Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/306

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294
How Christ hath fulfilled the office of Mediatour,

hath in his owne person performed obedience to the broken Law of God, and fulfilled all righteousnesse: and by his crosse hath cancelled the hand-writing that was against us, and broken downe the partition, and slayed hatred and enmity betwixt the brethren, Ephes. 2. 14, 15. But of this more hereafter. The FathersHeb. 11.13,14. received not the promises, but saw them afarre off, and were perswaded of them, and saluted them with great sweetnesse: but under the new Covenant we have recived the promise, God hathGal. 4.4,5. sent his Son into the world, borne of a woman, and made under the Law, and openly manifested him to be the Son of God. And if the appearing of Christ God and man, did adde much to the joy and comfort of the Saints in glory: the manifestation of Christ in the flesh must adde to the faith and comfort of them, that waited for the salvation of Israel. The Incarnation of Christ was the day of his Coronation, and of his espousals, wherein in speciall manner he contracted him unto his Church. Goe forth,Cant. 3.11. O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Salomon with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladnesse of heart. The Fathers expected deliverance from the curse of the Law, and to inherit the promises in and through the Messiah: and the Sacrifices did prefigure, and Prophets fore-tell the death of the Messiah; but we may well thinke, the faithfull did not distinctly understand, how the Saviour promised, was to satisfie justice, and by death to overcome him that had the power of death. But in the new Testament we learne expressely, that Christ is made of God unto us wisdome, righteousnesse, sanctification and redemption, how he satisfied justice by one oblation of himselfe, removed the curse of the Law, destroyed him that had the power of death, purchased the promised Spirit, and ratified all the promises of the Covenant by his death and bloud-shed, Heb. 9. 15.

Thirdly, He is entred into heaven, appeareth before the Father, and maketh request for his people: unto which there is pre-required a power and prevalencie over all his enemies, to breake through the guilt of sin, the curse of the Law, and the chaines of death, with which it was impossible that he should be held. And this power of Christ was shewed in his Resurrection, wherein he was declared to be the Son of God with power, Rom. 1. 4. and in his ascension, wherein he led all his enemies captives, Ephes. 4. 8. andin