the Lord's, and the Fulness thereof; the World and they that dawell therein. For he hath founded it upon the Seas, and eftablished it upon the Floods, Pfal. 1. 10, 12. for every Beast of the Forrest is mine, and the Cattle upon a thousand Hills. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the World is mine and the Fulness thereof. But (1) Becaufe we must have a Covenant Right to it. And (2.) a civil Right; we must come lawfully and honeftly by, and fo keep the good Things of this Life, 2 Theff. iii. 10. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither Should be eat.

Q. 18. Having prayed for our daily Bread; need we to labour and endeavour to get it ?

A. Yes; we muft labour in good and honeft Callings; God's Bieffing and Man's Industry must concur towards the prefent Maintenance of Life, Pfal. cxxviii. 1, 2. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord: that walketh in his Ways, for thou shalt eat the Labour of thine Hands: happy shalt thou be, and it fall be well with thee, Prov. x. 4, 22. He becometh poor that dealeth with a flack Hand: but the Hand of the diligent maketh rich. The Bleffing of the Lord maketh rich, and be addeth no Sorrow with it.

Q. 19. What is the firft Inference from it?

A. That we muft not feek great Matters for our felves, neither make them the Matter of Prayer to God; nor the End and Defign of our Labours and Callings among Men. Q. 20. What is a fecond Inference from hence?

A. That having Food and Rayment, we must be therewith content, and therefore thankful, 1 Tim. vi. 8. And having Food and Rayment let us be therewith Content, i Theff. V. 18. In every Thing give Thanks.

Q21. What is the third Inference?

A. That we ascribe not our Succefs in the World to our own Skill and Industry, for the wifeft, and most industrious do fometimes labour in the Fire, and put their Gain in a Bag of Holes; but to God's free Donation to us, and to his Bleffing upon our Endeavours, Gen. xxxiii. 5, 11. And be lift up bis Eyes, and faw the Women and the Children; and Jaid, who are thofe with thee? And be faid, the Children which God bath graciously given thy Servant.-Take. I pray thee my Bleffing that is brought to thee, because God hath dealt graciously

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graciously with me, and because I have enough. Deut. xxviii. Bleffed fhalt thou be in the City, and blessed shalt thou be in the Field. Ver. 6. Bleed shalt thou be when thou comeft in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goeft out.

Concerning Forgiveness of Sins.

Queft. 105. WHAT do we pray for in the fifth Peti

A. In the fifth Petition which is [and forgive us our Debts, as we forgive our Debtors] we pray that God for Chrift's fake would freely pardon all our Sins: which we are the rather encouraged to afk, becaufe by this Grace we are enabled from the Heart to forgive others.

Q. 1. Why doth this Petition immediately follow the former ?

A. To teach that all temporal and corporal good Things, without special and spiritual ones are little Worth, Pfal. iv. 6. There be many that fay, who will fhew us any good? Lord lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon us, Pfal. xvii. 14, 15. From Men which are thy Hand, O Lord, from Men of the World which have their Portion in this Life, and whofe Belly thou filleft with thy hid Treasure: they are full of Children, and leave the rest of their Sabftance to their Babes. As for me, I will bebold thy Face in Righteousness; I shall be fatisfied, when I awake with thy Likenejs.

Q. 2. Why is it annexed to the former with the Copulative and?

A. To teach that to be one Minute in the Confluence of all earthly good Things without the Pardon of Sin, is a very dangerous and dreadful Condition, Luke xii. 16, zo. And he fpake a Parable unto them, frying, the Ground of a certain rich Man brought forth plentifully, but God faid unto him, thou Fool, this Night ball thy Soul be required of thee: then whose fball thofe Things be which thou hast provided?

Q3. Why is Forgiveness of Sins placed in the Front of fpiritual Bleffings?

A. Becaufe till Sin be pardoned we are under Wrath, and can have no fpecial faving Grace applied to us, till we are accepted; till we are in Chrift we have no Covenant kight to the Bleffings of Christ, Matt. xi. 28. Come unto me al ve

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that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Ver. 30. for my Yoke is eafy, and my Burden is light, John xv. 4, 5. Abide in me and I in you, as the Branch cannot bear Fruit of itself, except it abide in the Vine: no more can ye except ye abide in me. Iam the Vineye are the Branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much Fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.-Ver. 7. if ye abide in me and my Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you, John iii. ult. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life: and he that believeth not the Son, fhall not fee Life; but the Wrath of God abideth on him. Q4. Why do we pray for Forgiveness, cannot we make amends for our Sins, and be freed from their Guilt without Pardon?

A. No, all that we can ever do or fuffer, can never expiate the Guilt of the leaft Sin, Pfal. xlix. 7, 8. None of them can by any Means redeem bis Brother, nor give to God a Ran Jom for him: (For the Redemption of their Soul is precious, and it ceafeth for ever,) 1 Sam. ii. 25. If one Man fin against another, the fudge fhall judge him; but if a Man fin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him.

