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Of Christ's acknowledging Believers.

Quest. 38. WHAT Benefits do Believers receive from Christ at the Refurrection?

A. At the Refurrection Believers being raised up in Glory, fhall be openly acknowledged, and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly bleffed in the full enjoyment of God to all Eternity,

Q. What is it to be acknowledged by Chrift?

A. It is Chrift's owning of the fpecial Relation betwixt him and them, Mat. xxv. 34. Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World.

Q. 2. Whom will Chrift acknowledge for his ?

A. Such as confefs Chrift now, Mat. x. 32. Whosoever therefore fhall confefs me before Men, bim will I.confefs also beore my Father which is in Heaven.

Q. 3. Before whom will Christ confess them?

A. Before his Father, Angéls, and Men, Rev. iii. 5. He that overcometh, the fame shall be cloathed in white Raiment, and I will not blot out his Name qut of the Book of Life, but I will confefs his Name before my Father, and before Angels.

Q4. Who fhall be denied by Chrift in that Day? A. All that now deny Chrift, fhall be denied by him, 2 Tim. ii. 12. If we deny him, he also will deny us.

Q. 5. Why will Chrift openly acknowledge them ? A. To wipe off all Afperfions and Cenfures that now are caft upon them, Ifa. lxvi. 5. Your Brethren that hated you, that caft you out for my Name's fake, faid, Let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your Joy, and they shall be ashamed. Q. 6. What will be the Effect of Christ's Acknowledg

ment?

A. It will put a full End to all Doubts, Fears, and Jealoufies of themselves, 1 Cor. iv. 3, 4. But with me it is a very Small Thing that I should be judged of you, or of Man's Judgment; yea, I judge not my own felf, for I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified, but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

Q7 What other Effect will it produce in them?

A. Joy

A. Joy unfpeakable and tranfcendent: hence called time of refreshing, Acts iii. 19. When the time of refreshing shall come from the Prefence of the Lord.

Q. 8. Is this the only time Chrift acknowledgeth them? A. No, he acknowledgeth them by his Spirit's Testimony now; but that's private in their Bofoms, Rom. viii. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirits, that we are the Children of God.

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

A. To warn all how they pafs rash Censures on Christ's Servants, Pfal. lxxiii. 15. If I say, I will speak thus, Behold I fhould offend against the Generation of thy Children.

Q 10. What is the fecond Inference?

A. Let none be afraid or afhamed to confefs the Perfon, Office, or any Truth of Chrift, for any Lofs or Danger, that may threaten them, Luke xii. 8, 9. Also I say unto you, Whofoever shall confefs me before Men, him fhall the Son of Man alfo confefs before the Angels of God. But he that denieth me

before Men, shall be denied before the Angels of God.

Q. 11. What is the third Inference?

A. Let Chriftians abound in good Works. Every Act of Charity for Chrift, fhall be acknowledged by him in the Day of Judgment, Mat. xxv. 35. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me Meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me Drink; I was a Stranger, and ye took me in.

Q. 12. What is the last Inference ?

A. Let all Chriftians love and long for the Day of Christ's appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge fball give me at that Day, and not to me only, but unto them also that love his appearing.

Quest. 1.

Of Chrift's acquitting Believers.

WH

HAT is it to be acquitted by Chrift? A. It is to be discharged and cleared from all the Guilt of Sin, and Punishment due to it by the Law, upon the Account of Chrift's Righteoufnefs imputed by God, and received by Faith, Rom, v. 1. Therefore being juftified by Faith, we have Peace with God throngh our Lord Jefus Chrift,

Rom.

Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus.

Q. 2. How many Ways are Believers acquitted?

A. They are acquitted now in the Court of Heaven, Rom. viii. 33. Who fhall lay any Thing to the Charge of God's Ele? It is God that juftifieth. In the Court of their own Confciences, John iii. 21. Beloved, if our Hearts condemn us not, then have we Confidence towards God. And in the Day of Judgment. Both particular, Heb. 9. 27. As it is appointed unto Men once to die, but after this the Judgment. And general, Acts iii. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your Sins may be blotted out. Their Sins are then blotted out. Q. 3. How doth Christ's Acquittance now, differ from that at Judgment?

A. They differ in Refpect of Publicknefs; this is fecret in the Believer's Bofom, and that open before Men and Angels, Rev. iii. 5. I will confefs bis Name before my Father, and before his Angels.

Q. 4. What is the fecond Difference?

A. They differ in Refpect of fubjective Certainty and Affurance. A Believer may doubt of this, but not of that, 1 Cor. iv. 4, 5. For I know nothing of myself, yet am I not bereby juftified But be that judgeth me is the Lord; therefore judge nothing before the Time, until the Lord come.

