bearance of God, to declare I fay, at this Time, his Righteousness, that he might be just, and the Fuflifier of him that believeth in Jesus.

The 13th Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

RE we able to pay for ourselves?

"A. In no wife; but on the contrary are "daily increafing our Debt."

Q. Why not?

A. Because we are unable, Ezek. xvi. We fhould fuffer for ever, Matt. xxv. 41. We cannot perfectly obey the Low; we are Servants of Sin, John viii. 34. And we increase our Debt every Day, Rom. ii. 5.

The 14th Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

S

Q. Is there a Creature to be found any where, who is able to pay for us?

"A. No. For God will not suffer another Crea"ture to pay the Debt which Man hath contracted ; " befides, no one Creature would be able to bear the "Weight of God's eternal Wrath against Sin, or to "deliver others from it."

Q. How do you prove that there is no Creature able to make a Reconciliation for us?

A. From Jer. xxx. 21. Who is that engaged his Heart to approach unto me, faith the Lord.

Q. Why not?

A. Because no Angel, nor Man, nor irrational living or lifelefs Creatures, together, or one of them in particular, is fufficient for an Expiation.

Q. Why could not an Angel pay the Debt for us?

A. 1ft, Becaufe an Angel hath no Right to stand Surety; the whole Service he can do, being previoufly due to God, his Creator and Mafter. 2dly, He poffefeth not that, which God's Justice requires, i. e. hu

man

man Blood to fhed, Heb. ix. 22. 3dly, He is not able to obtain an eternal Righteoufnefs; nor never could be a Lord and Poffeffor of the Redeemed.

Q. Why could not a Man fuffer to pay our Debts?

A. 1ft, By Reafon he is obliged to pay for himfelf; and that he can never do. 2dly, He hath no Right to lay down his Life. 3dly, He cannot be a proper Object of Faith, Adoration or Love. 4thly, The Oblation of Man is rejected of God, Pf. cvi. 37. Q. Why may not irrational, or living or lifeless Creatures be a Propitiation for us?

A. Because they are denied, Heb. x. 4. And God declares the contrary, Pf. 1. 13. And Jef. i. II. And our great Redeemer Jefus Chrift, fully hath fhewn the Vanity of fuch Attempts, by his own Sacrifice, P. xl. 7. This Sacrifice of Chrift was only typified by the Death of the Animal, especially by the Pafchal Lamb and Sin Offering, Heb. x. I.

Q. What are the Reafonings of our Catechift, in Anfwer to this Question?

A. The firft Reafon he gives is this, That God will not fuffer another Creature to pay the Debt which Man hath contracted; because it is Right in the Sight of God, that the Creature who hath made Debt, is obliged to pay for it, i. e. Man himfelf. Gen. ii. 17. But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou fhalt not eat of it; for in the Day that thou eateft thereof thou shalt furely die. And Exod. xxxii. 33. And the Lord faid unto Mofes, Whofoever had finned against me, him will I blot out of my Book. And Ezek. xviii. 2. The Soul that finneth, it fhall die. By which it appears, That God will act fuitable to his divine Juftice, which requires not to punish the Sin of fallen Angels in Men, nor that the Angels fhould fuffer for Men's Sake, but Men for themselves.

Q. What is the Second Reafon.

A. That no one Creature is able to bear the Weight of God's Wrath against Sin, or to deliver others from it;

and

and no Wonder, God's Wrath is infinite, and all Creatures are finite; wherefore, Pf. xlix. 7, 8. None of them can by any Means redeem his Brother, nor give to God a Ranfom for him; for the Redemption of their Soul is precious, and it ceafeth for ever. Pf. xc. II. Who knoweth the Power of thine Anger? Even according to thy Fear, fo is thy Wrath.

The 15th Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. WHAT Mediator, and what Redeemer must

we have?

"A. One who is truly Man, and perfectly just; " and at the fame Time more powerful than all other "Creatures, that is to say, he must be also truly God.”

