinne there had been due unto him no just debt of satisfaction But seeing man created good but mutable did willingly and by voluntary choice transgresse that Law under the precepts whereof he was most justly created and unto the malediction whereof he was as necessarily and righteously subject if he transgressed and God was purposed not to suffer sinne to passe utterly unrevenged because of his great hatred thereunto and of his truth and the Law which he had established against it of necessity either God must execute the severity of his Law whereby the creature should everlastingly loose the fruition of him and he should likewise loose the service and voluntary subjection of his creature or some course or other must be found out to translate this mans sinnes on anothers person who may be able to beare them and to interest this mans person in that others righteousnesse which may be able to cover him Of necessity a Mediatour must be found out to stand between God and man who must have one unto whom and others for whom and in whose behalfe and somewhat wherewith to make satisfaction to offended justice In regard of God towards man he must be an officer to declare his righteousnesse and in regard of man toward God a surety ready to procure pardon and deliverance not by favour or request but by way of satisfaction He must be one with us in the fellowship of our nature passions infirmities and temptations that so he might the more readily suffer for us who in so many things suffered with us and one with God the Father in his divine nature that so by the vertue of his sufferings and resurrection he might be able both to satisfie justice to justifie our persons to sanctifie our nature to purifie and perfume our services to raise our dead bodies and to present us to his Father a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle He must be man pure and undefiled man that he might suffer it being no way fit that one having no communion with another should make satisfaction by suffering for anothers fault Man pure and undefiled otherwise he could not have satisfied for himself much lesse for them that had so grievously offended He must be man that he might have compassion on them that come unto God through him and pure and undefiled that his Sacrifice being pure and without spot might be acceptable and pleasing to provoked justice He must be God that he might beare the weight of Gods wrath without sinking under it be the King and Head of the Church defend his people against the enemies of their Salvation send forth his Spirit into the hearts of his redeemed and receive from them such divine worship as was due to so great and gracious a Saviour He must be man our neere kinsman that he might have right of redemption be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in all things like unto his brethren He must be God that by his death he might overcome death and him that had the power of death that is the devill free us from the guilt of sinne and curse of the Law and preserve his redeemed unto his everlasting Kingdome He must be God and man in one person and so of a middle condition between God and us in that both the natures of God and man doe concurre and are conjoyned in his person that he might joyne God and man in a firme and stable Covenant of friendship and reconciliation and be the root fountaine and beginning of supernaturall and spirituall being in whom the whole natâ—â—â— of mankind should be found in a more eminent sort then it was in Adam The horrour of sinne was so grievous the curse of the Law so terrible the price of redemption so great that a meeâ— creature could not take away the one or pay the other and that man might not fall away as he had done under the former Covenant our Mediatour who was the foundation of this new Covenant did assume our humane nature unto his divine person Therefore the eternall Sonne of God being ordained of the Father to this office of Mediatorship that he might intercede between God and man and joyne God and man in one did assume our nature into the unity of his person and was born of a woman that he might save and call sinners and redeeme them who were under the Law Gal. 4. 4. and shut up under the curse of the Law The second person in Trinity the Son of God by nature the Image of the Father by whom all things were made was made man that he might renew what was disordered by sinne and make us the sonnes of God by grace and adoption who were by nature the children of wrath it being fit our redemption should be wrought by the Sonne and sealed by the holy Spirit For whereas a double mission was necessary the one to reconcile the other to give gifts to reconciled friends the Father being of none sent his Sonne the first proceeding person to take our nature and make satisfaction the Father and the Sonne both send the Spirit the second proceeding person to seale up them that Christ hath redeemed by his bloud And who was fitter to become the Sonne of man then he that was by nature the Sonne of God who could be fitter to make us the Sonnes of God
execute this in such manner as the Sonne doth who hath received a right of executing immediatly and in a manner appropriat to his person the soveraigne dominion of God over every creature The Sonne by voluntary dispensation sent by the Father did emptie himselfe of exercising and shewing forth his right and dominion over every creature and the Father by voluntary dispensation doth resigne to the Sonne the immediate execution of all power over every creature till that time that all things be subdued under him This the Scripture doth lay downe as in regard of earthly powers Rev. 1. 5. they are subject for he is ruler of the Kings of the earth He hath this royall state written on his thigh as it were King of Kings Lord of Lords Rev. 19. 16. That he hath power over the Heb. 1. 4 6. col 2. 10. Angells is plaine both by the reverence they doe him and their obedience towards him Every knee boweth unto him the evill Angells yeeld signes of subjection either deceitfully to wrong ends or by force compelled though their state is such they cannot doe it religiously as the other And if Christ have power to send forth dispose of and imploy the Angells he hath power to take account how that he setteth them about is dischardged The evill Angells could not enter the Swine without his leave and they are subject to his judgement when the Saints shall judge the Angells what power hath Christ himselfe this way And as for the excellencies on earth they all receive their power from Christ and are at his dispose yea the Apostle saith He is crowned with glory and honour and all things are put under his feet Heb. 2. 7 8. Joh. 17. 2. Camer in Heb. 7 8. Par Ibid. Antithesis est inter Christi statuâ— sedentis aâ— dextram Patris expientu in cruce peccata nostra The Apostle speakes of that dominion which Christ received over all the creatures of God none excepted but if all things be subjected to the feet of Christ is not the humane nature every where No for the phrase in Scripture is not to be understood of subjection locall or corporall but imperiall sc that the man Christ is King of heaven and earth having all things subjected to his command This power and glory which Christ as man received is not infinite simply for then it should be the deity it selfe which he should not have had in the state of humiliation but the deity he had before not by habituall infusion but by personall union And if Christ by vertue of the hypostaticall union had received all fulnesse of the God-head that is all divine Properties as some interpret it it is not possible he should have received greater or more ample glory for greater then that which is infinite cannot be bestowed But the Scripture speaketh expressely that Christ as man was truly and really glorified or that he obtained that glory and Majesty which before he had not sc as man And if the humane nature be infinite or eternall of necessity the Incarnation of Christ and sitting at the right hand of the Father must be really the same if they be not abolished and the humane nature made equall unto if not the same with the divine The right hand of God absolutely considered must not so be interpreted as if it was all one with the phrase of sitting at the right hand of God For by the right hand of God is signified his power wisedome protection providence c. but by the other the exaltation of Christ and communication of Majesty and rule which he may exercise and shew forth every where without the omnipresence of his humane nature Neither are we to imagine that Christ hath all things or places or times so subjected to himselfe that he doth forth-with change their natures by this subjection Col. 1. 19. â— â— Vorst Deo placuerit in Christo â— per Christum iâ—habitare totam pleniâ—udinem be totam ecclesiam much lesse that he doth make them to be and not to be at the same time as to make all places to be one indivisible title or all times to be one point for so it should be divisible and indivisible the same and not the same together It is objected that the fulnesse of the God-head dwelleth bodily in Christ that is the whole essence Majesty and glory of God dwelleth in the humane nature And we are to conceive the person there spoken of sc the beloved Sonne as man as incarnate The reason is because the second person in Trinity the Sonne of Tota Dei plenitudo est universa Dei voluntas Majestas quatenus a nobis cognosci potest debet Id. Vrsin Vbi supra Pag. 601. Omnis plenitudo Deitatis inhabitat in Christo homine non sicut in alijs sanctu gratia tantum in habitationis seu assistentiae nec reali communicatione seu confirmatione seâ— reali unâ—one cum humanitare sic ut unitae sint duae naturae inseperabiliter personaliter 2 Cor. 6. 16. God absolutely considered hath all fulnesse not by voluntary dispensation but by naturall necessity in as much as the eternall Father never was nor could be without his eternall Sonne God with himselfe In Christ his person there is a threefold fulnesse the first fundamentall sc the fulnesse of the divine nature which doth personally dwell with that man-hood in Christ whence it comes to passe that this man is truly called God that is the manhood taken into fellowship of the selfe perfect and eternall person of the Sonne of God so that it is become as a part of his person The second is the fulnesse of office to which even Christ man is called For in regard of his humane nature now united to the second person he is man called to be the Christ of God that is annointed our Prophet Priest and King The third the fulnesse of created or habituall graces wherewith the soule of Christ is filled which are not divine properties for no created gift can be a Propertie divine but effects which the God-head worketh distinct from it as the soule giveth life to the body Now for the dwelling of all fulnesse in Christ man the latter two are in him subjectively the former that as the God-head doth dwell in Christ man not as in the Saints by relation of love and communion of the effects of it in grace nor as in the glorified Saints in regard of aboundant love manifested in the gift of glory nor any such simple cohabitation but it dwelleth in the manhood as with a nature which is taken to unity of person in the Sonne of God and so is through grace become of the substance of the second person So that Christ as man hath the second person of Trinity God with the Father and Spirit dwelling personally in it so that this manhood is essentially and substantially coupled with the deity in unity of one selfâ—-perfect and
