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SECTION III.

THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST.

THUS We have finished the two first designs of the public life and ministry of Christ, viz. his appearing with the character of the Messiah upon him, and his teaching the people. What is the third considerable design of his public life and ministry?

A. To work miracles for the confirmation of his doctrine, and for the proof of his being sent from God to be the Saviour of the world.

49 Q. What were some of the chief of the miracles which our Saviour wrought for this purpose?

A. These that follow:

1. He turned six vessels full of water into excellent wine; John ii. 7—11.

2. He fed five thousand persons once with five loaves and two small fishes; and again he fed four thousand with seven loaves; and at both times there were several baskets of fragments; Matt. xiv. and xv.

3. He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, strength and vigour to lame and withered limbs; Mark viii. John ix. Mark vii. Matt. xx. John'v. 4. He healed the leprosy, the fever, the palsy, the dropsy, and other distempers by a word of command; Matt. viii. and ix. Mark i. Luke xiv.

5. He walked on the water, and suppressed a storm at sea by a reproof given to the seas and winds; Matt. xiv. 25. and viii. 29.

6. He delivered several persons from the possession of the devil, by rebuking the evil spirits and commanding them to depart; Luke iv. Matt. viii. Mark i..

7. He raised a few persons from the dead, viz. the ruler's daughter in the chamber, the widow's son in the street, as he was carried to his burial, and Lazarus was called out of his grave when he had been dead four days; Mark ix. Luke vii. John xi.

50 Q. What is there remarkable in these miracles of our Saviour?

A. These four things:

1. That almost every wondrous work Christ performed was a work of love and goodness, whereas many of the wonders of Moses were works of destruction.

2. His miracles were very numerous, so that mankind could not be mistaken in all of them, though they should object against some.

3. They were wrought in many places of the jewish nation, and several of them before the eyes of the multitude, who could attest them.

4. They were such miracles, as were foretold should be wrought in the days of the Messiah, and therefore he continually appeals to his miraculous works for a testimony of his commission from God; John x. 37, 38, and xv. 24, and xiv. 11.

SECTION IV.

THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST.

51 Q. LET us proceed now and enquire, What was the fourth thing designed the public life and ministry of Christ?

A. To give an example to the world of universal holiness and goodness; John xiii. 15. 1 Cor. xi. 1. Rom. xv. 5.

52 Q. What are some of the more remarkable virtues, graces, or duties, wherein Christ appears to be our example?

A. 1. He sought the public glory of God with the warmest zeal, and vindicated the honour of his Father's appointments against the corruptions of men; John viii. 50. and xvii. 4. and ii. 16, 17. Matt. xxiii.

2. He was strictly observant of all the commands of God, even the ceremonial as well as the moral: He observed the sabbath, he came up to the feast at Jerusalem, he desired to be baptized, he came to fulfil the law of God, and made it his meat and his drink; Matt. iii. 15. and v. 17. John xiv. 31. and iv. 34. and vii. 10.

3. He was frequent and fervent in religious exersises, prayer and praise; Luke vi. 12. and xi. 1, 2. Matt. xiv. 23. and xi. 25.

4. He was eminent for heavenly-mindedness, self-denial as to the comforts of this life, and trust in God for his daily bread: He was so poor, that the good women ministered to him out of their substance, and he had not where to lay his head; Luke ix. 58. and viii. 3.

5. He bore sorrows from the hand of God with the highest submission, and the vilest injuries from men with perfect patience and meekness, not returning railing for railing, but blessing those that persecuted him; 1 Peter ii. 21–23. Matt. xi. 29. Luke xxii. 42. and xxiii. 34.

6. He gave the most glorious instances of good-will to men, compassion to the miseraable, and love to friends, to strangers and to enemies. He often had pity on the multitude that followed him, he travelled about and took all occasions to do good to the bodies and the souls of men; to their bodies by his healing and feeding them, and to their souls by his preaching and conversation, and at last he laid down his life for sinners; Acts x. 38. Matt. ix. 36. and xiv. 14. John xv. 13. Rom. v. 6, 8, 10.

