Lord’s Day 5Questions 12–15

Reformed Church in America English, 1879

About this text

Text public domain · U.S.

1879 Reformed Church in America Q&A text with inline proof references. Source: Wikisource scan transcription.

This English edition was published in the United States in 1879, before the current U.S. public-domain cutoff. Rights evidence. Verified 2026-07-14.

Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, is there no way by which we can escape that punishment, and be again received into favor?

God will have his justice satisfied (Deut. 27;26); and therefore we must make this full satisfaction, either by ourselves (Ezek. 18;4), or by another (2 Cor. 5;21).

Can we ourselves then make this satisfaction?

By no means (Job 9;2, 3); but on the contrary we daily increase our debt (Matt. 6;12).

Can there then be found anywhere one, who is a mere creature, able to satisfy for us?

None: for first, God will not punish any other creature for the sin which man hath committed (Gen. 2:17); and further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God’s eternal wrath against sin, so as to deliver others from it (Ps. 49;7).

What sort of mediator and deliverer, then, must we seek for?

For one who is very man (Heb. 2;14), and perfectly righteous (Heb. 7;26); and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is also very God (Hosea 1;7).