nature of man in Him, and so could suffer for any or for all that are of that nature; and the only man too, who was God as well as man, and so could suffer as much, yea, more in their nature, than all the men in the world could ever do in their own persons. And so was every way qualified to undergo the death which God hath threatened in our stead, and so to make satisfaction to the law, to the justice, to the word, and to the truth of God for us, that we by Him may not only escape death, but likewise attain eternal life.

For this purpose therefore He was not only crucified, but dead too, that is, He hung upon the cross so long, till at length He gave up the ghost, or died, Matt. xxvii. 50. Luke xxiii. 46. and so offered up Himself as a sacrifice to God, for the sins and in the stead of all mankind. For He died for our sins, 1 Cor. xv. 3. He was a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world, 1 John ii. 1, 2. He gave Himself a ransom for all, or instead of all, 1 Timothy ii. 6. He tasted death for every man, Heb. ii. 9. for He took not on Him the person, or the nature, of any one or more particular men only, but the nature of man in general, that which all and every man is of. And therefore the death which He suffered in that nature must needs be for every one that is of that nature; so that there is no man but may be saved by it, if He will but believe in Him as he ought, John

iii. 16.

Jesus Christ being thus dead, I believe further that He was buried, 1 Cor. xv. 4. that is, His body being now

bereaved of its soul, it was laid in a grave, tomb, or sepulchre, in the ground, by Joseph of Arimathea, Matt. xxvii. 60. and Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews, John xix. 39. But in His soul He descended into hell. For though as He was God, the penitent thief was to be with Him in paradise the same day He died, Luke xxiii. 43. yet as man, He did not yet ascend unto the Father, John xx. 17. But He Himself in David said unto the Father, Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, Ps. xvi. 10. Acts ii. 27. From whence I cannot but believe also that He went to hell, although the end for which He went thither be not clearly revealed by God, and therefore not necessary to be known or determined by us. Be sure He suffered nothing there: for He had suffered enough before our redemption: as He shewed also, in that all the power of hell was not able to keep Him there; which might be one great end of His going thither; even to shew, that He had suffered the extremity of the law, paid the uttermost farthing, and so made complete satisfaction for us.

QUESTIONS.

42 Who was Pontius Pilate ?

Why was his name put into the Creed ?
What did Jesus Christ suffer under him?
For whom did He suffer?

What do you mean by His being crucified ?
Why was He crucified ?

Did He die upon the cross?

Why was it necessary that He should die ?

For whom did He die?

What was done to His body after His death?

Whither went His soul?

What ground have you to believe it went to hell ?

The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

Although Jesus Christ died, was buried, and descended into hell, and so was truly in the number of the dead for some time, yet He afterwards rose again from the dead; that is, the same soul that departed from His body upon the cross, was again united to the same body, so that He revived and became alive again, as He was before He died. For this is attested by all the Evangelists, and many others who saw Him and conversed with Him after He was risen again, Acts xiii. 30, 31. 1 Cor. xv. 4, 5, &c. yea, and saw the prints of the wounds which the nails, wherewith He was fastened to the cross, had made in His hands and feet, Luke xxiv. 39. and which the spear wherewith He was pierced, John xix. 34. had made in His side, John xx. 27. whereby they were fully assured, that it was the very same body which they had seen before upon the cross.

Neither do I only believe that Christ rose again from the dead, but that He rose again the third day, that is, the third day from or after His death inclusively, the day on which He died being reckoned for one, and the day on which He rose for another, according to the common way of speaking among all people, and particularly the Jews, 1 Cor. xv. 4. And I further believe, that as He died for us, so He likewise rose again for us. For He was delivered for

our offences, and raised again for our justification. Rom. iv. 25.

But for that purpose, after He was risen from the dead, He continued only forty days upon earth, Acts i. 3. and then He ascended into Heaven, that is, He in that soul and body which He had assumed, and in which He died and rose again, He in the same soul and body, and so in the whole nature of man united to His divine Person, was taken from the earth, and carried up to that high and holy place which we call Heaven, where the glorified saints and angels live and enjoy God, Luke xxiv. 51. Acts i. 9, 10, 11. And He was no sooner there, but He was set at the right hand of God, Mark xvi. 19. that is, He was made much better than the angels, Heb. i. 3, 4. angels and authorities and powers being made subject to Him, 1 Pet. iii. 22. For God hath there highly exalted Him, and given Him a name that is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, Phil. ii. 9, 10, 11. Yea, God hath now set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the Church, Eph. i. 20, 21, 22.

Thus the man Christ Jesus, immediately upon His ascension into Heaven, was set at the right hand of God, advanced to the highest degree of honour in the world, and vested with absolute and supreme authority over all things in it. All power is given to Him both in heaven and earth, Matt. xxviii. 18. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son; that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father, John v. 22, 23. So that He is now Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, the only Potentate, 1 Tim. vi. 15. the universal Monarch of heaven and earth; the Governor of all the creatures in the world. They are all and every one not only in His hand, but under His feet, that He may do and deal with them as He pleaseth: for He is Head over all things; and that also to the Church : for the good and benefit of the Church, which He hath purchased with His own blood; and therefore we may be sure He takes care, that, according to His promise, the gates of hell shall never prevail against it, Matt. xvi. 18. which they would certainly do, if He had not such absolute dominion over them and all things else; that as the Father ordereth all things for the good of the world in general, so Christ the Son doth the same for His Church in particular, that all things may work together for the good of that and of every sound member in it, Rom. viii. 28.

And as Jesus Christ, being set at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, is Himself also an Almighty King, and can do whatsoever He will; so He sits