Question 27

Did Jesus Christ humble humself?

Yes. Who being in the Form of God, he made himself of no Reputation,^a

Was it a deep Humiliation?

Yes. For he said, I am a Worm, and no Man,^b

Was it requisite he should humble himself?

Yes. For thus it was written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer,^c

And was that a proper Expedient to atone for our Sin?

Yes. For the Sinner had said, I will be like the most High,^d

Did Christ humble himself in his Birth?

Yes. For he who thought it not Robbery to be equal with God, was made in the likeness of Men,^e

Was he Born of that which was then a poor Family?

Yes. He was a Root out of a dry Ground,^f

Was he Born of a poor Woman?

Yes. For she offered for her cleansing only a pair of Turtle Doves, or two young Pigeons,^g compare^h

Was his supposed Father a poor Man?

Yes. They said, Is not this the Carpenter’s Son,ⁱ

Was he Born in a poor Place?

Yes. Bethlehem was little among the Thousands of Judah,^j

Was he Born in poor Circumstances?

Yes. In the Stable of an Inn, and laid in a Manger,^k

Had he the Respect paid him that was due to an Incarnate Deity?

No. For he was in the World, and the World knew him not,^l

Was he respected by his Countrymen?

No. He came to his own, and his own received him not,^m

Was he Born honourable?

No. For he took upon him the Form of a Servant,ⁿ

Was he Born wealthy?

No. Tho’ he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor,^o

Was Christ made under the Law?

Yes. God sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law,^p

Was he circumcis’d?

Yes. When Eight Days were accomplished,^q

Was he presented in the Temple?

Yes. They brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,^r

Did he keep their Passeover?

Yes. When he was Twelve Years old he went up to Jerusalem, after the Custom of the Feast,^s

Was he obedient to his Parents?

Yes. He went down with them to Nazareth, and was subject to them,^t

Did he pay Tribute?

Yes. That give for me and thee,^u

Did he fulfil all Righteousness?

Yes. Thus it becometh us to fulfil all Righteousness,^v

Did he submit to the Law of the Mediatorship?

Yes. Thy Law is within my Heart,^w

Was his Education mean?

Yes. For they said, Is not this the Carpenter,^x

Was the Place of his Abode despicable?

Yes. Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?^y

Did he live in Honour?

No. For he was despised and rejected of Men,^z

Was he attended by great Folks?

No. Have any of the Rulers, or of the Pharisees, believed on him,^aa

Were his Followers mean?

Yes. For they were Fishers,^bb

Did he live in Mirth and Pleasure?

No. He was a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief,^cc

Was the Sin of Sinners a Grief to him?

Yes. He was grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts,^dd

Were the Sorrows of his Friends a Grief to him?

Yes. Jesus wept,^ee

Had he a House of his own?

No. The Foxes have Holes, and the Birds of the Air have Nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head,^ff

Was he fed with the finest of the Wheat?

No. He had Barley Loaves,^gg

Did he live upon Alms?

Yes. For certain Women ministred to him of their Substance,^hh

Had he a stately Place to preach in?

No. He taught the People out of the Ship,ⁱⁱ

Was he tempted of Satan?

Yes. He was in the Wilderness Forty Days tempted of Satan,^jj

Was that a Part of his Sufferings?

Yes. For he suffered being tempted,^kk

Was he persecuted betimes?

Yes. Herod sought the young Child to destroy him,^ll

Was he slander’d and reproach’d?

Yes. They said of him, Behold a gluttonous Man, and a Wine-bibber, a Friend of Publicans and Sinners,^mm

Was he represented as a Madman?

Yes. They said, He hath a Devil, and is mad,ⁿⁿ

And as one that is in League with the Devil?

Yes. They said, He casteth out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils,^oo

Did they cavil at his Preaching?

Yes. He endur’d the Contradiction of Sinners against himself,^pp

Did he bear all this patiently?

Yes. When he was reviled, he reviled not again,^qq

But notwithstanding this had he Honour done him in his Humiliation?

Yes. For it was said concerning him, He shall be great,^rr

Did God put Honour on him?

Yes. He received from God the Father Honour and Glory,^ss

Did Angels do him Honour?

Yes. Behold Angels came and ministred to him,^tt

Did Foreigners do him Honour?

Yes. Wise Men of the East came to worship him,^uu

Did the common Report of the People do him Honour?

Yes. For some said he was Elias, others Jeremias, or one of the Prophets,^vv

Did those that saw his Miracles do him Honour?

Yes. For they said, It was never so seen in Israel,^ww

Did inferior Creatures do him Honour?

Yes. Even the Winds and the Seas obeyed him,^xx

Were Devils themselves compelled to acknowledge him?

Yes. For they said, We know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God,^yy

Did he humble himself unto Death?

Yes. He humbled himself, and became obedient unto Death,^zz

Did he die for us?

Yes. He was delivered for our Offences,^aaa

Was this according to the Counsel of God?

Yes. He was deliver’d by the determinate Counsel and Foreknowledge of God,^bbb

Did he suffer in his Soul?

Yes. For he said, Now is my Soul troubled,^ccc

Did he suffer from his Father?

Yes. He was stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted,^ddd

Did he suffer in Soul from his Father?

Yes. For he put him to Grief,^eee

Did this put him into an Agony?

Yes. He began to be sorrowful, and very heavy,^fff

Did he suffer this for us?

Yes. For he made him Sin for us who knew no Sin,^ggg

And yet did the Father love him, even when he bruis’d him?

