Christ the Mediator of the Covenant
Heb. xii. 24. Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, §r.
JESUS CHRIST is the sum and quintessence of the gospel, the wonder of angels, the joy and triumph of saints. The name of Christ is sweet, it is as music in the car, honey in the mouth, and a cordial at the heart. — I shall wave the context, and only speak of that which concerns our present purpose: having discoursed of the covenant of grace, I shall speak now of the Mediator of the covenant, and the restorer of lapsed sinners, ‘Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant.’
There are several names and titles in scripture given to Christ, as the great restorer of mankind: 1. Sometimes he is called a Saviour, Mat. i. 21. His name shall be called Jesus. The Hebrew word for Jesus, signifies a Saviour, and whom he saves from hell, he saves from sin: where Christ is a Saviour, he is a sanctifier. Mat. i. 21., “He shall save his people from their sins.” There is no other Saviour, Acts iv. 12., “Neither is there salvation in any other.” As there was but one ark to save the world from drowning, so there is but one Jesus to save sinners from damning. As Naomi said to her daughtersin-law, Ruth i. 11., “Are there yet any more sons in my womb?” So hath God any other sons in the womb of his eternal decree, to be saviours to us, besides Christ? Job xxviii. 12., “Where shall wisdom be found? the depth saith, it is not in me; and the sea saith, it is not in me.” Let me allude. Where shall salvation be found? The angel saith, it is not in me; mortality saith it is not in me; the ordinance saith it is not in me, Christ alone is the well-spring of life; the ordinance is the conduit-])ipe that conveys salvation, but Christ is the spring that feeds it. “Neither is there salvation in any other.”
2. Someti mes Christ is called a Redeemer:
Isa. lix. 20., “The Redeemer shall come to Sion.” Some understand it of Cyrus, others of an angel; but the most ancient Jewish doctors understood it of Christ, the Redeemer of the elect: Job xix. 23., “My Redeemer liveth.” The Hebrew word for Redeemer, signifies such a one as is near a-kin, and hath right to redeem a mortgage; so Christ is near of kin to us, being our elder brother, therefore hath the best right to redeem us.
3. Christ is called a Mediator in the text, “Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant.” The Greek word for Mediator, signifies a middle person, one that doth make up the breach between two disagreeing parties. God and we were at variance by sin, now Christ doth mediate and umpire between us, he reconciles us to God through his blood, therefore he is called the INlediator of the new covenant. There is no way of communion and intercourse between God and man, but in and through a Mediator: Christ takes away the enmity in us, and the wrath of God, and so makes peace. Nor is Christ only a Mediator of reconciliation, but intercession, Heb. ix. 24., “Christ is entered, not into the holy place made with hands, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” The priest, when he had slain the sacrifice, was to go with the blood before the allar and mercy-seat, and show it to the Lord. Now, in Christ our blessed Mediator, consider two things. ls<. His person. 2</. His graces. I. His person. His person is amiable; he is all made up of love and beauty. He is the effigies of his Father, Heb. i. 3., “The express image of his person.” Consider,
lst. Christ’s person in two natures.
2d. His two natures in one person.
lst. Christ’s person in two natures. L Look upon his human nature as incarnate. The Yalcntiuiuns deny his human nature: but John i. 14-., “The Word was maiU; flesh,” It is spoken of Christ the promised Messiah. Christ took our flesh, that the same nature which sinned mijjht suffer; and “the Word was made flesh,” that through the glass of his human nature we might look upon God.
Quest. Why is Christ called the Word?
Ans. Because, as a word is the interjireter of the mind and reveals what is in a man’s breast, so Jesus Christ reveals his Father’s mind to us concerning the great matters of our salvation, John i. 18. Were it not for Christ’s manhood, the sight of the Godhead would be formidable to us; but through Christ’s flesh we may look upon God without terror. And Christ took our flesh, that he might know how to pity us; he knows what it is to be faint, sorrowful, tempted, Ps. ciii. 14., “He knows our frame.” And he took our flesh, that he might, as Austin saith, ennoble our human nature with honour. Christ having married our flesh, hath exalted it above the angelical nature.
