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good, Evil is prefent with me.

Here it is not conftant, Pfal.

xxii. 1. My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? Nor is it fatisfying: But in Heaven it will be pure, conftant and fatisfying.

Q. 9. How long fhall they there enjoy God?

A. Not for. Days, Years, Ages, but for ever and ever, 1 Thef. iv. 17. And fo fhall we be ever with the Lord.

Q. 10. What is the firft Inftruction from hence?

A. That the World is not the Place of the Saints Rest and Satisfaction, Heb iv. 9. There remaineth therefore a Reft to the People of God, 2 Cor v. 2, 6. For in this we groan earneftly, defiring to be cloathed upon with our House which is from Heaven; therefore we are always confident, knowing that whiljt sve are at Home in the Body, we are abfent from the Lord.

Q11. What is the fecond Inftruction from hence ?

A. That Death is a fingular Benefit to the Saints; and though it be an Enemy to Nature, yet it is the Medium to Glory, 2 Cor. v. 4. For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be uncloathed, "but cloathed upon, that mortality might be fwallowed up of Life. Q. 12. What is the third Inftruction hence ?

A. The Neceffity of Faith and Regeneration in this World. None fhall be raised up in Glory, acknowledged, acquitted, and made perfectly bleffed in the full Enjoyment of God, but Believers, Rom. viii. 30. Moreover whom he id predeftinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them be alfo juflified; and whom he justified, them be alfo glorified, Heb. xii. 14. Follow Peace with all Men, and Holiness, without which no Man fhall fee the Lord.

Of Man's Duty to God.

Quaft. 39. WHAT is the Duty that God requireth

of

A. The Duty which God requireth of Man, is Obedience to his revealed Will.

Q. 1. Is Obedience to God's Will the Duty of every Man?

A. It is unquestionably the Duty of every Man to obey the Will of God, fo far as he hath made it known to him,

Micah vi. 8. He hath fhewed thee, O Man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love Mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

Q. 2. On what Account is Man's Obedience due to God? A. 'Tis due to him, First, As he is Creator, In whom we live, and move, and have our being, Acts xvii. 27, 28. Secondly, As he is our Benefactor, from whom we receive all our Mercies, Deut. xxviii. 47. Because thou ferveft not the Lord thy God with Joyfulness and with Gladness of Heart, for the Abundance of all Things; Therefore shalt thou ferve thine Enemies, which the Lord fall fend against thee, in Hunger, Thirst, and Nakedness, and in Want of all Things. Thirdly, As he is our Lord, and Law-giver, Jam. iv. 12. There is one Law-giver, who is able to fave, and to deftroy.

Q. 3. Is Obedience due to none but God only?

A. Yes, Subjects must obey their lawful Magiftrates, Rom. xiii. 1. Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers, for there is no Power but of God. The Powers that be are ordained of God. People their Ministers, Heb. xiii. 17. Obey pem that have the Rule over you, and fubmit yourselves, for they watch for your Souls, as they that must give an Account. Children their Parents, Eph. vi. 1. Children obey your Parents in the Lord, for this is right. But not as they are to obey

God.

Q. 4. What is the Difference betwixt our Obedience to God's Commands and Mens?

A. We are to obey God chiefly and fupremely, for his own fake, 1 Pet. ii. 13. Submit yourselves to every Ordinance of Man, for the Lord's fake. And Eph, vi. 1. Children obey your Parents [in the Lord] for this is right.

Q. 5. What must we do when the Commands of God and Men fall crofs to one another?

A. In that Cafe we must yield our Obedience to God, and not to. Man, whatever we suffer for it, A&ts iv. 19. Whether it be right in the Sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

Q. 6. Why muft we obey God rather than Man?

A. Because God is the fupreme and Sovereign Lord of our Confciences, and no Creature hath Power to command our Obedience, but in, and from him, Ifa. xxxiii. 22. For the

K 3

Lord

Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King, he will fave us.

Q7. Have the People Liberty to compare the Laws of God and Men, and judge how they agree, or differ ?

A. Yes, their Judgment of Difcretion is both commanded; 1 Cor. x. 15. Ifpeak as to wife Men, judge ye what I say. And commended, Acts xvii. 11. These were more noble than thofe in Theffalonica, in that they received the Word with all Readiness of Mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether thofe Things were fo.

Q. 8. What is the only Rule for our Obedience to God? A. The Will of God revealed in the Scriptures is our only Rule of Obedience, Ifa. viii. 20. To the Law, and to the Teftimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them.

Q9. But if a Man have a Voice, a Vifion, or a Dream, feeming to hint the fecret Will of God, may he not obey it?

