wits are utterly perverted into an extreme and Atheistical wickedness hereby Of this therefore the Holy Scriptures warn all men and especially the younger sort in innumerable Texts Ps 1.1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the councel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful Prov. 1.10 My son if sinners entice thee consent thou not If they say come with us let us lay wait for blood c. Cast in thy lot among us my son walk not thou in the way with them refrain thy foot from their paths see the Text at large And chap. 2.10 c. he tells you how great a lesson of Wisdom this is i.e. of Religion When Wisdom entreth into thine heart c. Discretion shall preserve thee Vnderstanding shall keep thee to â—eliver thee from the way of the evil man from the man â—hat speaketh froward things who leave the paths of Righteâ—usness to walk in the ways of darkness Who rejoyce to â—o evil and delight in the frowardness of the wicked Whose ways are wicked and they froward in their paths To â—eliver thee from the strange woman even from the stranger â—hat flattereth with her words For her house enclineth unto â—eath and her paths unto the dead None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life And in innumerable other places doth the wise man â—nculcate and urge this too many to repeat here I must content my self with St. Pauls injunctions to all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 5.9 not to keep comâ—any with fornicators and v. 11. nor with covetous nor with â—dolaters nor railers nor extortioners nor with any broâ—her that walketh disorderly as it is 2 Thes 3.6 Concerning whom he commandeth in the name of the Lord Jesus that we withdraw ourselves from them And in a word he exhorts Ephes 5.11 that we have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them which must be by refusing all familiarity with them as well as by verbal reprehending them As for the things of this world S. John tells us 1 Ep. 2.16 they may be all reduced to these three the lusts of the flesh the lusts of â—he eye and the pride of life i. e. Riches pleasures and honours And for resisting all Temptations from them I shall content my self with commending to your daily â—emembrance that one Text of his chap. 3.15 Love not â—he world nor the things of this world for if any man love the world the love of the father is not in him And for avoiding all sinful customs or fashions I shall only mind you of that general precept in Gods law Erod 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil For thus shall ye as St. Peter saith 2 Ep. 2.20 escape the pollutions of this world and to all these you are bound by your Baptismal vow to be Christs faithful servants and souldiers For as our Saviour saith Math. 6.24 Ye cannoâ— both serve God and Mammon God and the world oâ— the lusts thereof no nor your fleshly lusts as the nexâ— Answer teacheth you Q. What is meant by renouncing all the sinful lusts of the flesh A. In Baptism we promise to mortifie the flesh by fasting and prayer and not to suffer our fleshly lusts to reign in us so as to live in Gluttony drunkenness or any moral uncleanness Catechist As St. Paul expresses it Gal. 5.10 We must walk in the Spirit and not fulfil the lusts of the flesh 1 Cor. 5.17 we must follow his example in keeping the body under and bringing it in subjection that it should not rebel against the Spirit Gal. â— 24 if we be Christs as we all profess and promise to be in Baptism we must thus shew it by Crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts We must as St. Peter exhorts 1 Ep. 2.20 As Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the Soul For this I beseech you young men and maids to think of you cannot fulfil your fleshly lusts falling into either drunkenness or fornication whether simple fornication or that before Marriage or by any other wretched wicked manner of life but you 'l thereby become eminently guilty of a direct Breach of your Baptismal Vow and Covenant with God And in short I wish you with all my heart to bear that text of St. Pauls continually in your minds Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live So here is Life and death set before you and put to your choice Q. What is the life of a Christian in respect of all these A. It is an holy Spiritual Warfare for we are in Baptism listed Souldiers under Christs banner continually to fight against these our spiritual enemies Catechist 1 Tim. 1.18 We must war a good warfare holding faith and a good Conscience 1 Tim. 6.12 We must fight the good fight of Faith whereunto we are called having in Baptism professed this good profession before many witnesses even in the presence of God and in the face of the Congregation Q. By what means may we fight this good fight and warfare so as to overcome A. By the continual use of prayer fasting faith and watchfulness over our hearts and senses and constant care to walk according to Gods word Catechist To all these Gods H. Word directs us with the greatest plainness To prayer with fasting 1 Thes 5.17 pray without ceasing or continually For this Devil of fleshly lusts Christ saith Math. 17.21 goeth not out but by fasting and prayer By these