Orthodox Creed · Chapter 17

Of Christ and his Mediatoral Office

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1. It pleased God in his Eternal Purpose, to chuse, and ordain the Lord Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, according to the Covenant made between them both,^a to be the alone Mediator between God and Man,^b* (viz.) God the Father, who was by Adam’s sin justly offended, and Adam (our common Parent) the person offending. Now in order to reconcile God to Man, and Man to God, who were at distance, Christ Jesus the Second Person in the Trinity, being very God, of the same Substance with his Father, did, when the fulness of Time was come, take unto him Man’s Nature, with all the Essential Properties, and common Infirmities, (Sin only excepted) being made of a Woman, of the Seed of Abraham,^c and David:^d And although he came from Adam, and had truly the Nature of Man, (yet not by Adam); and the Person of Christ, took our Nature into union with the Divine Nature, but he did not take the Person of Adam which sinned;^e therefore we believe he was neither the Covenantee, nor yet the Covenanter, and so by consequence, neither the Creditor, nor the Debtor. And being concerned by this Office or Appointment of the Father to make Peace,^f it plainly appears, that he is the only fit Mediator between God and Man,^g who is very God, and very Man; yet one Christ, who was Sanctified, and Anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure,^h and was Superlatively, and Admirably fitted for, and called unto this Office by his Father,ⁱ who put all Judgment into his Hand, and Power to execute the same, and he willingly undertook the same; and being made under the Law, did perfectly fulfill or keep it,^j and underwent the Punishment due to us, which we should have suffered, our sin, and the punishment of it being reckoned, or imputed to him;^k he being made a Curse for us,^l and underwent and trod the Wine-press of his Father’s Wrath for us, in dolorous pangs and agony of Soul, and painful sufferings in his Body,^m was Crucified, Dead, and Buried, or remained in the state of the Dead, yet saw no Corruption,ⁿ and on the Third Day he arose from the Dead,^o with the same Body in which he suffered;^p with which he also Ascended, and there sitteth at the Right Hand of his Father, making Intercession for his Saints;^q and shall return to judg Men and Angels,^r at the end of the World: And the same Lord Jesus, by his perfect Obedience to the whole Law, and Sacrifice of himself, which he through the Eternal Spirit offered up unto God the Father,^s hath fully satisfied the Justice of God, and reconciled him to us; and hath purchased an everlasting Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven,^t for all those that the Father hath given unto him;^u and now by a continued Act of Intercession in Heaven, doth apply the Benefits he hath purchased unto the Elect.^v And in this Office of Mediator, he hath the Dignity of Three Offices, (viz.) Priest,^w Prophet,^x and King:^y all which Offices are necessary for the benefit of his Church, and without which we can never be saved.^z For in respect of our Ignorance, we stand in need of his Prophetical Office; and in respect of our Alienation from God, and imperfect Services, and God’s Wrath and Justice, we stand in need of his Priestly Office, to reconcile God to us, and us to God; and in respect of our bondage to Sin and Satan, and aversness to return to God, we need his Kingly Office, to subdue our Enemies, and deliver us Captives out of the kingdom and power of Sin, and preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdom.^aa And thus (in our Nature) he living the life of the Law, and suffering the penalty due to us, continually presents us at the Throne of Grace;^bb so is a most wonderful and compleat Mediator for his Elect.

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