Anfw. That though believers, while in this world, are in the midst of their enemies, as lambs among wolves, yet this mighty King, as the breaker, go. ing up before them, they fhall be more than conquerors through him that loved them, Luke x. 3. Micah ii. 13. Rom. viii. 37.

27. QUEST. Wherein did Chrift's humiliation confift?

ANSW. Chrift's humiliation confifted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miferies 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.

Queft. 1. What do you understand by Chrift's HUMILIATION in general?

Anfw. His condescending to have that glory, which he had with the Father, before the world was, vailed for a time, by his coming to this lower world, to be a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief, John xvii. 5. Ifa. liii. 3.

Quest. 2. Was Chrift's humiliation entirely voluntary?

Anfw. It was voluntary in the highest degree; for, from eternity, he rejoiced in the habitable part of the earth, and his delights were with the fons of men, Prov. viii. 31.

Quest. 3. What was the Spring and source of Chris's humiliation ?

Anfw. Nothing but his own and his Father's un deferved love to loft mankind, Romt v. 6. 1 John iv. 10.

Quest. 4.

Queft. 4. What are the feveral steps of Chrift's humiliation, mentioned in the answer ?

Anfw. They are fuch as refpect his incarnation and birth, his life, his death, and what passed upon him after his death until his refurrection.

Queft. 5 How did Christ humble himself in his af fuming our nature, and being BORN therewith?

Anfw. In that, being from all eternity the Son of God, in the bofom of the Father, he was pleafed, in the fulness of time, to become the Son of man, made of a woman; and to be born of her in a very low condition, John i. 14, 18. Gal. iv. 4.

Queft. 6. What was the low condition wherein he was born?

Anfw. He was born of a poor woman, though of royal defcent, in Bethlehem, an obfcure village, and there laid in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn, Luke ii. 4, 5, 7.

Queft. 7. Why is the pedigree and defcent of Chrift, according to the flesh, fo particularly described by the evangelifts ?

Anfw. To evidence the faithfulness of God in his promife to Abraham and David, that the Meffiah fhould fpring out of their feed, Gen. xxii. 18. Pfal. cxxxii. I I.

Queft. 8. Why was Chrift born in fuch a low condition? Anfw. He flooped fo low, that he might lift up finners of mankind out of the horrible pit and miry clay, into which they were plunged, Pfal. xl. 2.

Queft. 9. What improvement ought we to make of the incarnation and birth of Chrift, in such circumAtances of more than ordinary abafement?

Antw. To admire the grace of our Lord Jefus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our fakes he became poor,that we through his poverty might be rich; and, by faith, to claim a relation to him as our Kinfman, faying, Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, 2 Cor. viii. 9. Ifa. ix. 6.

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Quest, 10.

Queft, 10. How did Chrift humble himself in his

LIFE?

Anf. In his being made under the law, undergoing the miferies of this life, and the wrath of God. Queft. 11. What law was Chrift made under as our furety?

Anfw. Although he gave obedience to all divine inftitutions, ceremonial and political, yet it was the moral law, properly, he was made under as cur furety, Gal. iv. 4, 5.

Queft. 12. How doth it appear, it was the moral law he was made under?

Antw. Because this was the law given to Adam in his creation, and afterwards vefted with the form of a covenant of works, when he was placed in Paradise; by the breach of which law, as a covenant, all mankind are brought under the curfe, Gal. iii. 10,

Queft. 13. Whether was Chrift made under the moral law, as a covenant of works, or as a rule of life only?

Arfw. He was made under it as a covenant of works, demanding perfect obedience, as a condition of life, and full fatisfaction because of man's tranfgreffion.

Queft. 14. How do you prove this?

Anfw. From Gal. iv. 4, 5.----God fent forth his Son-----made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law where it is obvious, that Chrift behoved to be made under the law, in the fame very fenfe, in which his fpiritual feed, whom he came to redeem, were under it; and they being all under it as a covenant, he behoved to be made under it as a covenant likewife, that he might redeem them from the curfe thereof, Gal. iii. 13.

Queft. 15. What would be the abjurdity of affirm ing, that Chrift was made under the law as a rule, Anfw. It

and not as a covenant?

Anfw. It would make the apoft's meaning, in the fore-cited Gal. iv. 4, 5. to be, as if he had said, Christ was made under the law, as a rule, to redeem them that were under the law, as a rule, from all fubjection and obedience to it; which is the very foul of Antinomianifm, and quite contrary to the great end of Chrift's coming to the world, which was .not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it, Matth. v. 17.

Queft. 16. Why is Chrift's being made under the law, mentioned as a part of his humiliation?

Anfw. Because it was most amazing, condefcention in the great Lord and Lawgiver of heaven and earth, to become fubject to his own law, and that for this very end, that he might fulfil it in the room of thofe who were the tranfgreffors of it, and had incurred its penalty, Matth. iii. 15.

Queft. 17. What may we learn from Chrifi's being made under the law?

Anfw. The mifery of finners out of Chrift, who have to answer to God in their own perfons, for their debt, both of obedience and punishment; and the happiness of believers, who have all their debt cleared, by Chrift's being made under the law in their room, Eph, ii. 12. Rom. viñ, 1.

Queft. 18. What were the miseries of this life, which Chrift underwent in his eftate of humiliation ?

Anfw. Together with our nature he took on the finlefs infirmities thereof; fuch as hunger, thirst, weariness, grief, and the like: he fubmitted to poverty and want; and endured likewife the af faults and temptations of Satan, together with the contradiction, reproach, and perfecution of a wicked world, Rom. viii. 3. Matth. viii. 20. Heb. iv. 15. and xii. 3.

Queft. 19. Why did he undergo all these?

Anfw. That he might take the fting out of all the afflictions of his people; and sympathize with

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them

them in their troubles, Rom. viii. 28. Ifa. lxiii 9 Queft. 20. Were these the greatest miferies he underwent in this life?

Anfw. No: he underwent the wrath of God alfo, Pfal. cxvi. 3.

Queft. 21. What was it for him to undergo the wrath of God?

Anfw. It was to undergo the utmost effects of God's holy and righteous difpleasure against fin, .. Pfal. xc. 11.

Queft. 22. What was it that made the human nature of Chrift capable of supporting under the utmoft effects of the wrath of God?

Anfrv. The union thereof with his divine perfon, whereby it was impoffible it could fink under the weight, Ifa. 1. 7.

Quest. 23. How could Christ undergo the wrath of God, feeing he did always the things that please kim?.

Anfw. He underwent it only as the furety for his elect feed, on account of their fins which were imputed to him, Ifa. liii. 6.----The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Queft. 24. How did it appear that he underwent the wrath of God?

Anfw. It appeared chiefly in his agony in the garden, when he said, My foul is exceeding forrowful, even unto death; at which time his fweat was, as it were, great drops of blood, falling down to the ground: and again, on the cross, when he cried, with a loud voice, My God, my God, why haft thou forsaken me ? Matth. xxvi. 38. and xxvij. 46. Luke xxii. 44.

Queft. 25. Was he not the object of his Father's delight, even when undergoing his wrath on account of our fin?

Anfw. Yes furely for, though the fin of the world, which he was bearing, was the object of God's infinite hatred, yet the glorious perfon bearing it,

was