He sealed the Covenant with his Blood,1 but did not turn over his Mediatory Office to it; he mediates in virtue of his Blood and Merits, being not, as Socinus would have it, a mere Internuncial Mediator, but a Redeeming, atoning, and Reconciling one: He ratified the Covenant by his Blood, but so, that we have redemption through his blood, Eph. 1.7. peace through his blood, Col. 1.20. and cleansing from sin in his blood, 1 Joh. 1.7. Hence, as the learned Lubbertus hath observed, the Blood of Christ differs from other in a way of transcendent excellency; other blood hath been used in confirming ⟨p. 25⟩Covenants, but Christ's confirms the Covenant, and besides expiates and purges away sin; There is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 2.5. and how he mediates, the next Verse tells us, Who gave himself a ransom for all: The blood of Christ purges the Conscience, saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.14. and then adds, [Greek or Hebrew], For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament, that he might purge away our sins. What the Author afterwards subjoins, These men trust in the person of Christ, without any Promise, nay, in contradiction to it; they quit his Promise, and rely and roll upon his Person, is utterly denied, till proof be made of it. The good men opposed are far from believing, that they shall have any thing without a Promise; neither do they quit his Promise, when they rely upon his Person and Blood: And yet that Reliance is, as I have before showed, a Faith far higher, than that dogmatical one which believes the Gospel, and is distinct from Obedience. When the Author sums up the Terms of the Gospel, only in believing and obeying, he falls short, in omitting that Faith of Recumbency, required therein under the Command ⟨p. 26⟩of Faith, which is more than a dogmatical Faith, and distinct from Obedience, which is the fruit, but no part thereof.
He sealed the Covenant with his Blood,1 but did not turn over his Mediatory Office to it; he mediates in vertue of his Blood and Merits, being not, as Socinus would have it, a meer Internuncial Mediator, but a Redeeming, atoning, and Reconciling one: He ratified the Covenant by his Blood, but so, that we have redemption through his blood, Eph. 1.7. peace through his blood, Col. 1.20. and cleansing from sin in his blood, 1 Joh. 1.7. Hence, as the learned Lubbertus hath observed, the Blood of Christ differs from other in a way of transcendent excellency; other blood hath been used in confirming ⟨p. 25⟩Covenants, but Christ's confirms the Covenant, and besides expiates and purges away sin; There is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 2.5. and how he mediates, the next Verse tells us, Who gave himself a ransom for all: The blood of Christ purges the Conscience, saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.14. and then adds, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament, that he might purge away our sins. What the Author afterwards subjoyns, These men trust in the person of Christ, without any Promise, nay, in contradiction to it; they quit his Promise, and rely and roll upon his Person, is utterly denied, till proof be made of it. The good men opposed are far from believing, that they shall have any thing without a Promise; neither do they quit his Promise, when they rely upon his Person and Blood: And yet that Reliance is, as I have before shewed, a Faith far higher, than that dogmatical one which believes the Gospel, and is distinct from Obedience. When the Author summs up the Terms of the Gospel, only in believing and obeying, he falls short, in omitting that Faith of Recumbency, required therein under the Command ⟨p. 26⟩of Faith, which is more than a dogmatical Faith, and distinct from Obedience, which is the fruit, but no part thereof.
- 1Answer.
