1. It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the mediator between God and mankind—the prophet, priest, and king, the head and savior of his Church, the heir of all things, and the judge of the world. From all eternity he gave to the Lord Jesus a people to be his seed and eventually to be redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified by him.

2. The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being truly and eternally God, of one substance and equal with the Father, when the fullness of time came, took upon himself mankind’s nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities of it, yet without sin, being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary, and of her substance. Thus two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. This person is truly God and truly man, and yet is one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.

3. The Lord Jesus, in his human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit beyond measure, having in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell in him, for the purpose that, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, he might be thoroughly equipped to carry out the office of a mediator, and a payment for them. He did not take this office to himself, but was called to it by his Father, who put all power and judgment into his hand, and gave him the command to carry it out.

4. The Lord Jesus undertook this office completely willingly. So that that he might carry it out, he was made to be under the Law, and he perfectly fulfilled it. He endured grievous torments directly in his soul, and very painful sufferings in his body; he was crucified, died, was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption. On the third day he rose from the dead, with the same body in which he suffered, with which also he ascended to heaven, and sits there now at the right hand of his Father, making intercession; he shall return to judge people and angels at the end of the world.

5. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he offered up to God once, through the eternal Spirit, has fully satisfied the justice of his Father and has purchased not only reconciliation but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father has given to him.

6. Although the work of redemption was not actually worked by Christ until after his incarnation, yet the virtue, effectiveness, and benefits of it were communicated to God’s people in all ages successively from the beginning of the world. This occurred in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices in which he was revealed and signified to be the seed of the woman who would bruise the serpent’s head and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, the same yesterday and today and forever.

7. Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by each nature doing that which is proper to itself. Yet by reason of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to name of the other nature.

8. Christ certainly and effectively applies and communicates his redemption to all those for whom has purchased it, making intercession for them, and revealing the mysteries of salvation to them, in and by the Word. He effectually persuades them by his Spirit to believe and obey, and he governs their hearts by his Word and Spirit, overcoming all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom, in such ways as are most consistent with his wonderful and unsearchable arranging of things.