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made Sinners. And original Sin which is ours by Inhefion, Pfal. li. 5. Behold I was jhapen in Iniquity, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me. And other Mens Sins which we have made ours, by exciting them to them, not hindering of them, filence at them, and other ways, 2 Sam. xii. 9. Thou haft killed Uriah the Hittite with the Sword, and haft taken bis Wife to be thy Wife, and haft flain him with the Sword of the Children of Ammon, 1 Tim. v. 22. Neither be Partaker

of other Mens Sins.

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Q. 15. Wherefore are Sins called Debts?

A. Because they are a Non-payment of God's Dues, a Non-performance of our Duty, which makes us liable to the Arrest of Death, and to the Prison of Hell.

Q. 16. Why do we plead our own Forgiveness of others? A. Not as any Merit of our own Pardon, but either as an Incouragement to our felves to beg Pardon; feeing fuch evil, envious and malignant Persons are enabled to forgive others; much more may we hope the good and gracious God will forgive us: Or as a Condition, without which we can have no Pardon, and with which we fhall, Matt. vi. 14. For if ye forgive Men their Trespasses, your heavenly Father will alfo forgive you.

Q. 17. How do others trefpafs against us?

A. When they injure us either in our Perfons, or Names, or Families, or Eftates, or Souls, &c. 1 Sam. ii. 25. If one Man fin against another, the Judge shall judge him; but if a Man fin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him?

Q. 18. Can we forgive our Neighbours freely, fully, and perfectly, as God doth forgive us?

A. We cannot.

Q. 19. What then is the Meaning of God's forgiving us as we forgive others?

A. Not as to the Quantity and Perfection of Forgivenefs, but as to the Sincerity and Quality thereof, Matt. xviii. ult. So likewife fall my heavenly Father do alfo unto you, if ye from your Hearts forgive not every one bis Brother their Tref paffes.

Q. zo. Are we always bound to manifeft outwardly our Love and Forgiveness to all our Enemies; and to behave our felves towards them as Friends?

A. No,

A. No, if we have experienced them to be treacherous and falfe, and fee no Change, we are not bound to trust them, if they be and remain wicked and profane, we must not afïociate with them, Pfal. xxvi. 5. I have hated the Congregation of evil Doers: and will not fit with the wicked. Ver. 4. I have not fate with vain Perfons, neither will I go with Diffemblers.

21. What then muft we do to fuch?

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A. We must heartily forgive them all their Injuries; we muft love them with the Love of Benevolence, pray for them, and be ready and willing to do them all good both of Body and Soul, Matt. v. 44, 45. But I say unto you, love your Enemies, bless them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which defpitefully use you, and perfecute you That you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven; for he maketh his Sun to rife on the evil, and on the good, and fendeth Rain on the juft, and on the unjuft.

Q. 22. If we forgive others, fhall we be forgiven our felves?

A. We fhall, if out of Obedience to God, and love to Chrift, we do it.

Q. 23. What is the first Inference from hence ?

A. That except our Sins be forgiven, we are loft and undone Creatures, and therefore we must never be contented till we are pardoned..

Q. 24. What is a fecond Inference?

A. That God is a God of Love, Goodness, and Pardon; feeing he will not pardon, us, if we do not pardon others; but will if we do fo.

Q. 25. What is a third Inference?

A. That if we live in Hatred when we pray the Lord's Prayer, we pray for our Damnation, Matt. xviii. 22. Jefus faith unto him, I fay not unto thee, until feven times feven, but until feventy times feven. Ver. 35. So likewife fhall my heavenly Father do alfo unto you, if ye from your Hearts forgive not every one his Brather their Trefpafjes.

Of

Of God's leading us into Temptation.

Quest. 106.

HAT do we pray for in the fixth Peti

Wation?

A. In the fixth Petition, which is [And lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from evil] we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to Sin; or fupport and deliver us when we are tempted.

Q. Why is this Petition joined to the former with the copulative And?

A. Because it will be but little Advantage to have former Sins pardoned; and to be left to the Power and Practice, to the Love and Trade of Sin for the future, Ezek. xviii. 26. When a righteous Man turneth away from his Righteousness, and committeth Iniquity, and dieth in them; for his Iniquity that be hath done, fhall be die.

Q. 2. What is meant by Temptation?

A. In general, a Trial or Probation of what is in us, or of what we will do.

Q. 3. What is meant by Temptarion here?

A. Temptation to Sin and Wickedness.

Q. 4. How may we be faid to be tempted to Sin? A. (1.) Effectually by our felves, and our own Hearts, Jam. i. 14, 15. But every Man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own Luft, and enticed. Then when Luft hath · conceived, it bringeth forth Sin; and Sin when it is finished, bringeth forth Death. (2.) Formally, with an Intention to draw into Sin, and fo we are tempted of the Devil, 1 Chron. xxi. 1. And Satan ftood up againft Ifrael, and provoked David to number Ifrael, Matt. iv. 1, 3. Then was Jejus led up of the Spirit into the Wilderness, to be tempted of the Devil. And when the Tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that thefe Stones be made Bread. (3.) Innocently and blamelefly, and fo God is faid to tempt, 2 Sam. xxiv. 1. And again, the Anger of the Lord was kindled againft Ifrael, and he moved David against them to say, go number Ifrael and Judah.

