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same, that through death he might destroy the devil,” Heb. ii. 14. And that he has a human soul as well as a body, he assures us himself, when he says, My soul is sorrowful even unto death,” Matth. xxvi. 38. Lastly, Jesus Christ himself declares he is a true man, capable of being put to death, when he says, "You seek to kill me, a man who have spoken the truth to you," Jo. viii. 40.

Q. 5. Was Jesus Christ, in his human nature, subject to all the infirmities of man?

A. Yes; Jesus Christ, as man, was pleased to subject himself to all our infirmities and miseries, sin only excepted, of which he was incapable ;that he might thereby manifest to us the more abundantly, the infinite riches of his goodness and mercy towards us. Thus he subjected himself to suffer hunger, and thirst, and weariness; to be afflicted with grief and sorrow of mind: to be tempted and tried; to suffer pain and torment in his body, and to undergo death itself, and that in the most cruel and ignominious manner; "It be hoved him in all things to be made like to his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest, with God, to make a reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that wherein he himself hath suffered and been tempted, he is able to succour them also that are tempted," Heb. ii. 17. "For we have not a high priest, who cannot have compassion on our infirmities, but one tempted in all things like as we are; yet without sin," Heb. iv. 15. For " he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth," 1 Pet. ii. 22. On the contrary, "he was holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners," Heb. vii. 26.

Q. 6. Why did Jesus Christ subject himself to all the infirmities of human nature?

A. That he might be able to suffer for our sins; for, whereas the divine justice demanded a satisfaction for sins equal to the injury done to God by sin, which none but God could give; and, on the other hand, God himself was incapable of suffering in his own nature, in order to give that satisfaction; therefore, he took our nature upon him, with all its infirmities, that in his flesh he might be able to suffer and die for us: Christ, "his own self bore our sins in his body upon the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live to justice ;-by whose stripes you are healed," 1 Pet. ii. 24.; Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he might offer us to God, being put to death, indeed, in the flesh," 1 Pet. iii. 18. "Christ therefore suffered in the flesh," 1 Pet. iv. 1.; and Isaiah long before his coming hath foretold, that "he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins.... and by his bruises we are healed," Isaiah liii. 5.

Q. 7. What was it that moved Almighty God to provide such a Redeemer for lost men?

"He

A. It was the effect of his pure love and mercy towards us. He was not obliged to do it; he might have pursued us with all the rigour of his justice, if he had been pleased to do so, as he did the fallen angels; but he had compassion upon our miseries, and, of his own free will, out of pure love to us, provided the Redeemer for us. Thus Isaiah, foretelling the sufferings of the Redeemer, says, was offered because it was his own will,” Is. liii. 7. And Jesus Christ says on this subject, "No man taketh away [my life from me, but I lay it down of myself; and I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again," Jo. x. 18. And, therefore, though his enemies, on different occasions, "sought to apprehend him, yet no man laid hands on him, because his hour was

.

not yet come," Jo. viii. 30. Now that it was
pure love for us, and compassion for our miseries,
which moved God to send us such a Redeemer,
is often declared in holy writ; "God so loved the
world as to give his only begotten Son, that who-
soever believed in him may not perish, but may
have life everlasting. For God sent not his Son
into the world to judge the world, but that the
world may be saved by him,” Jo. iii. 16. "By
this hath the charity of God appeared towards
us; because God hath sent his only begotten Son
into the world that we may live by him. In this
is charity not as though we had loved God, but
because he first loved us, and sent his Son
to be a propitiation for our sins," 1 Jo. iv. 9.
"God, who is rich in mercy, for his exceeding
great charity wherewith he loved us, even when
we were dead by sins, hath quickened us together
in Christ, (by whose grace you are saved,)-
that he might shew, in the ages to come, the abun-
dant riches of his grace in his bounty towards us
in Christ Jesus," Eph. ii. 4. "In this we have
known the charity of God; because he hath laid
down his life for us," 1 Jo. iii. 16. "God com-
manded his charity towards us; because, when
as yet we were sinners, according to the time,
Christ died for us," Rom. v. 1. "Christ also
loved us, and hath delivered himself for us an ob-
lation and a sacrifice to God," Eph. v. 2. And
in this we see the greatness of his love for us; for,
as he himself declares, "greater love than this no
man hath, that a man lay down his life for his
friends," Jo. xv. 13.

Q. 8. In what manner did God the Son take the nature of man upon him?

A. He made choice of the blessed Virgin Mary to be his mother, and, when the fulness of time was come, in her sacred womb, and of her most

pure blood, a human body was formed, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, and a most perfect soul was created to animate this body; and in the samé instant of time, the Divine Nature was united to this soul and body, in the presence of God the Son, by the power of the Most High, which overshadowed this Blessed Virgin for that purpose.Jesus Christ, God and man, being thus conceived in her sacred womb, remained there for the space of nine months, and then was born of her in the stable of Bethlehem, she still remaining a pure virgin.

Q. 9. What account does the Scripture give of this?

A. St. Paul says, that, "when the fulness of time was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman," Gal. iv. 4, to shew that he took flesh of her, or that his body was formed of the substance. of her body; so also the Scripture says that he was born of Mary, "Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ," Matth. i. 16. And that she was a Virgin, both when she conceived and when she brought him forth, was foretold long before by the prophet Isaiah, saying, "Behold a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel," Is. vii. 14. "which, being interpreted, is God with us," Matth. i. 23.; and in what manner this was done, is thus told by St. Luke: "And the angel Gabriel was sent from God, unto a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, saith to her, Hail, full of grace, our Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women. And when she had heard, she was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of

salutation this should be. And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God: Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: he shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High.... And Mary said to the angel, how shall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee, and therefore, also, the holy One which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God....And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word," Luke i.

Q. 10. Has Jesus Christ two natures?

A. Yes; Jesus Christ has two natures, the nature of God and the nature of man, united together in one person, which is the person of God the Son; for, as the Athanasian creed expresses it, as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ."

Q. 11. How does it appear from Scripture that there is but one person in Christ?

A. Because the same person who is there declared to be Christ, according to the flesh, is also declared to be God; thus, St. Paul, speaking of the Israelites, says, "of whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is over all things God blessed for ever," Rom. ix. 4. He also says, that the same person, "who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal to God, was made in the likeness of man, and in fashion found as a man," Philip. ii. 6.; and Jesus Christ himself, who says on one occasion, "I and the Father are one," John, x. 30, says at another time, "I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I," John xiv. 28.; where the same person of

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