A. By the Teftimony of Thofe who were Acts i. 21, Eye-witnesses of it; And faw Him firft cruelly 22. put to Death, and afterwards beheld Him Alive again. 6. 2. Are the Perfons, who give Teftimony hereunto, fuch as may be fecurely Rely'd upon, in a Matter of this Moment? ---iii. 15. V. 32. X. 39, 41. xiii. 31. Luke xxiii. 11, 20. A. They are: For firft, we have the Tefti- Mat. xxvii. mony of his most bitter Enemies, as well as of 5o, 59. his Friends, to prove his Death: Mark xv. 39, 44, 45. Mat. xxvii. 62, &c. Nor will 55. xxiv. I, the Sufferings which He underwent, permit Us to doubt of it: John xix. 33, 34. And, Secondly, as for his being Alive after; the Jews, who fet a Guard upon his Sepulchre, on purpofe to prevent his being Stolen away, and the Pretence of his Refurrection, which they were afraid his Difciples had defign'd to Raife thereupon, yet could not deny, but that in despite of all their Care, He was Gone out of the Sepulchre; and what was become of Him they could not tell. Mat. xxvii. 62, &c. xxviii. 11, c. 7. 2. But what pofitive Witness have you of his being Alive after his Crucifixion? ; and Luke xxiv. 37. 21, 22. A. We have the a Witnefs of his Apoftles; of a 1 Cor. xv, his* Difciples; of above* Five hundred Perfons, 5, &c. who faw him, and converfed with him many of whom died for the Teftimony which John xx. 19, they gave unto it: None ever went back from 25, 27, 28. it. We have befides this, the Witnefs of b A&s i. 3, Angels: The Witness of a Perfecutor, by b Joh. xx 12. this very Affurance converted into an Apoftle. As ix. 4, And, laftly, the Witnefs of d God Himself; who, without all Difpute, enabled the firft Preachers of this very Article to work wonderful Miracles, in Confirmation of it; and thereby as effectually, as could be defired, Gave his own Evidence to the Truth of it. Acts xiv. 3. D 2 8. 2. Why с 5. xxii. 8. 32. 33. Acts ii. 4, iii. 8, 15. iv, 8, 10, ---V. 12, 150 31, 32. 8. 2. Why do you add the Circumftance of the Time of his Refurrection, that He Rofe the Acts x. 40. Third Day? a Mat. xxvii. 45. Mark xv. 25. Luke xxiii. A. To fhew that he rofe according to the Types and Prophecies, that had gone before concerning Him; and upon the very Day that He himself had foretold he would Rife. Jonah i. 17. ii. 10. compare Mat. xii. 40. -Mat. xvi. 21. John ii. 19, 20. 9.2. How does it appear that it was the Third Day on which he Rofe? a A. He Suffer'd on the Sixth Day, being our Friday, between Nine and Three o'clock in the Afternoon b He Rofe on the First, commonly called Our Sunday Morning, after; and fo was Dead part of Friday; all Saturday; and part of Mat.xxviii. Sunday. For the Jews computed the Day from the Evening; and foSaturday Night, Six o'Clock, the First Day of the Week, according to them, began. 44., 1. Mark xvi. 2, 9. Luke xxiv. I, 3. John xx. 1. Acts xiii. 33. 10. 2. Was there any thing Remarkable in the Day on which he Rofe? A. It was the Day on which God had be fore defigned he fhould Rife. And therefore on this Day, the Sheaf of the Firft-fruits, by which their Harvest was to be confecrated, was lifted up before God, among the Jews; Lev. xxiii. 1o, to fignify, that Chrift, our First-fruits, fhould on this Day be Raifed up by God from the Dead, and fo become a Surety to Us, of our future Refurrection. See Rom. xi. 16. 1 Cor. xv. 20, 23. II.2. What is the fpecial Importance of this Article to Us? A. It is very great: Inafmuch as, First, It 2 Cor. xiii. does beyond Contradiction confirm the Divine Authority of our Bleffed Lord; Rom. i. 4. and the Truth of our Religion: And, in the next Place, does Affure Us, that the Price of our Re 4. demption demption was fully paid by Him; Rom. iv. 25. viii. 33, 34. and is a Pledge to us, that as Chrift was raised from the Dead, fo fhall our mortal Bodies be quickned alfo, by the Spirit of Chrift, 1 Pet. i. 3. which dwelleth in Us. Rom. vi. 5, 9. viii. 11. SECT. XIII. of bis Afcen fion into Heaven, and Seffion at 1.2. HOW did our Bleffed Lord difpofe God's Rightof Himself, after that he was Rifen band. from the Dead? 4. He continued upon Earth, Forty Days, with his Difciples, both to Confirm them in their Belief of his Refurrection: John xx. 19, 25, 27. and to inftruct them more fully in all those things, which they were afterwards to preach to the World: Acts i. 3. And then at the End of them: Helcended into Heaven; where he now Sitteth at the Right-hand of God, the Father Almighty. 