CHAP. XI.-OF THE OFFICES OF CHRIST; AND, FIRST, OF HIS KINGLY. Q. 1. How many are the offices of Jesus Christ? a b 12 A. Three; first, of a King; secondly, 'a' Priest; thirdly, a Prophet. Ps. ii. 6.- Ps. cx. 4.- Deut. xviii. 15. a с Q. 2. Hath he these offices peculiar by nature? A. No; he only received them for the present dispensation, until the work of redemption be perfected.-Ps. cx. 1; Acts ii. 36, x. 42; 1 Cor. xi. 3, xv. 27, 28; Phil. ii. 9; Heb. iii. 2, 6, ii. 7-9. Q. 3. Wherein doth the kingly office of Christ consist? A. In a two-fold power; first, his power of ruling in and over his church; secondly, his power of subduing his enemies.-Ps. cx. 3-7. Q. 4. What is his ruling power in and over his people? bex A. That supreme authority which,3* for their everlasting good, he useth towards them, whereof in general there be two acts; first, "internal and spiritual, in converting their souls unto him, making them unto himself a willing, obedient, persevering people; secondly, ternal and ecclesiastical, in giving perfect laws and rules for their government, as gathered into holy societies under him.-a Isa. liii. 12, lix. 20, 21, with Heb. viii. 10-12; Isa. lxi. 1, 2; John i. 16, xii. 32; Mark i. 15; Matt. xxviii. 20; 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.- Matt. xvi. 19; 1 Cor. xii. 28; Eph. iv. 8-14; 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17; Rev. xxii. 18, 19. b Q. 5. How many are the acts of his kingly power towards his enemies? A. Two also; first, internal, by the mighty working of his Word, and the spirit of bondage upon their hearts, convincing, amazing, terrifying their consciences, hardening their spirits for ruin; secondly, 'external, in judgments and vengeance, which ofttimes he beginneth in this life, and will continue unto eternity.-Ps. cx.; John vi. 46, viii. 59, ix. 41, xii. 40; 2 Cor. x. 4-6; 1 Cor. v. 5; 1 Tim. i. 20. Mark xvi. 16; Luke xix. 27; Acts xiii. 11; Rev. xvii. 14. 1 In the exercise of these offices, Christ is also the sole head, husband, and firstborn of the church. 2 Papal usurpation upon these offices of Christ manifests the pope to be the Man of Sin. 3 Christ's subjects are all born rebels, and are stubborn, until he make them obedient by his Word and Spirit. Christ hath not delegated his kingly power of law-making for his church to any here below. The end of Christ in exercising his kingly power over his enemies, is the glory of his gospel and the good of his people. CHAP. XII.—OF CHRIST'S PRIESTLY OFFICE. Q. 1. By what means did Jesus Christ undertake the office of an eternal priest? a с b A. By the decree, ordination, and will of God his Father, whereunto he yielded voluntary obedience; so that concerning this there was a compact and covenant between them.- Ps. cx. 4; Heb. v. 5, 6, vii. 17, 18.- Isa. 1. 4-6; Heb. x. 5-10.- Ps. ii. 7, 8; Isa. liii. 8, 10-12; Phil. ii. 7, 9; Heb. xii. 2; John xvii. 2, 4. b Q. 2. Wherein doth his execution of this office consist? A. In bringing his people unto God.-Heb. ii. 10, iv. 16, vii. 25. Q. 3. What are the parts of it? a a A. First, oblation; secondly, 'intercession.' Heb. ix. 14.— Heb. vii. 25. Q. 4. What is the oblation of Christ? A. The offering up of himself upon the altar of the cross, an holy propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of all the elect throughout the world; as also, the presentation of himself for us in heaven, sprinkled with the blood of the covenant.- Isa. liii. 10, 12; John iii. 16, xi. 51, xvii. 19; Heb. ix. 13, 14.- Heb. ix. 24. b Q. 5. Whereby doth this oblation do good unto us? A. Divers ways; first, in that it satisfied the justice of God; secondly, it redeemed us from the power of sin, death, and hell; thirdly, it ratified the new covenant of grace; fourthly, it procured for us grace here, and glory hereafter;-by all which means the peace and reconciliation between God and us is wrought.-Eph. ii. 14, 15. Q. 6. How did the oblation of Christ satisfy God's justice for our sin? A. In that for us he underwent the punishment due to our sin.Isa. liii. 4-6; John x. 11; Rom. iii. 25, 26, iv. 25; 1 Cor. xv. 3; 2 Cor. v. 21; Eph. v. 2; 1 Pet. ii. 24. Q. 7. What was that punishment? 