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of execution, and there they nailed him on the cross; where they also crucified two malefactors, one on his right hand, and the other on his left; Mark xv. 20. Luke xxiii. 33.

29 Q. Did our Saviour then make no resistance, nor give a rebuke to their wicked cruelty?

A. He only prayed for them, and said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do;" Luke xxiii. 34.

30 Q. What was the inscription set over his head?

A. This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews; and it was written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew; John xix. 19.

31 Q. What affronts did he suffer on the cross?

A. When the soldiers had cast lots for his garments, the rulers mocked him, many of the Jews reviled him, and so did one of the thieves that was crucified with him; Luke xxiii. 34-39.

32 Q. How did the other thief carry it towards him?

A. He rebuked his fellow, he acknowledged his own guilt, and the innocence of Christ; he prayed that Jesus would remember him when he came into his kingdom; Luke xxiii. 40-42.

33 Q. What answer did Christ make to his faith and prayer?

A. Jesus said, “Verily, to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise;" verse 43.

34 Q. What respect did Jesus pay to his own mother Mary, when he saw her near the cross?

A. He commended her to the care of John, his beloved disciple; and from that time John took her to his own home; John xix. 26, 27.

35 Q. What were some of the last words of Jesus on the cross?

A. He cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me;" And a little after he said, "It is finished;" then he cried with a loud voice, " Father, into thy hand I commend my spirit," and died immediately; Mark xv. 34. Luke xxiii. 46. John xix. 30.

36 Q. What remarkable occurrences attended the death of Christ?

A. 1. At the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole land till the ninth: That is, from noon till three o'clock in the afternoon; Mark xv. 33.

2. The vail of the temple, which divided the holy place from the holy of holies, was rent from the top to the bottom.

3. There was an earthquake, the rocks were rent, graves were then opened, and many of the pious dead arose after his resurrection, and appeared to several Jerusalem; Matt. xxvii. 51-53.

persons in 4. The centurion who guarded the crucifixion of Christ, seeing these things, was constrained to confess, " Surely this man was the Son of God;" Mark xv. 39.

37 Q. What was done to the body of Jesus after his death?

A. When they broke the legs of the thieves who were crucified, that they might die the sooner, and be taken down from the cross before the sabbath, they broke not the legs of Jesus, because he was already dead; but a soldier pierced his side with a spear, and there issued blood and water; John xix. 31-37.

38 Q. How was Jesus buried?

A. Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, went to Pilate, begged the body of Jesus,

wrapped it in clean linen, with spices, laid it in his own new tomb, and rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre; Murk xv. 43-46. Luke xxiii. 56. John xix. 40. 39 Q. What was done by the enemies of Christ to secure him from rising again? A. The Jews desired Pilate to set a guard of soldiers about the sepulchre; and that they might know if the tomb had been opened, they sealed the stone that was rolled to the door of it; Matt. xxvii. 62-66.

SECTION II.

OF THE RESURRECTION AND APPEARANCES OF CHRIST.

40 Q. How did Jesus arise from the dead?

A. Early on the first day of the week there was a great earthquake, an angel rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it, his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow; the keepers shook for fear, and Jesus rose and departed; Matt. xxvii. 1-4.

41 Q. What was the first notice the apostles of Christ had of his resurrection?

A. Early in the morning after the sabbath, some good women came to bring spices and ointments to anoint the body, and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre; and an angel told them Jesus was risen, and bid them go tell his disciples; Mark xvi. 1-8.

42 Q. Which of the apostles came to the sepulchre to examine this matter?

A. Peter and John both went to the sepulchre, and found the linen clothes and the napkin, in which the body was wrapped, and were convinced that Jesus was risen; John xx. 1-10.

43 Q. What story did the Jews tell concerning the resurrection of Christ?

A. When the guards told the chief priests what was done, the priests and elders bribed them largely to say, that while they fell asleep, his disciples came by night and stole him away; Matt. xxviii. 11—13.