2. Look upon Christ’s divine nature. Christ may be fitly compared to Jacob’s ladder, Gen. xxviii. 12., which reacheth from earth to heaven. Christ’s human nature was the foot of the ladder which stood upon earth; his diAnne nature the top of the ladder which reacheth to heaven. This being a grand article of oiu* faith, I shall amplify. I know the Arians, Socinians, Ebionites would rob Christ of the best jewel of his crown, — his Godhead: but the Apostolical, Nicene, Athanasian creeds, afhrm Christ’s Deity; to this the churches of Helvetia, Bohemia, Wittembcrg, Transylvania, &c. give their full consent; and the scripture is clear for it. He is called the ’ mighty God,’ Isa. ix. 6., “And in him dwells the fulness of the Godhead,” Col. ii. 9. He is of the same nature and essence with the Father. So Athanasius, Basil, Chrysostom; 1. Is God the Father called Almighty? so is Christ, Rev. i. 8., “The Almighty.” — 2. Is God the Father, the heart-searcher? so is Christ, John ii. 2.5., “He knew their thoughts?” — 3. Is God the Father omnipresent? So is Christ, John iii.
13., “The Son of Man which is in heaven.*” Christ as God was then in heaven, when as man he was upon the earth.
Quest. Is God eternal?
Alls. Christ is the everlasting Father, Isa. ix. 6., which scripture, may be urged against the Corinthian heretics, who denied the pre-exist enCy of Christ’s Godhead, and held that Christ had no being till he derived it from the Virgin Mary.
4. Doth divine worship belong to the first person in the Trinity? so it doth to Christ, John v. 23., Helu i. 6., “Let all the angels of God worship him.” — .5. Is creation proper to the Deity? this is a flower of Christ’s crown. Col. i. 16., “By him were all things created.” — 6. Is invocation proper to the Deity; this is given to Christ, Acts vii. 59., “Lord Jesus receive my spirit.” — 7. Is recumbency and trust peculiar to God the Father? this is given to Christ, John xiv. 1., “Ye believe in God, believe also in me.” Christ must needs be God, not only that the divine nature might support the human from sinking under God’s wrath, but also to give value and weight to his suff’erings.
Christ being God, his death and passion is meritorious; Christ’s blood is called sanguis Dei, — the blood of God, Acts xx. 28., because the person who was offered in sacrifice was CJod as wcW as man. This is an invincible support to believers; it was God who was offended, and it was God who satisfied. Thus Christ’s person in two natures.
2d. Consider Christ’s two natures in one person, God-man, 1 Tim. iii. 16., “God manifest in the flesh.” Christ had a twofold substance, divine and human; yet not a twofold subsistence, both natures make but one Cluist. A scion may be giaftcd into another tree, — a pear-tree into an ap- ])le, — which, though it bear different fruits, is but one tree; so Christ’s manhood is united to the Godhead in an ineffable manner; yet though there are two natures, yet but one person. This luiion of the two natures in Christ was not by transmutation, the divine nature changed into the human, or the human into the divine, — nor by mixture, the two natures mingled together as wine and water are mixed, — both the
CHRIST THE MEDIATOR OF THE COVENANT.
natures of Christ remain distinct, yet make not two distinct persons, but one person; the human nature not God, yet one with God.
II. Consider Christ, our Mediator, in his graces: these are the sweet savour of his ointments that make the idrgins love him. Clnist, our blessed Mediator, is said to be “full of grace and truth,” John i. 14. He had the anointing of the Spirit without measure, John iii. 35. Grace in Christ is after a more eminent and glorious manner than it is in any of the saints.
1. Jesus Christ, our Mediator, hath perfection in every grace. Col. i. 19. He is a panoply, magazine, and st/)rehouse of all heavenly treasure, all fulness. This no saint on earth hath; he may excel in one grace, but not in all: as Abraham was eminent for faith, Moses for meekness, but Christ excels in every grace.