3 A. The wrath of God, the curse of the law, the pains of hell, due 1 Against both these the Papists are exceedingly blasphemous; against the one, by making their mass a sacrifice for sins,-the other, by making saints mediators of intercession. Christ's undergoing punishment for us was, first, typified by the old sacrifices; secondly, foretold in the first promise; thirdly, made lawful and valid in itself,first, by God's determination, the supreme lawgiver; secondly, his own voluntary undergoing it; thirdly, by a relaxation of the law in regard of the subject punished; -fourthly, beneficial to us, because united to us; as, first, our head; secondly, our elder brother; thirdly, our sponsor or surety; fourthly, our husband; fifthly, our God, or Redeemer, &c. * No change in all these, but what necessarily follows the change of the persons sustaining. VOL. I. 31 to sinners, in body and soul.-Gen. ii. 17; Deut. xxvii. 15-26; Isa. lix. 2; Rom. v. 12; Eph. ii. 3; John iii. 36; Heb. ii. 14. Q. 8. Did Christ undergo all these? A. Yes; in respect of the greatness1 and extremity, not the eternity and continuance of those pains; for it was impossible he should be holden of death.-Matt. xxvi. 28; Mark xiv. 33, 34, xv. 34; Gal. iii. 13; Eph. ii. 16; Col. i. 20; Heb. v. 7; Ps. xviii. 5. Q. 9. How could the punishment of one satisfy for the offence of all? A. In that he was not a mere man only, but God also,- of infinitely more value than all those who had offended.-Rom. v. 9; Heb. ix. 26; 1 Pet. iii. 18. Q. 10. How did the oblation of Christ redeem us from death and hell? A. First, by paying a ransom3 to God, the judge and lawgiver, who had condemned us; secondly, by overcoming and spoiling Satan, death, and the powers of hell, that detained us captives.— Matt. xx. 28; John vi. 51; Mark x. 45; Rom. iii. 25; 1 Cor. vi. 20; Gal. iii. 13; Eph. i. 7; 1 Tim. ii. 6; Heb. x. 9.-John v. 24; Col ii. 13-15; 1 Thess. i. 10; Heb. ii. 14; 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. Q. 11. What was the ransom that Christ paid for us? 4 A. By being accompanied with his death; for that, as all other testaments, was to be ratified by the death of the testator.-Gen. xxii. 18; Heb. ix. 16, viii. 10–12. Q. 13. What is this new covenant? a A. The gracious, free, immutable promise of God, made unto all his elect fallen in Adam, to give them Jesus Christ, and in him mercy, pardon, grace, and glory, with a re-stipulation of faith from them unto this promise, and new obedience.- Gen. iii. 15; Jer. xxxi. 31-34, xxxii. 40; Heb. viii. 10-12.-'Gal. iii. 8, 16; Gen. xii. 3.— Rom. viii. 32; Eph. i. 3, 4.- Mark xvi. 16; John i. 12, x. 27, 28. Q. 14. How did Christ procure for us grace, faith, and glory? A. By the way of purchase and merit; for the death of Christ deservedly procured of God that he should bless us with all spiritual с 'The death that Christ underwent was eternal in its own nature and tendence,not so to him, because of his holiness, power, and the unity of his person. ? He suffered not as God, but he suffered who was God. We are freed from the anger of God, by a perfect rendering to the full value of what he required, from the power of Satan, by absolute conquest on our behalf. The new covenant is Christ's legacy, in his last will unto his people, the eter nal inheritance of glory being conveyed thereby. The death of Christ was satisfactory in respect of the strict justice of God,— meritorious in respect of the covenant between him and his Father. All these holy truths are directly denied by the blasphemous Socinians; and blessings needful for our coming unto him.-Isa. liii. 11, 12; John xvii. 2; Acts xx. 28; Rom. v. 17, 18; Eph. ii. 15, 16, i. 4; Phil. i. 29; Tit. ii. 14; Rev. i. 5, 6. Q. 15. What is the intercession of Christ? A. His continual soliciting' of God on our behalf, begun here in fervent prayers, continued in heaven by appearing as our advocate at the throne of grace.-Ps. ii. 8; Rom. viii. 34; Heb. vii. 25, ix. 24, x. 19-21; 1 John ii. 1, 2; John xvii. CHAP. XIII.