44 Q. How then did the soldiers come off with the governor ?

A. The priests persuaded the governor to forgive them for sleeping; verse 14.

45 Q. To whom did Jesus appear after his resurrection?

A. First to Mary Magdalene, afterwards to two disciples going to Emmaus, then to the apostles assembled, without Thomas; and all this on the day of his resurrection: Afterward he appeared to the apostles when Thomas was with them, again at the sea of Tiberias to seven of his disciples, then to eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee; then near Jerusalem, when he ascended to heaven.

46 Q. How long did he continue on earth after his resurrection?

A. He continued forty days, giving his disciples further instruction in the great things of the gospel, which they were not prepared to receive before his death; Acts i. 3. John xvi. 12.

47 Q. How did he appear to Mary Magdalene?

A. When she found not Jesus in the tomb, she turned away from the sepulchre, and she saw Jesus, but knew him not, till he called her by her name; John xx. 14—16. 48 Q. What did he say to her?

A. "Touch me not at present, but go to my brethren, and tell them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God; verse 17.

49 Q. How did he appear to his two disciples going to Emmaus?

A. He joined himself to them as they were walking, he reproved them for their unbelief, he proved to them out of the prophets, that the Messiah was to suffer death, and to enter into glory: He went into the house and eat with them; and when they. began to know him, he vanished out of their sight; Luke xxiv. 13—31.

50 Q. How did he reveal himself to the apostles when Thomas was absent the same evening?

A. When the doors were shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst of them; he blessed them, and gave them a commission to preach the gospel; he breathed on them, and bid them receive the Holy Ghost; John xx. 19-23.

51 Q. How did he appear to them when Thomas was with them?

A. A week after, Jesus stood in the midst of them again, when the doors were shut, and bid Thomas see and feel the marks of the nails in his hands, and of the spear in his side, and rebuked his unbelief; John xx. 24—27.

52 Q. Did Thomas confess him then?

A. Thomas, with surprize and joy acknowledged him, he broke out into a rapture of zeal and worship, and said to him, "My Lord and my God;" verse 28.

53 Q. How did he shew himself to them at the sea of Tiberias?

A. Some of them went a fishing and caught nothing all night: Jesus stood on the shore in the morning, and bid them cast the net on the right side of the ship; and they took a multitude of fishes; John xxi. 1—6.

54 Q. What remarkable occurrence happened at this meeting?

A. When they knew it was the Lord, Peter cast himself into the sea; and when they were come to shore, they eat some broiled fish, and Jesus eat with them; John xxi. 7, 13.

55 Q. How did Jesus reprove Peter for his want of love to him, and denying his master?

A. He rebuked him in a very gentle manner of speech, by asking Peter three times, whether he loved him or no; and then he foretold that Peter should love him so well, as to suffer and die for his sake; verses 15-19.

56 Q. How did he appear to them on the mountain in Galilee?

A. Jesus appointed them to meet him there; he told them that all power in heaven and earth was given into his hands, he gave them their commission to preach the gospel to all nations and promised his presence with them, and a power to work miracles, for the vindication of their doctrine; Matt. xxviii. 16-20.

SECTION III.

OF HIS ASCENSION TÓ heaven.

57 Q. How did he manifest himself to them near Jerusalem ?

A. He met them and led them out as far as to mount Olivet, near Bethany; he bid them to tarry at Jerusalem till the promised Spirit should fall upon them; he repeated

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their commission, appointed them to be witnesses for him in the world, and having blessed them, he ascended to heaven in a bright cloud; Luke xxiv. 49-51. Acts i. 4-11. 58 Q. Did he not appear to five hundred brethren at once?

A. St. Paul asserts it; 1 Cor. xv. 6. and it was neither the first nor the last time of his appearance; but when it was is uncertain; Acts i. 12.

59 Q. What notice was there given from heaven of his return again?

A. While they were gazing towards heaven, two angels appeared and assured them, that they should see him return in the same manner as he ascended; Acts i. 10, 11. 60 Q. Whither went the disciples then?

A. They worshipped Christ when he ascended to heaven, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, praising God; Luke xxiv. 52, 53.

CHAPTER XXV.

OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, CHIEFLY PETER AND JOHN; AND THE DEACONS, STEPHEN AND PHILIP.

