Church of God,which he hath purchased with his own blood. 1 Tim. ii. 6. Who gave himself a Ransom for all to be teftified in due time.

Under Pontius Pilate,

Who was he?

A. Governor of Judea, Luke iii. 1. Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cefar, Pontius Pilate being Governor of Judea, and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee, and his Brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea, and of the Region of Trackonitis, and Lyfanias ibe Tetrarch of Abilene.

Q. How came he to fuffer under him?

A. The Jews delivered him to him, Matth. xxvii. 1, 2. When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took councel against fefus to put him to death; and when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the Governor. John xviii. 30, 31. They answered and faid unto him, If he were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him up unto thee. Then faid Pilate unto them, take ye him and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore faid unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.

2. What did he do to him?

A. He acknowledged him innocent, and yet condemned him to die, Matth. xxvii. 24, 26. When Pilate faw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and wafised his hands before the multitude, faying, I am innocent of the blood of this just perfon: fee ye to it. Then releafed be Barabbas unto them: and when be bad fcourged Fefus, be delivered him to be cru cified.

2 Why is his Name put into the Creed?

A. That we may know the Time when Chrift fuffered, Gal. iv. 4. But when the fulness of the time was come, God fent forth his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law.

2. Why did he suffer under him that was a Roman?

A. That the Scriptures might be fulfilled, Pf. xxii. 16. For dogs have compaffed me, the affembly of the wicked have inclofed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. Zach. xii. 10. And I will pour upon the boufe of David, and upon the inhabitants of ferufalem, the Spirit of grace and of Supplications, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only fon, and fhall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first born. Numb. xxi. 9. And Mofes made a ferpent of brass and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a Serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the Serpent of Brafs, he lived. John iii. 14 And as Mofes lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, ven fo must the Son of man be lifted up.

Was crucified, Dead,

How do ye prove he was crucified?

A. Luke xxiii. 33. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they cruci fied him and the malefactors; one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

9. What was that?

A. They fasten'd his Body to a Cross, with Nails drove through his Hands and Feet, Pfal, xxii. 16. For dogs have compaffed me, the afembly of the wicked have enclofed me they pierced my

T 4

Hands

Hands and my Feet. Matth. xxvii 35. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, cafting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, They parted my Garments among them, and upon my Vesture did they caft lots. Zech. xii. 10. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerufalem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only fon, and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firft-born. John xix. 34. And one of the Soldiers with a spear pierced his fide, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

Q. Why fo?

A. That he might redeem us from the Curse of the Law, Deut. xxi. 23. His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wife bury him that day (for he that is hanged is accurfed of God) that thy land be not defiled which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an Inheritance. Gal. iii. 13. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us': For it is written, curfed is every one that hangeth on a

Tree.

Q. How long did he hang?

A. Three Hours, Luke xxii. 44. And it was about the fixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth, until the ninth hour. Mark xv. 19. And when the Centurion which stood over against him, faw that he fo cried out, and gave up the Ghoft, he faid, Truly this man was the Son of God. During which time he prayed, Luke xxiii. 24. Then faid Jefus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do; and they parted his raiment and caft Lots. Converted the Thief, Verse 43. And Jefus faid unto him, verily I say unto thee, to day Shalt

thon

thon be with me in Paradife. Said to his Mother, John xix. 26. When Jefus therefore Saw his mother and the Difciple standing by, whom he loved, he faith unto his mother, Woman behold thy Sun.

Q. How do ye prove he dyed?

A. Luke xxiii. 46. And when Jesus had cryed with a loud voice, he said, Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit, and having faid thus he gave up the Ghoft. John xix. 30. When Jesus therefore had received the Vinegar, he faid it is finished: and he bowed his head and gave up the Ghoft. Matth. xxvii. 50. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the Ghaft. Mark xv. 37. And Jefus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the Ghoft.

Q. Why did he die?

A. For us, Rom. v. 8. But, God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet Sinners Chrift died for us. 1 Cor. xv. 3. For I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Chrift died for our Sins, according to the Scriptures. Ifai. liii. 6. All we like sheep have gone aftray: we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of

us all.

Q. What Benefit is that to us?

A We are thereby reconciled to God, Rom. v. 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son: much more being reconciled, we fall be faved by his Life. Matth xx. 28. Even as the Son of man came not to be miniftred unto, but to minifter, and to give his life a ranSom for many. 1 John ii. 2. And he is the propitiation for our fins; and not for ours only, but also for the fins of the whole world. 1 Tim. ii. 6. Who

1

gave himself a ransom for all, to be teftified in due

time.

And buried: He defcended into Hell,

Q. How do ye prove that it is necessary to believe that Chrift was buried?

A. I Cor. xv. 3, 4. For I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Chrift died for our fins, according to the fcriptures. And that he was buried, and that he rofe again the third day according to the fcriptures.

Q. Why buried?

A. That we may be fure he was really dead.
Q. Who buried him?

A. Jofeph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, John xix. 38, 39, 40, 41, 42. And after this Fofeph of Arimathea, (being a Difciple of Jefus, but fee cretly for fear if the Jews) befought Pilate that he might take away the body of Fefus; and Pilate gave him leave: He came therefore and took, the Body of Jefus. And there came alfo Nicodemus (which at the first came to Jefus by night) and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jefus, and wound it in linnen cloaths, with the Spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a gar-. den; and in the garden a new fepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jefus there fore, because of the Jews preparation day, for the fepulchre was nigh at hand. Ifa. liii. 49. And he· made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, because ke bad done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Q. How