Yes. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my Life,^hhh

Did he suffer from Satan?

Yes. Thou shalt bruise his Heel,ⁱⁱⁱ

Did Satan set upon him?

Yes. The Prince of this World cometh,^jjj

But did Satan conquer him?

No. He hath nothing in me,^kkk

Did he suffer from the Jews?

Yes. For they cried, Crucifie him, Crucifie him,^lll

Did he suffer from the chief of the Jews?

Yes. He was the Stone which the Builders refus’d,^mmm

Did he suffer from the Romans?

Yes. The Princes of this World crucified the Lord of Glory,ⁿⁿⁿ

Was he betray’d by Judas?

Yes. The Devil put it into the Heart of Judas Iscariot to betray him,^ooo

Was he sold for Thirty Pieces of Silver?

Yes. A goodly Price that I was prized at,^ppp

Was he forsaken by his own Disciples?

Yes. All his Disciples forsook him, and fled,^qqq

Was he falsly accus’d?

Yes. They sought false Witness against him to put him to death,^rrr

Was he basely abus’d?

Yes. He hid not his Face from Shame and Spitting,^sss

Was he condemn’d as a Blasphemer?

Yes. They said, He hath spoken Blasphemy,^ttt

Was he condemn’d as a Traitor?

Yes. For they said, He perverteth the Nation, forbidding to give Tribute to Cesar,^uuu

Was he scourg’d?

Yes. For by his Stripes we are heal’d,^vvv

Was he expos’d to Contempt?

Yes. He was a Reproach of Men, and despised of the People,^www

Did they scoff at him as a Prophet?

Yes. They said, Prophesie, who smote thee,^xxx

Did they scoff at him as a King?

Yes. They said, Hail, King of the Jews,^yyy

Did they scoff at him as a Priest and Saviour?

Yes. They said, He sav’d others, himself he cannot save,^zzz

Was he sentenc’d to the Cross?

Yes. Pilate deliver’d him to be crucified,^aaaa

Was he crucified between Two Thieves?

Yes. He was number’d with the Transgressors,^bbbb

Did he die a bloody Death?

Yes. For the Life of the Flesh is in the Blood, and it is the Blood that makes Atonement for the Soul,^cccc

Did he die a painful Death?

Yes. They pierced his Hands and his Feet,^dddd

And a shameful Death?

Yes. He endur’d the Cross, despising the Shame,^eeee

And a cursed Death?

Yes. For he that is hanged is accursed of God,^ffff

Did God seem to withdraw from him in his Sufferings?

Yes. He cried with a loud Voice, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?^gggg

Did Christ die to glorifie God?

Yes. For this Cause came I to this Hour, Father, glorifie thy Name,^hhhh

Did he die to satisfie for our Sins?

Yes. ’Twas to finish Transgression, and to make an end of Sins, to make Reconciliation for Iniquity, and to bring in everlasting Righteousness,ⁱⁱⁱⁱ

Did he die to conquer Satan?

Yes. He spoiled Principalities and Powers, triumphing over them in his Cross,^jjjj

Did he die to save us from Sin?

Yes. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity,^kkkk

Did he die to purchase Heaven for us?

Yes. For it is the purchased Possession,^llll

Was he in his Death made a Curse for us?

Yes. For Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for us,^mmmm

Sweat coming in with •, did Christ sweat for us?

Yes. His Sweat was, as it were, great Drops of Blood,ⁿⁿⁿⁿ

And Thorns being also a Fruit of the Curse, did Christ wear them for us?

Yes. They platted a Crown of Thorns, and put it on his Head,^oooo

Did Christ do all that was to be done in his Sufferings for us?

Yes. He said, It is finished,^pppp

Did the Events answer the Predictions?

Yes. For the Scriptures must be fulfilled,^qqqq

Are we sure that Christ was truly Dead?

Yes. For one of the Soldiers with a Spear pierced his Side, and forthwith came there out Blood and Water; and he that saw it bare Record,^rrrr

Did Christ die as a Martyr?

Yes. For before Pontius Pilate he witnessed a good Confession,^ssss

Did he die as a Testator?

Yes. For where a Testament is, there must of Necessity be the Death of the Testator,^tttt

Did he die as a Sacrifice?

Yes. Christ our Passover is sacrific’d for us,^uuuu

Was there Honour done to Christ even in his Sufferings?

Yes. The Earth did quake, and the Rocks rent, and the Graves were open’d,^vvvv

And were some thereby convinc’d?

Yes. They feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God,^wwww

Is the Cross of Christ then a Reproach to us?

No. God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,^xxxx

Is it what we should all be acquainted with?

Yes. I determin’d to know nothing but Jesus Christ, aud him crucified,^yyyy

Aud ought we to celebrate the Praises of our Crucified Saviour?

Yes. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Honour, and Glory, and Blessing,^zzzz

When Christ was Dead was he Bury’d?

Yes. They took him down from the Tree, and laid him in a Sepulchre,^aaaaa

Was he bury’d according to the Custom?

Yes. As the manner of the Jews is to bury,^bbbbb

Did he continue under the Power of Death for a time?

Yes. For as Jonas was Three Days and Three Nights in the Whale’s Belly, so shall the Son of Man be Three Days and Three Nights in the Heart of the Earth,^ccccc

Was this his Descent into Hell?

Yes. He descended into the lower Parts of the Earth,^ddddd

Did his Separate Soul go to Paradice?

Yes. To Day shalt thou be with me in Paradice,^eeeee

Did his Body see Corruption?

No. Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see Corruption,^fffff