Wherein Did Christ's Humiliation Consist?

Answ. Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.

Q. What is Christ’s estate of humiliation?

A. The veiling of his divine glory for a time, and appearing in this world as a ma?i of sorrows and suffering.

Q. What moved Christ to humble himself?

A. His great love to elect sinners, Gal. ii. 20.

Q. In what did Christ humble himself?

A. In his birth, life, death, and after his death.

Q. How did he humble himself in his birth?

A. In his being conceived and born in a low condition,

Q. Was it great humiliation in Christ to be thu’s born?

A. Yes; how wonderful for the great God to become in an! the Father of eternity, a creature of time 1 the

Ancient of days, an infant! and the Holy One of Israel, to assume the likeness of sinful flesh! Jer. xxxi. 22. Isa. vii. 14.

Q. In what low condition was Christ born?

A. He was born of a mean woman, in Bethlehem, & mean place, in a stable, and laid in a manger, Luke ii.

Q. Was he not descended of the family of David king of Israel? A. Yes; and to shew this, the evangelists give us the history of his pedigree, Matth. i. Luke iii.

Q. How then was he born in such a low condition?

A. At that time the family of David had lost its lustre, -and was sunk into a very low state, Isa. liii. 2. and xi. 1*

Q. How was Christ humbled in his life?

A. In being made under the law, and undergoing the miseries of this life, Gal. iv. 4. Isa. liii. 3.

Qj Under what law was Christ made?

A. Under the ceremonial and judicial, but especially under the moral law, Matth. iii. 15. Gal. iv. 4, 5.

Q. Why was he especially made under the moral law

A. Because this was the matter of the covenant which Adam broke, and we in him, Gal. iii. 10. and iv. 4.

Q. For what end was he made under the law ?.

A. To redeem ih em that were under the law, Gal. iv,

Q. Are then believers not bound to obey God’s law?

A. They are bound to obey it as a rule; but not as a covenant to procure life by it, Gal. ii. 19, 20, 21.

<J. Whether was Christ made under the law as a cove* nant, or as a rule of life? A. As a covenant of

works j for he was made under that same law from which he intended to redeem his people, Gal. iv. 4,-5.

Q. Why might he not intend to redeem us from the law as a rule?

A. Because that would make his righteousness the price ef licentiousness, Jude 4. Tit. ii. 14. and iii. 8.

Q^ Under what of the law as a covenant was Christ -made? A. Under the command and the curse of it.

Q. Why was he made under the command of it?

A. That he might perfectly obey it in our stead.

Q. Why was he at the same time made under the curse of it? A. That he might satisfy the justice of God,

for. our disobedience, Dan. ix. 24. 1 John ii. 2.

Q. If Christ was made under the curse, how is It

■■”* that he was not brought under the defiling strength of sin?

A. The infinite holiness of his person prevented it.

Q^ Was it not great humiliation in Christ to be made under the law?

A. Yes *, it was astonishing for the great Lawgiver to become the law’s bond-servant j and for God, blessed for ever, to be made a curse for us, Phil. ii. 8.

Q. What miseries of this life did Christ undergo?

A. Such as were sinless and common, Matth. viii. 17.

Q. If Christ did not undergo, sinful plagues, how did he suffer the same punishment which we deserved?

A. Sinful plagues are not of the essence of punishment, but only spring from the curse as it lies on a sinner.

Qj How then was ‘Christ made sin for us? A. All

the sin of an elect world was laid on, and punished in him.

Q. Did Christ undergo the sinless infirmities of deafness, blindness, &c.?

A. No j they are not common, and would have hindered him from duly executing his office.

Q. In what did Christ undergo the miseries of this life?

A. In his soul, body, reputation, estate, and relations.

Q. What miseries did he undergo in his soul?

A. The temptations of Satan, with much grief and sorrow from the world, Matth. iv. Isa. liii,

Q. What chiefly occasioned this grief and sorrow?

A. The wickedness of men, and their opposition to his ministry, Heb. xii. 3. Luke xix. 41, 42.

Q. What bodily miseries did he undergo?

A. Cold, hunger, thirst, weariness, sweating, bleeding, &c Matth. xxi. John iv. Luke xxii.

Q. What misery did he undergo in his reputation?

A. The vilest calumny and reproach, Luke xxiii. 2.

Q. How was he reproached? A. He was called a

glutton, drunkard, blasphemer, Sabbath-breaker, a seditious person, a companion of profligates, and one in compact with the devil, Matth. xi. 19, &c.

Q. How did he undergo misery in his estate?

A. Though the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, yet he had not where to lay his head.

Q. What misery did he undergo in his relations?

A. His own friends and countrymen disbelieved, despised, hated, and otherwise injured him, Luke iv. 28.

Q. Was it astonishing humiliation for God, infinitely rich, glorious, and happy, to become thus poor, reproached, and miserable I A. Yes j 2 Cor. viii. 9.

Q. Why did Christ undergo these miseries of thisHfe?

A. That he might unsting them to his- people, and the better sympathize with us in trouble, Heb. ii. 17, 18.

Q. How was Christ humbled at his death?

A. By undergoing the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross, Isa. liii. 10. Phil. ii. 8. Luke xxii, xxiir;

Q. Had not Christ undergone the wrath of God all his life time? A. Yes j but he suffered it more seyerely

at his death r BhiL.ii. 8. Matth.xxvi, xxvii.