The 16th Queftion of the HEIDELBERG

CATECHISM.

Q. WHY must he be truly Man, and perfectly just?

"A. Because the Juftice of God requires, that "human Nature which hath finned, fhould alfo pay for Sin; and therefore a Man who hath himself "finned, could not pay for the Sins of others."

The 17th Question of the HEIDELBERG

CATECHISM.

ND why must he be alfo truly God?

"A. That by the Power of his Divinity, "he may be able to bear the great Weight of the "Wrath of God in his human Nature, and by that "Means acquire for and render unto us full Juftifi"cation and Life, which we have loft.

Q. Can you prove this by Scripture?

A. Yes. Ifa. lxiii. 3, 5. I have trodden the Wine

E

Prefs

Prefs alone: I looked, and there was none to Help. 2d, To acquire Juftification, Isa. xlv. 24, 25. Surely fhall one fay, in the Lord have I Righteousness and Strength, even to him shall Men come; and all that are incenfed against him shall be ashamed; in the Lord fhall all the Seed of Ifrael be justified, and fhall Glory.

Q. Can you prove by Scripture the reftoring of Life which we have loft?

A. Yes. John x. 11. I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd giveth his Life for the Sheep. And Verfe 28. And I give unto them eternal Life, and they fhall never perish.

Q. Why muft the Redeemer be God as well as Man? A. Because the Divinity could not suffer, neither could Humanity bear the Weight of the Wrath of God.

The 18th Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. WHO is that Mediator who is at the fame Time very God, and very Man?

"A. Our Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath been made by God for us, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sancti"fication and Redemption.

Q. Whence do you learn this?

A. From 1 Tim. ii. 5. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Chrift Jesus. Q. How doth it appear that this Mediator is equally God with the Father and the Holy Ghost?

A. 1 John, v. 20. And we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jefus Chrift; this is the true God, and eternal Life.

Q. How doth it appear that he is truly Man?

A. 1 Tim. ii. 5. Ut. Sup. named commonly Son of Man. Pf. viii. 5. Ifa. ix. 5.

Q. How doth it appear that he is perfectly just ?

A. Hebi

A. Heb. iv. 15. Without Sin. 1 John, iii. 5. And in him is no Sin.

Q. How do you prove thathe is in one Perfon, both God

and Man?

A. From Ifa. vii. 14. and further from, 1 Tim. iii. 16. God was manifefted in the Flesh, juftified in the Spirit, feen of Angels, &c. John i. 14. And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, &c.

Q. Is Chrift, as Mediator, the only Redeemer of Sinners?

A. Yes. Because he alone has all the Properties neceffary to redeem us, 1 Cor. i. 30. But of him are you in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made unto us, Wisdom, and Righteoufness, and Sanctification, and Redɩmption. Q. Can you explain this Point?

A. Yes. That God hath made Chrift unto us Wisdom, to inlighten our ignorant Minds, that we may know God rightly, John i. 18. 2d, Righteousness, to justify our guilty Perfons, and thus to ftand in the Judgment before God; 2 Cor. v. 19. 3d, Sandlification, to renew our depraved Natures after the Image of God, Col. iii. 10. And that we may also ferve him in Holiness and Righteousness all the Days of our Life, Luke i. 74, 75: 4th, compleat Redemption, to deliver us from all Evil, and render us, both in Body and Soul, perfectly and eternally happy. Eph. i. 7. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood, the Forgivnefs of Sins according to the Riches of his Grace. In him are hid all the Treafures of Wisdom and Knowledge, Col. ii. 3. In him Love of God to Sinners, in the most triumphant Discovery that ever was or can be made of it in the World, 1 John iv. 10. In him all the Hopes of poor Sinners; take away Christ, and where is the Hope of our Souls? 1 Tim.i. 1. In him the Salvation of our Souls to Eternity; neither is there any other Name given under Heaven by which we may be faved, Acts iv. He is the Ark in whom we are preferved, Jud. Verfe 1. Well may we cry out,

E 2