7. He was obedient to his parents, paying them honour, and obedient to magistrates, paying tax and tribute; Luke ii. 51. Matt. xvii. 24.

8. He was humble and familiar with the poor, and even with publicans and sinners for their good; Matt. xi. 29. and ix. 11. He washed the feet of his own disciples; John

xiii. 14.

9. He was stedfast in resisting the temptations of the devil, and opposing the iniquities of men; Matt. iv. 1–11. Heb. ii. 18. and xii. 1, 2. Matt. xxiii. John ii. 13—17.

10. He was prudent and watchful against the snares of his enemies, and careful to give them no just occasions against him: This appears in the wisdom of his discourses, and his daily conduct; John vii. 1. and xi. 54. Matt. xvii. 27.

SECTION V.

HIS CALLING THE APOSTLES, AND INSTRUCTING THEM.

53 Q. WHAT was the fifth part of the business and design of his public ministry? A. To call his apostles, and instruct them in their great commission of preaching

the gospel.

54 Q. How many preachers did our Saviour send forth?

A. He first sent twelve, who were called apostles, whom he designed to make his chief ministers, and he afterward sent seventy through the land of Israel on the same errand of preaching the gospel; Matt. x. 1. Luke vi. 13. Luke x. 1.

55 Q. What was the commission that Christ gave them all?

A. To preach the gospel, to heal the sick, and to cast out devils; Matt. x. 1-8, Luke x. 9, 17.

56 Q. What were the names of the twelve apostles?

A. Simon Peter, and Andrew his brother, who were fishermen; James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were also fishers; Philip and Bartholomew;* Thomas, and Matthew the publican, who is also called Levi; James the son of Alpheus, who is called the Lord's brother; and Jude the brother of James, who is also called Lebbeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Canaanite, who is called Zelotes ;† and Judas Iscariot, who afterward betrayed his master; Matt. x. 2-4. Luke vi. 14-16. Gal. i. 19.

57 Q. Had these messengers of Christ success in their work?

A. Yes, they had some success, for the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name;" Luke x. 17.

58 Q. How did he train up his twelve apostles for their future service?

A. They were very frequently attending upon him, and dwelt much with him, before and after their first mission abroad, so that they enjoyed his private instructions, his prayers, and his example continually; Matt. x. 27. Luke xi. 1. Mark iv. 34.

59 Q. What peculiar instructions did he give his apostles?

A. 1. He explained the parables to them at home which he spake to the people, and acquainted them in private what they should preach in public; Matt. x. 27. Mark iv. 34.

2. He foretold they must expect difficulties and persecutions, but he promised the aids of his Spirit and his own presence with them, and a large reward in heaven; Matt. x. 16-33. Matt. xxviii. 20.

3. He charged them to love all men, and particularly to love one another; and not to affect dominion and authority over one another; so particularly, as if he designed to preclude the popish error of St. Peter being made prince of the apostles; John xiii. 34, 35. Matt. xx. 25.

4. If any house welcomed and received them, they were ordered to pronounce the blessing of peace upon that house; but when any town refused to receive their message,

Some suppose Bartholomew to be the same with Nathanael.

+Simon was not a Canaanite by nation, for the apostles were all Jews: Some therefore think it is only the Hebrew or Syriac word Cana, which signifies a zealot, with a Greek termination added,

they were commanded to shake off the dust of their feet as a testimony against them; Matt. x. 11, 15. Luke ix. 54, 55.

5. He told them that he was the Messiah, and that he came to give his life a ransom for men, that he should be crucified and put to death at Jerusalem, and that he should rise again the third day; Matt. xvi. 16-22. and xx. 28.

6. He prayed with them often, and taught them how to pray both in their younger and their more advanced state of knowledge; Luke xi. 1, 2—4. John xvi. 23, 24.

7. He gave them many admirable discourses before his death, he foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, and indulged their presence with him in his most excellent to God just before his sufferings. See Matt. xxiv. John xiv, and xv, and xvi. and xvii. prayer 8. He ordered them after his death to tarry at Jerusalem, till they should receive the promised Spirit to fit them for their further service; Luke xxiv. 49.