it is that the flesh is mortified and kept under Gal. 5.16 This I say therefore Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other But therefore Gal. 24. They that are Christs indeed do crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts And to these of fasting and prayer S. John adds Faith 1 Ep. 5.4 Whesoever is born of God over cometh the world and this is our victory that overcometh the world even our Faith And our Saviour adds Watchfulness Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Luk 21.32 33. Take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeting and drunkenness and the cares of this life and that day come upon you unawares 36. Watch ye therefore and pray always Mark 13.37 And what I say unto you I say unto all watch And lastly O! that young people would often Meditate upon what David directs them to even circumspect walking according to Gods word Psal 119.9 Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his ways even by taking heed thereto according to Gods word These particulars make up that Repentance that you promised in Baptism
honour to themselves which belongs to God alone and I shall content my self with citing the Pharisees question only which indeed is unanswerable however they mist it in the application because they would not believe Christ to be God or the Son of God Mark 2.7 Who can forgive sins but God only Q. How come any to be damned then if there be such forgiveness with God A. It is because they go on wilfully in their sins and will not be drawn to repentance but live in sin and at last either die without any sence of their sins or deceive themselves with a false and feigned repentance Catechist From hence it is that these two are so closely enjoyned and may not be parted for Luk. 24.47 Through his name are repentance and remission of sins preached For in order to their being forgiven he now commands all men every where to repent Act. 17.30 And to bring forth fruits meet for repentance Matth. 3.8 And thus they must indispensibly do that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith which is in Christ Jesus Act. 26.18 To the next Article then the Resurrection of the Body To understand which I ask you Q. After Death what becomes of the Souls of men A. They return to God to receive the sentence of Absolution or Condemnation Q. And what becomes then of their Bodies A. Being laid up in the Grave they shall at last be raised up to be again inseparably United to their Souls Catechist What becomes of mens Souls Solomon tells you plainly Eccl. 12.7 When the Dust i.e. the Body returns to the Earth as it was The spirit i.e. the Soul returns to God who gave it i. e to be judged by him An instance whereof you have in Luk. 16.22 23. The Rich man died and immediately went into hell-torments and Lazarus died also and was carried by the Angles into Abrahams Bosome And even so Heb. 9.27 It is appointed to all men once to die and after that the judgemen i. e. the judgment of their Souls by either Absolution or Condemnation And then for the bodies rising from the dead at the last day the Prophet Daniel had a clear foresight thereof chap. 12.2 Many of them which sleep in the dust shall rise again some to everlasting life and some to shame and perpetual contempt Nay Christ saith All shall rise John 5.28 The hour cometh in the which all that are in the Grave shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation Now this is a great matter and you had need have good grounds to believe it Q. What is it then that assures you hereof A. Christs being risen and God being our God the God of the Body as well as of the Soul the God of the whole man Catechist The 15 chap. of the first Epistle to the Corinthians discourses of the Resurrection of the body throughout and hath divers arguments to prove it and this for one ver 20. Christ is risen from the dead the first fruits of them that slept As therefore the first fruits was a pledge of the ensuing Harvest so was Christs rising from the dead of ours And by Gods being the God of Believers Christ convinced the Sadduces who denied the Resurrection Luk. 20.37 That the dead are raised up saith he even Moses shewed at the Bush when he called him the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob for he is not a God of the dead but the living They must therefore rise again that God may be their God and that for ever Q. What use must you make of this Doctrine of the Resurrection A. To reverence my Body and not to prostitute it to be an Instrument of sin or filthiness and neither to fear death my self nor to mourn immoderately for the death of my Friends Catechist Great cause have we to bear reverence to our own bodies so as not to abuse them to be instruments of sin or filthiness by overcharging them with surfeting or drunkenness or by fulfilling our fleshly lusts in fornication or beastly living seeing they are at present Temples of the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us 1 Cor. 6.19 And shall at last be raised up spiritual Bodies glerious incorruptible immortal 1 Cor. 15.42 43. And this may very much abate all fear of death seeing we shall rise again from the dead and then shall these