leave their sins, "though one rose from the dead,” Luke xvi. 19-31.

39 Q. How could the hearers of Christ understand these parables?

A. There were many of them which they did not understand; but, when they were retired from the multitude, Christ expounded the parable to his disciples, Mark iv. 9—12, 34.

40 Q. Besides these public sermons and parables, had not Jesus Christ some conversation and disputes with several sorts of persons?

A. Yes, he had some discourses with the multitude and with his own disciples, which would be too long to repeat; and, besides these, he had also some debates with Nicodemus, with the woman of Samaria, with the Herodians, with the Sadducees, with the Pharisees and doctors of the law, with the rulers of the synagogue, and the chief priests and elders of the people. 41 Q. What was his discourse with Nicodemus?

A. He taught Nicodemus, who came to him by night, that a man must be born again; that is, he must have his old sinful nature renewed into holiness, if he would see the kingdom of God: and that God sent his only begotten Son to save as many as would believe on him, John iii. 1-21.

42 Q. What was our Lord's discourse with the woman of Samaria?

A. He told her of her living in the sin of fornication; and assured her the time was just at hand when God would not regard persons ever the more on account of the places on which they worshipped him, whether it were at the temple of Jerusalem or Samaria, but on the account of the spiritual worship which they paid him from their hearts; and he let her know plainly that he was the Messiah, John iv. 7—26.

43 Q. What discourse had Christ with the Herodians?

A. They inquired of him, whether it was lawful to give tribute to Cæsar? that, if he denied it, they might

accuse him to the Romans; if he asserted it they might render him odious to the Jews, and particularly the Pharisees: but Jesus gave them a very wise answer, and avoided their snares, by bidding them "render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things that are God's," Matt. xxii. 15-22.

44 Q. What dispute had Christ with the Sadducees? A. The Sadducees thought to ridicule him about the doctrine of the resurrection, by inquiring, to which of her seven husbands a wife would belong in that day? but, as he proved the resurrection to them from the law of Moses, so he assured them that there was no such relation as marriage in that state, Matt. xxii. 23-33.

45 Q. What disputes did our Saviour hold with the Pharisees, and the Scribes, and the teachers of the law?

A. He had many disputes with them about their excessive fondness for ceremonies and traditions, wherein he showed that they made void the law of God by their own invented traditions; and that the duties of morality, righteousness, and goodness, were more valuable even than the ceremonies of God's own appointment, and are to be preferred where they may happen to interfere: "for God will have mercy and not sacrifice," Matt. xv. 1-20. xxiii. and xii. 1-7.

46 Q. What was his debate with the ruler of the synagogue and other Jews?

A. About his healing diseased persons on the sabbath-day, at which they cavilled; but he proved to them that it was a very lawful thing; even from the care that God took of cattle on the sabbath-day in the law of Moses, Luke xiii. 14—17.

47 Q. What controversy had Christ with the chief priests and elders of the people?

A. About his own authority for preaching, wherein he silenced them, by inquiring of them, what authority had John the Baptist, whom all the people had esteemed as a prophet? Matt. xxi. 23-27.

SECTION III.

The miracles of Christ.

48 Q. Thus we have finished the first two designs of the public life and ministry of Christ, namely, his appearing in the character of the Messiah and his teaching the people. What is the third considerable design of his public life and ministry?

A. To work miracles for the confirmation of his doctrine, and for the proof of his being sent from God to be the Saviour of the world.

49 Q. What were some of the chief of the miracles which our Saviour wrote for this purpose?

A. These that follow:

1. He turned six vessels full of water into excellent wine, John ii. 7-11.

2. He fed five thousand persons at once with five loaves and two small fishes; and again he fed four thousand with seven loaves; and at both times there were several baskets of fragments, Matt. xiv. and xv.

3. He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, strength and vigour to lame and withered limbs, Mark viii. John ix. Mark vii. Matt. xx. John v.

4. He healed the leprosy, the fever, the palsy, the dropsy, and other distempers, by a word of command, Matt. viii. and ix. Mark i. Luke xiv.

