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 last day.

21. What do you understand by Chrift's [exaltation]? A. Not the conferring of any new glory upon his divine perfon, which is abfolutely unchangeable ; but a manifestation, in the human nature, (which had eclipfed it for a while), of the fame glory, of which he was eternally poffeffed, as the Son of God, John xvii, 5. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own felf, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

22. Why doth Chrift's exaltation follow immediately upon the back of his humiliation ?

A. Because it is the proper reward thereof, Phil. ii. 8. 9. He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs; wherefore, God alfo hath highly.exalted him.

2. 3. What is the confequence of Chrift's exaltation with refpect to himself?

4. That the ignominy of the crofs is thereby fully wiped off,. Heb xii 2

24. What is the defign thereof with refpect unto us ? A. God raised him up from the dead and gave him glory, ́hat our faith and hope might be in God, I Pet i, 21. 25 What are the feveral steps of Chrift's exaltation, mentioned in the answer?

A. They are, his rifing again from the dead; his afcending up into heaven; his fitting at the right hand of God; and his coming to judge the world at the laft day,

26 What is the FIRST STEP of Christ's exaltation?
A [His rifing again from the dead on the third day],

1 Cor. xv. 4.

27. Which day of the week did the [third day] fall upon?

A. Upon the first day of the week, which is ever fince, called the Lord's day, Rev i 10 and is to be observed to the end of the world, as the Chriftian Sabbath, A&s xx. 7:

Y

28. How can the day of Chrift's refurrection be call ed the third day, when he was not two full days in the grave before?

A. It is ufual in fcripture to denominate the whole day from the remarkable event that happens in any hour of it: thus Chrift being crucified and buried on the evening before the Jewish Sabbath, and rifing early in the morning af ter it, is faid to rife again the third day according to the fcrip tures, 1 Cor. xv. 4.

29. How may the truth of Chrift's refurrection be demonftrated?

A. From its being prefigured and foretold, and from its being attefiled by unqueñionable witneffes and infallible proofs, Ãâs i. 3•

21. How was the refurrection of Chrift prefigured? A. By Abraham's receiving Ifaac from the dead, as a figure or reprefentation thereof, Heb. xi. 19.

21, Was his refurrection foretold in the feriptures of the Old Teftament?

A. The apostle Paul expressly affirms that it was, Acts. xiii 32-38, The promife, fays he, which was made un to the fathers, God hath fulfilled the fame unto us their children, in that, he hath raifed up Jefus again; as it is written, in the fecond Pfalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee; and that he raised him up from the dead he faid on this wife, I will give you the fure mercies of David, (ifa. lv. 3.) Wherefore he faith in another Pfalm, Thou shalt not fuffer thine holy One to fee corrup tion, Pfal. xvi. 10.

2. 12. Did not Chrift foretel his own refurrection before he died?

A. Yes: for he faid, Deftrcy this temple, and in three days I will raife it up, meaning the temple of his body, John ii. 19, 21. and tryfed his difciples, before his death, to meet him in Galilee, after his refurrection, Mat. xxvi. 32. After I am rifen, I will go before you into. Galilee.

13. By whom was the refurrection of Christ attefted? A By angels, by the difciples, and many others who faw him alive after he was rifen.

2. 14. What teftimony do the angels give unto his refurrection?

A. They tell the women who came to the fepulchre, He is not here, for he is rifen, as be faid, Mat. xxviii. 6.

2. 15. How did the difciples atteft the truth of his refurrection?

A. They unanimoufly declare, that God raised him up the third day, and fhewed him openly, not to all the people but unto the witnesses chofen before of God, even to us, fays Peter, who did eat and drink with him after he rofe from the dead, Acts x. 40, 41.

2. 16. Did Chrift confirm the truth of his, refurrection by frequent bodily appearances after it?

A. Yes; for on the very day he rofe, he appeared first to Mary Magdelene, Mark xvi. 9.: then he appeared to her, in company with the other Mary, Mat. xxviii, 1, 9.; afterwards he fhewed himself to the two difciples going to Emmaus, Luke xxiv. 13, 15. : then to Simon Peter alone, ver. 34 and the fame day at evening, being the first day of the week, he appeared to all the difciples, except Thomas, John. xx. 19. 24; eight days thereafter, he appeared to all the apoftles, when Thomas was with them, ver. 26.; Af ter these things Fefus fhewed himself again to his difciples, at the fea of Tiberias, John xxi. 1. then we read of his appearing to the eleven difciples on a mountain in Galilee, Mat. xxviii. 6. and at which time, it is probable, he was feen of the five hundred brethren at once, mentioned, 1 Cor. xv. 6.; after that he was feen of James, ver. 7.; and lastly, on the day of his afcenfion, he appeared to all the disciples on Mount Olivet, Acts i. 9, 12.

