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yet he was not a priest: Samuel was a priest and a prophet, yet he was not king. Which shews us how far short the types and shadows came of the substance.

Q. Do not all the promises of the new covenant flow from Christ's several offices as their proper fountain ?

A. Yes; the promises of instruction, illumination and conduct, flow from his prophetical office; the promises of pardon, peace and healing, from his priestly office; and the promises of deliverance, protection, grace and glory, flow from his kingly office.

Q. Do not these three offices of Christ render him a most suitable help and complete remedy for all the grievances and necessities of his people? A. Yes.

Q. Can a man close with Christ in one of these offices, and not in another?

A. No; they are but hypocrites who would divide his offices, and receive him partially; for whoever would reap benefit by one office, must receive Christ in all.

Q. In which of Christ's estates doth he execute his three offices?

A. In both of his estates, to wit, of humiliation and exal-. tation.

Q. What do you mean by these two estates of Christ?

A. By his estate of humiliation, I understand that low and afflicted condition Christ was in here upon earth; and by his estate of exaltation, that raised, high and glorious condition he is in now in heaven.

Q. How did Christ execute all his three offices in his estate of humiliation ?

A. 1st. He executed his office as a prophet, by his personal ministry upon earth, and sending out his disciples to instruct the world in the way of salvation. 2dly. He executed his priestly office, by offering up himself a sacrifice on the cross, and praying for his people. 3dly. He executed his kingly office, in promulgating and explaining laws to the world, purging the temple, and riding in triumph to Jerusalem.

Q. How doth Christ execute these three offices now in his estate of exaltation?

A. 1st. He executes that of a prophet, by furnishing and sending forth his ministers to teach the world. 2dly. That of a priest, by making intercession for his people. 3dly. That of a king, by proclaiming his laws, subduing his enemies, and governing his church.

Q: Did Christ execute none of these offices before either his state of humiliation or exaltation ?

A. Christ being installed in all these three offices by virtue of the covenant of redemption, he entered upon the execution of them immediately after the fall, and did execute them so far as his work did not necessarily require his incarnation.

Quest. 24. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?

Ans. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

Q. What do you mean by a prophet, or his office?

A. One whose employment it is, either to foretel things to come, or to teach sinners the will of God, and expound his word to them.

Q. Is Christ a prophet in all these respects?

A. Yes.

Q. What do we read of his prophesying, or fortelling things to come ?

A. He foretold Judas his betraying him, Peter's denying him, all the disciples their forsaking him, the manner of his death and sufferings, his rising on the third day, the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, the persecution of his disciples, the calling of the Gentiles, &c. Matt. xxvi. 23, 31, 34. and xx. 18, 19. Luke xix. 44. Matt, xxiv. 2. John xvi. 2. Matt. xxi. 43.

Q. By what other ways did Christ execute his prophetical of

fice?

A. He did it by his personal ministry, and teaching sinners the will of God, while he was on earth; and by sending forth his apostles and their successors to teach them; and by illu minating the minds of Gospel hearers by his Spirit, to understand and relish divine truths.

Q. Who was the need of such an extraordinary prophet as Jesus Christ to teach us the will of God?.

A. Because of the gross darkness and blindness which came upon us by the fall; and because none but he, that was in the bosom of the Father from eternity, was capable to make known to us the hidden mysteries of the Gospel, John i. 18. Acts xxvi. 18..

Q Did Christ execute his prophetical office under the Old Testament, as well as the New?

A. Yes, for he existed before he became man, and taught his church of old.

Q. How doth that appear ?

4. By the holy scripture, which tells us, that Christ was in the Old Testament prophets by his Spirit; that he preached in the days of Noah, to these who are now in prison; that he spake with Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness, and was tempted by them there. See 1 Pet. i. 11. and iii. 19. Acts vii 38, 39. 1 Cor. x. 9.

Q. Wherein doth Christ excel all other prophets?

A. In regard Christ authorizes them all, and teacheth the heart as well as the ear. No prophet ever taught with such authority, power, wisdom, diligence, faithfulness, zeal and compassion, as Christ did; nor ever confirmed his doctrine with such miracles and holiness of life as Christ did his, Matt. xxvi. 16, 22, 34, 46. Luke iv. 22. Matt. vii. 28, 29. John vii. 46. Luke xxiv. 32, 45. John xv. 24. and viii. 46.

Q. By what means doth Christ reveal to us the will of God? A. He doth it outwardly by his word, and inwardly by his Spirit.

Q. Why are the scriptures called the word of Christ? Col. iii. 16.

A. Though they be also the word of the Father and of the Holy Ghost, yet they are Christ's word in a peculiar manner, because by them he speaks as Mediator in the name of God, and executes his prophetical office for teaching the church.

