' Gen. xvH. 7; Jor. xxxi. 31-34, xxxii. 38-40; Ezck. xi. 10, 20, xxxvi. 25, 26; Hob. vlii. 8-12; Kiih. ii. 8. « Deut. xxvii. 2G; Gal. iii. 10; Koin. iii. 20.
VII.] THE MEDIATION OF CHRIST. g09
here intended is, and wherein it doth consist, the Holy Ghost de- clares, Acts ii. 33. The promise which Jesus Christ received of the Father, upon his exaltation, was that of the Holy Ghost, having pur- chased and procured the bestowing of him by his death. Upon his exaltation, the dispensation thereof is committed to him, as being part of the compact and covenant which was between his Father and himself, the grand bottom of his satisfaction and merit. This is the great, original, radical promise of that eternal inheritance. By the promised Spirit are we begotten anew unto a hope thereof, made meet for it, and sealed up unto it:' yea, do but look upon the Spirit as pro- mised, and ye may conclude him purchased; " for all the promises of God are yea and amen in Jesus Christ," 2 Cor. i. 20. They all have their confirmation, estabhshment, and accomplishment in, by, and for Jesus Christ. And if it be granted that any designed, appointed mercy whatever, that, in Christ, the Lord blesseth us withal, be ])ro- cured for us by him in the way of merit (being given freely to us through him, but reckoned to him of debt), it will easily be mani- fested that the same is the condition of every mercy whatever pro- mised unto us, and given us upon his mediatory interposition.
2. It appears from that peculiar promise that Christ makes of sending his Holy Spirit unto his own. He tells them, indeed, once and again, that the Father will send him, as he comes from that ori- ginal and fountain love from which also himself was sent;" but withal he assures us that he himself will send him : John xv. 26, '' When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth." It is true that he is promised here only as a comforter, for the performance of that part of his office; but look, upon what account he is sent for any one act or work of grace, on that he is sent for all. John xvi. 7, " I will send him then,"''saith Christ; and that as a fruit of his death, as the procurement of his mediation, for that alone he promiseth to bestow [Him] on his. And, in particular, he tells us that he receives the Spirit from the Father for us, upon his intercession ; wherein, as hath been elsewhere demon- strated,' he asks no more nor less than what by his death is obtained • John xiv. 16, 17, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive." He tells us, verse 13, that whatsoever we ask he will do it; but withal in these verses how he will do it, even by interceding with the Father for It as a fruit of his blood-shedding, and the promise made to him upon his undertaking to glorify his Father's name in the great work of redemption, John xvii. 4-6. And therefore he informs us, that when the Comforter, whom he procureth for us, shall come, "he shall glorify
' Rom. Tiii. 11 ; Col i. 12; Eph. iv. 30. 2 John xiv. 16, 26. 3 Salus Elec
torum, banguis Jesu, vol. x.
SIO DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERAXCK [CUAP.
him/' and " shall receive of his, and show it unto us," John xvi. 14, — farther manifest his glory, in his bringing nothing with him but what is his, or of his procurement : so also instructing us clearly and plen- tifully to ask in his name, that is, for his sake, — which to do plainly and openly is the great privilege of the new testament; — for so he tells his disciples, chap. xvi. 24, " Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name," who yet were believers, and had made many addresses unto God in and through him, but darkly, as they did under the old testament, when they begged mercy " for his sake," Dan. ix. 1 7; but to plead with the Father clearly upon the account of the media- tion and purchase of Christ, that, I say, is the privilege of the new testament. Now, in this way he would have us ask the Holy Spirit at the hand of God, Luke xi. 9-13. Ask him ; that is, as to a clearer, fuller administration of him unto us, for he is antecedently bestowed, as to the working of faith and regeneration, even unto this applica- tion : for without him we cannot once ask in the name of Christ, for none can call Jesus Lord, or do any thing in his name, but by the Spirit of God. This I say, then : He in whom we are " blessed with all spiritual blessings" hath procured the Holy Spirit for us, and through his intercession he is bestowed on us, Eph. i. 3. Now, "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" from sin, peace and accept- ance with God, 2 Cor. iii. 17. But it may be objected, "Although this Spirit be thus bestowed on believers, yet may they not cast him off, so that his abode with them may be but for a season, and their glory not be safeguarded in the issue, but their condemnation increased by their receiving of him, Rom. viii. 14, 15?" This being the only thing wherein this proof of believers' abiding with God seems liable to ex- ception, I shall give a triple testimony of the certainty of the con- tinuance of the Holy Spirit with them on whom he is bestowed, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses this truth may be established; and they are no mean ones neither, but the three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.