5. He walked on the water, and suppressed a storm at sea, by a reproof given to the seas and winds, Matt. xiv. 25, 29. and viii. 26.

6. He delivered several persons from the possession of the devil, by rebuking the evil spirits, and commanding them to depart, Luke iv. Matt. viii. Mark i.

7. He raised a few persons from the dead, namely, the ruler's daughter in the chamber, the widow's son in the street, as he was carried to his burial, and Lazarus was called out of his grave when he had been dead four days, Mark ix. Luke vii. John xi.

50 Q. What is there remarkable in these miracles of our Saviour?

A. These four things:

1. That almost every wondrous work performed by Christ was a work of love and goodness, whereas many of the wonders of Moses were works of destruction.

2. His miracles were very numerous, so that mankind could not be mistaken in all of them, though they should object against some.

3. They were wrought in many places of the Jewish nation, and several of them, before the eyes of the multitude, who could attest them.

4. They were such miracles as were foretold should be wrought in the days of the Messiah; and therefore he continually appeals to his miraculous works for a testimony of his commission from God, John x. 37, 38. xv. 24. and xiv. 11.

SECTION IV.

The example of Christ.

51 Q. Let us proceed now and inquire what was the fourth thing designed in the public life and ministry of Christ?

A. To give an example to the world of universal holiness and goodness, John xiii. 15. 1 Cor. xi. 1. Rom. xv. 5.

52 Q. What are some of the more remarkable virtues, graces, or duties, wherein Christ appears to be our example?

A. 1. He sought the public glory of God with the warmest zeal, and vindicated the honour of his Father's appointment against the corruptions of men, John viii. 50. xvii. 4. and ii. 16, 17. Matt. xxiii.

2. He was strictly observant of all the commands of God, even the ceremonial as well as the moral: he observed the sabbath, he came up to the feast at Jerusalem, he desired to be baptized; he came to fulfil the law of God, and made it his meat and his drink, Matt. iii. 15. and v. 17. John xiv. 31. iv. 34. and vii. 10.

3. He was frequent and fervent in religious exer

cises, prayer, and praise, Luke vi. 12. and xi. 1, 2. Matt. xiv. 23. and xi. 25.

4. He was eminent for heavenly-mindedness, selfdenial as to the comforts of this life, and trust in God for his daily bread; he was so poor that the good women ministered to him out of their substance, and he had not where to lay his head, Luke ix. 58. and viii. 3.

5. He bore his sorrows from the hand of God with the highest submission, and the vilest injuries from men with perfect patience and meekness; not returning railing for railing, but blessing those that persecuted him, 1 Pet. ii. 21-23. Matt. xi. 29. Luke xxii. 42. and xxiii. 34.

6. He gave the most glorious instances of goodwill to men, compassion to the miserable, and love to friends, to strangers, and to enemies. He often had pity on the multitudes that followed him: he travelled about, and took all occasions to do good to the bodies and the souls of men: to their bodies, by his healing and feeding them; and to their souls, by his preaching and conversations: and at last he laid down his life for sinners, Acts x. 38. Matt. ix. 36. and xiv. 14. John xv. 13. Rom. v. 6, 8, 10.

7. He was obedient to his parents, paying them honour and obedient to magistrates, paying tax and tribute, Luke ii. 51. Matt. xvii. 24.

8. He was humble and familiar with the poor, and even with publicans and sinners for their good, Matt. xi. 29. and ix. 11. He washed the feet of his own disciples, John xiii. 14.

9. He was stedfast in resisting the temptations of the devil, and opposing the iniquities of men, Matt. xv. 1-11. Heb. ii. 18. and xii. 1, 2. Matt. xxiii. John ii. 13, &c.

10. He was prudent and watchful against the snares of his enemies, and careful to give them no just occasions against him: this appears in the wisdom of his discourses, and his daily conduct, John vii. 1 and xi. 54. Matt. xvii. 27.