N00342:226
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.
Christ is said to be a Mediator in respect of his Priestly Office. Hence he is called Jesus the Mediator. Why Jesus? because the great design of the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews is to describe the Priesthood of Christ. Now, Jesus is a Name which does respect and note Christ's priestly Office. Heb. 4. 14. We have a great high priest that is passed into the Heavens, [JESUS] the Son of God. The Priest under the Law, did two things especially.
1. He did by offering Sacrifice make an Atonement for the People. Lev. 7. 7. When God was offended, if the Priest did offer Sacrifice for the people, He was pacified towards them. Now that was with respect to the Sacrifice of Christ. For it was not possible that those other Sacrifices should of themselves expiate ⟨p. 130⟩the guilt of the least Sin. Heb. 10. 4. Christ then is said to be a Mediator inasmuch as he has by the Sacrifice of Himself purged away our Sins, and obtained our peace with God, Rom. 5. 10, 11.
2. The priest offered Incense. So Christ hath not only made Satisfaction, but He does make Intercession 1. Joh. 2. 1, 2. He is gone to Heaven for that end, which was Typified by the Priest's entering into the Holy place, there to present Incense before the Lord If the Priest should have only offered sacrifice, and not gone into the Holy place to offer Incense, he would not have done His whole work; so if Christ had not impetrated the Mercy of God for Sinners by Intercession as well as Sacrifice, He would not be a perfect Priest: which thing is intended by the Apostle, when he saith concerning Christ, If He were on earth he should not be a Priest, Heb, 8. 4. Because should he have continued on earth and not gone to heaven there to intercede for his people, He would have done but half the Work of a Priest.