2. 17. For how long time did Chrift fhew himself alive, to his difciples, after his refurrection ?

Forty days, Acts i. 3.

2. 18. Why did he continue fo long with them?

A That they might be fully convinced of the truth of his refurrection, by his appearing frequently in their prefence, and converfing familiarly with them, Acts x 40 41.3 and that they might be inftructed in the nature of his kingdom, and government thereof, chap i. z.

2. 19. How may we be fure, that the testimony of the difciples, who were witnesses of the refurrection of Christ, may be depended upon as an infallible prof thereof?

A. Because they teftified of his refurrection, as a thing which they had certain and perfonal knowledge of, and proclaimed it in a molt public and open manner, in the ver

place where that remarkable event happened, A&ts iii. 15. and har under he outward disadvantages of being imprifone beaten, A&ts v.18,40,and perfecuted unto death itself, for publishing and defending fuch a doctrine, Acs xii. 2, 3. 220. By whole power did Chrift arife from the dead? A. Although the refurrection of Chrift be frequently af cribed to the Father, as in Eph. i 2c.; yet, in oppofition to the Socinians and other enemies of the Deity of Chrift, it is to be maintained, that he rofe alfo by his own divine pover, ás is evident from Rom. i. 4.

22. How ow may it farther appear, that he rose by his ivine powe?

own

A. He exprefsly affirms, that he would raise up the temple of his body on the third day, John ii. 19.; and that he had power to lay down his life and to take it again, chap.

222. In what capacity did he rife from the dead?

A. in the capacity of a public perfon, representing all his fpiritual feed, and as having their discharge in his hand, Rom. v. 56

223 What was the neceflity of Christ's refurrection? Ait was n ceffary in refpect of God, in refpect of Chrift him if, and in refpect of us

2 24. Why was it neceffary in refpect of God?

A.

aufe. fince he is the God and Father of our Lord Fejus brift, it was neceffery that he should not be the God of a dead, out of living Redeemer: for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, Mat. xx. 32.

224 Why was the refurrection of Chrift neceffary in reie&t of himself?

A. Because, having fully paid the debt, for which he was incarcerated. juftice required that he thould be taken from prifon, and from judgement, Ifa. liii. 8; and that, fince he purchafed a king om by his death, he should rife again to poffets it, Rom. xiv g

226 Why was it neceffary in respect of us?

A Because, if Chrift be not rifen, our faith is vain, and we are yet in our fins, 1 Cor xv. 7.

2. 27. Dia Chrift rife with the felf fame body in which he fuffered?

A. Yes for, fays 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, John xx. 27. 28. What remarkable circumftances accompanied the refurrection of Christ?

A. It was accompanied with a great earthquake, the attendance of angels, and fuch terror upon the keepers, that they did shake and became as dead men, Mat. xxviii. 2, 4.

229. What pitiful fhift did the high priests and elders tak to fmo her the truth of his refurrection?

A. They bribed the foliers to fay his difciples came by night, and stole him away, while we flept, Mat. xxviii. 12, 13.

230 How doth the falfehood of this ill made ftory apper at firft fight?

A From this. that it is not to be fuppofed, the whole company of foldiers, who guarded the fepulchre, would be all afleep at once, efpecially confidering the great earthquake that accompanied the rolling away the ftone, and the feverity of the Roman military difcipline, in like cafes, Acts xii. 19; and if they were really afleep, how could they know that the difciples came and stole him away.

21. What doth the doctrine of Chrift's refurrection teach us?

A. that he muft needs be a God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus. Heb. xiii. 20.; that death an the grave, are unftinged and vanquished, 1 Cor. xv. 55.; and that his refurrection is a certain pledge, and earnest of the resurrection of his members at the laft day, he having become the first fruits of them that flept, v. 20. 232 What is the SECOND STEP of Chrift's exaltation? A. His afcending up into heaven], Pfal. Ixviii. 18.

Q33. Does not Girit's [fcending into heaven], prefuppof his defcending thence?

A. Yes for fo argues the apostle, Now that he afcend ed, what is it but that he alfo defcended first into the lower parts of the earth Eph. iv. 9.

234. Did Chrift, when he is faid to defcend, bring a human nature from heaven with him?

A. By no means: for the human nature was made of a woman, on this earth, by the overshadowing power of the Holy Ghoft, Luke 35.; but his defcending fignifies his amazing condefcenfion in affuming our nature, into personal union with himself, Phil. ii, 6, 7.