our vile Bodies be fashioned like to Christs glorious Body according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 And the Apostle teacheth us hence 1 Thes 4.1 not to mourn immoderately upon the departure of our dearest friends like the Heathens that are without this hope Q. Shall our Bodies being risen ever die again A. No the life to come is Everlasting Catechist After this Resurrection There shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying neither any more pain for the former things are passed away Rev. 21.4 The last enemy shall be destroyed even death 1 Cor. 15.26 Q. In what estate must all men live everlastingly A. Some in unconceivable Bliss others in torments intolerable Every man according to his works in this life good or evil Catechist You have it clear in Matth. 25.32 33. The sheep shall be separated from the goats And he shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left Then will he say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World But ver 41. To them on his left hand will he say Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And ver 4. â— These shall go into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into Life eternal Q. Do the Godly Merit or deserve that Bliss as the wicked do that punishment and Torments A. No Our best good works are due debt and but imperfect and Gods Gift and bears no proportion to the reward and therefore though death be the wages of sin yet Eternal Life is the Gift of God Catechist If you mark these particulars you will easily discern the Papists Doctrine of Good works being Meritorious to be presumptiously proud and utterly groundless Our best good works cannot merit any good thing of God for they are but due debt as our Saviour teacheth Luk. 17.10 When we have done all we must say we are unprofitable servants We have but done that which was our duty to do And 2. Our best good works are imperfect tainted with many sins and infirmities so that they themselves stand in need of Gods pardon Isaiah 64.6 7. We are all as an unclean thing All our Righteousness is but as filthy rags and as a menstruous cloth and great are the iniquities of our most Holy things So
nothing was foretold which was not exactly fulfilled in Christ therefore he was certainly the true Christ or Messiah which was to come into the world Thus have you what your Creed teacheth you to believe of your Saviours Names and Natures Now see and learn what his work of Salvation and Redemption was which he wrought or the manner of his working it Q. How did Christ effect the great work of our Redemption A. By his lowly Humiliation wherein he shewed the Truth of his Manhood and by his Glorious Exaltation wherein did shine the bright raies of his Godhead Catechist You have both these in one notable Text of St. Pauls Phil. 2.6 7 8 9. Being in the form of God He thought it no robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him t. Q. Wherein consists Christs lowly Humiliation A. In that he suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified dead and buried and descended into Hell for us Q. Wherein consists Christs Glorious Exaltation A. In that he by his own power rose again the third day from the dead ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right Hand of God the Father Almighty and from thence shall come again to judge all both quick and dead Q. When did Christ suffer A. It was when Pontius Pilate the Roman Emperours Deputy was Governour of Judea Catechist Matth. 27.1 2. The Chief Priests and the Elders of the people took councel together to put him to death And when they had bound him they led him away and delivered him to Pentius Pilate the Governour Q. Why is this expressed in the Creed A. To shew it was now the set time foretold for the Messiah's coming The Scepter was now according to Jacobs Prophecy departed from Judah Catechist The Jews had now been Sixty years subject to the Roman Emperour and his Governours or Deputies so that Jacobs Prophecy concerning the time of the Shilo's coming was now exactly fulfilled Q. Was it necessary for Christ to suffer and to suffer death A. Yes Both Types and Prophecies foretold it and our sins deserved it and he must die to destroy death and to satisfie the Justice of God for our sins Catechist The killing of the Sacrifices under the Law and the Paschal Lamb slain were Eminent Types of Christs death The Prophet Isaiah clearly foretold His being cut off out of the land of the Living and all the Prophets wrote that the Son of man should suffer many things 1 Pet. 1.11 Our sins deserved death the wages of sin being death Rom. 6.23 He therefore must die for them as a sacrifice to Gods Justice who undertook for us 2 Cor. 5.21 He who knew no sin became sin for us i. e. a Sacrifice for sin and no other way but by death could He destroy death and him that hath the power of death the Devil Heb. 2.13 Q. What manner of Death did Christ suffer A. The accursed death of the Cross To free us from the Curse He became a Curse for us Catechist Isaac's bearing the Wood for the Sacrifice and the Brazen Serpent being lifted up upon the Pole were Types of this sort of death and not a Bone of the Paschal Lamb to