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God. See Matt. iii. 11. Acts xix. 4. Matt, iv. 17. John iv. I.

It may juftly be doubted, whether our Saviour always from the Beginning required the Belief and Profeffion of him to be the Meffiah, as a neceffary Thing in order to become one of his Disciples, and to receive his Baptism, in those early Days; fince he studiously avoided the preaching up his own Character as the Meffiah, and concealed it from the public Notice, Matt. xvi. 20. But after his Refurrection, and new-inftituted Form of Baptism, none were to be baptized, but thofe who profeffed Jefus to be the Chrift, or the Meffiah.

63 Q. Did he make any Alteration in the Form of Baptifm afterwards?

A. After his Refurrection, juft before his Afcenfion to Heaven, he bid his Difciples, Ga teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Fa ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Mats. xxviii. 19.

64 Q. When did he appoint the Lord's Supper? A. The fame Night in which he was betrayed, which was juft after the Feaft of the Pafs-over, and a few Hours before his Death, 1 Cor. xi. 23.

65 Q. How did Chrift appoint this Ordinance to be performed?

A. Jefus took Bread, and bleffed it, and brake it, and gave it to the Difciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my Body which is broken for you: And he took the Cup, and gave Thanks, and gave it to them, faying, Drink ye all of it, for this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remiffion of Sins; then he faid, This do in Re membrance of me; and afterward he fung an. Hymn, Matt. xxvi. 26. 1 Cor. xi. 24.

66 Q. Do thefe Ordinances of the Gospel come in the room of any of the Ceremonies of the Jewish Law?

A. It has been generally fuppofed that Baptifm

comes in the room of Circumcifion, and the Lord's Supper in the room of the Pafs-over: But the Proof of this does not belong to this Place.

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67 Q. How long is the Ordinance of Baptifin to continue?

A. Till the End of the World; for our Saviour, upon giving his Apostles and Minifters Commiffion to teach and baptize, promises to be with them to the End of the World, Matt. xxviii. 20.

68.Q. How long is the Ordinance of the Supper to continue?

A. He not only bid them do this in Remembrance of him; but St Paul faith, Hereby ye fhew forth the Lord's Death till he came ; that is, till Chrift come to judge the World, I Cor. xi. 24-26.

SECT. VII. REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES in the Life of CHRIST.

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69 Q. HAT other remarkable Occurrences are recorded in the Life of Chrift, befides those that have been mentioned ?

A. These that follow, namely,

1. When Jefus Chrift healed the Servant of the Centurion at Capernaum, he only fent a Message of healing by his Mafter, without going near him himself, to fhew that he had Power over Difeafes at a Distance, and could command them to depart, Matt. viii. 5-13.

2. When he caft many Devils out of the Man of Gadara, who lived among the Tombs, the Devils afked Leave to enter into a Herd of Swine; and when Jefus permitted them, they drove the Herd of Swine down a fteep Place into the Sea, and drowned them: upon which the People defired

Chrift

Chrift to depart out of their Coafts, Mark v.1-17.

3. When Jefus healed the Man of the Palfy at Nazareth, his own City, he forgave his Sins, and then cured his Diftemper, as a Proof of his Power to forgive Sin, Matt. ix. 1-8.

4. When the Woman came to be cured of her Bleeding, with a strong Belief of his Power and Mercy, the only touched the Hem of his Garment, and Jefus pronounced that her Faith had made her whole, Matt. ix. 20—22.

5. He went through a Corn-field with his Difciples on the Sabbath, and defended them in their plucking of Ears of Corn, and rubbing, and eating, from the Accufation of the Pharifees, who pretended this was a Breach of the Sabbath, Matt. xii. 1-8.

6. When the Jews demanded a Sign of him, he refused to give them any but the Sign of the Prophet Jonah, that as Jonah was three Days and Nights in the Whale's Belly, fo the Son of Man fhould be three Days and Nights in the Grave, Matt. xii. 38-40.

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7. When he was told that his Mother and his Brethren flood without, and wanted to speak with him, he took Occafion to say, that whosoever should do the Will of his Father, were indeed his nearest Relations, his Brother, his Sifter, and his Mother, Matt. xii. 46-50.

8. Though he wrought many Miracles in his Life, yet he wrought but few of them in his own Country, because they defpifed him as the Son of a Carpenter, and would not believe in him, Matt. xiii. 54-58.

9. When Jefus walked upon the Water towards his Difciples in a Storm, he called Peter out of the Ship to walk upon the Water too, and reproved

him for his Fearfulness and Unbelief when he began to fink, Matt. xiv. 24-32.

10. He commended Peter for his Confeffion of him as the Son of the living God, and promifed to build his Church upon this Rock, this Confeffion of Peter: But presently after, he told his Difciples of his Sufferings and Death, and reproved Peter feverely for wifhing that Chrift might not fuffer and die, Matt. xvi. 16-23.

11. When Tribute-money was required of him at Capernaum, he fent Peter to catch a Fish, and told him he should find Money in the Mouth of it, which he did, and paid it to those that gathered the Tax, Matt. xvii 24-27.

12. When little Children were brought to him that he should touch them, his Difciples rebuked those that brought them: But Jefus took them in his Arms, and bleffed them, and faid, Of fuch is the Kingdom of God, Mark x. 13-16.

13. When a rich young Man inquired of him. what he should do to obtain eternal Life? he tried him by faying, Keep the Commandments, or do this, and live; for the Man that doth them fhall live by them; as Rom. x. 5. But when the young Man was fo confident of his own Righteousness, and fo little fenfible of his Imperfections, as to reply, All thefe have I kept from my Youth: What do I lack more? Our Lord then put him to a further Trial, bid him fell what Eftate he had, give to the Poor, and follow him as one of his Difciples. At this the young Man went away forrowful, because he had great Poffeffions: Whence Jefus took Occafion to fay, It was hard for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Matt. xix. 16-24.

14. When James and John defired to be made Chief in his Kingdom, and to fit on his right Hand

and

and on his left, Jefus took Occafion to fupprefs this Ambition amongft all his Difciples, and faid, Whoever will be Chief among you, let him be your Servant; as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to ferve, and to give his Life a Ransom for many, Matt. xx. 20-28.

15. As he was travelling from Galilee to Jerufalem, Samaria lay in his Way ; and when the Samaritans would not receive him, some of his Difciples would have called for Fire from Heaven upon them, as Elias did: But he feverely reproved them, faying, they knew not what Manner of Spirit they were of; for the Son of Man came to fave Mens Lives, and not to deftroy them, Luke ix. 51–56.

16. When our Saviour was entertained at Bethany, he gently reproved Martha for being too much cumbered with Care to entertain and feaft him, and commended her Sifter Mary, who fat at Jefus's Feet, and heard his Words: Mary bath chofen that good Part, which shall not be taken away from her, Luke x. 38-42.

17. When Jefus raised Lazarus from the Dead, he went to the Grave in Company with Martha and Mary, his two Sifters, and feveral Jews: He bid them take away the Stone from the Mouth of the Cave, and prayed to his Father, and then commanded Lazarus to come forth, who had been dead four Days; and Lazarus obeyed him, and came forth, John xi.

18. The Jews used to travel on Foot from Place to Place, yet when he went up to the last Feaft at Jerufalem, he rode into the City upon the Colt of an Afs, that the Prophecy of Zechariah might be fulfilled, Zech. ix. 9. and a great Multitude attended him as in Triumph, crying, Hofannab to the Son of David; fo that the Children learned.

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