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A. It confifts in the perfect and conflant Conformity of the internal and external Actions of Heart and Life, to every Command of God, Gal. iii. 10. Curfed is every one that continueth not in all Things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them, Matth. xxii. 37, 38, 39. Jefus faid unto bim, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind. This is the first and great Commandment. And the fecond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyfelf.

Q2. But if a Man commit no external Act against the Law, may he not be faid perfectly to keep it, although in Mind or Thought he fhould tranfgrefs?

A. No, for an inward Motion of Sin in the Heart, that never breaks forth into Act, is a Violation of the Law, and brings the Soul under the Curfe of it, Matth. v. 21, 22. Te have heard that it was faid by them of old Time, Thou shalt not kill: and whosoever shall kill, fhall be in Danger of the Judgment. But I fay unto you, that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a Caufe, fhall be in Danger of the Judgment, &c. And ver. 27, 28. Ye have heard that it was faid. by them of old Time, Thou shalt not commit Adultery. But I jay unto you, that whofover looketh on a Woman to lust after ber, hath committed Adultery with her already in his Heart.

Q. 3. May not a Man keep the Law, if he keep fome of its Commands, though he cannot keep every one of them pun&tually?

A. No he cannot; for the Tranfgreffion of any one Command in the leaft Degree, is a Breach of all, and brings the Curfe of the whole upon a Man's Soul, Jam. ii. 10. For avbofoever fhall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one Point, be is guilty of all.

Q4. Was the Law never kept by any fince it was made? A. Yes, Adam in his innocent State kept it, for he was made upright, Ecclef, vii. 29. God made Man upright, &c, And Chrift perfectly kept it, Matth. v. 17. Think not that I am come to deftroy the Law or the Prophets: I am not come to deftroy but to fulfil.

Q5. What is the firft Reason why no meer Man in this Life can fulfil and keep the Law of God perfectly

A. It is because the Law of God is perfect, and the best of Men in this Life are imperfect, &c. Ec lef. vii. 20. For there is not a juft Man upon Earth, that doeth good and finneth

not.

Q. 6. But may not Men perfectly keep it, when regenerate, and born of God?.

A. No, because even in the Regenerate there is a Law of Sin which wars against the Law of God, Gal. v. 17. For the Flefb lufteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh, &c. Rom. vii. 22, 23. For I delight in the Law of God after the inward Man. But I fee another Law in my Members waring against the Law of my Mind, &c. And though they are faid not to fin, 1 John iii. 9. (Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit Sin, &c.) that is not to be taken abfolutely; but comparatively, as they once did, and others ftill do.

Q7. But did not Chrift command the young Man to keep the Law?

A. It is true that Chrift did put the young Man upon this Task, Matth. xix. 17.-If thou wilt enter into Life, keep the Commandments: But it was not on a Suppofition that he was able to do it, but to covince him of the Impoffibility of Juftification that Way."

Q. 8. But doth not the Apoftle fay that the Righteoufnefs of the Law is fulfilled in Believers?

A. It is true that the Apostle doth fay fo, Rom. viii. 4. but the Meaning is not, that we fulfil it in our own Perfons by our compleat Obedience to it, but it is fulfilled in us by our Union with Chrift, who perfectly kept it; and that Righteoufness of the Law which is in Chrift, becomes ours by God's Imputation of it to us, Rom. iv. 23, 24. Now it was not written for his fake alone, that it was imputed to him. But for us alfo to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him, that raised up Jefus our Lord from the Dead.

Q. 9. What is the firft Inference from hence?

A. That Juftification by our own Works is utterly impoffible to the holieft of Men, Gal. ii. 16.-For by the Works of the Law fhall no Flesh be justified, Pfal. cxxx. 3. If thou, Lord, Jhouldft mark Iniquities: O Lord, who shall ftand? Q. 1o. What is the fecond Inference from hence?

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A. Hence

A. Hence we learn what an infinite Mercy it is, that God fent Jefus Chrift made under the Law, Gal. iv. 4, 5. But when the Fulness of Time was come, God fent forth his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, &c. To do that for us we could never do for ourselves, Rom. viii. 3, 4. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the Flesh, God fending his own Son in the Likeness of finful Flesh, and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh: That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. Q. 11. What is the third Inference from hence?

A. That the dreadful Curfe muft needs lie on all Unbelievers that are out of Chrift, John iii. 36.—He that believeth not the Son, fhall not fee Life; but the Wrath of God abideth on him. And feek their Juftification by the Deeds of the Law, Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the Works of the Law, are under the Curje, &c.

Q. 12. What is the fourth Inference from hence ?

A. What a Deluge of Sin and Mifery break in upon the whole World by the Fall of Adam, and all his Posterity being by him plunged under both, Rom. v. 12. Wherefore, as by one Man Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin: and Jo Death palled upon all Men, for that all have finned.

