thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou fhalt bind on earth fhall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou fhalt loofe on earth fhall be loofed in heaven.' 4. And chiefly, Chrift doth rule his people inwardly by his Spirit, whereby he doth write his laws in their hearts, working in them a difpofition and ftrength to yield to him that obedience which he requireth. Heb. viii. 10. 'I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.' 2 Cor. iii. 3. Ye are the epiftle of Chrift, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of ftone, but in flethly tables of the heart'

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Q.6. How doth Chrift defend his people?

A. Chrift doth defend his people, 1. By hiding them under his wings. Matth. xxiii. 37. How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings!' Pfal. xci. 4. He fhall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings fhalt thou truft; his truth fhall be thy fhield and buckler. 2. By reftraining and conquering all his and

our enemies.

Q.7. Who are the enemies of Chrift and his people?

A. The enemies of Chrift and his people, are, the devil, the flesh, the world, and death.

Q.8. What is it for Chrift to reftrain his and his people's enemies?

A. Chrift doth reftrain his and his people's enemies, when (their power remaining) he doth fet bounds and limits to them, over which he doth not fuffer them to pafs.

Q.9. What is it for Chrift to conquer his and his people's enemies?

A. Chrift doth conquer his and his people's enemies, when he taketh away their power in part, that they have not dominion over his people; but then he doth completely conquer them, when he doth bring all his enemies under his feet, and utterly abolith and destroy them. Rom. viii. 37. Nay, in all thefe things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.' I Cor. xv. 25. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.'

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XXVII. Quest. Wherein did Chrift's humiliation confift? Anfw. Chrift's humiliation confifted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the curfed death of the crofs, in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.

Q. 1. In what things did Chrift humble himself?

A. Chrift did humble himself, 1. In his birth. 2. In his life. 3. In his death.

Q. 2. How did Chrift humble himself in his birth?

A. Chrift humbled himself in his birth, in that he being the eternal Son of God, in time became man, and was born, not of a great princefs, but of a mean virgin; not in a stately palace, but in the ftable of an inn; and instead of a cradle, was laid in a manger. Luke i. 48. "He hath regarded the low estate of his hand maiden' Luke

ii. 7.

And the brought forth her first-born fon, and wrapped him in fwaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.” Q. 3. How did Chrift humble himself in his life?

2. He

A. Christ did humble himself in his life, in that, 1. He fubjected himself to the law. Gal. iv. 4. God fent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law.? conflicted with the temptation of the devil. Matth. iv. 1. Then was Jefus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.' 3. He endured the contradictions, reproaches, and indignities of wicked men. Heb. xii. 3. Confider him who endured fuch contradiction of finners against himfelf. Matth. x. 25. 'If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household?' 4. He underwent the finless infirmities of the fieth, fuch as wearinefs, hunger, thirst, and the like, in regard of his body; and grief and forrow, in regard of his foul. John iv. 6. Jefus, being wearied with his journey, fat on the well.' Matth. iv. 2. When he had fafted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an-hungered.' Ifaiah. liii. 3. He is a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief."

Q.4. How did Chrift humble himself in his death?

A. Chrift humbled himself in his death, 1. In regard

of the antecedents of it. 2. In regard of his death itself. 3. In regard of the confequents of it.

Q. 5. How did Chrift bumble himself in regard of the antecedents of his death ?

A. Chrift humbled himself in regard of the antecedents of his death, 1. In permitting Judas to betray him. 2. In fubmitting himself to the officers to take him. 3. In hearing Peter deny him. 4. In fuffering the people to mock him, fpit on him, buffet him, and Pilate to fcourge and condemn him; with many affronts and indignities which were offered unto him. Matth. xxvi. and xxvii.

Q. 6. How did Chrift humble himself in regard of his death itfelf?

A. Chrift humbled himself in regard of his death itfelf, in that, I. The kind of his death was an accurfed and difgraceful death, as alfo a lingering and painful death, being the death of the crofs. Philip. ii. 8. He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs.' Gal. iii. 13. 'Chrift was made a curfe for us; as it is written, Curfed is every one that hangeth on a tree. 2. He, together with the pain of his body on the crofs, endured the wrath of God, due for man's fin, in his foul. Matth. xxvii. 46. • About the ninth hour Jefus cried with a loud voice, My God, 、 my God, why haft thou forsaken me ?'