O. From whom did he suffer it at his death? A. From devils, disciples, malicious men; and from an angry God.

Q. What did he suffer from devils? A. Great har rassment of his sinless soul, John xiv. 30. Luke xxii. 53.

Q. What did he suffer from his disciples?

A. Judas betrayed, Peter thrice denied, and they all. forsook him, Matth. xxvi. Qj, What did he suffer from malicious men?’

A. They preferred a thief and a murderer to him y crowned him with thorns $ reviled, buffetted, scourged condemned, and crucified him, Matth. xxvi, xx-vit.

£K What did he suffer from God I A. The hiding of his face, and the direful effects of his wrath, Psal. xxii.

Q. Wrhere did he especially suffer the wrath of God V

A. In the garden and on the cross, Matth. xiv, xv.

O. How know you that he then suffered the wrath of God? A. By his bloody sweat, and the words which

he spake at these times, Luke xxii. 44. Psalm xxii.

Q. What lid the pressure of God’s wrath make Christ cry out in the garden? A. He cried out in an agony,

My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death; and if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, Matth. xxvi.

Q^ What did it make him cry out upon the cross I

A. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Q How could God thus lay his wrath upon Christ, hi* only and well beloved Son?

A. Because he was now standing in the law-room o£ elect sinners, 2 Cor. v. 21.

Q. Did God spare Christ any more than he would have done sinners? A. No j not in the least; but delivered

him up to the death for us all, Rom. viii. 32.

Q^ To what death did God deliver Christ up?

A. To the death of the cross, Gal. iii. 13.

Q. What kind of death was that?

A. A cursed, shameful, and painful death, Gal. iii. 13.

Q. How was the death of Christ a cursed death?

A. God, to testify his displeasure at man’s sin by the fruit of a tree, had said, Cursed is eiiei’y one that hangeth on a tree, Gal. iii. 13. Deut. xxii. 23.

Q. How was it a shameful death? A. He was hung up naked, as a vile slave and malefactor, Luke xxiii.

Q^ How was it a painful death? A. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross, his bones drawn out of joint, and he expired, in a lingering manner, in these tortures, Psalm xxii. 14 — 21. Matth. xxvii. John xix.

Q. What was the type of Christ’s death on the cross?

A. Moses lifting up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, John iii. 14. and xii. 32, 33. Num. xxi. 4, 9.

Q. How did this typify his death? A. This symbol of the serpent, a cursed creature, was lifted up on a pole for the healing of Israel j so Christ, made a curse, was lifted up on the cross for the healing of sinners.

Q. Why did Christ die a cursed death? A. To

redeem them that were under the curse, Gal. iii. 13.

Q. Did Christ’s death separate his soul or body from his divine nature? A. No •, Rev. i. 18. 1 Pet. iii. 18.

Q. What became of his soul when it was by death separated from his body?

A. It went to heaven, Luke xxii. 43.

Q. Why did not Christ suffer eternal wrath? A. The divinity of his person gave infinite value to what he suffered j and therefore the law could not require the eternity of suffering, Acts xx. 28. Eph. v. Heb. ix. 12, 14.

Q. How was Christ humbled after his death?

A. In his being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time, Psalm xvi. 10.

Q, How could Christ say on the cross, 7/ is finished when he was humbled after his death?

A. His meaning was, that his sensible and soul sufferings were just then finishing.

g. Why was Christ buried? A. To shew that he

was really dead, and to perfume the grave for his people.

Q. Who buried Christ’s body A. Joseph of

Arimathea, and Nicodemus, John xix. 38, — 42.

Q. Where did they bury him? A, In Joseph’s new grave in his garden near mount Calvary, John xix, 41.

Q. Why did God so order it, that Christ was buried where never man was laid I A. That there might be

no room to say, another had risen in his stead.

Q. Why did he suffer his agony and was buried in a garden? A. Man first sinned in a garden, Gen, iir.

Q. What gave death and the grave dominion over Christ? A., His being;made sin for us, 2 Cor. v. 21.

Q. How long did Christ’s body continue in the grave?

A. Till the third day after his death, 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4.

-Q. What was the type of Christ’s lying so long in the grave? A. Jonah’s being three days and three nights

in the whale’s belly, Mat. xii. 40. Jo ah i. 17. andii. 10.

Q^. How can it be said, Christ wzstliree days and three nights in the grave, when he lay only about thirty-four hours in it? A. He was in it a part of three natural days.

Qj. Did he see corruption in the grave?

A. No for he had never sinned, and his body was still closely united to his divine nature, 2 Cor, v.- 21. Psalm xvi. 10.

Q. What are the glorious properties of this infinitely amazing humiliation and death of Christ?-’ A. It was

voluntary, acceptable, meritorious, and victorious.

Q. How was it voluntary? A. Christ undertook and underwent it with the utmost chearfulness, Psal. xl. 7, 8.

Q. How was it acceptable? A. God took infinite

pleasure and delight in this service of Christ, Eph. v. 2.

Q. Whence did the acceptableness of Christ’s death flow? A. From its being infinitely valuable and voluntary and its being commanded of God, John x».

O. How was it strictly meritorious?

A. He never owed it for himself and it was as valuable as the reward of our eternal life, and his own glorious exaltation, Acts xx. 28..

Q. How was it victorious? A. Christ hereby vanquished and triumphed over sin, devils, and death; and opened an abundant vent for God’s love to us, Dan. ix 24. Q. How should we improve the humiliation of Christ?

A. By believing and admiring his love by humility and* contentment under the heaviest afflictions and by boldly craving and expecting the blessings which our bro= ther Christ hath, by his humiliation, purchased for us*