A. Yes; if it be confonant to the revealed Will of God in the Word, otherwife not, Deut. xxix. 29. The Secret Things belong unto the Lord our God, but thofe Things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our Children for ever, that swe may do all the Words of this Law.

Q 10. What is the firft Inftruction hence ?

A. That it's highly finful and dangerous to difobey the known Will of God in any Thing, Rom. i. 18. For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Ungodliness and Unrighteoufnefs of Men, who hold the Truth in Unrighte oufnfs, Luke xii. 47, And that Servant which knew his Lord's Will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his Will, fhall be beaten with many Stripes.

Q. What is the fecond Instruction ?

A. That's a bleffed Man, who fo confcientiously labours to obey the Will of God fo far as he can discover it, John xiii. 17. If ye know these Things, happy are ye if ye do them, Gal. vi. 16. And as many as walk according to this Rule, Peace be on them, and Mercy.

Q. 12. What is the third Inference?

A. It is highly finful and dangerous to command others, or obey Commands from others, which are not according to God's Command, Hof. v. 11. Ephraim is oppreffed, and bro

ken

ken in Judgment, because he willingly walketh after the Commandments, Jer. vii. 31. And they have built the high Places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their Sons and their Daughters in the Fire, which I commanded them not, neither came it into my Heart.

Quest. 40,

and 41.

W

Of the Moral Law.

HAT did God at firft reveal to Man for the Rule of his Obedience ?

A. The Rule which God at firft revcaled to Man for his Obedience, was the Moral Law.

Where is the Moral Law fummarily comprehended?

A. The Moral Law is fummarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.

Q. 1. Is every Man under the Direction and Obligation of a Law?

A. Yes; Man being a reasonable Creature, is capable of, and fitted for Government by Law, which other Creatures are not; and being an accountable Creature to God, muft needs be under a Law, Rom. ii. 15. Which shew the Works of the Law written in their Hearts; their Conferences alfo bearing witnefs, and their Thoughts the mean while accufing, or else excufing one another?

Q. 2. How could Man be under a Law before the Law was given by Moses?

A. Before ever the Law was given at Sinai, all the Race of Adam had a Law written in their Hearts, viz. the Light of Reason, and Dictates of natural Confcience, Rom. ii. 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law, do by Nature the Things contained in the Law, thefe having not the Law, are a Law unto themfelves. And befides this, the Church had the revealed Will of Gol to direct them, 2 Pet. i. 19, 20. We have also a more fure Word of Prophefy, whereunto ye do well to take heed, as unto a Light that shineth in a dark Place, until the Day dawn, and the Day-ftar arife in your Hearts. Knowing this firft, that no Prophesy of the Scripture is of any private Interpretation.

Q3. What is the Meaning of the Moral Law?

A. 'Tis

A. 'Tis not a Law to direct and order our Manners; but a Law that binds univerfally and perpetually, as the Ten Commandments do thofe to whom they are promulged, and the Light of Nature doth all others, Rom. ii. 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law, do by Nature the Things contained in the Law, thefe having not the Law, are a Law unto themselves, Luke xvi. 17. It is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass, than one Tittle of the Law to fall.

Q. 4. Why is it said to be fummarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments ?

A. Because much more is included in every Command, than is expreft, as our Saviour fhews in the Expofition of it, Mat, xxii. 40. On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Q5. Doth the Moral Law bind Chriftians under the Gofpel?

A. Yes, it doth, as a Rule to order their Conversations by, Jam. ii. 8, 9, 10. If ye fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyfelf; ye do well, but if ye have Refpect to Perfons, ye commit Sin, and are convinced of the Law as Tranfgreffors; for whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one Point, is guilty of all?

Q. 6. Is the Moral Law the fame Thing with the Covenant of Works, and impofed for the fame End?

A. God never defigned the Law to be the Way of Man's Juftification fince the Fall, Gal. iii. 21, 22. Is the Law then against the Promifes of God? God forbid! for if there had been a Law given which could have given Life, verily Righteouf nefs fhould bave been by the Law; but the Scripture bath con cluded all under Sin,, that the Promife by Faith of Jefus Chrift might be given to them that believe. But it was promulged to convince Men of Sin, Rom. vii. 7. What shall we fay then? Is the Law Sin? God forbid! Nay, I had not known Sin, but by the Law; for I had not known Luft, except the Law had faid, Thou shalt not covet. And bring them to Christ, Gal. iii. 24. Wherefore the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Chrift, that we might be justified by Faith.

Q7. What is the first Inference from hence?

A. Hence we learn the abominable Nature of Popery. The Pope being that lawless one, who will not be bound to

the

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