Q. 36. What Fruit reapest thou by the holy Concep tion and Birth of Chrift?

A. That he is our Mediator, and by his Innocency and perfect Holiness, doth cover my Sins wherein I am conceived, and keepeth them from coming in the Sight of God ..

The USE.

Irft hereby our Faith is greatly confirmed, that he that was made Man, is alfo the Son of God; for how should all Things not be very true, whatsoever he reporteth unto us of God, feeing he hath revealed nothing to us of God, but what himfelt faw and knew? Again, our Hope is alfo helped, in that he was fo made Man, that he alfo made Man God, and us the Sons of God, and even his Brethren, wherewith we may comfort our felves under the Crofs, and in Afflictions. Laft of all, our mutual Love one toward another is hereby inflamed; for there is no fo evident Token of Love, as that the Creator of all Things was made for us a Creature, our Lord, our Brother, the Son of God became the Son of Man: Who would not then, to the uttermoft of his Power, follow that our Mediator Jefus Chrift, that is, his Meeknefs and kind Difpofition, who, when as there was nothing higher than he, did for our fake caft himself fo low, that of his own accord he took on him the Shape of a Servant, (that is, our Flefh) and that fubject to all Infirmities, even to the Death of the Crofs.

THE ARGUMENT.

Hitherto of the Perfon; now of the Office of Chrift, as touching our Redemption, the Parts whereof are Two,bis Humiliation and his Glorification: To his Humiliation belong his Suffering,and under whom he suffered, and his Punishment, that is, the Kind of his Death.

XV. Lord's

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XV. LORD's DAY.

Q: 37• Hat believeft thou when thou Sayft, he

fuffered ?

A. That in the whole Time of his Life, which he continued here upon Earth, but efpecially in the End thereof, he fuftained both in Body and Soul, the Wrath of God against the Sin of all Mankind, that by his Suffering, as by the only Sacrifice of Reconciliation, he might both deliver our Souls from everlasting Condemnation, and might alfo purchase for us the Favour of God, Righteoufnefs, and everlasting Life.

The USE.

BY this Hiftory of the grievous and bitter Suffering of Chrift, we are put in Mind, how hainous, a Matter Sin is, for the which God would receive no Ranfem, but the Death of his only begotten Son. Secondly. How exceeding the Love of Chrift to ward us is, who did not stick to fuffer fo fearful Torments for us, that he might reconcile us unto God, and might purchase unto us Life and Salvation, which by Sin we had loft. Thirdly. To confider what Duty we ow again, namely, to prepare our felves according to the Counfel of Peter, both to tuffer patiently, because we are thereunto called, and Chrift fuffered for us, leaving us an Example, that we should follow his Steps; and alfo to refift Sin, because he bare them in bis Body upon the Crefs, 1 Pet. 2. 21, 24. that we being dead unto Sin, might live unto Righteousness.

I

Q. 38. What Reafen was there, why he fuffered under Judge Dilate ?

XXXVII. f Ifa. 53. 4, 5, 12. 1 Tim. 2.6.1 Pet. 2. 24. ani 3. 18.

8 Ifa. 53. 10. Rom. 2. 25. I Cor. 5.1 7. Eth. 5. 2. Heb. 9. 28. and 10. 14. John 2. 2. and 4. 10.

A. That

b Gal. 3. 13. Col. 1. 13. Heb. 9. 12, 1 Pet. 18, 19. 14, i 2 Cor. 5. 21. John 3. 16, 36. and 6. 51. Heb. 9.15, and 10. 19,

A. That he an Innocent, being condemned before a civil Judge, might fet us free from the fevere Judgment of God, which was to fall upon us1

Q. 39. Is it any more that he was faftned to the Cross, than if he had been put to any other Kind of Death?

A. Yea truly, it is more, for by this I am fore that he hath taken upon him the Curfe, which did hang over me; for the Death of the Crofs was curled by God"

THE

ARGUMENT.