Q. 5. How many ways may God be faid to tempt to evil? A. (1.) By withdrawing his Grace either common or fpecial, 2 Chron. xxxii. 31. Howbeit, in the Business of the Ambaffaders

Ambafadors of the Princes of Babylon, who fent unto him to enquire of the Wonder that was done in the Land, God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his Heart. (2.) By permitting Satan and wicked Men to tempt, 2 Sam. xxiv. I. He moved David against them, to say, go number Ifrael and Judah. With 1 Chron. xxi. 1. Satan flood up against Ifrael, and provoked David, Matt. iv. 1. Then was Jefus led up of the Spirit into the Wilderness, to be tempted of the Devil. (3) By prefenting Occafions in his Providence, which he knows will be abused to Sin, as in the Fall of Adam, the hardening of Pharaoh, &c.

Q. 6. What do we beg in this Petition?

Heart

A. We beg that we may not by any of thefe, or any other ways, whereby the holy God may be faid to lead into Temp tation, be led thereinto, Pfal. cxli. 4. Incline not my to any evil Thing, to practice wicked Works with Men that work Iniquity; and let me not eat of their Dainties, Pfal. xix. 13. Keep back thy Servant alfo from prefumptuous Sins, let them not have Dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I fhall be innocent from the great Tranfgreffion.

Q7. What is meant by evil?

A. Some understand it of the Devil, but the beft Meaning is Sin, which is the Evil of Evils; and makes the Devil evil, and is the worst of Evils the Devil can bring upon us, and is ufually fo understood in Scripture, Pfal. xcvii. 10. Te that love the Lord hate Evil. Ifa. i. 16. Ceafe to do Evil, Amos v. 15. Hate the Evil, and love the good, Rom. xii. 9.

Abbor that which is Evil.

Q. 8. What by Deliverance from Evil is meant ?

A. That if God fees meet to permit us to be tempted by Satan and the wicked without, or by our own Hearts within to fin; or occafionally by his Providence, that he will not leave us, but undertake for us, that we may not be led into Sin thereby, but by his Grace be made more than Conquerors, Pfal. li. 10. Create in me a clean Heart, O God, and renew a Right Spirit within me, Pfal. cxix. 133. Order my Step, in thy Word; and let not any Iniquity have Dominion over me. According to his Promife, I Cor. x. 13. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, 2 Cor. xii. 9. And he said unto me, my Grace is fuffficient for thee; for my Strength is made perfect in Weakness.

Q. 9. What is the first Inference?
A. That Sin is the worlt of Evils.

Q. 10. What is the fecond Inference ?

A. That without God's Grace we can never withstand,

but shall be overcome by every emptation, 2 Cor. iii. 5.

Not that we are fufficient of our felves to think any our felves; but our fufficiency is of God, Joh. xv. 5. out me ye can do nothing.

Q11. What is the third Inference?

Thing as of
For with-

A. That we muft do all we can to keep our felves from Temptation, and to engage the Grace of God with us in Temptation, by Prayer, by pleafing the Spirit of God, by looking to Jefus, &c.

Quest. 107.

Of the Conclufion.

HAT doth the Conclufion of the

W Lord's Prayer teach us?

A. The Conclufion of the Lord's Prayer, which is, [For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory, for ever, Amen.] teacheth us to take our Encouragement in Prayer from God only, and in our Prayers t› praise him, afcribing Kingdom, Power and Glery to him, and in Teftimony of our Defire, and Affurance to be heard, we fay, Amen.

Q. 1. Why is the Conclufion joined to the Particle For? A. To teach us that therein are included Arguments or Reasons to prefs God withal, and to prevail with him for Audience.

Q. 2. But is it lawful to argue with God, and to urge him with Reasons in Prayer?

A. It is not only lawful, but expedient, yea highly commendable; as is feen in the Saints Prayers. In Mojs's, Numb xiv. 13. And Mofes faid unto the Lord, then the Egyp tians fhall hear it (for thou broughteft up this People in thy Might from among them). Ver 19. Pardon, I beseech thee, the Iniquity of this People, according unto the greatness of thy Mercy, and as thou haft forgiven this People, from Egypt, ven until now. In fofbua's, Chap. vii. 7. And Joshua Jaid, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore haft thou at all brought this People over Jordan to deliver us into the Hand of the Amorites, to deftroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other

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