Q. 5. What is the third Difference betwixt them?

A. They differ in Point of Confolation. This always bears Proportion to the Certainty of it. Hence that Day is called the Time of refreshing; when Chrift blots out their Sins by Sentencial Juftification, A&ts iii. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your Sins may be blotted out, when the Times of Refreshing shall come from the Prefence of the

Lord.

Q. 6. Do Believers then lye under Condemnation till that Day?

A. No, they are truly and fully juftified now, John v. 24. He that heareth my Word, and believeth on him that fent me, bath everlasting Life, and shall not come into Condemnation ; but is paled from Death unto Life. But this Sentence is not yet publifht by Chrift's own Mouth, as it fhall be then.

Q. 7. On what Account fhalf they be acquitted in that Day?

A. On the very fame Account and Score they are now, viz. For the imputed Righteousness of Chrift in the Way of Free-Grace, Eph. i. 7. In whom we have Redemption through bis Blood, the Forgiveness of Sins, according to the Riches of bis

Grace.

Q. 8. Muft the Saints be fummoned to Chrift's Bar in that Day?

A. Yes, they muft appear as well as others, 2 Cor. v. 10. For we must all appear before the Judgment-feat of Chrift. But not to the fame End, John v. 29. And fhall come forth, they that have done good, unto the Refurrection of Life: and they that have done Evil, unto the Refurrection of Damnation.

Q. 9. What is the firft Inference hence?

A. How fure is a Believer's Juftification, being fo ratified privately and publickly, in this World, and that to come! Q. 10. What is the fecond Inference?

A. Though the Day of Judgment be awfully folemn, it fhould not be dreadful to Believers. They fhould look for, and haften to the coming of the Day of God, 2 Pet. iii. 12. Looking for, and baftening unto the coming of the Day of God, &c. Q. 11. What is the third Inference?

A. That Faith is a Grace of abfolute Neceffity, and unfpeakable Excellency, Rom. v. 1, 2. Therefore being jufiifed by Faith, we have Peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. By whom alfo we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we ftand.

Q. 12. What is the laft Inference ?

A. All Unbelievers are in a miferable State now, John iii. 18. He that believeth not, is condemned already. And worfe in the World to come, Mat. xxv. 41. Depart from me ye curfed into everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.

Quest. 1.

Of the full Enjoyment of God.

W

HAT doth perfect Bleffedness fuppofe and imply?

A. It fuppofes the total Freedom of Believers from all the moral Evil of Sin, Eph. v. 27. That he might prefent you to

himself

bimfelf a glorious Church, not having Spot nor Wrinkle, or any Such Thing, but that it should be holy, and without Blemish. And from all the penal Evils of Suffering, Rev. xxi. 4. And God fhall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes, and there shall be no more Death, neither Sorrow, nor Crying, neither hall there be any more Pain, for the former Things are paffed away. Q. 2. What elfe is implied in perfect Blessedness?

A. It implies the full and perfect Enjoyment of God, 1 Cor. xv. 28. And when all Things Jhall be fubdued unto him, then fhall the Son also himself be jubject unto him that put all Things under him, that God may be all in all. Q3. What is it for God to be all in all? A. It implies three Things in it. First, That all the Saints fhall be filled and fatisfied from God alone. Secondly, That there shall be no Need of other Things out of which they were wont to fetch Comfort. Thirdly, That all other Things, as Heaven, Angels, Saints, fhould be loved and enjoyed in God.

Q. 4. In what Refpect fhall they enjoy God in Heaven? A. They fhall have the glorious and immediate Prefence of God with them, Rev. xxi. 3. God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Q. 5. In what other Refpects fhall they enjoy God?
A. They fhall fee him as he is, 1 John iii. 2.

be like him; for we shall fee him as he is.

Q. 6. What will fuch a Vifion of God produce?

We foall

A. It will produce perfect Conformity in them to God, 1 John iii. 2. When he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we fhall fee him as he is. And perfect Joy will refult from hence, Pfal. xvi. 11. In thy Prefence is Fulness of Joy, at thy right Hand there are Pleafures for evermore.

Q. 7. Do not the Saints enjoy God here?

A. Yes, they do; but not fo as they fhall enjoy him in Heaven, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Now we fee through a Glafs darkly; but then Face to Face; now I know in Part; but then fhall I know even as alfo I am known.

Q. 8. What are the special Differences between the Saints Communion with God here, and that in Heaven?

A. Their Communion with God here is clogg'd with Sin, Rom. vii, 21. I find then a Law, that when I would do

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