60 Q. Were there any of these apostles that seem to be his favourites?

A. If there were any, they were Peter, James, and John; for they were admitted to be present in the room, when he raised the ruler's daughter; and in the holy mount, when he was transfigured; and in the garden, when he sustained his agony: Besides that, John was called the beloved disciple, and leaned on Jesus's bosom at the holy supper; Mark v. 37, 38. Matt. xvii. 1. and xxvi. 37. John xiii, 33.

SECTION VI.

HIS APPOINTMENT OR INSTITUTION OF THE TWO SACRAMENTS.

61 Q. WHAT is the last part of the public ministry of Christ?

A. His appointment of the two sensible ordinances, which are called sacraments, viz. baptism and the Lord's-supper.

62 Q. When did he appoint baptism?

A. It is supposed that he confirmed and practised the baptism of John in his life-time, that is, the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; but doubtless with this constant requirement, that they should believe on him as a prophet sent from God. See Matt. iii. 11. Acts xix. 4. Matt. iv. 17. John iv. 1. It may justly be doubted whether our Saviour always from the beginning required the belief and profession of him to be the Messiah, as a necessary thing in order to become one of his disciples, and to receive his baptism in those early days, since he studiously avoided the preaching up of his own character as the Messiah, and concealed it from the public notice; Matt. xvi. 20. But after his resurrection and new-instituted form of baptism, none were to be baptized but those who professed Jesus to be the Christ or the Messiah.

63 Q. Did he make any alteration in the form of baptism afterwards?

A. After his resurrection, just before his 'ascension to heaven, he bid his disciples, "Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;" Matt. xxviii. 19.

64 Q. When did he appoint the Lord's-supper?

A. The same night in which he was betrayed, which was just after the feast of the passover, and a few hours before his death; 1 Cor. xi. 23.

65 Q. How did Christ appoint this ordinance to be performed?

A. Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and

66

said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you ;" and he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins;" then he said, “this do in remembrance of me;" and afterward he sung a hymn; Matt. xxvi. 26. 1 Cor. xi. 24.

66 Q. Do these ordinances of the gospel come in the room of any of the ceremonies of the jewish law?

A. It has been generally supposed, that baptism comes in the room of circumcision, and the Lord's-supper in the room of the passover: But the proof of this does not belong to this place.

67 Q. How long is the ordinance of baptism to continue?

A. Till the end of the world; for our Saviour, upon giving his apostles and ministers commission to teach and baptize, promises to be with them to the end of the world; Matt. xxviii. 20.

68 Q. How long is the ordinance of the supper to continue?

A. He not only bid them do this in remembrance of him, but St. Paul saith," Hereby ye shew forth the Lord's death till he come:" That is, till Christ come to judge the world; 1 Cor. xi. 24-26.

SECTION VII..

REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST.

69 Q. WHAT other remarkable occurrences are recorded in the life of Christ besides those that have been mentioned?

A. These that follow, viz.

1. When Jesus Christ healed the servant of the centurion at Capernaum, he only sent a message of healing by his master, without going near him himself, to shew that he had power over diseases at a distance, and could command them to depart; Matt. viii. 5-13.

2. When he cast many devils out of the man of Gadara, who lived among the tombs, the devils asked leave to enter into a herd of swine; and when Jesus permitted them, they drove the herd of swine down a steep place into the sea, and drowned them: Upon which, the people desired Christ to depart out of their coasts; Mark v. 1-17.

3. When Jesus healed the man of the palsy at Nazareth his own city, he forgave his sins, and then cured his distemper, as a proof of his power to forgive sin; Matt. ix. 1-8.

4. When the woman came to be cured of her bleeding, with a strong belief of his power and mercy, she only touched the hem of his garment, and Jesus pronounced that "her faith had made her whole;" Matt. ix. 20—22.

5. He went through a corn-field with, his disciples on the sabbath, and defended them in their plucking of ears of corn, and rubbing, and eating, from the accusation of the Pharisees, who pretended this was a breach of the sabbath; Matt. xii. 1-8.

6. When the Jews demanded a sign of him, he refused to give them any but the sign