which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the fame unto us, their children, in that he bathraifed up Jefus again; as it is also 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 corruption, Pfal. xvi. 10.

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

Anfw. Yes: for he said, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up, meaning the temple of his body, John ii. 19, 21.; and tryfted his difciples, before his death, to meet him in Galilee, after his refurrection, Matth. xxvi. 32. After I am rifen, I will go before you into Galilee.

Queft. 13. By whom was the resurrection of Christ attefted?

Anfw. By angels, by the difciples, and. many others who faw him alive after he was rifen.

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

Anfw. They tell the women, who came to the fepulchre, He is not here, for he is rifen, as he said, Mat. xxviii. 6. Luke xxiv. 6.

Queft. 15. How did the disciples atteft the truth af his refurrection?

Anfw. They unanimously declare, that God raifed him up the third day, and fhewed him openly, not to all the people but unto the witnesses chosen 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.

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

Anfw. Yes: for, on the very day he rofe, He appeared first to Mary Magdalen, Mark xvi. 9.:

then

then he appeared to her, in company with the other Mary, Mat. xxviii. 9; afterwards he fhewed himself to the two disciples 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. After these things Jefus fhewed himfelf again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, John xxi. 1.; then we read of his appearing to the eleven difciples, on a mountain in Galilee, Mat. xxviii. 16.; at which time, it is probable, he was feen of the five hundred brethren at once, menti oned, I Cor. xv. 6.; after that he was feen of James, ver. 7.; and laftly, on the day of his af cenfion, he appeared to all the disciples on mount Olivet, Acts i. 9, 12.

Queft. 17. For how long time did Chrift fhew himfelf alive, to his disciples, after his refurrection? An/w. Forty days, Acts i. 3.

Queft. 18. Why did he continue fo long with them? Anfw. That they might be fully convinced of the truth of his refurrection, by his appearing frequently in their prefence, and converfing familiarly with them; and that they might be instructed in the nature of his kingdom, and government there of Acts i. 3. and x. 40, 41.

Queft. 19 How may we be fure, that the teftimony of the difciples, who were witneffes of the refurrection of Chrif, may be depended upon as an infallible proof thereof?

Anfw. Because they teftified of his refurrection, as a thing which they had certain and perfonal knowlege of, and proclaimed it in most public and open manner, in the very place where that remarkable event happened, and that under all the outward difadvantages of being imprisoned, banished, and PART I. perfecuted

S

perfecuted unto death itself, for publishing and defending fuch a doctrine, Acts iii. 15. and v. 18, 41. and xii. 2, 3.

Quest. 20. By whofe power did Christ rise from the dead?

Anfw. Although the refurrection of Christ be frequently afcribed to the Father, as in Eph. i. 20.; 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 power, as is evident from Rom. i. 4.

Queft. 21. How may it further appear, that he rofe by his own divine power?

Anfw. He exprefly affirms, that he would raise up the temple of his body on the third day; and that he had power to lay down his life, and to take it again, John ii. 19. and x. 18.

Quest. 22. In what capacity did he rife from the dead?

Anfw. In the capacity of a public perfon, reprefenting all his fpiritual feed, and as having their dif charge in his hand, Rom. iv. 25.

Quest. 23. What was the neceffity of Chrijì's refurrection?

Anfw. It was neceffary in refpect of God, in refpect of Chrift himself, and in refpect of us.

Queft. 24. Why was it neceffary in respect of God?

Anfw. Becaufe, fince he is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, it was neceffary that he fhould not be the God of a dead, but of a living Redeemer; for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, Mat. xxii. 32.

Quelt. 25. Why was the refurrection of Chrift ceffary in respect of himself?

ne

Anfw. Becaufe, having fully paid the debt, for which he was incarcerated, juftice required that he fhould be taken from prijon, and from judgment,

Ifa. liii. 8.; and that, fince he purchased a kingdom by his death, he should rife again to poffefs it, Rom. xiv. 9.

Quest. 26. Why was it necessary in respect of us ? Anfw. Becaufe, if Chrift be not rifen, our faith is vain, and we are yet in our fins, 1 Cor. xv. 17. Queft. 27. Did Chrift rife with the felf-fame body in which he suffered?

Anfw. Yes: for, fays he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my fide; and be not faithless, but believing, John xx. 27.

Quest. 28. What remarkable circumftances accompanied the refurrection of Chrift?

Anfw. 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. Luke xxiv. 4.

Quelt. 29. What pitiful shift did the high-priests and elders take to mother the truth of his refurrection?

Anfw. They bribed the foldiers to lay, His difciples came, by night, and ftole him away, while we flept, Matth. xxviii. 12, 13.

Quen. 30. How doth the falfhood of this ill-made story appear, at first fight?

Anw 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 of the ftone, and the feverity of the Roman military discipline, in like cafes, Acts xii. 19.; and if they were really afleep, how could they know that the difciples came and stole him away? Queft. 31. What doth the doctrine of Chrift's refurrection teach us?

Anfw. That he must needs be a God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus ; S 2

that

that death, and the grave, are unstinged and vanquifhed; and that his refurrection is a certain pledge and earneft of the resurrection of his members at the laft day, he having become the firstfruits of them that flept, Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Cor. xv. 20, 55.---

Queft. 32. What is the SECOND STEP of Christ's exaltation?

Anfw. His ASCENDING UP INTO HEAVEN, Pfal. Ixviii. 18.

Queft. 33. Does not Chrift's afcending into heaven, prefuppofe his defcending thence?

Anf. Yes: for fo argues the apoftle, Now, that he afcended, what is it but that he also defcended firft unto the lower parts of the earth? Eph. iv. 9. Queft. 34. Did Chrift, when he is faid to defcend, bring a human nature from heaven with him?

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

Queft. 35. How is the afcenfion of Chrift expressed in Scripture?

Anfw. By his going away, his being received up into heaven, and his having entered in once into the holy place, John xvi. 7. Mark xvi. 19. Heb. ix. 12. Queft. 36. As to which of his two natures is he properly faid to ascend?

Anfw. Although Chrift afcended perfonally into heaven, yet afcenfion is properly attributed unto his human nature, in regard the divine nature is every where present John iii. 13.

Queft. 37. From what part of the earth did Chrift afcend unto heaven ?

Anfw. He afcended from mount Olivet, which was nigh to Bethany, Luke xxiv. 50. compared with Acts i. 12.

Queft. 38.