Q. 7. How did Chrift humble himself in regard of the con fequents of bis death?

A. Chrift humbled himself in regard of the confequents of his death, in that, 1. He was buried. Matth. xxvii. 59, 60. And when Jofeph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb.' 2. He continued under the power of death for a time, namely, until the third day. Matth. xii. 40. As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, fo fhall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.'

Q8. What doth Chrift's humiliation affure us of?

A. Chrift's humiliation doth affure us of our redemption, through the merits of his fufferings. Eph. i. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of fins.'

Q. 9. What doth Chrift's bumiliation, efpecially his death, teach us?

4. Chrift's humbling himself unto death, doth teach us, 1. To humble ourselves, and be lowly, like unto our Master. Matth. xi 29. • Learn of me, for 1 am meek and lowly in heart.' 2 That as Chrift died for our fins, fo we fhould die to fin, and not to be unwilling to fuffer and to die for his fake, if called thereunto. Rom. vi, 8. If we be dead with Chrift, we fhall alfo live with him.' Verse 11. Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto fin.' 1 Peter iv. I. • Forafmuch as Chrift hath fuffered for us, arm yourselves likewife with the fame mind.'

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XXVIII. Queft. Wherein confifts Chrift's exaltation? Anfw. Chrift's exaltation confifts in his rifing again from the dead on the third day, in afcending up into heaven, and fitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day.

Q. 1. What is the first part of Chrift's exaltation?

A. The first part of Chrift's exaltation is his resurrection from the dead.

Q. 2. How do you prove that Chrift rofe again from the dead?

A. By the many witneffes which faw him, and converfed with him, after his refurrection.. 1 Cor. xv. 5, 6. "He was feen of Cephas, then of the twelve; after he was feen of above five hundred brethren at once.' 2. Because otherwise our faith would be in vain, the guilt of fin would till remain upon us, and there would be no hope for us. 1 Cor. xv. 17. 'If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your fins.'

Q.3. By whom was Chrift raised from the dead &

A Chrift was raised from the dead by his own power and Spirit, whereby he was declared to be the Son of God John x. 17, 18. I lay down my life, that I might take it again. I have power to lay it down, and 1 have power to take it again.' Rom. i. 4. 'Declared to be

the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holinefs, by the refurrection from the dead.'

Q. 4. How foon did Chrift rife after his death?

4. Chrift rofe again from the dead on the third day.

Cor. xv. 4. He was buried, and rofe again the third day, according to the fcriptures.'

Q5. Did Chrift rife again with the fame body which was buried?

A. Chrift did rife again with the fame body, for he bore the print of the nails in his hands and his feet, and of the fpear in his fide. John xx. 27. Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thruft it into my fide.'

Q. 6. Was not Chrift's body corrupted in the grave like the body of others?

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A. No; for God did not fuffer him to fee corruption. Acts xiii. 37. He, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.'

Q. 7. Was not Chrift's body mortal after his refurrection ? A. No; for then his body did put on immortality. Rom. vi. 9. Chrift, being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.'

8. What doth the refurrection of Christ teach us?

A. The refurrection of Christ doth teach us to walk in newness of life. Rom. vi. 4 Like as Chrift was raised up from the dead by the glory of his Father, even so we alfo fhould walk in newness of life.'

Q. 9. What doth the refurrection of Chrift affure us of?

A. The refurrection of Chrift doth affure us, that our bodies shall be raised again from the dead on the last day. I Cor. xv. 20. Now is Chrift raised from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that flept.'

Q. 10. What is the fecond part of Christ's exaltation? A. The fecond part of Christ's exaltation is his afcenfion into heaven..

Q. How do you prove that Chrift afcended into heaven.? A. By the fcripture-record of the witneffes which faw him. Luke xxiv. 50, 51. And he led them out as far as Bethany: and he lifted up his hands, and bleffed them. And while he bleffed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven

Q12 How long after Chrift's refurrection was his afcenfion?

4. Chrift's afcenfion was forty days after his refurrec