What do you learn from the Burial of Chrift? A. The Certainty of Chrift's Death; and that we ought to be buried unto Sin, for which our Master died. And from the Solemnities of Chrift's Funeral to pay a decent Regard to the Dead Bodies of Good Men, as having been once the Temples of the H. Ghost. 2. The next thing you are to believe is Chrift's Descent into Hell. Upon what Authority do

lieve this?

you be

A. I believe Chrift went into Hell; becaufe St. Peter fpeaking of him in the Words of the Pfalmift, fays, Thou shalt not leave my Soul in Hell, Acts ii. 27.

Does the Greek Word, which is here rendered Hell, always fignifie the Place of the Damned? A No; and the trueft Signification of that Word in the Greek Language, is, The Unseen Regions, or The Invisible Regions of Departed Souls.

Q. To what Place then (feeing that it is written that the Soul of Chrift was not to be left in Hell) do you believe his Soul went, when it left his Body?

A. I believe it went into the Unfeen World of Spirits, to the Regions of Souls in their State of Separation.

And being in those Regions do you believe the Soul of Chrift went to the Manfions of Happy or Miferable Spirits?

A. I fuppofe his Soul went to the Manfions of Good Spirits, according to what he said to the Convert Thief, This Day thou shalt be with me in Paradife, Luke xxiii. 43.

Q. What do you in the general believe by Chrift's Descent into Hell?

4. I believe as his Body was laid in the Grave, fo his Soul went into thofe Regions, where the Spirits of Men go, after they are delivered from the Burthen of the Flesh; and that he there continued Part of Three Days, in the State of the Dead.

f. What

2. What then do you learn from this Article? A. I learn that Chrift did both in Body and Soul undergo for our Sakes the whole Law of Death.

Secondly, That we ought to live unto him, who was content to die for us.

And lastly, The Obligation we are all under duly to commemorate this Death of our Lord Jefus at his Holy Supper.

A. His Refurrection.

What was the Refurrection of Christ?

A. 'Twas the Re-uniting the Self-fame Soul to the Self-fame Body, after they had been feparated by Death: And fo as that our Lord became again the fame Perfon he was before his Crucifixion.

When did our Lord thus rife from the Dead? A. On the Third Day after he died, which was then called the First Day of the Week.

Q. Were there any Types that did forefhew this? A. Yes; there are feveral; as Ifaac bound and freed, and delivered out of the Jaws of Death; Jofeph imprisoned and advanced. And our Saviour himself applies the Story of Jonas as an Emblem of his Refurrection, as well as of his Death, Mat. xii. 40. 2. What Prophefies are there of Chrift's Refurrection?

A. The Apostle, Acts ii. 31, tells us, That David feeing this before fpake of the Refurrection of Christ, Pf. xvi. 10. And Christ himself before his Death foretold the fame thing, Mat. xvii. 22, 23. The Son of Man fhall be betrayed into the Hands of Men, and

G

they

they fhall kill him, and the Third Day he shall be raised again. And this the Pharifees remembred after his Death, as appears from Mat. xxvii. 63.

2. But is there any Prophecy that foretells Christ's Rifing on the Third Day?

A. Yes: And not only his Refurrection but ours alfo in, and thro' him, was foretold by the Prophet Hofea. After Two Days will be revive us, on the Third Day he will raife us up, and we shall live in his Sight, Hofea vi. 2.

Seeing then that this was foretold of Chrift; how do you prove that our Jefus did fo rife from the Dead?

A. From the Teftimony of the Apostles, who eat and drank with him after his Refurrection.

Q. Did no Body fee him after he was rifen, befides the Apostles?

A. St. Paul writing to the Corinthians, Cor. xv. 6. fays, That Jefus Chrift was feen after his Refurrection by more than 500 Perfons at once, of whom many were then alive.

2. But what Circumstances are there to confirm the Truth of what the Apostles related as to Chrift's Refurrection?

A. There are many; and amongst others the Time when, and the Place where they first preached and published it.

Q. When and where was this?

A. The very Third Day after his Crucifixion: And at Ferufalem, the very Place where their Lord and Master had been just before crucified. And therefore as it was the moft Unlikely Place to have received this Doctrine, if it had been false, and most capable of detecting the Falfhood of it; their preaching it then, and there, and in Oppofition to all the Rulers of the Jews, was a great Argument that they had the Truth on their Side, and the Success proved it.

2. Suppofing

2. Suppofing then that Christ did indeed rise from the Dead, what do you learn from thence?

A. I am hence confirmed in the Truth of Chrift's Religion; and that by his Death (feeing he was fo foon releafed from it) he made full Satisfaction for that great Debt of Sin (the Sins of the whole World) which he had taken upon him: And therefore whatever my Sins have been, I may lay hold on Eternal Life.

He afcended into Heaven.

WHAT became of our Bleffed Lord after he

was raised from the Dead?

A. He continued upon the Earth 40 Days with his Disciples; and at the End of them he afcended into Heaven: And this was the Second Step of Chrift's Exaltation.

Q. Were there any Types that did forefhew that the Meffias, after he was rifen from the Dead, fhould be fo exalted?

A. Yes; fuch as the Tranflation of Enoch; Elijah's being carried to Heaven in a Fiery Chariot; Joshua's, after all his Toil and Labours, taking Poffeffion of the Earthly Canaan; and the High Priests entring once a Year into the Holy of Holies, did all fhew that Christ, an High Prieft of Good things to come, fhould vifibly afcend into the Heaven of Heavens.

Was this likewife foretold by any of the Prophets?

A. Yes, by David; who fpeaking of Christ, many hundred Years before, fays, Thou hast afcended up on high, thou haft led Captivity captive, thou hast received Gifts for Men, Pf. lxviii. 18.

Q. But what Evidence have you that our Jefus did thus afcend?

A. The Teftimony of Men and Angels: St. Mark fays, When he had bleffed them, he was received up into Heaven, Mark xvi. 19. St. Luke, That he was carried into Heaven, Luke xxiv. 51. And St. Peter, That he is gone into Heaven, 1 Pet. iii. 22.

Q. Did the Apoftles fee the Lord Jefus afcend into

Heaven?

A. Yes; While they beheld he was taken up, and a Cloud received him out of their Sight. And while they looked stedfaftly toward Heaven, as he went up, bebold, Two Men ftood by them in White Apparel, which alfo faid, Te Men of Galilee, why ftand ye gazing up into Heaven? This fame Jefus Which is taken up from you into Heaven, fhall fo come as ye have seen him go into Heaven.

2. Could Chrift, as he was God, be properly faid to afcend into Heaven?

A. No; as God, whilft he was on Earth, he was alfo in Heaven; prov'd from 7o. viii. 13. And therefore it was in refpect of his Human Nature only, that he was exalted, and went up thither ?

Q. Did then Chrift afcend into Heaven in the fame Body in which he conversed with his Disciples after his Refurrection?

A. Yes; it was the fame Body that Thomas touched and handled; and had it been another Body the Difciples could not have known him to be their Lord Chrift.

2. Into what Part of Heaven did Christ ascend?

A. He afcended into the highest Heavens; where God in a fingular manner fhews forth his Majefty and Glory.

What do you learn from hence?

A. I learn that fince the Nature of Man is already gone into Heaven, that we, tho' Duft and Ashes, may go there likewife. That feeing Chrift the Head is gone, the Members of Chrift will follow after.

And