a restipulation 6. The end viz. the blessednesse of man and the glory of God manifested in his wisdome bounty and goodnesse 7. As Adam in the state of Innocency was made able to fulfill the Covenant made with him so is the Covenant of Grace written in the hearts of them that be heires of the Promise in Christ They differ 1. In the speciall consideration of the Authour cause and foundation of the Covenants God gave his Law to Adam as bountifull and gratious to his creature intire and perfect but in strict justice requiring obedience promising a reward and denouncing punishment But the Covenant of Grace he made as a loving Father in Jesus Christ of his meere Grace promising to receive them into favour that sincerely and unfainedly turne unto him The Creation of man and integrity of humane nature is the Foundation of the former Covenant but the Redemption of man by Christ is the Foundation of the Covenant of Grace 2. In the forme of Sanction In the Covenant of Nature there is no Mediatour but the Covenant of Grace is made in Christ in whom God hath made us accepted The Covenant of Nature was not promised before it was promulgated but the Covenant of Grace was first promised and long after promulgated and established or ratified in the bloud of his Sonne 3. In the speciall matter of the Covenants and that both in respect of the Promise and stipulation For the Covenant of Nature promised life but not righteousnesse but in the Covenant of Grace God promiseth to tread Satan under the feet and to write his Law in the hearts of them that be heires of Salvation That Covenant promiseth life to them that perfectly obey but not remission or forgivenesse of any even the least iniquity But this promiseth forgivenesse of sinnes and life eternall to the penitent sinner believing in Christ and embracing the free promise of mercy In that life eternall is promised as the reward of justice in this life and glory as the reward of free and rich grace and mercy To him that worketh the wages is of debt but to him that beleeves the reward is of Grace In that God as a Creatour doth exact his right of man pure but in this as a loving Father he doth offer himselfe to the sinner smitten with the conscience of his sinne In that life eternall and most blessed is promised but only animal to be enjoyed in Paradise or continuance in that good estate wherein he was set at first of the rich bounty of God but in the other translation out of ignominy and death into eternall happinesse and glory in Heaven In the Covenant of Nature perfect obedience is exacted so that if there be but the least failing in any jot or title and that but once a man can never be justified thereby nor can the breach be made up by any repentance But in the Covenant of Grace obedience is required repentance admitted and sincerity accepted If a man sinne and goe astray if he returne unfainedly he shall be received into favour In the Covenant of Nature obedience and workes were commanded as the cause of life and justification in the Covenant of Grace Faith is required as the instrumentall cause of Remission and Salvation obedience as the qualification of the party justified and the way leading to everlasting blessednesse The object of obedience in the Covenant of Nature was God in the Covenant of Grace God in Christ 4. They differ in the speciall consideration of the Subject The first Covenant was given to man pure perfect intire and sound able to do what God required But the Covenant following was made with man a sinner miserable and by nature the child of wrath And so that was a Covenant of friendship this of firme Reconciliation 5. In the speciall and peculiar respect of the end For the former Covenant was made for the praise of Gods wisdome goodnesse bounty and justice But the Covenant of Grace was made to declare and set forth the riches of Gods grace and mercy In it the wisdome goodnesse power and justice of God is more illustrious then in the former and the mercy long-suffering and rich grace of God is greatly magnified which did not appeare or shine forth at all in the former 6. And in their Effects and Properties For not the Covenant of Nature but of Grace doth exclude boasting By the Covenant of Nature Adam was not advanced above the condition of an honourable Servant In the Covenant of Grace man by nature the child of wrath is made the child of God by grace and adoption The Covenant of nature was neither the last nor everlasting but being first made way for a better and being broken was antiquated or disanulled to our singular comfort but the Covenant of Grace shall continue firme and immoveable for evermore The second thing to be gathered is That the Fathers before Christ ever since the fall of Adam and Christians in the times of the Gospell did live under the same Covenant for substance but not for manner of administration which is most cleare by evident Heb. 13. 8. Rev. 13. 8. Act. 4. 12. and 15. 11. Gal. 3. 29. Rom. 3. 30. Eph. 2. 12. Gen. 15. 1 and 17. 1 7. Lev. 26. 12. Exod. 3. 6. Matth. 22. 32. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Heb. 11. 6 7 8. Rom. 4. 12. Heb. 11. â— 19 23. testimonies of holy Scripture and by the very forme of the Covenant which was one before and after the comming of Christ The same God that calleth us called them to the hope of eternall life they were endued with the same spirit and lived by the same faith Their Sacraments for substance in signification agree with ours and they expected an Inheritance everlasting and undefiled Religion for substance was ever one and unchangeable and such as were truly religious walked in the same way and waited for the same heavenly Inheritance and everlasting crowne of glory The Church before Christ may be considered as an heire or as an Infant according to the substance of the Covenant or according to the manner of administration In the first respect the Church is under the Covenant or Promise and her people are called a free and willing people an heire of heavenly and spirituall blessings In the latter respect she is under the Covenant in respect of the different administration and her people are called a servile people in comparison an heire under Tutors and Governors not differing from a servant CHAP. IIII. Of the Covenant of Promise THe Covenant of Grace is either promised or promulgated Gen. 3. 15. Gen. 12. 1. and 15. 1. and established Promised to the Fathers first to Adam and afterwards to the Patriarchs and lastly to the people of Israel and that before their comming into the Land of Canaan and after Gal. 4. 4 1 Pet. 1. 20. Act. 3. 25. Gal. 3. 16. 1â— Eph. 2. 12. their returne from the Babylonish captivity Promulgated after the
and the want of such learning was a smart rod to beate them Moses also brought in the Priest-hood as a setled ordinance for that present which for the persons were to succeed him The things which they had proper were two First to offer Sacrifices for the people and thereby to cleanse them from the breach of Ceremoniall commands put upon them by Moses to testifie their homage But the blood of those sacrifices was a tipe of Christs Heb. 9. 9. 10. 4. 9. 23. blood our true and unchangeable high Priest whereby the conscience is purged from the guilt of sinne and from all failings in the least and highest degree of morall obedience And though the carnall Jew saw it not in their sacrifices yet the spirituall which brought a right sence of sinne and fitting disposition both saw it and reached pardon in these sacrifices by faith in the blood of Christ tipified by them And hence we see in what respect the Gal. 3. 21. Heb. 8. 7. â—â— 13. Law is said to be weake and unable to give life to purge the conscience or pacifie the wrath of God because it was not the blood of Bulls or Goats but of Christ the immaculate Lamb of God who thorough the eternall Spirit offered up himselfe a sacrifice to the Father that did purge the conscience and bring in eternall redemption which was not shed but tipified under that Covenant though the spirituall seed by faith laid hold upon iâ— and were partakers of the benefits thereof Secondly It was the effect of this ordinance to offer up prayers to God for the people upon their Incense To runne into every particular in this kind were infinite The effect of this Covenant that it bringeth forth children but in some kind of bondage pressed and kept under with servitude For the heire so long as he is under Tutors and Governours differeth Gal. 4. 3 4. not from a servant though he be Lord of all The Jewes were children and heires but tutored and kept under with many Ceremoniall ordinances and observations as appendices to the Law expedient for that time and state But there is a twofold servitude one to damnation which shuts the sonnes of such disposition out of the Kingdome of Heaven which was figured by the bondage of Ismael and Hagar This the Covenant doth not beget in it selfe but in them that rejected Christ the soule of the Law and trusted in their workes to be justified thereby The other of sonnes which are held under the nourture of the Law and legall rites but rest not in them but by them are led unto Christ which abide still in the house and partake of the dignity of sons though under Tutours and this servitude is an effect of the Covenant thus administred Under this Covenant the naturall seed of Abraham bore the face of the Church and state and God had promised abundance of temporals and of spirituall a scantling But all under the outward administration of the Covenant were not in like manner partakers of the blessings promised in Covenant For some had their part in the temporall blessings only and the outward ordinances others were partakers of the spirituall blessings promised But whatsoever good thing any of them enjoyed either temporall or spirituall it was conferred upon them freely according to the Covenant of Grace and not for the dignity of their workes It is true the promise is conditionall if they obey they shall reape the good things of the Land but obedience was not a causall condition why they should inherit but consequent what they must doe when they should inherit the Land God would not that his people should live dissolutely in the promised Land but he gave them not that inheritance for their righteousnesse Certaine it is also that God did reward partiall obedience with temporall blessings as he spared some upon their temporary humiliation and fained repentance and he permitted some obstinate and rebellious to abide in the promised Land and take roote and prosper for a season but this he did of his free bounty that he might performe the Oath which he sware unto the Fathers So that herein there appeares no intexture of the Covenant of workes with the Covenant of Grace nor any moderation of the Law to the strength and power of nature for the obtaining of outward blessings But rather that God of his aboundant goodnesse is pleased freely to conferre outward blessings promised in Covenant upon some that did not cleave unto him unfainedly that he might make good his promise unto the spirituall seed which by word and oath he had confirmed unto the Fathers In this expression of the Covenant it pleased God to add unto the former another seal for confirmation of their faith sc the Passe-over which was a tipe of Exod. 12. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Christ the immaculate Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world ourtrue Passe-over who was sacrificed for us as well as a seale of their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt And the celebration of the Passeover was as a gratefull remembrance of their most powerfull and gracious deliverance from the fiery fornace and consequently of their possession of that good Land which the Lord had promised to give them so was it a testimony of their faith in the bloud of Christ whereby they were set free from the powers of darknesse and the curse of the Law and restored into spirituall liberty being made heires of the kingdome of heaven And from all this we may see wherein this expression of the Covenant doth exceed the former and wherein it differs from and fals short of the new Covenant of which in the latter end of the next Chapter CHAP. IX Of the Covenant that God made with David THis Covenant of Grace was further manifested to David to whom the Lord doth most aboundantly and familiarly make knowne the riches of his free-grace and love And is this O Lord the manner of men 2 Sam. 7. 19. Or as Junius readeth it and that after the manner of men O Lord God that is thou dealest familiarly with me as a man dealeth with man Amam idque secundum consuetudinem hominis seu hominum i ac si amicus cum amico ageret Sâ—hingler Huc adducit Chald. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et hoc hic agendi moduâ— conveniens est filijs hominum q d. ita â—olet amicuâ— cum amico colloqui familiariter animi sui sententiam depromere Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Em. Sa. Lex hominis q d. sic mecum agiâ— ut solet hâ—mo cum amico 1 Chron. 17. 17. And thou hast provided for me according to the manner of men concerning this excellency O Lord God or thou hast provided for me this excellency according to the manner of men I see for I provide for for the Hebrews when they have not compound verbes doe use simple in their stead Pisc aspexeris me secundum
John the Baptist put over his hearers to Christ Joh. 1. 26 27. Luke 3. 16. Mark 1. 7 8. Matth. 3. 11 12. Christ invites men to the Kingdome of Heaven that is the Evangelicall Government of the Church as future at hand but not yet present Matth. 4. 17. Mark 1. 15. Nay after he was risen from the dead although he professe openly and plainly to his Disciples that all power was given unto him in Heaven and earth and he command them to preach the Gospell to every creature Matth. 28. 18 19. yet he gives them a charge to tarry at Jerusalem to waite for the accomplishment of the promise concerning the solemne sending of the holy Ghost and to be endued with power from above Luk 24. 49. as if they were designed before but then to be inaugurated and by extraordinary gifts many hearing and beholding openly to be approved The dayes immediately following the death and resurrection of Christ were the dayes of the Churches widowhood wherein she sate for a while destiture and comfortlesse and barren having neither power to beare nor to bring forth children But within ten dayes after Christ the Lord the Bridegroome of the Church had ascended from earth to Heaven in glory the holy Ghost came downe upon the Apostles in visible shape in token that Christs Church was now betrothed unto him and had received strength to conceive and bring forth and breasts replenished with plenty of Milk to nourish and feed her children This was as the Solemnization of the Marriage and then did the barren begin to rejoyce that she should be the mother of many children From this time properly the New Testament tooke its beginning The nature of this Testament stands principally in three things 1. In the kinde of Doctrine plaine full and meerly Evangelicall 2. In freedome from the curse of the Law and freedome from Legall Rites 3. In the amplitude and enlargement of the new Church throughout all Nations of the world It may be described the free Covenant which God of his rich grace in Jesus Christ incarnate crucified dead buried raised up to life and ascended into Heaven hath made and plainly revealed unto the world of Jew and Gentile promising to be their God and Father by right of Redemption and Christ to be their Saviour to pardon their sinne heale their nature adopt them to be his Sonnes protect them from all evill that may hurt furnish them with all needfull good things spirituall and temporall and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come if they repent of their iniquities beleeve in Christ and through or by Christ in him and walk before him in sincere constant and conscionable obedience which he doth inwardly sease by the witnesse of the holy Spirit who is the earnest of their inheritance in the hearts of the faithfull and ratifie and confirme by outward seales universall plain easie and perpetuall The Author of this Covenant is God in Jesus Christ for none can make these promises but God none can make them good but his Highnesse Therefore the Lord doth evermore challenge this unto himself that he is the maker of the Covenant And as it is Jer. 31. 1 31 32 33. called our Covenant in respect of the conditions required Zech. 9. 11. So it is called the Lords Covenant because he hath made and will establish it If ye can break my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night c. Then may also my Covenant be broken Jer. 33. 20 21. with David my servant Christ also as Mediatour is both the foundation and Author of this Covenant as he is appointed of the Father Lord and King advanced at the right hand of God to give repentance and remission of sinnes unto Israel and as Testatour Heb. 9. 16. he hath confirmed the Covenant by his death But of this in the next Chapters God is both the Author of this Covenant and one partie confederate Fathers we know seldome frame Indentures thereby to bind themselves what they will doe for their children if they will be obedient but by right of Fatherhood they challenge of them their best service Lords and great personages seldome indent with their free servants what preferment they shall expect after some terme of service and attendance but if they look for reward they must stand at their courtesie But our Lord and Master to whom we owe our selves by right of Creation who might take advantage against us for former disobedience is content to undertake and indent with us and by Indenture to bind himself to bestow great things and incomprehensible upon us if we will accept his kindnesse and bind our selves unto him in willing and sincere obedience If you demand a reason of this dealing none can be given but the meere grace and rich mercy and love of God Thus saith the Ezek. 36. 22. Lord God I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for mine holy Names sake I will cause you to passe under the rod and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant c. And ye shall know Ezek. 20. 37. that I am the Lord when I shall bring you into the Land of Israel c. And there ye shall remember your wayes and all your doings wherein 42. 43. you have been defiled and ye shall lothe your selves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I have wrought with you for my Names sake not according to your wicked wayes nor according to your corrupt doings Man can doe nothing of himself to procure his spirituall good In spirituall things it fareth with him much what as with a child new borne into the world which being naked can neither provide cloathes nor being provided and laid by him can put them on for man destitute of all spirituall goodnesse can neither move to helpe himself untill it be freely bestowed nor manage and wield it well when it is of grace vouchsafed without direction and assistance from God And there is as little worth or dignity in man to move God to promise him help as there is ability in man to procure help There is nothing in man to move God to shew mercy but only misery which might be an occasion but can be no cause either why mercy is promised or salvation granted If man had not fallen from grace and state of Innocency God had never sent his Sonne to redeeme him nor shewed mercy reaching to the pardon and covering of his iniquity If he had not lost himself Christ had never come to find and restore him if he had not wounded himself he had not been healed and repaired of grace Man then is a subject on whom God bestowes grace and in whom he works it and his mâ—sery an occasion that the Lord took of manifesting his mercy in succouring and lifting him up out of that distresse but the free
were all their life subject to bondage But when the Scripture nameth death generally it comprehends all that which God threatned in that sentence Thou shalt die the death that penall death which is the reward of sinne but not sinne it selfe which is penall only not sinfull Other mens debts are answered diverse wayes some answer them simply as redeemers some as sureties He that answers them as a suretie must pay the Heb. â— 6. same summe of money that the debtor oweth Now Christ is not only our Mediatour but our suretie Heb. 7. 22. and hence the mediation of Christ is called a propitiation Rom. 3. 25. 1 Joh. 2. 2. and the surety is of debt and justice to make full satisfaction because he hath voluntarily promised it and God the Father did in justice exact it Rom. 3. 24 25. and 8. 32. In the sufferings of Christ we must consider the circumstances and substance of his sufferings The circumstances as the person of the sufferer the cause of suffering and efficacy of the passion in which respect it was more then the Law required for the Law did not require that God should die nor that any one should die that had not finned nor such a death and of such efficacie as not only to abolish death but to bring in life and that by many degrees more excellent then that which Adam had lost but if we respect the substance of punishment it was that which the Law required which he paid of love free and voluntary and yet of justice Justice requireth the same summe of debt the dignity of Christs person nothing hindering and according to justice Christ made satisfaction As concerning the substance of punishment Christ suffered what was due to us but in the circumstances which pertained not to the substance of the debt some thing was pardoned to the dignity of the person In this stands the dignity of Christs person that he might be fit meritoriously to pay our debt so farre was it from freeing or acquitting him for any part of our debt He that knew no sinne was made sinne for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. Surely he hath born our griefes and carried our sorrowes Isai 53. 