That Chrift died and was buried, and why, and what Fruit there is of it, where of the Death of the Faithful, and afterward the Meaning of the Words, He defcended, &c.

Q. 40.

XVI. LORD's

WHY

DAY.

Hy was it necessary that Chrift should humble himself even to the Death? A. Because the Juftice and Truth of God", could by no other Means be fatisfied for our Sins, than by the Death of the Son of God . Q. 41. Wherefore was he also buried 2

A. That he might thereby make it known, that he was truly dead P.

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4 5.

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The

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The USE.

S° often as we hear the Burial of Chrift fpoken_of, we are thereby put in Mind of the fanctifying of our Graves, that they are now no more Pits,wherein the caft Bodies of Men die and confume to nothing, but Chefts and Chambers, wherein Men are laid up and fafely kept, against the Refurrection that shall furely come.

Q.42. But feeing Chrift died for us, why must we alfo die?

A. Our Death is not a Satisfaction for our Sins, but an utter deftroying of Sin, and a Palfage into everlasting Life'.

The USE.

WHerefore, having been taught, that it is the common Con

of all Men to die, we are all and every one of us put in Mind, fo to order our Life, that whenfoever God goeth about to call us out of this Valley of Miferies, he may find us ready, that is, neither too much intangled with the Cares of this Life, nor difcouraged with the Fear of Death, both because we know this to be the very Way of the whole Earth, and alfo, becaufe whether we live, or whether we die, we are our Lord Jefus Chrift's, Rom. 14. 8. who is unto us, (as the Apostle faith) bath in Life and Death Advantage. Phil. 1. 21.

Q. 43. What Profit receive we further by the Sacrifice and Death of Chrift?

A. That by the Power of his Death, our old Man is crucified together with him, and is alfo dead and buried, that the evil Concupifcences and Defires of the Flefh, may not hereafter reign in us, but that we may offer our felves unto him a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving ".

Q. 44. Why

Q. 44. Why is this added, He defcended into Hell?

A. That in my greatest Sorrows and moft grievous Temptations, I may uphold my felf with this Comfort, that my Lord Jefus Christ, by the unspeakable Anguifh, Torments and Terrors of his Soul, whereinto he was plunged, both before, and especially as he was hanging upon the Crols, hath delivered me from the Anguish and Torments of Hell*.

The USE.

Wherefore we receive no fmall Fruit and Comfort, even of this Part of Chrift's humbling, whereby we may fuftain our felves in extreme Sorrows, and in moft grievous Temptations; for if our Confcience do trouble us with the Multitude of our Sins, for the which we tremble at God's Judgment, who threat neth unto Sin everlafting Condemnation, this Shield of Faith is ready at Hand; that Chrift did moft bitterly endure in his Soul, the Anguifh of Confcience for our Sins, together with the Senfe and Feeling of God's Judgment and Wrath, when he complaned and faid, My Soul is heavy even to the Death, Mark 14. 34. If Satan alfo fet upon us, and fet before our Eyes that Gulf, than which none can be more fearful, as if God had forfaken and caft us away, and would not vouchfafe to hear us, and if he had confpired our Deftruction, let us then call to mind, that the Son of God was theretore heard and delivered when he groned and cried out, My God, my Cod, why hast thou forsaken me? Matth. 27. 46. Heb. 4. 7. that we might not for ever be forfaken. Laft of all, feeing we have fuch a Mediator, who did wrestle with the Power of the Devil, with the Horror of Death, and with the Pains of Hell, who would not here be confirmed against any Anguish and Sorrow, being perfwaded of the good Will of fo mighty a Prince, and high Prieft, towards him, who, both in all Things was tempted alike, yet without Sin, Heb. 4. 15. and in whom ftraight after his Refurrection, that triumphant Song which the Prophet made of him was fulfilled, O Death, I will be thy Death, O Grave, I will be thy De Auction, Hofea 13. 14. whereunto the Apoftle alludeth, as being in us likewife be fulfilled in the bleffed Refurrection. Death is Swallowed up in victory: O Death where is thy Victory? O Grave where is

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