3. For confider him that endured such contradiction of finners against himself.

Q. 8. Wherein was Chrift humbled in his death?

A. His death was painful and ignominious; Gal. iii. 13. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curse for us: For it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Made a curfe for us, and deferted in it; Matth. xxvii. 46. And about the ninth hour, Jefus cried with a loud voice, faying, Eli, Eli, lama fabacthani; that is to fay, My God, My God, why hast thou forfaken me?

9. What is the first inference from hence?

A. That lowliness and humility becomes Chrift's followers; Matth. xi. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.

Q. 10. What is the fecond inference ?

A. That Chrift's love to finners is aftonishingly great; 2 Cor. viii. 9. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he was rich, yet for our fakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be made rich.

Q. 11. What is the third inference?

A. Chriftians fhould be ready to fuffer for Chrift; 1 Peter iv. 1. Forafmuch as Chrift hath fuffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewife with the fame mind: for he that hath fuffered in the flesh, hath ceafed from fin.

Q12. What is the laft inference ?

A. That humiliation is the true way to exaltation; Matth. xxiii. 12. And whofoever shall exalt himself, shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself, fhall be exalted.

Of Chrift's exaltation.

Queft. 28.

W

HEREIN confifts Chrift's exaltation? A. Chrift's exaltation confifts in his rifing again from the dead on the third day; in afcending up into heaven, in fitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the lift day.

Q1. What is the firft ftep of Chrift's exaltation?

A. His refurrection from the dead.

Q2. How doth his refurrection appear?

A. By the fcripture prophecies accomplished in him; 1 Cor. xv. 4. And that he was buried, and that he rofe again the third day, according to the fcriptures.

Q3. Why did Chrift rise again?

A. To eftablifh our faith, and abolish our fins; 1 Cor. xv. 17. And if Chrift be not risen, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your fins.

Q. 4. What other end was there of Chrift's refurrection? A. To declare his divine power; Rom. i. 4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the refurrection from the dead. And to evidence the fulness of his fatisfaction; John xvi. 10. Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye fee me no more.

Q5. Did Chrift rife in the fame body he laid down?

A. It was fubftantially the fame; John xx. 27. Then faith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thruft it into my fide, and be not faithless, but believing.

Q. 6. What doth Chrift's refurrection teach us?

A. The certainty of our refurrection after death; 1 Cor. xv. 20. But now is Chrift rifen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that flept.

Q.7. What was the second step of Christ's exaltation ?

A. His afcenfion after forty days into heaven; Acts i. 2, 3. Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the holy Ghost, had given commandment unto the apostles, whom he had chofen: To whom alfo he fhewed himfelf alive after his paffion, by many infallible proofs, being feen of them forty days, and fpeaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Q. 8. Why did Christ stay so long on earth?

A. To affure the truth of his refurrection, and to fettle the due government of his church, Acts i. 2, 3.

Q.9. For what end did he ascend?

A. To take poffeffion of his glory; John xvii. 5. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine ownself, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. And that as our fore-runner, Heb. vi. 20. Whither the Fore-runner is for us entered, even Jefus, &c.

Q. 10. In what manner did Christ ascend?

A. Triumphantly, and magnificently; Pfalm xlvii. 5. God is gone up with a fhout, the Lord with the found of a trumpet.

Q. 11. What doth his ascension teach us?

A. Heavenly-mindedness; Col. iii. 1, 2. If ye then be rifen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Chrift fitteth at the right hand of God; set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth. And an encouragement in our Chriftian race; Heb. xii. 1, 2. Wherefore, feeing we alfo are compaffed about with fo great a cloud of witneffes, let us lay afide every weight, and the fin which doth fo eaVOL. VIII.

fily befet us, and let us run with patience the race that is fet before us, looking unto Jefus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was fet before him, endured the erofs, defpifing the fhame, and is fet down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The second Part of the 28th Question, of Christ's Exaltation. Queft, 1. HAT was the third degree of Chrift's exaltation?

W

A. His fitting at God's right hand in heaven; Heb. i. 3. When he had by himself purged our fins, fat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.

Q2. What doth God's right hand fignify?

A. A state of honour; Heb. i. 13. But to which of the angels faid he at any time, Sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool? And power; Matth. xxvi. 64. Hereaf ter thall ye fee the Son of man fitting on the right hand of power.