4. When the Scripture speakes so fully why should humane curiosity limit the sufferings of Christ as if they were not fully satisfactory but by divine acceptilation only Christ suffered not every particular punishment that every particular sinner meeteth withall but his passion was a common price payed at once for all his people satisfying justice for all their offences Rom. 5. 19. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 8. 33. He bore our sinnes in his body upon the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. We are redeemed by his bloud Eph. 1. 7. The bloud of Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1 Joh. 1. 6. Phil. 2. 8. Col. 1. 20. He hath made peace by the bloud Voss respons ad Iudic. Ravens cap. 6. Robert Loeus Examen Eccl. The saur effigiet veri Sabbath of the crosse Touching the punishments which Christ suffered they were not ordinary but beyond measure grievous bitter and unsupportable yea such as would have made any meere creature to sinke down under the burthen of them to the bottome of hell For he suffered grievous things from all the things in heaven earth and hell He suffered at the hands of God his Father and of men of Jewes of Gentiles of enemies insulting of friends forsaking of the Prince of darknesse and all his cruell and mercilesse instruments But whereas of the punishments of sinne some be sinnes and punishments both others punishments only and some common to the nature of man others personall growing out of some imperfection and defect in the vertue and faculty forming the body disorder in diet or some violence offered and some for sinne inherent others for sinne imputed Our Saviour Christ suffered the punishments that are only punishments and not sinne common to the whole nature of man not personall to this or that man the punishments of the sinnes of other men not his own and that of them that should breake off their sins by repentance not of them that would sin for ever if they might live for ever The whole life of our Saviour was a life of suffering but his speciall sufferings were those he endured in the Garden or upon the crosse In the Garden he was in an agony upon the crosse he was pressed with the weight of grievous and unsupportable evils His agony was that sorrow wherein his soule was beset round with heavinesse and feare even unto death Thus the Evangelists describe it He began to be sorrowfull and very heavy Matt. 26. 37 38. Then saith he to them scil Peter James and John My soul is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death He began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy And saith unto them My soule is exceeding sorrowfull Mar. 14. 33 34. Joh. 12. 27. unto death Now is my soul troubled His soul was smitten with horrour that all powers and faculties for a time left their proper functions and did concurre to relieve nature in that extremity as when a man hath received some gashly wound the bloud doth at first retire to comfort the heart But this stay came not from any internall defect which had been sinfull but from an externall cause to wit the horrour which fell upon him as the wheeles of a Watch may cease from motion without any fault in them when they are stayed by the hand of the Artificer He feared also the stroke of the justice of God his Father sitting on the Tribunall or Judgement seat to punish the sins of men for whom he stood forth to answer this he feared as a thing impossible to be escaped in respect of the resolution and purpose of God his Father that by his satisfactory death and no other way man should be delivered And he declined everlasting destruction as a thing he knew he should escape without all doubt or uncertaintie of event though not without conflicting with the temptations of Sathan and the enduring of many grievous and bitter things These passions in Christ were most pure because he himselfe was most free from all taint of sin as if you put cleare water into a cleare glasse though you shake and stirre it never so much it will raise no mud The effects of this agony were two Earnest prayer and bloudie sweat Being in an agony he prayed more fervently He Luk. 22 44. fell on his face and prayed He prayed thrice the same words O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neverthelesse Matt. 26. 39. not as I will but as thou wilt As the sense of nature and inferiour reason presented death and the ignominy of the crosse unto him as they are in themselves evill without the consideration of any good to follow he desired to decline them But as superiour reason considered them with all circumstances knowing Gods resolution to be such that the
world should thereby be saved and by no other meanes he most willingly accepted of them Between these desires there was a diversity but no contrariety a subordination but no repugnance or resistance Consider Christ in private as a man of the same naturall affections desires and abhorrencies with other men and the cup as it was very bitter and grievous and so most justly he feared and declined it and could not but decline it unlesse he had put off the nature and affection of man But consider him in his publike relation as a Mediatour a suretie a mercifull and faithfull high Priest and so he most willingly and obediently submitted unto it And this willingnesse in respect of his office was much the greater and the comfort we may draw from thence the sweeter because in respect of nature his will could not but shrinke for it If nature had not necessarily shrunke sweat startled and stood amazed at that service Christ had not manifested so much love and free submission to the command of grace nor could we have had so much comfortable assurance of the truth of our redemption thereby for it is impossible the nature of man should conflict with the terrible wrath of God and not dread and tremble The Apostle saith Christ in the dayes of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and Heb. 5. 7. teares and was heard in the thing he feared In the New Testament the word signifieth reverence Luke 2. 25. Act. 2. 5. and 8. 2. Heb. 12. 28. or circumspect caution joyned with feare Heb. 11. 7. Act. 23. 10. but feare is most fit to this place as it signifieth commonly in good Authours and by the phrase it selfe may be confirmed for he was heard from his feare as he was delivered from death The second effect of this Agonie was a bloudie sweat In a cold night when our Saviour lay upon the ground in the open aire no man being neere unto him no violence offered unto his body he did sweat clotted bloud in such abundance that it streamed through his apparell and wet the ground Never was there sweat like this sweat nor anguish of soul like this anguish that â—e then endured But these I may call the beginnings of sorrow Upon the crosse he uttered that dolefull complaint My God my Matth. 26. God why hast thou forsaken me He complaineth not that his heavenly Father had forsaken his but him Formerly he had wept over Jerusalem and commended his Disciples unto the custody Joh. 17. of his Father being assured they should be gathered though for the time dispersed But the cause of this lamentation was that being now in the hands of his cruell bloudy mercilesse enemies left to endure the extremity of their rage and fury his Father for a time withdrew from him that solace he was wont to find in him The unity of his person was never dissolved his righteousnesse or graces were never either taken away or diminished neither is it possible he should want assurance of future deliverance and present support but for a time the Father did with-draw the sense of favour and comfort that his humane nature might suffer what our sinnes deserved This dereliction was altogether without sin because Christ our Saviour brought it not upon himselfe but was called unto it and in the conflict his faith was most firm not shaken with any degree of unbelief in which cases only the want of comfort is a fault scil when we bring it upon our selves or stain it with infidelity It is here objected that an innocent person ought not to suffer for a nocent for guilt is inseparable from sin The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of his Father neither shall the Father beare the iniquity of the son the soul that sinneth the same shall die Ezek. 18. 20. For the clearing of this objection we must note that there is a two-fold manner of guilt either such as growes out of sin inherent which is the deserving of punishment as it is in us or such as growes out of sin imputed and that not by reason of union naturall as the guilt of Adams sin is imputed unto us which manner of imputation likewise is the foundation of punishment deserved but voluntary by way of vadimonie and susception And so guilt is only a free and willing obnoxiousnesse unto that punishment which another hath deserved In an ordinary course of providence it is true the sonne shall not beare the punishment of the Fathers sin because he is altogether personally distinct he is not appointed so to doe as Christ was he is not able to bear them so as to take them off from his Father as Christ did ours and already hath too many of his own to beare but this was no naturall or unchangeable Law and if the will of the Sonne go along with the Father in sinning it is not strange not unusuall for him to suffer for his Fathers and his own sin together as for the continuation of the same offence More particularly for resolution of the question whether an innocent person may suffer for the guilty we must note first that God out of his dominion over all things may cast paines upon an innocent person as it is manifest he did upon Christ who suffered most grievous things and death it selfe And what ground of complaint could any creature have against God if he should have created it in fire and made the place of its habitation the instrument of its pain Do not we our selves without cruelty upon many occasions put creatures that have not offended us unto pain Secondly it is not universally against equity for one to suffer the punishment of anothers sin We see the Infants of Sodome Babylon Egypt of Corah Dathan and Abiram were involved in the punishment of those sins of which themselves were not guilty The Lord reserveth to himselfe the punishment of the Fathers upon the children Exod. 20. 5. and 34. 7. He punished the sinnes of three hundred and ninetie yeares all together Ezek. Lam. 5. 7. 4 2 5. C ham committed the sinne and yet Canaan was cursed 2 Sam. 1â— 13 14. for it Gen. 9. 22 25. The sin was Gehezi's alone and yet the Leprosie cleaved not to him only but to his posterity 2 King 5. 27. For the sin of Saul his sons are hanged up before the Lord. 2 Sam. 21. 8 14. Achan trespassed alone but he perished not alone but his sons and his daughters and all that he had with him Josh 7. 24. The sin of crucifying Christ was the sin of the Jewes in that age alone and yet wrath is come upon them to the uttermost even unto this day Matth. 27. 25. 1 Thes 2. 16. vid. 1 King 21. 21. and 14. 10. Judg. 9. 56. 1 King 2. 33. Jer. 22. 30. And if it be not unjust to punish one for anothers fault and grant impunity to the offendour it is not unjust to punish the innocent for