be broken when it was slain and the Prophecies of piercing his hands and his feet plainly pointed at the manner how Christ was to die even by Crucifying for these were circumstances usual therein And lastly let us always remember that of the Apostle Gal. 3.13 that it being an accursed death for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Deut. 21.23 He thereby redeemed us from the Curse by being made a curse for us Q. Why was Christ buried A. To sweeten the Grave for us and to Conquer death in his own proper place and Dominion Catechist So was it foretold Hos 13.14 I will ransome them from the power of the Grave I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plague O Grave I will be thy Destruction And hence the Apostle's Triumph 1 Cor. 15.56 57. O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Q. How did Christ descend into Hell A. All men grant he continued in the state of the dead for a time both as to his body and as to his Soul and did so descend into Hell as to free me and all Believers from Hell Catechist Of this the Psalmist spake in the Spirit of Prophecy most clearly saying Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell and the Apostle Act. 2.31 quotes it and applies it to Christ so that it is certain he descended into Hell but for the manner how there have been great Controversies about it and the safest resolution is to adhere to what all grant till God shall clearly reveal it to us Q. What use must we make of Christs sufferings and his death A. To hate sin which caused Christs death in so cruel a manner to admire Christs Love in thus dying that we may live and to die to sin as Christ dyed for sin Catechist We must as the Prophet Zachary teacheth chap. 12.10 Look upon him whom we have peirced i. e. by our sins for they were Christs Murderers His enemies but the Instruments thereof We must therefore look upon him with tears of unfeigned repentance for them and wo be to them who by repeating their sins and a continued Impenitency therein crucifie the son of God afresh Heb. 6.6 On the contrary therefore Let us consider and admire Christs love in dying for us for John 15.13 Greater Love hath no man than to lay down his life for his friend But Rom. 5.8 God commended his love to us that while we were yet sinners and so his enemies Christ died for us And O! therefore as he died for sin so let us die unto sin and no longer live therein Rom. 6.11 Let us reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin but alive unto righteousness For 1 Pet. 2.24 He his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness And thus by his stripes we shall be healed Thus have you now the doctrine of Christs lowly Humiliation Now I pray consider well also the several steps of his Glorious Exaltation Q. Did Christ being dead remain under the power of Death A. No he rose again from the dead Catechist Psal 16.10 God did not suffer his Holy one to see corruption Rom. 6.9 Death could have no Dominion over him at least not keep it but he Conquered it in its proper hold the Grave and as
of the Serpent the Devil who hating God and envying the happiness of man belied God saying they should not die but only God forbad this fruit lest they should be as Gods knowing good and evil and to him they hearkned and so fell from God and from that state of innocency wherein he created them by sinning against him Q. How can Adams fall concern his posterity A. The Covenant being made with Adam not only for himself but also for his posterity therefore all Mankind descending from him by Ordinary Generation sinned in him and fell with him in his first Transgression Q. What Covenant spake you of now A. The old Covenant of works made with Adam before his Fall as a publick person representing all mankind that should descend of his Loyns Q. Christ Jesus descended from Adam Did he then fall in him A. No for he descended from Adam by an extraordinary Generation and so took our nature without the sinfulness and corruption of our nature Catechist I pray mark that expression well all mankind that descended from Adam by ordinary Generation for this is purposely intended to except Christ who was conceived in the Virgins Womb in an extraordinary manner by the power of the Holy ghost and born of her being still a pure Virgin having no Knowledge of man so that taking our nature in an extraordinary way of Generation he received our nature free from and Untainted with the sinfulness and corruption of our nature But all others descending from Adam in an ordinary way of Generation are inwrapped in his Guilt as their common parent Head and Representative So that Psal 14.2 Amongst all mankind There is not one Righteous no not one for Ps 51.7 All are conceived in sin and born in iniquity Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passeth upon all men in that all have sinned i. e. By him in whom as it is in the Margent all have sinned Ver. 18. By the offence of one judgment came upon all to Condemnation Q. In what estate then are all men besides Jesus Christ that are born of Adam since the fall A. Guilty of sin and prone to all sin Catechist Guilty of Sin For Rom. 5.19 By one mans Disobedience many are made sinners