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condly, to drive us unto Christ; Psal. oxix. 5. 1 Tim. i. 8, 9. Gal. iii. 24.

Q. 6. How doth the law drive us unto Christ?

A. Divers ways: as first, by laying open unto us the utter disability of our nature, to do any good; secondly, by charging the wrath and curse of God, due to sin, upon the conscience; thirdly, by bringing the whole soul under bondage to sin, death, Satan, and hell, so making us long and seek for a Saviour; Rom. vii. 7-9. Gal. iii. 19. Rom. iii. 19, 20. iv. 15. v. 20. Gal. iii. 10. 22. Heb. ii. 15.

CHAP. VIII.

Of the state of corrupted nature.

Q. 1. How came this weakness and disability upon us? A. By the sin, and shameful fall, of our first parents ; Rom. v. 12. 14.

Q. 2. Wherein did that hurt us their posterity?

A. Divers ways: first, in that we were all guilty of the same breach of covenant with Adam, being all in him; secondly, our souls with his were deprived of that holiness, innocency, and righteousness wherein they were at first created; thirdly, pollution and defilement of nature came upon us; with, fourthly, an extreme disability of doing any thing that is well-pleasing unto God; by all which, we are made obnoxious to the curse; John iii. 36. Rom. v. 12. Eph. ii. 3. Gen. iii. 10. Eph. iv. 23, 24. Col. iii. 10. Job xiv. 4. Psal. li. 7. John iii, 6. Rom. iii. 13. Gen. vi. 5. Eph. ii. 1. Jer. vi. 16. xiii. 23. Rom. viii. 7. Gen. iii. 17. Gal. iii. 10.

Q. 3. Wherein doth the curse of God consist?

A. In divers things: first, in the guilt of death," temporal and eternal; secondly, the loss of the grace and favour

a This is that which commonly is called original sin, which in general denoteth the whole misery and corruption of our nature; as first, the guilt of Adam's actual sin to us imputed; secondly, loss of God's glorious image, innocency, and holi ness; thirdly, deriving by propagation a nature; 1. defiled with the pollution; 2. laden with the guilt; 3. subdued to the power of sin; 4. a being exposed to all temporal miseries, leading to, and procuring death; 5. an alienation from God, with voluntary obedience to Satan, and lust; 6. an utter disability to good, or to labour for mercy; 7. eternal damnation of body and soul in hell.

All that a natural man bath on this side hell, is free mercy.

of God; thirdly, guilt and horror of conscience, despair, and anguish here; with, fourthly, eternal damnation hereafter; Gen. ii. 17. Rom. i. 18. v. 12. 17. Eph. ii. 3. Gen. iii. 24. Ezek. xvi. 3-5. Eph. ii. 13. Gen. iii. 10. Isa. xlviii. 22. Rom. iii. 9. 19. Gal. iii. 22. Gến. iii. 10. 13. John iii. 36.

Q. 4. Are all men born in this estate?

A. Every one without exception; Psal. li. 7. Isa. liii. 5. Rom. iii. 9. 12. Eph. ii. 3.

Q. 5. And do they continue therein?

A. Of themselves they cannot otherwise do, being able neither to know, or will, nor do any thing that is spiritually good, and pleasing unto God; Acts viii. 31. xvi. 14. 1 Cor. ii. 14. Eph. v. 8. John i. 5. Jer. vi. 16. xiii. 2, 3. Luke iv. 18. Rom. vi. 16. viii. 7. John vi. 44. 2 Cor. iii. 5.

Q. 6. Have they then no way of themselves to escape the curse and wrath of God?

A. None at all, they can neither satisfy his justice, nor fulfil his law.

CHAP. IX.

Of the incarnation of Christ.

Q. 1. Shall all mankind then everlastingly perish? A. No, God of his free grace hath prepared a way, to redeem and save his elect; John iii. 16. Isa. liii. 6.

Q. 2. What way was this?

A. By sending his own Son Jesus Christ, in the likeness of sinful flesh, condemning sin in the flesh; Rom. viii. 3. Q. 3. Who is this you call his own Son?

A. The second person of the Trinity, co-eternal, and of the same Deity with his Father; John i. 14. Rom. i. 3. Gal. iv. 4. 1 John i. 1.

Q. 4. How did God send him?

• The end of this is Jesus Christ, to all that fly for refuge to the hope set before them.

2 This is that great mystery of godliness, that the angels themselves admire : the most transcendent expression of God's infinite love: the laying forth of all the treasure of his wisdom and goodness.

A. By causing him to be made flesh of a pure virgin, and to dwell among us, that he might be obedient unto death, the death of the Cross; Isa. 1. 6. John i. 14. Luke i. 35. Phil. ii. 8. 1 Tim. vi. 16.

CHAP. X.

Of the person of Jesus Christ.

Q. 1. What doth the Scripture teach us of Jesus Christ? A. Chiefly two things; first, his person, or what he is in himself; secondly, his offices, or what he is unto us. Q 2. What doth it teach of his person?