flagging helps them in their sinking and falling upholds them Therefore also Gods right hand is called the right hand of Majestie Heb. 1. 3. and the right hand of power Luk. 22. 69. To sit properly betokeneth a site of body opposite to standing or moving but figuratively it signifieth to rest stay dwell inhabite rule or governe as Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may sit or dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life 1 King 1. 30. He shall sit upon my See Luke 24. 49. Ruth 1. 4. Matt. 23. 2. throne in my stead Prov. 20 8. A King that sitteth in the throne of judgement scattereth away all evill with his eyes Isai 16. 5. And in mâ—rcy shall the throne be established and he shall sit upon it in truth To stand or sit at the right hand is an usuall phrase in Scripture By the former divers things are notâ—d First to resist oppose or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hinder the endeavours of any one Psal 109. 6. Let Satâ—n stand at his right hand scil to stay or hinder that it might not move to infringe or weaken his endeavours Zech. 3. 1. And he shewed me Ioshua the high Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him Secondly to assist defend protect against enemies and manifold Vid. 1 Chron. 6. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 16. 10. dangers whereunto men are subject He shall stand at the right hand of the poore to save him from those that condâ—mne his soule Psal 109. 31. I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Thirdly they are said to stand at the right hand that obtaine the next degree of honour with him at whose hand they are said to stand Psal 45. 9. Vpon thy right hand did stand the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Queen in gold of O phyr For the second Great Kings and Princes doe set them at their right hands whom they specially love favour or honour and whom they mind to advance to the chiefe degrees of power and authority under them or to be as it were in their stead and in office to represent their person The King rose up to meet Bathsheba and bowed himselfe unto her and sate down on his Throne and caused a seat to be set for the Kings mother and she sate on his right hand Ad dextram Dei sedere est proximam post Deum potesta tem habere Verbum sedere Regni significat potestatem Hieron in Eph. cap. 1. 1 King 2. 19. To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father Matth. 20. 21 23. By Christs sitting at the right hand of his Father is noted that great honour and glory plenitude of power and judiciarie office or dominion which God the Father hath given unto his Sonne after his manifestation in the flesh in his Nativity and justification by the Spirit in his Resurrection for then amongst other dignities he was received up into glory 1 Tim. 3. 10. It may be described the highest and supreme degree of Christs exaltation wherein he hath received of the Father excellent glory dignity power and dominion and is actually made the head of his Church and Lord and Ruler of all things both in heaven and earth Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him 1 Pet. 3. 22. He hath sâ—t him on his own right hand in the heavenly places farre above all principalities and power and â—ight and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the Church Eph. 1. 20 21 22. Thâ—u hast put all things in subjection under him he left nothing that is not yet put under him Heb. 2. 7 8 9. Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time Sit on my right hand Heb. 1. 13. which the Apostle expounds He must raigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet 1 Cor. 15. 25. By this sitting at the right hand of the Father not the propriety of his humane nature but the exceeding glorious state of his person is signified We have such an high Priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majestie in the heavens Heb. 8. 1. Set downe at the right hand of the throne of God Heb. 12. 2. His divine nature could not possibly receive any intrinsecall improvement or glory all fulnesse of glory essentially belonging thereunto but so farre forth as it was humbled for the administration of his office so farre it was re-advanced He emptied and humbled himselfe not by emptying and putting off his divine glory but by suffering it to be over-shadowed with the similitude of sinfull flesh and to be humbled under the forme of a servant and he is magnified at Gods right hand as he doth manifest and shew forth his divine glory in his humane nature which before was covered and shadowed therewith as with a vaile And how-ever we cannot say the Deity or divine nature was exalted in any other sense then by evident manifestation of it selfe in that man who was before despised and accused as a blasphemer for that he made himselfe equall with God yet by reason of the communication of properties from one nature to another in the unity of one person it is true that as God saved the world by his bloud and the Prince of life was crucified and the Lord lay in the Grave so God was at the right hand of Majestie exalted again The humane nature of Christ is most highly exalted as he hath obtained a new eminencie and dignity over all creatures which in respect of his humane nature he never had before he hath an ample and immediate claime to all that glory which might in the humane nature be conferred upon him This glory dignity and dominion Christ received from his Father according to his eternall decree and Covenant He sits at the right hand of his Father and from his Father he received his power authority and rule Christ is a King both by the providence and by the good will and immediate consecration of his Father The Father loveth the Sonne and hath given all things into his hand Ioh. 3. 35. He judgeth Dan. 7. 14. Matth. 11. 27. Joh. 17 2. no man but hath committed all judgement to his Sonne Ioh. 5. 22. that is hath entrusted him with the actuall administration of that power in the Church which originally belonged unto himselfe He hath made him to be Lord and Christ Act. 2. 36. and raised him up to sit on his throne ver 30.
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel Christs naturall Kingdome doth belong unto him as God coeffentiall and coeternall with the Father Christs dispensatory Kingdome is his by donation as Mediatour Matt. 18. 19. Rev. 1. 1. Dedit autem haec Iesu Christo quatenuâ— Medâ—atori nou ut coessentiali filio Joh. 17. 5. Haec ordinem magiâ— docent quo Deus cognitioneâ— Ecclesiâ— impertit quam origiâ—em scientiâ— respeâ—â—â—ilii Act 5. 31. He hath ordained him to be a Iudge of quick and dead Act. 10. 4â— He hath appointed him over his own house Heb. 3. 2 6. He hath crowned him and put all things in subjection under his â—â—it Heb. 2. 7 8. He hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2. 9. Therefore he calleth him my King set up by him upon his own holy hill and that in the vertue of a solemne decree Psal 2. 6 7. Therefore to sit on the right hand of the Father doth not note glory and dominion properly divine which doth belong to the Sonne as coessentiall and coeternall with his Father and is his by nature but glory and dominion next unto that which is essentially divine which belongeth to Christ as Mediatour and which is his not by nature but by donation and unction from his Father being made the Head of his Church a Prince of Peace and King of Righteousnesse This glory and dominion was given unto Christ and so was not that eternall glory naturall and essentiall which he had with his Father before the foundations of the world This glory Christ had not before his ascension into heaven but the other as it is naturall so it was from everlasting Saint Paul and Peter doe construe it by raigning immediately over every creature till the Mysterie of our redemption shall be finished 1 Cor. 15. 25. Psal 110. 1. The setting Christ in the throne of Majestie Heb. 1. 3. and 8. 1. and 12. 2. at the right hand of the throne of God the making of him Christ and Lord Act. 2. 35 36. and 5. 31. It is not then Si sessionenâ— Christi non pro jure tantum regende ecclesiae sed pro ipso regnandi actu accipiamuâ— cooperatio illo de qua agitâ—r parâ— ipsius sessionis rectè voâ—â—bitur Mart. de person Christ p. 11 87. Psal 110. 1. Joh. 5 27. the might of divine soveraignty over the creatures which is given unto him for this doth so follow the nature of God that it is necessary with every person that hath this nature This the Son could not relinquish this he cannot be taken unto as which doth necessarily agree to him as God blessed for evermore What is it then A right of executing immediately and in a manner appropriate to this person the soveraigne dominion of God over every creature This soveraignty is given to the person of the Sonne both as God and man now ascended as God for it is a power which none that is a pure creature can take or execute As man because it is given him now ascended into heaven with his humane nature and is to be executed by him as man for his man-hood doth concurre as an instrument working with his God-head in the administration of it The meaning then of this phrase is not to be admitted to Neque per ejusdem essentiae communicationem neque per physicam aliquam transfusionem seâ— transitionem â—e subjecto in subjectum sed per solam ejusdem personae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equality to the divine nature for this Christ ever had as God and could not but have neither to be admitted into the divine blessednesse setledly to injoy it for Christ as God ever had and could not but have that essentiall beatitude Neither doth it import thus much That the humane nature of Christ is elevated to this honour that it may freely use the divine Attributes omniscience omnipresence omnipotency so as to become by them omniscient omnipresent omnipotent no lesse properly then the divine though after a manner farre otherwise the divine nature being thus by naturall necessity the humane being thus by union with the divine by gracious communication of these unto it with liberty to Non essendo sed habendo non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non per naturam sed per gratiam non in seipsa sed persona 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. use them for the perfecting of it selfe So that according to this opinion the humane nature of Christ is made omnipresent with the omnipresency of the divine nature not as a thing subjectively inhering in it but so really communicated with it that it is made truly omnipresent by it though the divine Attribute never goe forth of the nature of God in which as the proper subject they grant it immoveably inherent The ground of this errour is that they suppose upon the union of the two Vrsin tom 2. de lib Concord cap. 8. p. 598. Inseparabilis unio non inducit coextensionem duarum in Christo naturarum quippe quarum una finita est altera infinita Tâ—tâ— Christâ—â— sed non totum Christi est ubique Sicut caro habet immensitatem i. arctè câ—pulata est immenso verbo non minus verbum habet finitionem i. arctè unitum est carni fiaitae Martia de person pag 637. Dici de â—liquo requirit inesse ergo si verè praedicaâ—tur de humana natura verè etiam eideâ— inesse â—pâ—rtet sive per naturam sive per gratiam sive ut in subjecto primario sive secundariâ— natures in Christ a reall communication of divine Properties to follow as that the humane nature is made truly omnipotent or omniscient not by any confusion of Properties nor yet by any bare communion and concourse of it to the same effect each nature working that which belongeth to it with communion of the other but by a reall donation by which the divine omnipotency doth so become the omnipotency of the humane nature that it may work omnipotently with it no lesse then the divine nature doth it selfe But the union cannot cause the humane nature partake more in the Properties of the divine then it causeth the divine partake in the Properties of the humane Againe if a true and reall communication did follow of divine attributes it must needs be of all as eternity and infinitenesse seeing these are the divine essence which can no way be divided Beside in the union of soul and body which is personall the life of the soul is not communicated with the body but an effect of it only And to what end should created gifts serve when now more noble Properties doe enter Not to mention that infinite perfections cannot perfect finite natures no more then reasonable perfections can make perfect unreasonable creatures Finally this opinion maketh the divine Properties become instrumentary