And then which is that corruption of nature I spake of they are prone to all sin and I add averse to all good For Adam begat sons and daughters after his own Image The Image of Corruption A corrupt Tree will have corrupt fruit Hence that unanswerable question of Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Not one Q. What Dangers are we liable to by reason of this Original Guilt and proneness to sin in our nature and the actual sins of our lives A. To all Gods judgments in this Life and Eternal torments in that to come Catechist For Eph. 2.3 We are children of Wrath one as well as the other And Rom. 6.23 The Wages of sin is Death Death Temporal Death Spiritual and Death Eternal And this Death as the Apostle saith in the forequoted Text hath passed upon all men for that all have sinned And as it is Rom. 3.23 and come short of the glory of God Q What means have we to be delivered from these sins and Dangers to which for sin we are liable A. Only by our Saviour and Redeemer the second person in the Blessed Trinity Catechist Thus are we orderly led to what the Creed teaches us to believe concerning him Ps 89.19 God laid help upon one that is mighty and exalted one chosen out of the people And this One so chosen Mighty to save so loved the world that he freely and willingly undertook it saying Psal 40.7 Lo I come it is written of me I come to do thy will O God And from hence is he called The Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 For he came to found and establish a new Covenant betwixt God and man and to work a reconciliation to found a remedying Covenant after the former was broken and abolished and so became he a Saviour of men The Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Q. What is the name of our Saviour A. Jesus Christ Q. What do those names signifie A. Jesus is a Hebrew name signifying as much as Saviour and Christ is Greek and signifies as the word Messiah doth a person Anointed to the threefold office of Prophet Priest and King Catechist The Angel appointed him his Name Jesus to Joseph and Mary at the Annunciation Mat. 1.20 His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins And then they When the eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child so called him being Sir named by the Angel before he was conceived in the Womb Luk. 2.21 As for his other name Christ or in Hebrew Messiah it is equivalent to our Sirnames and signifies his Office being in English as much as The Anointed one For God Anointed him with the Holy ghost the oyl of gladness above his Fellows Ps 45.7 And as it was proper to three sorts of persons to be Anointed Kings and Priests and Prophets so was he anointed King Ps 2.6 Yet have I set my King upon my Holy Hill of Sion And Priest Heb. 6.20 He was made High Priest after the order of Melchizedek And Prophet for of him Moses spake Acts 2.45 A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me Him shall ye hear And in fullfilling these offices of making Atonement for our sins by the sacrifice of himself upon the Cross and continual intercession for us as a Priest teaching us his Fathers Will for our Salvation as a Prophet and ruling and protecting us as a King consists that great Salvation which he as our Jesus wrought and workt for us and which is offered to us in his Holy Gospel Now being thus set forth to us by his Names next he is described to us in the Creed by his Natures Q. What is Jesus Christ for his person God only or Man only or both God and man A. Both God and man Man that he might be capable of suffering in the same nature wherein we had sinned and God that he might be able to give full satisfaction for our sins Catechist It is written that without shedding of blood there can be no remission Heb. 9.22 For so had God threatned Gen. 2.17 In the day thou sinnest thou shalt dye the death As therefore God would be true to his Word it was necessary for our Redeemer to be man that he might be capable of suffering death for our sins in the same nature wherein they were committed And as necessary it was for him to be God that he might be able to satisfie That his death and sufferings might by the Dignity of his person be of infinite value to satisfie the infinite debt of our sins to Gods justice
but the flesh in the best of us weak Matth. 26.41 For we have to wrastle not with flesh and blood like ourselves but with principalities and powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this world and against Spiritual wickednesses in high places Eph. 6.12 And now this Confidence we have in putting up this petition That it is exactly agreeable to Gods will and promise and therefore God will hear us For what we here pray for is just what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no Temptation overtaken you but what is common to men but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation make you a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Q. How doth your Catechism express this A. I pray unto God that it will please him to save and defend us in all dangers Ghostly and bodily and that he will keep us from all sin and wickedness and from our Ghostly enemy and from Everlasting death Catechist In this