Q3. What is implied in Chrift's fitting there?

A. That his work on earth is finished; Heb. x. 12. But this man after he had offered one facrifice for fin, for ever fat down on the right hand of God.

Q. 4. What elfe doth it fignify?

A. Chrift's power over all enemies; Pfalm cx. 2. The Lord fhall fend the rod of thy ftrength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

Q. 5. What learn we from Chrift's fitting there?

A. The high honour believers are advanced to by Chrift; Eph. ii. 6. And hath raised us up together, and made us fit together in heavenly places in Chrift Jefus.

Q. 6. What is the last step of Christ's exaltation?

A. His coming to judgment; Acts x. 42. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to teftify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. Q. 7. Is it certain there fhall be a judgment-day?

A. Yes; the fcripture affures it; 2 Cor. v. io. For we must all appear before the judgment-feat of Chrift. And every man's confcience witneffeth to it; Rom. ii. 16. In the day when God fhall judge the fecrets of men by Jefus Chrift, according to my gofpel.

Q8. What is the first property of Chrift's judgment?

A. It will be awful and folemn; i Thef. iv. 16. For the Lord himself fhall defcend from heaven with a fhout, with the voice of the arch-angel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Chrift fhall rife first

9. What is the fecond property of it?

A. It will be exact and critical; Rom. ii. 16. In the day when God fhall judge the fecrets of men by Jefus Christ, according to my gofpel. Matth. xii. 36. But I fay unto you, That every idle word that men fhall speak, they fhall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Q. 10. What is the third property of it?

A. It will be an univerfal judgment; Rev. xx. 12. And I faw the dead, small and great, ftand before God, and the books were opened,

Q. How is this a part of Chrift's exaltation?

A. He now acts in the fulness of his kingly power; Matth. xxv. 34. Then fhall the king fay unto them on his right hand, Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And this will roll away the reproach of his enemies; Rev. i. 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye fhall fee him, and they alfo which pierced him.

Q. 12. What learn we from Chrift's being judge?

A. That believers fhall not be caft in judgment; Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Chrift Jefus.

Q. 13. What learn we from hence?

A. The deplorable state of Chriftless perfons; Luke xix. 27. But thofe mine enemies that would not that I fhould reign over them, bring hither, and flay them before me.

Q. 14. What elfe learn we from Chrift's judgment?

A. To give all diligence to be found of him in peace; 2 Pet. iii. 14. Wherefore, beloved, feeing that ye look for fuch things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace.

Of the Application of Chrift.

OW are we made partakers of the redemp tion purchased by Chrift?

Quest. 29.

H

A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Chrift, by the effectual application of it to us by his holy Spirit. Q.1. What did our redemption cost Christ?

A. It coft him his own blood to obtain it; Heb. ix. 12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Q. 2. Can none have the benefit of it, except it be applied to them?

A. No, if Chrift be not applied, we cannot be faved; John

i. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his

name.

Q. 3. Whose work or office is it to apply Christ to us ?

A. It is the office and work of God's Spirit; Titus iii. 4, 5. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us, by the wafhing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghoft.

Q. 4. What means doth the Spirit ufe in applying Chrift? A. The external means he makes use of, is the ministry of the gofpel; 1 Cor. iii. 5. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but minifters by whom ye believed?

Q. 5. Is this fufficient of itself?

A. No, the bleffing and power of the Spirit muft accompany it, or Chrift cannot be applied; 1 Theff. i. 5, 6. For our gofpel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the holy Ghoft, and in much affurance, as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your fake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the holy Ghost.

Q. 6. To whom doth the Spirit apply Chrift?

A. To those that were given him of the Father before the world was; Acts xiii. 48. And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. John xiv. 17. Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and fhall be in you.

Q. 7. Is the application of Chrift to a foul finished at once? A. Tho' the first act of faith unites the foul to Christ, yet it is a continued act; 1 Pet. ii. 4. To whom coming, as unto a living ftone..

Q. 8. What learn you from hence?

A. What a destitute thing the foul is that is out of Chrift; Rev. iii. 18. Because thou fayeft I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knoweft not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

Q. 9. What elfe doth it teach us? A. The riches and dignity of believers. purchases are theirs; 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23. Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, prefent, or things to come; all are yours, and Chrift is God's.

Chrift, and all his Whether Paul, or or death, or things and ye are Chrift's,