A. That he is truly God, and perfect man, partaker of the natures of God and man in one person, between whom he is a Mediator; John i. 14. Heb. 2. 14, 15. Eph. iv.5. 1 Tim, iì. 5. 1 John i. 1.

Q. 3. How prove you Jesus Christ to be truly God?

A. Divers ways; first, by places of Scripture speaking of the great God Jehovah, in the Old Testament, applied to our Saviour in the New; as, Numb. xxi. 5, 6. in 1 Cor. x. 9. Psal. cii. 24, 25. in Heb. i. 10. Isa. vi. 2-4. in John xii. 40, 41. Isa. viii. 13, 14. in Luke ii. 34. Rom. ix. 33. Isa. xl. 3, 4. in John i. Isa. xlv. 22, 23. in Rom. xiv. 11. Phil. ii. 8. Mal. iii. 1. in Matt. xi. 10.

Secondly, By the works of the Deity ascribed unto him; as first, of creation; John i. 3. 1 Cor. viii. 6. Heb. i. 21. secondly, of preservation in providence; Heb. i. 3. John v. 17. thirdly, miracles.

Thirdly, By the essential attributes of God, being ascribed unto him; as first, immensity, Matt. xxviii. 20. John xiv. 23.

a 1. Though our Saviour Christ be one God with his Father, he is not one person with him.

2. Jesus Christ is God and man in one, not a God and a man: God incarnate, not a man deified.

3. The essential properties of either nature, remain in his person theirs still, not communicated unto the other, as of the Deity to be eternal, every where; of the humanity to be born and die.

4. Whatever may be said of either nature, may be said of his whole person: so God may be said to die, but not the Godhead, the man Christ to be every where but not his humanity, for his one person is all this.

5. The monstrous figment of transubstantiation, or Christ's corporal presence in the sacrament, fully overthrows our Saviour's human nature, and makes him a mere shadow.

6. All natural properties are double in Christ, as will, &c. still distinct; all personal, as subsistence, single.

Eph. iii. 17. secondly, eternity, John i. 1. Rev. i. 11. Mic. v. 2. thirdly, immutability, Heb. i. 11, 12, fourthly, omniscience, John xxi. 17. Rev. ii. 23. fifthly, majesty and glory equal to his Father; John v. 23. Rev. v. 13. Phil. i. 2. 6. 9, 10.

Fourthly, By the names given unto him; as first, of God expressly; John i. 1. xx. 28. Acts xx. 28, Rom. ix. 5. Phil. ii. 6. Heb. i. 8. 1 Tim. iii. 16. secondly, of the Son of God; John i. 18. Rom. viii. 3, &c.

Q. 4. Was it necessary that our Redeemer should be God? A. Yes, that he might be able to save to the uttermost, and to satisfy the wrath of his Father, which no creature could perform; Isa. xliii. 25. liii. 6. Dan. ix. 17. 19.

Q. 5. How prove you that he was a perfect man?

A. First, By the prophecies that went before, that so he should be; Gen. iii. 15. xviii. 18.

Secondly, By the relation of their accomplishment; Matt. i. 1. Rom. i. 4. Gal. iv. 4.

Thirdly, By the Scriptures assigning to him those things which are required to a perfect man; as first, a body; Luke xxiv. 39. Heb. ii. 17. x. 5. 1 John i. 1. secondly, a soul; Matt. xxvi. 39. Mark xiv. 34. and therein, first, a will; Matt. xxvi. 39. secondly, affections; Matt. iii. 5. Luke x. 21. thirdly, endowments; Luke ii. 52.

Fourthly, General infirmities of nature; Matt. iv. 2. John iv. 6. Heb. ii. 18.

Q. 6. Wherefore was our Redeemer to be man?

A. That the nature which had offended might suffer, and make satisfaction, and so he might be every way a fit and sufficient Saviour for men; Heb. ii. 10-17.

CHAP. XI.

Of the offices of Christ, and first of his kingly.

Q. 1. How many are the offices of Jesus Christ?

A. Three; first, of a king; secondly, a priest; thirdly, a prophet; Psal. ii. 6. cx. 4. Deut. xviii. 15.

a In the exercise of these offices, Christ is also the sole head, husband, and firstborn of the church.-Papal usurpation upon these offices of Christ, manifest the pope to be the man of sin.

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; Psal. cx. 1. Acts ii. 36. x. 42. 1 Cor. xiii. 12. 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 twofold power; first, his power of ruling in and over his church; secondly, his power of subduing his enemies; Psal. cx. 3-7.

Q. 4. What is his ruling power in and over his people?

A. That supreme authority, which, 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, external and ecclesiastical, in giving perfect laws and rules for their government, as gathered into holy societies, under him; 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.

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 oft-times he beginneth in this life, and will continue unto eternity; Psal. cx. John vi. 46. viii. 59. ix. 41. xii. 40. 2 Cor. x. 4-6. 1 Cor. v. 6. 1 Tim. i. 20. Mark xvi. 16. Luke xix. 21. Acts xiii. 11. Rev. xvii. 14.

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Q. 1. By what means did Jesus Christ undertake the office of an eternal priest?

b 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 bis enemies, is the glory of his gospel, and the good of his people.

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