2. 2. After what Manner did Chrift Afcend into Heaven? 4. He was taken up Visibly in the Prefence Luke xxiv. of all his Difciples. A Cloud came down un- 50, 53. der his Feet, and he mounted by Degrees in Mark xvi. it. They follow'd him a long time with their 19. Eyes; till at laft having loft Sight of Him, but yet ftill looking after him to the Place where he paffed, Two Angels appeared to them, and thus confirm'd them in the Truth of what they had feen; Ye Men of Galilee, why ftand ye gaz ing up into Heaven? The fame fefus which is taken up from you into Heaven, fhall fo Come in like manner, as ye have feen Him go into Heaven. Acts i: 9, 10, 11. 3.2. Did Chrift Afcend in the fame Body, in which He converfed with his Difciples, after his Refurrection? D 3 A. He Iph. iv. 10. 1.12. A. He did Afcend in the fame Body; and has affured Us thereby, that We fhall hereafter be Received up thither in our Bodies, as well as Souls; and fo Reign in Both, together with him. 4. 2. Into what part of Heaven did Chrift Afcend? A. He afcended into the Higheft Heaven; Heb. ix. 24. where God does in a fingular Manner fhew his Majefty, and Glory. And therefore our Creed tells us, that being afcended into Heaven, he a Mark xvi. a fat down at the Right-hand of God, the Father Almighty: Luke xxii. 69. Where alfo He shall continue, till he fhall come again from thence Plal. cx. 1. to judge bath the Quick and the Dead. Mat. xxv. comp. Acts 31. xxvi. 64. Acts i. 1 1. 19... Rom. viii. 34. ii. 34. 5. 2. What do you mean by the Right-hand Heb. i. 3,13 of God? viii. 1. 4. Not to Reprefent God under the Figure Col. iii. 1. of a Man; nor to intimate any particular ↳ Pofb See Rom. ture of Chrift Above; though having a Hu1Pet..22. mane Body he might well enough be defcribed Acts vii. 56. in it. But as by the One, I understand a Place viii. 34. Acts v. 30. Eph. i. 20, 21, 22. of Power, Honour and Authority; 1 Kings ii. 19. Pfal. xvi. 11. xliv. 3. Luke xxii. 69. Heb. i. 3, 4. So, by the Other, I fuppofe is meant, the fettled Poffeffion, and Enjoyment of all these Prov. xx. 8. Heb. x. 12. And the Senfe of the whole, I take to be this; That Chrift being Afcended up into Heaven, was immediately thereupon inflated by God in the full Poffeffion of his Regal Office and Dignity; and fhall continue to enjoy it, till he fhall have finifh'd the whole Work of our Redemption: Pfal. cx, 1. By beftowing Glory, and Salvation, upon all his Faithful Servants; and by finally destroying, in Hell-fire, all the Enemies of his Power and Dignity. < 1 Cor. xv. 25. comp. 6. 2. Does our Saviour do any thing, at prefent, for Us with God in Heaven? A. Yes; A. Yes; he perfects his Prieftly Office there, by Interceding Effectually to God for our Forgiveness: As the High-Priest under the Law, when he went into the Holy Place before the Ark, with the Blood of the Sin-offering, did thereby finifh the Propitiation which he was to make for the Sins and Offences of the People of the Jews. Rom. viii. 34. 1 Tim. ii. 5. Heb. ix. 11, 12, 24. X. 21. i John ii. 1, 2. SECT. XIV. 1.2. HOW long fhall our Saviour Chrift continue to Sit and Intercede for Us, at God's Right hand? A. Till the End of the World: Which being Come; He fhall Return from thence with Of bis Com ing from thence to Judgment. Glory to Judge both the Quick and the Mat.xvi.27. Dead. Acts iii. 21. The Heavens must Receive A&ts x. 42. him till the times of Reftitution of all Things, 2 Tim. iv. I. And then, This fame Jefus, which was taken up into Heaven, hall fo Come in like manner, as be was feen to Go into Heaven. Acts i. 11. 2. 2. What do you mean by the Phrase, the Quick and the Dead? 1 Pet. iv. 5. A. By the Quick, I understand those who fhall be found Alive on the Earth at the Day of Judgment: 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52. 2 Theff. iv. 15. By the Dead, thofe who have before departed out of this Life. And I make mention of Both to fhew, that ALL Men fhall be judged; And that a Chrift shall be the Judge Acts xvi. of ALL. Acts x. 42. 2 Cor. v. 10. 2 Tim. 31. IV. I. 1 Pet. iv. 5. 3.2. Do you then believe that there shall be a General Day of Judgment to the whole World? A. I do believe there fhall be fuch a Day, and that most Solemn and Terrible: Mat. x. 15. xi. 22, D4 2 2 Rom. xiv.. |