2. There is a never-failing fulness of grace in Christ; grace in the saints is ebbing and flowing, it is not always in the same degree and proportion; at one time David’s faith was strong, at another time so faint and weak that you could hardly feel any pulse, Ps. xxxi. 22.,* “I said, I am cut off from before thine eyes.” But grace in Christ is a never-failing fulness, it did never abate in the least degree, he never lost a drop of his holiness. What was said of Joseph, may more truly be applied to Christ, Gen. xlix. 23., “The archers shot at him, but his bow abode in strength.” Men and devils shot at him, but his grace remained in its full vigour and strength, — “his bow abode in strength.”
3. Grace in Christ is communicative, his grace is for us; the holy oil of the Spirit was poured on the head of this blessed Aaron that it might run down upon us. The saints have not grace to bestow on others. “VMicn the foolish virgins would have bought oil of their neighbour virgins, Matth. xxv. 8, 9., “Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out,” the wise virgins answered, “Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you.” The saints have no grace to spare to others; but Christ diffuKcth his grace to others; grace in the saints is as water in the vessel, grace in Christ is as water in the spring; John i.
16., “Of his fulness have we received grace for grace.” Set a glass under a still or limbeck, and it receives water from the limbeck drop by drop; so the saints have the drops and influences of Christ’s gi-ace distilling upon them. What a rich consolation is this to those who either have no grace, or their stock is but low! They may go to Christ, the Mediator, as a treasury of grace: “Lord, I am indigent, but whither shall I carry my empty vessel, but to a full fountain?” Ps. lxxxvii. 7., “All my springs are in thee;” I am guilty, thou hast blood to pardon me; I am polluted, thou hast grace to cleanse me; I am sick unto death, thou hast the “balm of Gilead, to heal me.” Gen. xli. 56. Joseph opened all the storehouses of corn: Christ is our Joseph, that opens all the treasuries and storehouses of grace, and communicates to us. He is not only sweet as the honey-comb, but drops as the honey-comb; this is a great comfort, in Christ our Mediator thei’e is a cornncopia, and fulness of all grace; and Christ is desirous that we should come to him for grace, like the full breast that aches till it be drawn.
Use lst. Admire the glory of this Mediator; he is God-man, he is co-essentially glorious with the Father. All the Jews that saw Christ in the flesh, did not see his Godhead; all that saw the man did not see the Messiah; the temple of Solomon within was embellished with gold; travellers, as they passed along, might see the (lUtside of the temple, but only the priests saw the glory which sparkled within the temple; only believers, who are made priests unto God, Rev. i. 6., see Christ’s glorious inside, the (Jodhead shining through the manhood.
Uxe 2(1. If Christ be God-man in one person, then look unto Jesus Christ alone for salvation. There must be something of the Godhead to fast(pn our hope u])on; in Christ there is (iodliead and manhood hypostatically united. If we could weep rivers of tears, — out-fast Moses on the mount, — if we were exact moralists, touching the law blameless, — if we could arrive at the highest degree of sanctification in this life, — all this would not save us, without looking to the merits of him who is God; our perfect holiness in heaven Is not the cause of our salvation, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ. To this therefore did Paul flee, as to the horns of the altar, Phil. iii. 9., “That I may be found in hiin, not having my own righteousness.” It is true, we may look to our graces as CAndences of salvation, but to Christ’s blood only as the cause. In time of Noah’s flood, all that trusted to the high hills and trees, and not to the ark, were drowned: Heb. xii. 2., “Looking unto Jesus;” and Ro look unto him, as to believe in him, that so Christ may not only be united to our natm’c, but to our persons, John xx. 31., “That believing, you may have life through his name.”
Use 3d. Is Jesus Christ God and man in one person? This, as it shews the dignity of believers, that they are nearly related to
one of the greatest persons that is, Col. ii. 9., “In him dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily,” so it is of unspeakable comfort. Christ’s two natures being married together, the divine and human, all that Christ in either of his natures can do for believers, he will do. In his human natuie he prays for them, in his divine nature he merits for them. This for the person of our Mediator.
Use Mil. Admire the love of Christ our Mediator, that he should humble himself, and take our flesh, that he might redeem us. Believers should put Christ in their bosom, as the spouse did, Cant. i. 13., “Lie betwixt my breasts.” What was said of Ignatius, that the name of Jesus was found AViitten in his heart, should be verified of every saint, he should have Jesus Christ written in his heart.
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