Catechistical Guide to Sinners and Babes in Christ, Part 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of God's Government ſince Chriſt hath been raiſed up, and particularly of God's raiſing up of Chriſt.
Q. YOu having ſhew'd a few things (and enough for the preſent) which you have been taught concerning God's Government, relating to the times wherein Chriſt was promiſed: It remains now that we diſcourſe of God's Government in the times ſince Chriſt hath been raiſed up: I ask you therefore, What have you learned concerning this Divine Government?
A. Concerning God's Government ſince the raiſing up of Chriſt, I have learned, That I am firſt and chiefly to mind the Work of God in raiſing up Chriſt, and his Work in ruling by him amongſt Men unto the end of the World.
Q. What have you learned concerning the Work of God in raiſing up Chriſt?
A. Concerning the Work of God in raiſing up Chriſt, I have learned, That God, according to his Promiſe, raiſed up the Chriſt, even Jeſus, by cauſing him to be born, and to become the Chriſt.
[Luke 1.68, 69, &c. Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael, for he hath viſited and redeemed his People: And hath raiſed up an Horn of Salvation for us, in the Houſe of his Servant David; as he ſpake by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets, which have been ſince the World began. Act. 2.30. Therefore David being a Prophet, and knowing that God hath ſworn with an Oath to him, That of the Fruit of his Loins, according to the Fleſh, he would raiſe up Chriſt to ſit upon his Throne, &c. Acts 3.26. Ʋnto you firſt, God having raiſed up his Son Jeſus, ſent him to bleſs you, in turning every one of you from his Iniquities. Act. 13.27. Heb. 5.4.5. And no Man taketh this honour unto himſelf, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So alſo Chriſt glorified not himſelf, to be made [or become] an High Prieſt: but he [glorified him] that ſaid unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. Verſ 9. And being made perfect, he became the Author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him. Acts 2.26. Therefore let all the Houſe of Iſrael know aſſuredly, that God hath made that ſame Jeſus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Chriſt.]
Q. How did God cauſe Jeſus to be born?
A. God did cauſe Jeſus to be born, by the Holy Ghoſt coming upon the Virgin, of whom he was born, Mat. 1.18. Luk. 1.35.
Q. Tell me by the way, How is this Jeſus to be known and diſtinguiſhed from all others?
A. This Jeſus who in the days of his Fleſh, was by Face known from all others, is now of us to be known and diſtinguiſhed from all others; by that deſcription the Scriptures give us of him, in the Hiſtory of his Birth, Life, Death, Reſurrection from the Dead, and Aſcenſion into Heaven.
Q. I would learn of you a brief account of this Matter; and firſt, What is the relation you have concerning the Birth of Jeſus?
A. It is this: When Herod was King of Judea, and Caeſar Auguſtus was Emperor of the World, then Jeſus was born at Bethlehem in Judea, of a Virgin named Mary, who conceived him in her Womb, by the Holy Ghoſt, and Power of the Higheſt coming upon her, and over-ſhadowing her for that end and purpoſe.
Q. What is the relation you have concerning the Life of Jeſus?
A. It is this: That Jeſus when he had lived about thirty Years a private Life with his Mother Mary, and Joſeph her Huſband; and when John the Baptist, the Son of Zacharias the Prieſt, had, by preaching the Baptiſm of Repentance, prepared the way before him, Jeſus, I ſay, then came into the World, to bear witneſs to the Truth, and in this exerciſe continued about three Years, confirming his Teſtimony by Signs and Miracles.
Q. What is the relation you have concerning the Death of Jeſus?
A. 'Tis this: That Jeſus when he had finiſhed the Work the Father gave him to do, was by wicked Men put to Death, and Crucified.
Q. What is the relation you have concerning the Reſurrection of Jeſus from the Dead?
A. 'Tis this: That Jeſus who died and was buried, roſe again the third day from the Dead.
Q. What is the relation you have concerning the Aſcenſion of Jeſus into Heaven?
A. It is this: That Jeſus after his Reſurrection, when he had ſhewed himſelf alive to his Apoſtles (and others) by many infallible Proofs, and was ſeen of them forty days, did in their ſight aſcend into Heaven.
Q. Now to return; How did God cauſe Jeſus to become the Christ?
A. God did cauſe Jeſus to become the Chriſt, by chooſing him, and calling him to be the Chriſt. Mat. 12.18. with Iſa. 42.1. 1 Pet. 2.4. Iſa. 42.6. and 49.1. Heb. 5.4, 10.
Q. What is it for Jeſus to be the Chriſt?
A. Jeſus is the Chriſt, That is, God's anointed Prophet, Prieſt, and King, by whom alone, and by whom always unto the end of the World, God will rule over all.
[The Name Jeſus ſignifies a Saviour, Mat. 1.21. And the Chriſt, or Meſſiah, or Meſſias, (which in the Hebrew Language are the ſame that Chriſt is in the Greek, and are ſometimes uſed in our Tranſlation, as in Dan. 9.25, 26. Joh. 1.41. & 4.24.) is in Engliſh, The Anointed. We read in John 1.41. thus in the Line, We have found the Meſſias, which is, being interpreted, the Chriſt; but in the Margin, The Anointed. It is to be obſerved that theſe terms, Meſſias and Chriſt, are in the Scriptures applied to Jeſus two manner of ways. For ſometimes they denote his Perſon; for as Jeſus is his Name, ſo alſo Chriſt is uſed for his Name, Matth. 1.16, 17. So Meſſiah, Dan. 9.26. He is called in the Scriptures, not only Jeſus, and Chriſt, but alſo Jeſus Chriſt, Chriſt Jeſus, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, &c.
But ſometimes theſe terms, Chriſt and Meſſiah, or Meſſias, denote his Office, as Joh. 1.41. & 4.26. In Act. 18.28. For he [Paul] mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, ſhewing by the Scriptures, that Jeſus was Chriſt. And thus it is to be taken in the preſent Queſtion and Anſwer. This Jeſus, the Chriſt, is called the Lord's Chriſt, Luk. 2.26. Act. 4.26. Rev. 11.15. and God's Chriſt, or the Chriſt of God, Luk. 9.20. Rev. 12.10. becauſe he was one ſo greatly loved of God, that God appointed and furniſhed him to be a Prophet, Prieſt, and King, whereunto he was of God raiſed and anointed, Act. 3.22. Luk. 4.18. Act. 10.28. Heb. 7.15. Act. 2.30. Jer. 30.9. There never was, or will be, any ſuch Anointed one as he. He had no Predeceſſor, and ſhall have no Succeſſor. Of theſe things, ſee what follows in this Diſcourſe.