faculties as it were to a finite nature The place where Christ fits at the right hand of his Father in respect of his Humanity is in heaven because where that is there it is also inwardly glorious in it selfe and hath in it self Luke 24. 51. Mark 16. 19. Hebr. 4. 14. Act. 1. 11. 1 â—eâ— 3. 22. as in a subject his power and worketh by that power within the spheare of it finitenesse not severally from the word but with it and in it He is at the right hand of God in the heavens Ephes 1. 20. in the highest places Heb. 1. 3 8. above Col. 3. 1. This his Soveraignty is a consequent following on his Ascension into Heaven Look as Kings are crowned in the chiefe Cities of their Kingdomes and keep their residence in their Palaces neere unto them so it was decent that our Saviour should be crowned in this heavenly Jerusalem and keep his residence as it were in his heavenly Mansion There Christ sitteth at the right hand of God where he appeareth for us where he maketh intercession for us But Christ appeareth for us in Heaven Heb. 9. 24. and 8. 4. and in Heaven he maketh request for us and from Heaven we 1 Thess 1. 10. Isai 66. â— expect the Lord Jesus Phil. 3. 21. God is infinite Heaven is his throne and the earth his footstoole but the humanity of Christ is finite and not every where present Christ is ascended above these visible heavens above them and without them but he sitteth at the right hand of the Father in the highest heavens above them not without them So the Cherubims were over the Arke Ephes 4. 9 10. Heb. 9. 5. of the Covenant and yet they stayed upon the Arke as the place Heaven is one thing heavenly glory another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 25. 21 22. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est id quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in coelo est Heb. 9. 23. Heb. 8. 4. Ita coelum dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mac. 3. 39. Job 22. 12. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 16. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 33. 5. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15. 20. corpora 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 2. 6. Ephes 6. 12. and 2. 2. Joh. 3. 11 12. Ignat. Epist 11. Psal 68. 34. When a finite nature is in heaven it is not in earth Christ is not so supra omnes coelos ut sit extra illos non in eis extraterras tamen quia mundum bunc reliquit Eidem carni duplex isque contrarius existendi modus tribui non potest sc localis illocalis seu physicus hyperphysicus as earth and earthly misery Heb. 11. 13. Joh. 14. 2. But whilest we say Christ is in heaven his presence in earth in the Church in the midst of his enemies is not excluded For the same Christ who is man is also God and every where Christ in his body is in the heavenly and triumphant Church absent from the earth by his infinite Deity he is present together in the earthly militant and heavenly But concerning his Body we may truly conclude because he is in heaven therfore it is not every where for Christ cannot be said to be made every where in the heavens without a contradiction no more then to be made infinite within limited bounds of being This being taken for granted that heaven can signifie nothing but a place limited for the extent of it Christ as God and man hath power of rule over all things by the essence of his Deity he is every where by the essence of his humanity now he is in heaven but he ruleth every where by the ministeries of his domination Where as man at the right hand of the Father there he is said to be as man in respect of place and if where he sits as ruling there also he be in all places in his body he is also in his body out of his body then which nothing is more absurd Christ is received into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God by a mediatory action which he executeth according to both natures the word working what pertaineth to the word and the flesh what appertaineth to the flesh Christ is Mediatour as God and man and glory hath redounded unto him as God and man and living in this glory he ruleth and governeth his Church as God and man He ascended into Heaven in his humanity he sitteth at the right hand of God as Mediatour in respect of both natures he worketh together with the Ministers of the word by his divine and every where present efficacy The first thing implied by Christs sitting at the right hand of the Father is the filling of his humane nature with supernaturall gifts of knowledge power c. and whatsoever doth any way pertain to the administration of his office God his God hath annointed Psal 45. 7. Heb. 1. 9. him with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes In respect of us these gifts may be called infinite but simply they are not because they are things created the effects and works of the holy Spirit Joh. 3. 34. Isa 11. 2. Men sura est divisio quaedam donorum at in Christo plenissima copia ubertas Ephes 4. 7. Rom. 12. 3. 1 Cor. 12. 8 11. So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labor immensus Ov. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dolor immensas Senecae dicuntur Joh. 1. 16. Non deplendo aliquidex ipsius neque immeâ—sitate neque dimensione sed implendo nostraÌ„ indigentiam ab ipso absolutely they are finite comparatively infinite He received the Spirit above measure that is the whole Spirit all the gifts of the holy Spirit in higher degree then any creatures men or Angels in full abundance That is said to be done in measure which is done sparingly moderately in proportion for he that gives bountifully or largely doth not measure or number what he giveth but powreth out copiously as we say from the full heape or with both hands And that which is plentifull aboundant full is said to be above measure not that simply and absolutely it is infinite but in comparison By that which is given and not by measure not that which is infinite but that which is whole and entire is signified And of his fullnesse we all receive grace for grace we so receive of his fulnesse that his sufficiency is no whit diminished our want is filled by him but his fulnesse is not emptied by us The Sunne is not greater if it be beheld of many not the lesse if of fewer the same is true of the righteousnesse of Christ imputed The Sunne doth not decay by motion an Angell is not wearied with the service of God Christ man is not wearied with the care of the Church nor his store and plenty wasted with that which he doth
yet he had not the act and use of it That which some See Maldonat in Luk. 2 40. Quod voluntatem concernit omnes virtutes taâ—e incrementum in ea accepâ—runt quale in creaturam cadere potest Jun. Thâ—ss Theolog. 29. answer that Christ by infused knowledge knew all things and after attained another kind of knowledge which they call acquisite is not so fit because knowledge acquired and infused of the same things is of the same nature and condition and two formes or qualities of one kind cannot be in the same subject The second thing implied in Christs sitting at the right hand of the Father is to be admitted into divine blessednesse setledly to enjoy it Christ as God ever had and could not but have that essentiall beatitude and that blessednesse which he receiveth as man is not to have end The good that is in an intellectuall nature is of two sorts the one of vertue the other of sweet joyfull and pleasing delight And though both these concurre sometimes as in the fruition of God in heaven wherein the perfection of vertue and fulnesse of joy and delight doe meet together yea and though every thing that is vertuous be delightfull yet it is not so much the height of vertue as of delight that is judged happinesse Now our Saviour Christ was joyned to God by the affection of vertue or justice and Vt mori corpus Christi potuit tamen cum unionem tum effâ—ctus quosdam Deâ—tatis participare Ita mori mortem suam derelinqui anima potuit tamen uniâ—ne sua hujus unionis effectis frui Can â—â—◠〈◊〉 lib. 12. cap. 1â— Maâ—donat in Mat. 26. Isa 5â— 4. Joh. 4 6. Hâ—b 4. 15. Joh. 14. 23. Prov. â—5 â—5 Chamier tom 2. lib 5. cap 20. Nullus comprehensor est obnoxius ulâ—â—s calamitatibus could not be devided or separated from him no not for a moment because he could not but love him feare him trust in him but by the affection that seeâ—eth pleasing content in enjoying those ineffable delights and pleasures that are found in God our Saviour as man might and was for a time divided from God Moreover our Saviour Christ in his life time here on earth so restrained and kept within the closet of his secret Spirit the happinesse that he enjoyed in seeing God that it should not spread farther nor communicate it selfe to the inferiour faculties of his soule or impart the brightnesse of it to the body but it was subject to misery and passion The godly in this life doe tast not only some hope of heavenly life but the first fruits of this heavenly joy The Church and every Saint is heaven the soule of the righteous is heaven Our Saviour was both viator and comprehensor blessed in this life with that blessednesse which is not to be had but in heaven but now our Saviour advanced on the right hand of God is admitted into that incomprehensible glorious setled blessednesse never to suffer the least ecclipse for one moment which doth communicate it selfe to C ham panst tom 2. lib 4. cap 4 and 5. Maâ— 17. 2. 1 Pâ—t 1. 11. Heb. 12. 2 Phil. 3. 21. Verè contrâ—stari dolere pati non potest cui divina â—eâ—tâ—tudâ— impassibilitas verè realiâ—er communicata fuit Vrsin Tom. 2. coâ—fâ—ss de person Christ pag. 407. all powers of soule and body that it is and shall remaine for ever incorruptible impatible immortall encreased with strength and nimblenesse shining with brightnesse and glory celestiall and divine Thirdly our Saviour Christ as man is taken to have prerogative before every other creature For this phrase of setting at his right hand noteth the preheminence of him as next to God himselfe that looke as one made a King hath a dignity above all persons named in his Kingdome Dukes Earles Lords So our Saviour taken up as man to this kingly dignity must needs be in preheminence before them It is no wonder for this nature essentially appertaineth to that person which made all these things visible and invisible Againe every person the nearer he is in conjunction of bloud to an earthly King the more he hath prerogatâ—ve Col. 1. 