Q. 5. Does God then freely, and out of meer Grace forgive us?

A. Yes, without any Refpect had to any Thing we can do, or be, Ifa, xliii. 25. I, even I am he that blotteth out thy Trnafgreffions for my own fake, and will not remember thy Sin Rom. ix. 15. I will have Mercy on whom I will have Mercy, and I will have Compaffion on whom I will have Compaffion Ver. 18. Therefore hath be Mercy, on whom he will have Mercy, and whom he will be hardneth.

Q. 6. How doth God forgive Sins?

A. (1.) Univerfally all Sins, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. And the Lord paffed by before him, and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-Juffering, and abundant in Goodness and Truth, keeping Mercy for Thousands, forgiving Iniquity, aud Tranfgreffion, and Sin, Jer. xxxiii. 8. And I will cleanse them from all their Iniquity, whereby they have fin ned against me, and I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have finned, and wherely they have tranfgreffed against me, Hof. xiv. 2. Take away all Iniquity and receive us graciously (2.) Compleatly and perfectly, Ifa. xliii. 25. 1, even I am

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be that blotteth out thy Tranfgreffions for my own fake, and will not remember thy Sins, Pfal. ciji. 12. As far as the Eaft is from the Weft: fo far bath be removed our Tranfgreffions from us, Mic. vii. 19. He will fubdue our Iniquities, and thou wilt caft all our Sins into the Depths of the Sea, Ifa. xxxviii. 17. For thou haft caft all my Sins behind thy Back. (3.) Everlattingly, Jer. xxxi. 34. For I will forgive their Iniquity, and I will remember their Sin no more, Heb. viii. 12. and their Sins and their Iniquities will I remember no more.

Q. 7. But doth not God punish them afterward whom he has juftified and forgiven.?

A. No, not with a proper and vindictive Punishment ;; but he brings Evil upon them for their Sins, as a Father chaftifes his Child; and other Sorts of Afflictions for their fpiritual Good: He may be angry as a Father, with those he has pardoned, but never hate them as a condemning Judge, Pfal. lxxxix 28. My Mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my Covenant shall stand fast with him. Ver. 34. My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the Thing that is gone out of my Lips.

Q. 8. How can God be faid freely to pardon all our Sins; when we pray it may be done for Chrift's fake; does not that imply that Chrift has fatisfied God for our Sins, and deferved our Remiffion?

A. Yes, it does fo; for the Lord Chrift by his Life and Death did fatisfy divine Juftice, and did merit our Forgivenefs; but if he did so, we did not fo; our Sins cost him dear, but their Pardon coft us, nothing; our Fardon is perfectly free to us; though due to Chrift, for God gave Chrift freely for us; God accepts of his Merits, and applies them to us freely, Rom. iii. 24. Being justified freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in Jefus Chrift.

Q. 9. But is there nothing required from us as the Condition of Pardon, and if so, how can it be abfolutely free? A. There are required Repentance from Sin, and Faith in the Lord Christ, Luke xiii. 3. But except ye repent, ye shall all likewife perish, Joh. iii. ult. And he that believeth not the Son, fball not fee Life; but the Wrath of God abideth on him. This is required from us towards our Pardon; but yet it is free, (1. Because God freely ordains thus to pardon. (2.) Because both these are the free Gifts of God, Acts xi. 18.

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Then bath God alfo to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life, Eph. ii. 8. For by Grace are ye faved, through Faith; and that not of your felves; it is the Gift of God.

Q. 10. When then are our Sins forgiven?

A. Juft upon our Closure with Chrift by Faith, in that very Moment, Rom. v. 1. Therefore being juftified by Faith,. we have Peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift, Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus.

Q. 11. Why do we pray in the Anfwer for the Forgivenefs of all our Sins ?

A. Because if the leaft Guilt fhould remain upon us, it would exclude us from God's Favour, and lodge us in everlasting Burnings, Rom. vi. ult. For the Wages of Sin is Death. Q12. What are the Privileges and Bleffings that accompany Pardon?

A. Juftification is accompanied with Adoption, John i. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name. With the Spirit and Principle of all Grace and Holiness, 1 Cor. vi 11. And fuch were fome of you but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Fejus, and by the Spirit of our God. With an infallible Title to eternal Glory, John iii. 16. That whosoever believeth in bim, fhould not perish, but have everlasting Life, Rom. viii. 30. Whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Q. 13. How may we know that we are pardoned and juftified?

A. Ordinarily by our Sanctification, by our loathing of Sin, our Contempt of the World, our valuing of Chrift, our Lye and Thankfulness to God, &c. 1 Cor. vi. 11. But ye are fanctified, Rom. vii. 24. O wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death? Gal. vi. 14. By whom the World is crucified unto me, and I unto the World, Fet. ii. 7. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious, Luke vii. 47. Her Sins which are many are forgiven; for fhe loved much.

Q14. What is meant by [Our] is it only fuch Sins as we have perfonally and actually committed?:

A. No; but alio Adam's Sin, which is ours by Imputation, Rom. v. 19. By one Man's Difobedience many were

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