N00342:223
The mystery of Christ opened and applied. In several sermons, concerning the person, office,…The mystery of Christ opened and applyed. In several sermons, concerning the person, office,…
The mystery of Christ opened and applied. In several sermons, concerning the person, office, and glory of Jesus Christ. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in N. England. ; [Twelve lines of quotations]The mystery of Christ opened and applyed. In several sermons, concerning the person, office, and glory of Jesus Christ. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in N. England. ; [Twelve lines of quotations]
Boston: printed by Richard Pierce for Joseph Browning, 1686
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
(2) Jesus Christ has accepted this Charge. Tho it be the greatest Work, and weightyest Charge that ever was, yet Christ (who alone was able) hath undertaken it. This might serve for a Description of Christ's mediatorial Office, It is that Charge which He hath undertaken in order to the Salvation of the Elect. Tho he be in respect of nature, equal with God, he took upon him the form of a Servant. And being found in fashion as a man, he became obedient unto Death, Hence Christ is styled a Surety. Jesus is made a Surety of a better Testament. Heb. 7. 22. which implies the same thing with this of his being the Mediator of the new Covenant. God saith, My Law must be fulfilled, and my Justice must be satisfied: now Christ the Son of GOD comes in, and says, As for those things, I'll undertake to see them alone. He engageth to do that for them, which they are never able to do for themselves. ⟨p. 126⟩There was a personal Debt of perfect Obedience unto the Law, owing to God: Th•• Christ has performed. Therefore he put his Name into the Covenant. He was made under the Law. And that he might be so, he was made of a Woman. Gal. 4. 4. So he has discharged Believers on him from being under the Law as a Covenant. There was also a Debt of Satisfaction to Offended Justice, necessary to be discharged: this was such a Debt as all the world was never able to pay. Men and Angels and all Creatures would have proved Bankrupts for ever, had this Debt […] charged upon them. But Christ who alone could make Satisfaction has undertaken it. A learned Annotator on Isai. 53. 7. ha•• well observed that that Scripture is a most pregnant place for the Satisfaction made by Christ's Sufferings for our Sins, were the Text […] rendered and rightly understood: For their words, He was oppressed and he was afflicted, should be read, It was exacted and He answered. You know that Discharging a Debt, is called Answering it. Thus our Debt was exacted of Christ our Surety, and He answered, and so has caused our Bond to be cancelled that it shall not be put in Suit against us. Col. •. 4. Christ saith unto God concerning the