Q. 13. What is the fifth Inference from hence?

A. That the Popish Doctrines of Merits and Works of Supererogation are falfe and groundless Doctrines fpringing out of the Ignorance and Pride of Man's Heart,

Q. 14. What is the laft Inference from hence?

A. That all God's People fhould figh under their unhappy Neceffity of finning. Rom. vii. 24. O wretched Man that I am, who fhall deliver me from the Body of this Death! And long to be with Chrift in the perfect State, Hebr. xii. 23.— And to the Spirits of juft Men made perfect.

Of the Inequality of Sin.

Queft. 83. A

RE all Tranfgreffions of the Law equally hainous ?

A. Some Sins in themselves, and by Reafon of several Aggravations, are more hainous in the Sight of God than

others.

Q. 1. Whence arifeth the first Difference of Sin? A. The first Difference betwixt one Sin and another, arifeth from the immediate Object, against which the Sin is committed; on this Account Sins immediately committed against God, are more hainous than Sins committed-immediately against Man; 1 Sam. ii. 25. If one Man fin against another, the judge fhall judge him: but if a Man fin against the Lord, who fhall intreat for him? And all Sins of the firit Table are greater than thofe of the Second; yet there are crying Sins against the Second.

The

Q. 2. What's the first Sin noted for an hainous Sin ? A. The Sin of Murder is in Scripture fet down for an hainous and crying Sin in its own Nature, Gen. iv. 10. Voice of thy Brother's Blood crieth unto me from the Earth. Q3. What other Sin is noted for a crying Sin?

A. The Sin of Oppreffion is noted in Scripture for a crying Sin, Hab. ii. 11. For the Stone fall cry out of the Wall, and the Beam out of the Timber shall anfwer it. Especially the Op preffion of the Widow and Fatherless, Exod. xxii. 22, 23. Ye shall not afflict any Widow or Fatherlefs Child. If thou affid them in any wife, and they cry at all unto me, I will furely bear their Cry.

Q. 4. What is reckoned in Scripture an hainous Sin against the first Table.

A. The Sin of Atheism, or denying the Being of God, is a Sin of the first Magnitude, Job xxx1. 28. This also were an Iniquity to be punished by the Fudge: for I should have denied the God that is above." This was the Sin of Pharaoh, Exod. V. 2. And Pharaoh faid, who is the Lord, that I should obey bis Voice, to let Ifrael go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Ifrael go.

Q5. What other Sin is hainous in God's Account ?

A. The Sin of Idolatry is a moft hainous Sin, and goes nearer to the Heart of God than other Sin's do, Ezek. vi. 9, And they that efcape of you, fhall remember me among the Nations whither they shall be carried Captives, because I am broken with their whorish Heart, which hath departed from me, and with their Eyes, which go a Whoring after their Idols, and they fhall loath themfelves for the Evils which they have committed in all their Abominations, Jer. xliv. 4. Oh do not this = abominable Thing that I hate.

Q. 6.

Q. 6. What is the moft hainous of all Sins in the World? A. The Sin against the Holy Ghoft is the most hainous of all other Sins, and shall never be forgiven by him, Matth. xii. 31.- All Manner of Sin and Blafphemy fhall be forgiven unto Men: but the Blafphemy against the Holy Ghost fhall not be forgiven unto Men.

Q. 7. From whence doth the Scripture aggravate Sin? A. The Spirit of God in Scripture aggravates and eftimates Sin from the Degree of Light and Knowledge Men Sin against, Luke xii. 47. And that Servant which knew his Lord's Will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to bis Will, fhall be beaten with many Stripes, John xv. 22. If I bad not come, and Spoken unto them, they had not had Sin: but now they have no Cloak for their Sin.

Q. 8. What's the fecond Thing that aggravates Sin?

A. The more Mercies any Man fins againft, the greater is his Sin, Rom. ii. 4. Or defpifest thou the Riches of his Goodness, and Forbearance, and long-fuffering, not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance? And efpecially when it is against Spiritual Mercies and Means of Salvarion, Heb. ii. 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect fø great Salvation, &c.

Q. 9. Are hainous and crying Sin's capable of Forgive

nefs?

A. Yes, great and hainous Sins are capable of Forgivenefs upon true Repentance, Ifa. i. 18. Though your Sins be as Scarlet, they shall be as white as Snow; though they be red like Crimon, they shall be as Wool.

Q. 1o. From what Fountains doth the Pardon of all Sins both great and fmall flow?

A. They all flow from the Free Grace of God, Luke vii. 41, 42.—And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. And through the meritorious fatisfying Blood of Chrift, Eph. i. 7. In whom we have Redemption through bis Blood, the Forgiveness of Sins, according to the Riches of his

Grace.

Q. 11. What is the first Inference hence?

A. Though fome Sins are more hainous than others, yet no Sinner fhould abfolutely defpair of Mercy; for the vileft have been pardoned, 1 Cor. vi. 11. And fuch were fome of

you;

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