16 Joh. 1. 3. Heb. 1. 2 3. Revel 4 ult above others more dis-joyned so this created nature seeing it is made one personally with God by how much it is more nearely united by so much it is fit that it should have prerogative before others Not to speake that being heire of all things it is meet that he should be before all who are but parts of his inheritance and having more excellent endowments I meane created gifts than any other it is meet he should have the first place before all other Christ is set farre above all principality and power and might and domination which words are commonly understood of the Angels but the two first words may fitly be interpreted as names of excellency found in this present world For principalities and powers when they are put for angelical natures they are not termed so simply but with an addition to the place but these words put for humane excellencies we reade them simply without any thing added And this distribution of power named in this world and in that to come Ephes 1. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principatus dicuntur Rom. 8 38. Luk. 12 â—â— Significat etiam turmas 1 Sam. 11. 11. Eph 3. 10 Sept. Job 1. 17. and 6. 1â— Sept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aq. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3 â— Col. 1. 16. Drâ—s praeter in Rom. 8. 38. Deod ibid. respecteth something in this enumeration fore-named the former these two first named the latter the couple following Fourthly Christ not only as God but as man hath power above Heb. 1. 2. every creature As Mediatour he hath received a power imperiall over every creature which is apparant in this that the Apostle saith Christ is so placed above all that all are subject under Ephes 1. 21. Heb. 2. 8 9. Matth. 28. 19. Duplex est Christi dominium 1. Essentiale quod ab aeterno habet commune cum Patre 2. Vicarium seu Mediatorium quod habet a Patre in cujus locum quasi succedit Camer in Heb. 1. 2. his feet To me is given all power in Heaven and earth that is power whereunto every creature is subject He speaketh of it as done because it was immediatly to be performed This person as God receiving by voluntary dispensation this honour from the Father that he should in an immediate and appropriate manner execute government over all creatures in heaven and earth the same person as man participating in this Kingly divine authority so farre that he should instrumentally concurre in executing all that judgement which Christ according to his divine nature did principally effect Though the Father and the Spirit have a right and soveraignty over the creature yet they doe not immediatly
seeke attonement and to walke sutably He doth remove the guilt of sinfully from the conscience of the offending brethren Heb. 9 14 15. He is potent with God to satisfie revenging Gal. 3. 13 14. justice by presenting his bloud to remove the curse of the Law that those which are called might receive the inheritance He alone hath in his owne person performed obedience to the broken Law of God and fulfilled all righteousnesse and by his crosse hath cancelled the hand-writing that was against us and broken downe the partition and slayed hatred and enmity betwixt the brethren Ephes 2. 14 15. But of this more hereafter The Fathers received Heb. 11. 13 14. not the promises but saw them afarre off and were perswaded of them and saluted them with great sweetnesse but under the new Covenant we have recived the promise God hath sent his Son into the world borne of a woman and made under the Law and openly manifested him to be the Son of God And if Gal 4. 4 5. the appearing of Christ God and man did adde much to the joy and comfort of the Saints in glory the manifestation of Christ in the flesh must adde to the faith and comfort of them that waited for the salvation of Israel The Incarnation of Christ was the day of his Coronation and of his espousals wherein in speciall manner Cant. 3. 11. he contracted him unto his Church Goe forth O ye daughters of Zion and behold King Salomon with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals and in the day of the gladnesse of heart The Fathers expected deliverance from the curse of the Law and to inherit the promises in and through the Messiah and the Sacrifices did prefigure and Prophets fore-tell the death of the Messiah but we may well thinke the faithfull did not distinctly understand how the Saviour promised was to satisfie justice and by death to overcome him that had the power of death But in the new Testament we learne expressely that Christ is made of God unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption how he satisfied justice by one oblation of himselfe removed the curse of the Law destroyed him that had the power of death purchased the promised Spirit and ratified all the promises of the Covenant by his death and bloud-shed Heb. 9. 15. Thirdly He is entred into heaven appeareth before the Father and maketh request for his people unto which there is pre-required a power and prevalencie over all his enemies to breake through the guilt of sin the curse of the Law and the chaines of death with which it was impossible that he should be held And this power of Christ was shewed in his Resurrection wherein he was declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1. 4. and in his ascension wherein he led all his enemies captives Ephes 4. 8. and in his sitting at the right hand of God farre above all principalities and powers Ephes 1. 19 20. All which did make way to the presenting of his Sacrifice before the Mercy-seat which is the consummation of it and without which he had not been a Priest We have such an high Priest saith the Apostle as is set downe at the right hand of the Majestie in the heavens for if he were on earth he should not be a Priest seeing that there are Priests which offer gifts according to the Law Heb. 8. 1 4. Christ our high Priest having offered up himselfe an expiatory Sacrifice once for all by his divine power rose againe from the dead and is entered into the very heavens to appeare in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 24. Levit. 16. 11 15. It was the same continued action whereby the Priest did offer without the holy place and did then bring the bloud into the holiest of all Heb. 13. 11. For the reason why it was shed was to present it to the mercy-seat and to shew it unto the Lord there Heb. 9. 8. Inchoari potest functio veri Sacerdotis stante typico Sacerdotio perfecta esse non potest illo staÌ„â—e Oblatio peracta in terra perfectissima fâ—it sed perfectione partis non perfectione totius Aliud est offerre in terra aliud peracta oblatione manere in terra Heb. 1. 3. 10 5 6 9. 1â— 1 Cor. 5. 7. So Christs act or office was not ended nor fit to denominate him a compleate Priest till he did enter with bloud and present his offering in the holiest of all not made with hands Heb. 9. 24. And therefore he had not been a Priest if he should have continued on the earth for there was another Priest-hood there which was not to give place but upon the accomplishment of his for the whole figure was to passe away when the whole truth was come Now Christs oblation was the truth prefigured in the Priests sacrificing of the beast and his entrance into heaven was the truth prefigured in the Priests carrying of the bloud into the holiest of all And therefore both these were to be accomplished before the Leviticall Priest-hood did give place Some referre this to the oblation of Christ whereof they make two parts the one expâ—atory when Christ suffered upon the crosse the other presentatory when he doth appeare in heaven before God for us the one of killing or suffering the other of ostension the one finished on earth when Christ suffered without the gate because as no sin so no punishment can come within the holy place the other performed in heaven satisfaction being Heb. 13. 11 12. first made on earth The first was not a preparation of a Sacrifice but a Sacrifice the latter was not so much a Sacrifice as the commemoration of the Sacrifice made for appearing in heaven is not properly a sacerdotall act unlesse it leane upon the vertue of the Sacrifice performed the first was an act of humiliation the latter Heb. 10 8 â—â— of glory the first performed once for all the latter done continually that the explatory Sacrifice or obtaining of redemption this the application of redemption The Sacrifice consisted in the Videtur etiam spect are consuetudines Regum Iudicum inter homines Reges enim soederati in suis aulis matuo habent Legatos pacis obsides qui quamdiu apparent in Regis conspectu firma stat confoederatio death of Christ alone the application thereof is grounded upon Christs death as its merit but effected by the life of Christ as its immediate cause When the Apostle saith Christ appeareth before the Father for us the expression is borrowed from the custome of humane Courts for as in them when the Plaintiffe or Defendant is called their Atturney appeareth in their name and behalfe so when we are summoned by the justice of God to defend our selves against those exceptions and complaints which it preferreth against us we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ
the righteous who standeth out and appeareth for us 1 Joh. 2. 1. It consisteth in two things First his appearing or presenting of his person in our nature and in his owne as a publike person a Mediatour a sponsor and pledge for us as Judah was both a Mediatour to request and a surety to engage himselfe to beare the blame for ever with his Father for his brother Benjamin Gen. 43. 8 9. And Paul for Onesimus a Mediatour I beseech thee for my sonne Onesimus Philem. 9 10. and a Sponsor If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that on mine account I will repay it ver 18 19. So Christ is both a Mediator and surety for us Heb. 7. 22. and 8. 6. Secondly the presenting of his merits as a publike satisfaction for the debt of sin for the justice of God would not be entreated or pacified without satisfaction now that is for ever because he shall not cease to appeare The Intercession of Christ is his gracious will fervently and immoveably Heb. 7. 25 28. Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 7. 25. desiring that for the perpetuall vertue of his Sacrifice all his members might be accepted of the Father whereunto answereth the consent of the Father in whose bosome he is who heareth him alwaies Joh. 11. â—2 and in whom he is well pleased Mat. 17. 5. who called him to this office of being as it were master of Requests in the behalfe of his Church and promised to heare him in his Petitions Rom. 8. 34. 1 Joh. 2. 1. This Intercession of Christ is generall and particular for all and every faithfull man I pray not for the world but for all that thou hast given me Joh. 17. 9. for all that shall beleeve vers 20. Simon Simon Satan hath desired to winnow you as wheate but Exod. 28. 21. I have prayed for thee Luk. 22 31 32. As the high Priest went into the Sanctuary with the names of the twelve Tribes upon his breast So Christ entred into the holiest of all with our persons in our behalfe and doth carry all his people upon his breast and presents his desires unto his Father for them It is also heavenly and glorious for our Saviour doth not fall upon his knees or prostrate himselfe before his Father as in the daâ—es of his humiliation for that is not agreeable to that glory he hath received and to which he is exalted but after a manner befitting his glory doth present his good will and pleasure to his Father that he may thereunto put his seale and consent It is a praying not out of private charity as the Saints pray one for another in this life but out of publike office of mediation by a publike person set up not only to pray for the Church in generall but to present the prayers of particular men to God in their behalfe Quia enim pijâ— perpetuò littgandum fit cum Satana mundo carâ—e ac etiam ipsa lege ira Dei ejuso probationibus ac mora in exaudiendo ipse Spiritus S. illos consolatur instituit ut Advocatus in foro clientem Dicitur ergo Paracletus Alvocatus Patroâ—as qui suo clienti in perâ—culo judicij ad â—at eum consclatur instituit pro eo etiaÌ„ loquitur deniq omnibus modis illi patrocinatur not out of humility which is a proposing of requests for things unmerited which we expect of meere grace according to the free promise of God but out of authority which is the desiring of a thing so as that he hath with all a right joyntly of bestowing it who doth desire it True Intercession as it is a publike and authoritative act is founded upon the satisfactory merits of the person interceding He cannot be a right Advocate who is not a propitiation too The Spirit is our Advocate by energie and operation by instruction and assistance as by his counsell inspiration and assistance he enableth the faithfull to pleade their own cause But Christ is our Advocate by office as he taketh upon himselfe the cause of his Church in his owne person applieth his merits in heaven and furthers the cause of our Salvation with his Father The Spirit maketh interâ—ellation for men in and by themselves emboldening them in their feares helping them in their infirmities when they know not what to pray and giving them accesse unto the Father Ephes 2. 18. Heb. 10. 15. 19. Rom. 8. 26. Ephes 3. 16. and is their Advocate as he leadeth them into all truth and teacheth them so to pleade their cause that they have wherewith to defend and comfort themselves Joh. 14. 16. against the criminations and tyrannie of the world Joh. 16 7 8 But Christ by his Intercession applieth his satisfaction made and laies the salve to the very sore And so the Intercession of Christ implies three things The perpetuall vigor of his sacrifice the will of Christ fervently desiring that all his members might be accepted for the vertue of his sacrifice and the will of God resting well pleased with us in his beloved Sonne The Saints on earth pray mutually one for another according to Gods commandement not in their owne names or for their owne merits but for the merits and in the name of Jesus Christ but the Intercession of Christ is no wayes reciprocall he prayeth for all and every one that is given unto him of the Father and that through the vertue of his sacrifice but they pray not for him This Intercession of Christ is ever effectuall because the Father heareth and answereth him and as he hath a power to intercede for us so hath he power to conferre that upon us for which he intercedeth I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter Joh. 14. 16. If I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Joh. 16. 7. Christ as man praying for himselfe was heard in that which he feared though the Cup did not passe from him but Christ as Mediatour is ever heard in the particular which he desireth Many and great benefits come to the Church of God by the Intercession of Christ Jesus 1. Hereby the faithfull are assured of protection and defence against the continuall temptations assaults and accusations of all their spirituall enemies Satan and the world Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us Rom. 8. 34. I pray that thou wouldest keepe them from evill Joh. 17 15. But are not the faithfull subject to evills corruptions and temptations still how then is that part of the Intercession of Christ made good unto us For the understanding hereof we must know that the Intercession of Christ is a vaileable to the faithfull presently but in a manner suteable and convenient to the present estate and condition of the Church so that
eternall person Christ man is fitly called God and therefore in Christ man the God-head is said to dwell properly but Christ his humane nature may not be said to be God and therefore the God-head is not so fitly said to dwell in the humane nature as in the person denominated after it that is in Christ man It will be said if Christ rule in the midst of his enemies then it must follow that he is every where present But that is spoken of the person and not of the man-hood alone Psal 120. 2 and what is said of the person doth not necessarily belong to both natures And Christs dominion over all things doth not require his corporall presence with all things According to his divine nature he is every Joh. 8. 58. Christ in respect of his divine nature is every where present without addition and by the spirituall and effectuall presence of his body he entreth the soules and strengtheneth the hearts of all the faithfull by the power of his grace and truth of his promise Ephes 1. 22. Col. 2. 10. 1 Cor. 11. 3. Christ is the first-borne Col. 1. 18. Heb. 1. 2 4. and heire of all things 2 Cor. 4. 5. where present according to the effects of his providence wisdom power grace c. according to his humane nature he is essentially in heaven and now only in heaven but his dominion is over all things which doth not denote soveraignty power or omnipresence essentially divine but glory and Majesty next to divine as was said before The fift thing implied in Christs sitting at the right-hand of the Father is that in speciall he is the head of his Church The word Head is used sometime for one who in any kind is before or above other and in this large sence Christ is the Head of the Angels that is their ruler or governour one that is above them man is the Head of the woman Christ of man God of Christ But here it signifieth that Christ is so over his Church that he is in a more neare and communicative sort conjoyned with it as the head is with the body and members Looke as the King hath a more intimate and aimiable superiority over his Queen than over any other subjects so it is here in Christ our King whose dominion towards his Church who is his Spouse and Queen is more aimiably tempered and nearly affected then is his government over any other Christ hath taken the selfe same holy and spirituall nature with his Church standing as well of that which is outward and sensitive as of that which is inward and intellectuall The faithfull are united to him here by knowledge of faith and love such as Christ himselfe by his Spirit begettetâ— in them as hereafter by glorious light and love He doth communicate unto them that whole life of grace and glory which they have or shall receive direct and move them outwardly by his signifying will and inwardly by sending his Spirit which moveth with efficacy to that which he sheweth and followeth them with aides inward and outward least their faith should be prevailed against Though betwixt the faithfull and Christs naturall body there be a bodily distance yet the Spirit which commeth from Christ doth so joyne them with him that nothing commeth twixt him and them The same life of grace for kind which is in Christ is in every faithfull soule as fire Caro Christi noâ— vivificare dicitur quatenus pro mundi vitâ— data est fide a nobis manducatur hoc est per modum merite simul ejusmodi efficaciae quae Mediatoris personae propriè conveniat Regnat ubique Deus homo divina humana voluntaâ—e ac nutu Filius vivit propâ—â—r Patrem Joh 6. 57. Fâ—lius à Patre habet aeternam increatam vitam ut homo quoque ab codem beatam creâ—tam vâ—â—am habetiut Mediator vitam beatam nobis carnis suae troditione in mortem acquisivit divina sua virtue in nobis effccit Gal. 3. 14. See Field of the Church 1â— 5. cap. 16. Sobin art 3. de person Christ p. 316. Petimus ut Christus nobis velit dare spiritam idqueâ—am humana quam divina sua voluatate tamen non petimus ut secundum humanam naturam ab ipso procedat incorda nostra Sp S seu ut humana per ipsum operetur nam etiam processio Sp. S. operatio perâ—psum est proprium Dei talis opus alterum ad intra alterum ad extra sed ut etiam humana voluntate velit hanc operationem Dei tatis suae in nobis Heb. 1. 6. Ps 9. 7. Phil. 2. 10. Rò 14. 11. Isa 45. 23 Joh. 5. 22. Psal 2. 12. Joh. 3. 15 16 17 18 36. Joh. 6 29 12. 36. Joh. 14. 1. Rom. 15. 12. Mat. 12. 21. Act 7. 50 60. 2 Joh. 3. Rev. 1. 4 5. Ro. 1. 7. Syr. 1 Co. 1. 3. 2 Co. 1 2. Gal. 1. 3. Ephes 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. â— kindled fire kindling is of the same nature And Christ having fulnesse of grace and glory for all his he cannot be but most ready to communicate with them every thing for their good Christ is the Head of his Church both as God and man our Mediatour For did not the divine nature which is the fountaine of all life naturall and supernaturall dwell with this man or humane nature we could not be enlightned or quickned by it He that eateth my flesh saith Christ hath life in him not that this nature of it selfe can doe these things but because the Deity dwelleth with it and by it as by an instrument joyned personally with it doth properly and efficiently worke these things The omnipotent power of creating spirituall graces is not in the humane nature nor the omnipotent actions which doth produce them doe or can proceed from the humane nature but they are in God only and from God in and with the humane nature working to the same effects according to its property Christs humane nature hath both understanding and will whereby he worketh and is an internall instrument united within the person of God the Son as a part of his person in a sort yea more neerly but these divine works which Christ the Mediatour worketh the chiefe vertue and action which properly effecteth them is in God not communicated really with the other nature though it doth worke them in this humane nature with it yea and by it as a most nearly conjoyned instrument which within the person of God the Son hath his proper actions concurring in an inferiour degree of efficiency to that which the divine nature properly and principally worketh God worketh graces Christ man worketh the same the divine nature createth them and infuseth them into this or that man through Christ man being as a common conceptacle or conduit-pipe The humane nature worketh them not by powerfull creating them but by taking away sin and the cause that so way