-OF CHRIST'S PROPHETICAL OFFICE. Q. 1. Wherein doth the prophetical office of Christ consist? A. In his embassage from God to man, revealing from the bosom of his Father the whole mystery of godliness, the way and truth whereby we must come unto God.- -Matt. v.; John i. 18, iii. 32, x. 9, 14, xiv. 5, 6, xvii. 8, xviii. 37. Q. 2. How doth he exercise this office towards us? A. By making known the whole doctrine of truth unto us in a saving and spiritual manner.-Deut. xviii. 18; Isa. xlii. 6; Heb. iii. 1. Q. 3. By what means doth he perform all this? A. Divers; as, first, internally and effectually, by his Spirit writing his law in our hearts; secondly, 'outwardly and instrumentally, by the Word preached.- Jer. xxxi. 31-34; 2 Cor. iii. 3; 1 Thess. iv. 9; Heb. viii. 10.-John xx. 31; 1 Cor. xii. 28; Eph. iv. 8-13; 2 Pet. i. 21. CHAP. XIV. OF THE TWO-FOLD ESTATE OF CHRIST. Q. 1. In what estate or condition doth Christ exercise these offices? A. In a two-fold estate; first, of humiliation 4 5 6 or abasement; secondly, of exaltation or glory.-Phil. ii. 8-10. by the Papists, with their merits, masses, penance, and purgatory, by consequent, overthrown. To make saints our intercessors, is to renounce Jesus Christ from being a sufficient Saviour. 2 Christ differed from all other prophets; first, in his sending, which was immediately from the bosom of his Father; secondly, his assistance, which was the fulness of the Spirit; thirdly, his manner of teaching,—with authority. To accuse his Word of imperfection, in doctrine or discipline, is to deny him a perfect prophet, or to have borne witness unto all truth. The humiliation of Christ shows us what we must here do and suffer,—his exaltation, what we may hope for. The first of these holds forth his mighty love to us, the other his mighty power in himself. The only way to heaven is by the cross. Q. 2. Wherein consisteth the state of Christ's humiliation? A. In three things; first, in his incarnation, or being born of woman; secondly, his obedience, or fulfilling the whole law, moral and ceremonial; thirdly, in his passion, or enduring all sorts of miseries, even death itself." Luke i. 35; John i. 14; Rom. i. 3; Gal. iv. 4; Heb. ii. 9, 14.- Matt. iii. 15, v. 17; Luke ii. 21; John viii. 46; 2 Cor. v. 21; 1 Pet. i. 19; 1 John iii. 5.—a Isa. liii. 4-6; Heb. ii. 9; 1 Pet. ii. 21. Q. 3. Wherein consists his exaltation? A. In, first, his resurrection; secondly, ascension; thirdly, sitting at the right hand of God;-by all which he was declared to be the Son of God with power.-Matt. xxviii. 18; Rom. i. 4, vi. 4; Eph. iv. 9; Phil. ii. 9, 10; 1 Tim. iii. 16. CHAP. XV.-OF THE PERSONS TO WHOM THE BENEFITS OF CHRIST'S OFFICES DO BELONG. Q. 1. Unto whom do the saving benefits of what Christ performeth, in the execution of his offices, belong? A. Only to his elect.1 23-John xvii. 9; Isa. lxiii. 9; Heb. iii. 6, x. 21. Q. 2. Died he for no other? A. None, in respect of his Father's eternal purpose, and his own intention of removing wrath from them, and procuring grace and glory for them.-Acts xx. 28; Matt. xx. 28, xxvi. 28; Heb. ix. 28; John xi. 51, 52; Isa. liii. 12; John iii. 16, x. 11–13, 15; Eph. v. 25; Rom. viii. 32, 34; Gal. iii. 13; John vi. 37, 39; Rom. iv. 25; 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. Q. 3. What shall become of them for whom Christ died not? A. Everlasting torments for their sins; their portion in their own place.-Mark xvi. 16; John iii. 36; Matt. xxv. 41; Acts i. 25. Q. 4. For whom doth he make intercession? A. Only for those who from eternity were given him by his Father. -John xvii.; Heb. vii. 24, 25. CHAP. XVI.—OF THE CHURCH. Q. 1. How are the elect called, in respect of their obedience unto Christ, and union with him? A. His church.-Acts xx. 28; Eph. v. 32. 1 Christ giveth life to all that world for whom he gave his life. 2 None that he died for shall ever die. To say that Christ died for every man universally, is to affirm that he did no more for the elect than the reprobates,-for them that are saved than for them that are damned; which is the Arminian blasphemy. |