ple's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high-priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore."

Rev. v. 13: "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever."

Q. 22. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?

A. Christ the Son of God became man by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

Taking to himself a true body.

[The Docetæ denied that he had a true body, and held that he only appeared to have.]

Heb. ii. 16, 17: "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren; that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

Luke xxiv. 39-43: "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish,

and of an honey-comb. And he took it, and did eat before them."

1 John i. 1: "Which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life."

And a reasonable soul.

[Some ancient errorists held that Christ had no human soul, but that God supplied the place of a soul in the human body. Others held that while God, or a super-angelic creature, supplied the place of a human soul, he had only an animal spirit, but no rational soul, and so was not truly man.]

Matt. xxvi, 38: " My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.

Heb. iv. 15: "For we have not an high-priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet with

out sin.

Luke i. 35: "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

Heb. vii. 26: "For such an high-priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens."

Q. 23. What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?

A. Christ as our Redeemer executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.

Prophet.

Acts iii. 22, 23: "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me: him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people."

Priest.

Heb. v. 6: "As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.'

King.

Ps. ii. 6: "Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion."

Both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.

See Q. 27, 28.

Q. 24. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?

A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

Revealing to us.

John i. 18: "No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."

John xv. 15: “ 'All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you."

By his word.

2 Cor. v. 18-20: "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did

beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

1 Pet. i. 10-12: "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."

By his Spirit.

John xiv. 16: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."

For our salvation.

John xx. 31: "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

Q. 25. How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?

A. Christ executeth the office of a priest in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God; and in making continual intercession for us.

A priest.

Heb. viii. 1-3: "Now, of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such an high-priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high-priest is ordained to offer

gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer."

Offering up himself.

Eph. v. 2: "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.”

Heb. ix. 12-14: "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God!"

Heb. ix. 22-24: 66 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."

Once offering.

Heb. ix. 25-28: "Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high-priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others: for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

Heb. x. 14, 18: "For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Now, where