The intendment of this query is to pursue the former insinuations of our catechist against the deity of Christ, as though his appoint- ment to his office of mediation were inconsistent with his divine nature ; the vanity of which pretence hath been sufficiently already discovered. In brief, Christ is considered either absolutely with re- spect to his divine nature and person, as he is God in himself, and so he is a Saviour originally of himself ; for " as for our Redeemer,
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the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel," Isa. xlvii. 4. " Thy Maker is thine husband ; the Lord of hosts is his name ; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel," chap. liv. 5. In this sense was Christ a Saviour originally and of himself But as he took flesh, to accomplish the work of our redemption by tasting death for us, though his own merciful and gracious will did concur therein, yet was he eminently designed to that work and given, by his Father, in love and mercy, contriving the work of our salvation. And this latter is mentioned not only in the places cited by our catecbist, but also in a himdred more, and yet not one of them lying in the least subservi- ency to Mr B.'s design. His last query is : —
Q. How do the saints expect to be saved hy Christ? A. Rom. V. 10; Phil. iii. 20, 21.
The intendment of this question must be to answer the general proposal, in what sense Christ is our Saviour, and how his people are saved by him. Now, however that be true in itself which is here asserted, and is the exurgency of the question and answer as connected, the saints expecting salvation by Christ in the complete accomplishment of it by his power in heaven, yet as here proposed to give an account of the whole sense wherein Christ is our Saviour, [it] is most false and deceitful. Christ is a Saviour principally as he was promised, and came to " save his people from their sins," — whence he had his name of Jesus, or a Saviour, Matt. i. 21, — and that by his death, Heb. ii. 14, 15, or laying down his life a ransom for us, Matt. XX. 28, and giving himself a price of redemption for us, 1 Tim. ii. 6, " in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgive- ness of sins," Eph. i. 7, so saving or delivering us from the wrath that is to come, 1 Thess. i. 10. The salvation which we have by Christ, which this chapter in title pretends to discover, is from sin, the world, Satan, death, wrath, curse, the law, bearing of us imto acceptation with God, peace, reconciliation, and glory. But that the doctrines before mentioned, without which these things cannot once be apprehended, may be obscured or lost, are these wholly omitted. Of the sense of Rom. v. 10, and what is there intended by the "life of Christ," I shall farther treat when I come to speak about justification, and of the whole business under our consideration of the death of Christ.
CHAPTER XVII.
Of the mediation of Christ.
In his seventh chapter he proposeth two questions in general about the mediation of Christ, answering, first, that he is a " mediator," from 1 Tim.ii. 5 ; second, that he is the "mediator of the new covenant,"
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Heb. viii. 6, xii. 2-i. But as to his work of mediation, what it is, wherein it doth consist, on what account principally Christ is called our mediator, whether he be a mediator with God for us, as well as a mediator with us for God, and liow he carries on that work, — wherein he knows the difference between us and his masters about this matter doth lie, — he speaks not one word, nor gives any occasion to me to enter into the consideration of it. What I suppose neces- sary to offer to this head, I shall do in the ensuing discourse of the death of Christ, the ends thereof, and the satisfaction thereby.
And therefore I shall hereunto add his ninth chapter also, which is concerning remission of sins by Jesus Christ. The difference between his masters and us being about the meritorious and pro- curing cause of remission of sins by Christ, which here he men- tions not, what is farther to be added thereabout will fall in also under the consideration of the death of Christ, and our justification thereby.
His first question is altogether out of question, namely, " Who shall have remission of sins by Clirist ? " It is granted all, and only, believers. " He that believeth shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned," Mark xvi. 16. " To as many as receive him, power is given to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name," John i. 12.
To his next question an answer may be given that will suit that following also, which is the whole of this chapter. The question is, " Doth not Christ forgive sins? — A. ' Christ forgave you,' Col. iii. 13."
That Christ forgives sins is taken for granted ; and yet forgiveness of sin is the supremest act of sovereign, divine power that God exer- ciseth in the world. Now, Christ may be considered two ways: — 1. Absolutely, as "God over all, blessed for ever." So he forgave sins by his own original authority and power, as the lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy. 2. As Mediator, God and man ; and so his power was delegated to him by God the Father, as himself speaks, Matt, xxviii. 18, " All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth ;" and chap. ix. 6, he saith that he had " power on earth to for- give sins," — that is, given unto him. Now, forgiveness of sins is either authoritative or declarative. The latter Christ delegated to his apostles and all their successors in the work of preaching the gospel, and it is such a power as a mere man may be invested withal. That forgive- ness of sins which we term " authoritative," being an act of sovereign^ divine power, exercised about the law and persons concerned therein, may be said to be given to Christ two ways: — (1.) As to the posses- sion of it ; and so he hath it from his Father as God, as he hath his nature, essence, and life from him. Whence, whatever works the Fa- ther doth, he doth likewise, — quicken as he quickens, pardon as he pardons,- — as hath been declared. (2.) As to the execution of it, for