doth daily break them, in thought, word and deed z. Q. 82. Are all tranfgreffions of the law equally heinous ? A. Some fins in themselves, and by reafon of feveral gravations, are more heinous in the fight of God than others a. Q.84. What doth every fin deferve? ag. A. Every fin deferveth God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come b. Q. 85. What doth God require of us that we may escape bis wrath and curfe due to us for fin? A. To efcape the wrath and curfe of God due to us for good, and finneth not. 1 John i. 8. If we fay that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. v. 10. If we fay that we have not finned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lufteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and thefe re contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that ye. would. : z Gen. vi. 5. And God faw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen. viii, 21. And the Lord fmelled a fweet favour; and the Lord faid in his heart, I will not again curfe the ground any more for man's fake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth: neither will I again fmite any more every thing living as I have done. Rom. iii. 9. What then? are we better than they? No, in no wife: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under finand fo on to verf. 21. Jam. iii. 2. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the fame is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body-and fo on to verf. 43. 83. a Ezek. viii. 6. He faid furthermore unto me, Son of man, feest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the houfe of Ifrael committeth here, that I fhould go far off from my fanctu ary, but turn thee yet again, and thou fhalt fee greater abominations. V. 13. He faid alfo unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou fhalt fee greater abominations that they do. v. 15. Then faid he unto me, Haft thou feen this, O fon of man? ture thee yet again, and thou shalt fee greater abominations than thee. 1 John v. 16. If any man fee his brother fin a fin which is not unto death, he fhall afk, and he shall give him life for them that fin not unto death. There is a fin unto death: I do not fay, that he shall pray for it. Pfal. lxxviii. 17. And they finned yet more against him, by provoking the Moft High in the wildernefs. v. 32. For all this they finned ftill: and believed not for his wondrous works. v. 56. Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his teftimonies. 84. b Eph. v. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for be cause of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of difobedience. Gal. iii. 1o. For as many for fin, God requireth of us faith in Jefus Chrift, repentance unto life c, with the diligent ufe of all the outward means whereby Chrift communicateth to us the benefits of redemption d. Q. 86. What is faith in Jefus Chrift? A. Faith in Jefus Chrift is a faving grace e, whereby we receive and reft upon him alone for falvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel f. 87. What is repentance unto life? A. Repentance unto life is a faving grace g, whereby a finner, many as are of the works of the law are under the curfe: for it is written, Curfed is every one that contiDueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Lam. iii. 39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his fins. Matth. xxv. 41. Then fhall he fay alfo unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlafting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. 85.c Acts xx. 21. Teftifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. d Prov. ii. 1. My fon, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; v. 2. So that thou incline thine ear unto wifdom, and apply thine heart to understanding: v. 3. Yea, if thou crieft after knowledge, and lifteft up thy voice for understanding: v. 4. If thou feekeft her as filver, and fearchest for her, as for hid treafures v. 5. Then fhalt thou underftand the fear of the Lord; and find the knowledge of God. Prov. viii. 33. Hear inftruction, and be wife, and refuse it not. V. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the polts of my doors. v. 35. For whofo findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. v. 36. But he that finneth against me, wrongeth his own foul; all they that hate me, love death. If. lv. 3. Incline your year, and come unto me: hear, and your foul fhall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the fure mercies of David. 86. e Heb. x. 39. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe, to the faving of the foul. f John i. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name. If. xxvi. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whofe mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. v. 4. Truft ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting ftrength. Phil. iii. 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteoufoefs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteoufnefs which is of God by faith Gal. ii. 16. Knowing that a man is not juftified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jefus Christ, even we have believed in jefus. Chrift; that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law fhall no flesh be justified. 87.g Aas finner, out of a true fenfe of his fin, and apprehenfion of the mercy of God in Chrifti, doth, with grief and hatred of his fin, turn from it unto God k, with full purpofe of, and endeavour after new obedience 1. 88. What are the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption? A The outward and ordinary means, whereby Chrift communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the word, facraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for falvation m. Q. 89. Fow is the word made effectual to falvation? A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but efpecially ftructed, I fmote upon my thigh: I was afhaned, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Ezek. xxxvi. 31. Then fhall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and fhall lothe yourfelves in your own fight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations. 87. g Acts xi 18. When they heard thefe things, they held their peace, and glorified God, faying, Then hath God alfo to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. Acts ii. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and faid unto Peter, and to the reft of the apoftles, Men and brethern, what fhall we do? v. 38. Then Peter faid unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiffion of fins, and ye fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft. i Joel ii. 12. Therefore, alfo now, faith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with falling and with weeping, and with mourning. Jer. iii. 22. Return, ye backfliding children, and I will heal your backflidings: behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. k Jer. xxxi. 18. I have furely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou haft chaftifed me, and I was chaflifed, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn thou me, and I fhall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. v. 19. Surely after that I' was turned, I repented, and after that I was in /2 Cor. vii. 11. For behold, this felf fame thing that ye forrowed after a godly fort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourfelves, yea, what indig nation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement defire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! in all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. If. i. 16. Wash ye, make ye clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, ceafe to do evil, v. 7. Learn to do well, feek judg ment, relieve the oppreffed, judge the fatherlefs, plead for the widow. 88.m Matth. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: v. 20. 1 eaching them to obferve all things whatfoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you alway even unto the : end eially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting finners, and of building them up in holinels and comfort, through faith, unto falvation n. Q. 90. How is the word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to falvation? A. That the word may become effectual to falvation, we must attend thereunto thereunto with diligence, prepara end of the world. Amen. Acts ii. 42. And they continued ftedfaftly in the apostles doctrine and fellowfhip, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. v. 46. And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from houfe to house, did eat their meat with gladnefs and finglenefs of heart, v. 47. Praifing God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily fuch as fhould be faved. 89. n Neh. viii. 8. So they read in the book, in the law of God diftinctly, and gave the fenfe, and caufed them to understand the reading. 1 Cor. xiv. 24. But if all pro phefy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: v. 25. And thus are the fecrets of his heart made manifeft: and fo falling down upon his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. Acts xxvi. 18. Το open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of fins, and inheritance among them which are fanctified by faith that is in me. Pfal. xix. 8. The flatutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Acts xx. 32. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them tion be which are fanctified. Rom. xv. 4. For whatfoever things were written a foretime, were written for our learn ing; that we through patience and comfort of the fcriptures might have hope. 2 Tim. iii. 14. And that from a child thou hast known the holy fcriptures, which are able to make thee wife unto falvation, through faith which is in Chrift Jefus. v. 16. All fcripture is given by infpiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inftruction in righteoutnefs: V. 17. That the man of God may perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. Rom. x. 13. For whofoever fhall call upon the name of the Lord, fhall be faved. v. 14. How then hall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how fhall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how fhall they hear without a preacher? v. 15. And how fhall they preach, except they be fent? as it is written, How beautiful are the fect of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things? v. 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Efaias faith, Lord, who hath believed our report? v. 17. So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom. 1. 6. For I am not ashamed of the ofpel of Chrift: for it is the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believeth, to the jew firft, and allo to the Greek. 90. o Prov. vin. 34. bleffed is the man that heareth me, watching daì tion p, and prayer q; receive it with faith and love r; lay it up in our hearts; and practife it in our lives t. Q.91. How do the facraments become effectual means of Salvation? A. The facraments become effectual means of falvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth adininister them; but only by the bleffing of Chriit v, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them w. Q. 92. What is a facrament? A. A facrament is an holy ordinance inftituted by Chrift, wherein, by fenfible figns, Chrift and the benefits of the new covenant, are reprefented, fealed, and applied to belivers x. Q. 93: p Pet. ii. 1. Wherefore laying afide all malice, and all guile, and hypocrifies, and envies, and all evil fpeakings, v. 2. As new born babes defire the fincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. q Pfal. cxix. 18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. r Heb. iv. 2. For unto us was the gofpel preached, as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 2 Theff. ii. 10. And with all deceivablenefs of unrighteoufnefs, in them that perifh; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be faved. Pfal. exix. 11. Thy word have I hid in me heart, that I might not fin against thee. t Luke viii. 15. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honeft and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. James i. 25. But whofo looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man fhall be bleffed in his deed. 91. vI Pet. iii. 21. The like gure whereunto even baptifm, doth alfo now fave us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the anfwer of a good confcience towards God) by the refurrection of Jefus Chtift. Matth. iii. II. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whofe fhoes I am not worthy to bear: he fhall baptize you with the Holy Ghoft, and with fire. 1 Cor. iii. 6. I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. V. 7. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase. I Cor. xii. 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 92. x Gen. xvii. 7. And I will eftablish my covenant between me and thee, and thy feed after thee, in their generations, for an everlaiting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to thy feed after thee. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy feed after thee: Every man-child among you fhall be circumcifed. V. 10. Exod. |