Q. Is it only by the word read that Christ teacheth his church? A. He teacheth also by preaching and hearing of the word; and therefore he hath appointed pastors for opening up the scriptures, and teaching his church thereby to the end of the world, Matt. xxviii, 19, 20. Neh. viii, 8. Rom. x. 14, 15, 16, 17. Prov. viii. 34.

Q. Is the word sufficient to teach us the will of God without the Spirit?

A. No; for though the scriptures are in themselves a sufficient rule, to direct, yet such is the darkness of our minds, that we cannot savingly discern and receive divine truths without the Spirit's illumination, 1 Cor. ii. 14.

Q. How is it that the Spirit teacheth us the will of God? A. He teacheth us in and by his word, giving inward light, writing his laws in our hearts, and setting home spiritual truths upon the conscience.

Q. What are these special lessons which our great prophet teacheth sinners by his Spirit?

A. Such as these; the great evil in sin, the woful corrup tion of our natures, the dreadful wrath we deserve, our insufficiency to save ourselves, the fulness of saving power that

is in Christ, the excellency of the new covenant, and suretyrighteousness, the necessity of the Spirit's work in the soul, and of faith and holiness.

Q. Is not the Spirit sufficient to teach us these things without the word?

A. No doubt he could have taught us by the Spirit alone, without the word, if he had so pleased; but he hath institu ted the word as the means he will make use of in teaching his church, Isa. viii. 20. Rom. xv. 4.

Q. What case are these in, who have not the scripture to reveal the will of God to them?

A. They must be in a perishing condition, Prov. xxix. 18. Q. Cannot the light of reason, or the sun, moon, and stårs, make known the will of God to us?

A. No; for though they may teach us some general things concerning God, yet they cannot shew us the way of salvation through Jesus Christ

Q. Who are these that are taught the will of God by his word and Spirit?

A. All true believers are so taught.

Q. Do not others know the will of God besides them?

A. Though natural men may have much literal knowledge, and some common illuminations; yet none but believers attain to the saving knowledge of God's will.

Q. How may we know if our knowledge of God's will be saving?

A. We may conclude it is so, if it tend to humble us, and exalt Christ; if it warm our hearts, transform our souls, and reform our lives; and if we study to live up to our light in all respects, Phil. iii. 8, 9. John xiii. 17. 2 Cor. iii. 18.

Q. What shall become of these who are ignorant of God and his will, and slight the means of knowledge which God hath appointed?

A. He that made them will not have mercy on them: but will come with flaming fire, to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel, Isa. xxvii. 11. 1 Thess. i. 8.

Q. What shall ignorant persons do for knowledge?

A. They must read and hear the word, and go to Christ the great prophet and teacher of his church, and cry, Lord open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law, Psalm cxix. 18.

Quest. 25. How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?

Ans. Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God; and in making continual intercession for us.

Q. What are the two parts of Christ's priestly office in the answer ?

A. They are his offering sacrifice, and making intercession for us.

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Q. What do you mean by a sacrifice?

A. In the scripture-sense, it is a living creature slain, and offered to to God, to make atonement for sin.

Q. What is it to make atonement for sin?

A. It is to satisfy God's justice for sin, and pacify his wrath.

Q. What was the sacrifice which Christ our priest offered up to God for us? A. It was himself.

Q. What mean you by himself? Was it his body or his soul, that he offered ?

A. He offered up both his body and soul for us, according to Heb. x. 10. Isa. liii. 10.

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Q. What is meant by his offering up himself a sacrifice for

A. His presenting his death and sufferings to God for his acceptance, as an equivalent for the sins of an elect world. Q. How often did Christ offer up himself for us?

A. Once, and no more; though yet the Papists most absurdly pretend to offer him up frequently in their unbloody sacrifice of the mass, and so set every mass-priest upon a level with Christ.

Q. Why may not Christ be offered oftener than once?

A. Because his once offering up of himself did sufficiently satisfy justice and none else can offer up Christ but himself; nor can he be offered without new suffering, which is inconsistent with his exalted state. See Heb. ix. 25, 26, 28.

Q. For what ends did Christ offer up himself as a sacrifice? A. We are told in the answer, that he did it, to satisfy divine justice for our sins, and to reconcile us unto God.

Q. Could neither angels nor men offer a sacrifice sufficient to satisfy the justice of God for our sins? A. No.

Q. Why so?

A. Because no satisfaction of theirs could be of infinite value.

Q. Was divine justice fully satisfied by Christ's sacrifice?

A. Yes.