1 QUESTION.

WHAT was the first remarkable thing the apostles did toward their future ministry,

after they returned to Jerusalem?

Answer. They chose two out of their company at Jerusalem, which was a hundred and twenty, that one of them might be an apostle and witness of the resurrection of Christ, in the room of Judas the traitor; Acts i. 15—22.

2 Q. How did they determine which of those two should be the man?

A. They called on the Lord by prayer, then cast lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, who was numbered with the eleven apostles; Acts i. 24-26.

3 Q. How long did they wait for the promised Spirit to fall upon them?

A. On the day of pentecost, which was ten days after the ascension of Christ, the Spirit of God was sent down upon them; Acts ii. 1-6.

4 Q. In what manner did the Spirit come upon them?

A. The house where they were met was filled with the sound of a rushing wind, and cloven tongues of fire appeared as sitting on all their heads; verses 2, 3.

5 Q. What was the first effect of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them?

A. They all spake with various tongues the wonderful works of God, to the amazement of the Jews, and a multitude of proselytes of all nations, that were then at Jerusalem; verses 4-11.

6 Q. Which of the apostles seemed to be the chief speaker at that time, and what was their doctrine?

A. Peter preaches to this multitude, bears witness to the resurrection and exaltation. of Christ, and the pouring out of the Spirit of God on men, partly from his own knowledge, and from these present visible effects thereof among them, and partly from the prophecies and promises of scripture; he leads them to Christ as a Saviour and Lord, calls them to repentance of their sins, and a profession of their faith in Jesus, by being baptized in his name; verses 14-41.

7 Q. What success had this sermon?

A. Three thousand souls were added to the disciples of Christ, and baptized on that day; verse 41.

8 Q. What was the temper of spirit which was admirable in these primitive converts? A. A spirit of devotion toward God and Christ, with a spirit of benevolence and intimate friendship toward each other; so far, that they were daily in the temple praising God, they were most frequently or rather continually engaged in prayer, and in remembering the death of Christ, by breaking bread with joy; and they so liberally distributed to the poor, that none was in want. These were the glorious effects of christianity in its first appearance; verses 42-47.

9 Q. How did the apostles effectually prove their doctrine and their commission to preach?

A. By doing many signs and wonders among the people, which were the gifts of the Spirit, proceeding from a risen Saviour; verses 33, 43.

Note, This was the proper beginning of the kingdom of Christ; or the christian dispensation; which was set up in the world in its glory, at the pouring down of the Spirit, after the ascension of Christ, and his exaltation to the government of the world and the church.

10 Q. What remarkable miracle was wrought by Peter and John at the temple-gate? A. A beggar that was born a cripple received the use of his limbs, when they bid him rise up and walk, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth; Acts iii. 1-9.

11 Q. What use was made of this miracle?

A. Peter took occasion from it to preach up this new doctrine, viz. the resurrection of Christ, and salvation in his name, citing the ancient prophets to confirm it; Acts iii. 12-26.

12 Q. What was the effect of this sermon ?

A. Five thousand were converted by it to the faith of Christ, but the priests and rulers put the apostles in prison; Acts iv. 1—4.

13 Q. What defence did the apostles make, when they were brought the next day before the priests and rulers?

A. They took courage again, and preached to this court the doctrine of the gospel of Christ; and silenced their enemies, by having the cripple that was healed stand among them; verses 5-14.

14 Q. What became of them after this their defence?

A. They were dismissed, and charged to preach no more in the name of Jesus; but Peter and John declared they would obey God rather than man; verses 15-20.

15 Q. Whither went the apostles after their discharge?

A. They went to their own company, and gave glory to God in prayer and praise; and their whole assembly was filled with the Holy Ghost; and boldly spake the word of God; verses 23-31.

16 Q. What remarkable instance of goodness and compassion was practised by these first believers ?

A. The souls of all of them were so united in love to Christ, and one another, that they sold their possessions and goods, and threw all into a common stock, which the apostles divided to every man according to his need; Acts iii. 44, 45. and iv. 32—35.

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