answer the evils we pray to be delivered from are enumerated particularly Dangers Ghostly that is Spiritual and bodily and all sin and wickedness and our Ghostly that is Spiritual enemy the Devil and from all evils for sin especially Everlasting death And that which I would further observe here is only this to the Glory of God that whatever the evil or danger be or of what sort soever our Enemies Ghostly or Bodily Temporal Spitual or Eternal God is the only the Great deliverer we can rely upon to save and deliver us from and defend and preserse us in them all Isaiah 49.26 I the Lord am thy Saviour and Redeemer Hos 13.4 There is no Saviour besides me Isaiah 63.1 He alone is mighty to save 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment to be punished So have you what your Catechism teaches you concerning all the petitions in your Lords prayer there only remains the last part thereof The Doxology or Conclusion For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the Glory for ever Amen to lead you to understand the true importance whereof I ask you first Q. Ought we not to praise God also when we pray unto him A. Yes To all our prayers we must joyn praises and Thanksgivings Catechist The Apostle Phil. 4.6 joyns them closely Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplications with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God And his precept is 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Eph. 5.20 We must give thanks always for all things unto God 1 Tim. 2.1 I exhort that first of all Supplications Intercessions and giving thanks be made for all men c. And so Col. 4.2 we are directed to watch unto prayer with thanksgiving The defect whereof I hope you remember was what Christ taxed in the lepers Luk. 17.17 Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine for but one of them returned to give thanks Q. What are those Attributes and Excellencies in God which we are especially to praise magnifie and adore A. His Eternal Sovereignty Power and Glory Q. What is it that assures you besides what you learnt in the Preface that God will hear and can give you what you pray for A. Those and other his Attributes and especially his own Mercy and Goodness for the merits of Christ Catechist It is the very scope of both the Preface and of this Doxology to assure us hereof and to strengthen our Faith in prayer that he both can and will hear and help us For Mark 9.23 All things are possible to him that believeth Now as his being our Father and our Heavenly Father in the Preface gives good assurance to our Faith in prayer so here in the Doxology we are assured he takes care of us and doth not will not utterly neglect us in any Condition we are in or can be in during this Life no more than any natural and Gracious King will neglect the safety and welfare of his Subjects for his is the Kinddom and Supreme Soveraignty Psal 95.3 He is a great King above all Gods Psal 103.19 His Kingdom ruleth over all And that he can help relieve and deliver us we are sure because his is the power Ps 62.11 Power belongeth unto God and nothing can be too hard for the Almighty 1 Chron. 29.12 In his hand is power and might which none is able to withstand And lastly we are assured that he will do it if we seek unto him because His is the glory For so run his promises often That He will do and work for his own names sake and even for his own glory Ezek. 36.22 And to all these I may add his Eternity that is these are for ever so that he who hath delivered doth deliver and will deliver For He is the same to day yesterday and for ever Heb. 13.8 For with him is no variableness neither shadow of turning Jam. 1.17 I pray you then Q. To what end or use serves this third and last part of the Lords prayer The Doxology or Conclusion for thine is the Kingdom c. A. Both to give God the praise of these his glorious Attributes and to confirm my Faith to expect the things prayed for for herein I declare that I trust he will do it of his own mercy and goodness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Catechist I would only upon this answer observe the practice of Gods Saints for your imitation In all their prayers recorded in Scripture we find they used to recite Gods Attributes which was both to give God the praise thereof and also to shew upon what grounds they built their Confidence of Gods hearing and granting their petitions which was nothing of their own no worthiness or good deservings in themselves but only Gods power and mercy and goodness It would be endless to give you the particular instances hereof you cannot miss of observing it your selves in those prayers you read in the Scriptures And it is good to follow such footsteps and patterns There is nothing remains now to teach you belonging to your Lords Prayer but only the Word Amen and in one of these sences is it always used and to one of those ends it is always intended wherever it is used which you have in your Answer to my next Question Q. Why dost thou say Amen after your prayers A. To express my stedfast Belief that God can and will and my Earnest desire that he would grant them For Amen is as much as to say so be it Catechist Come we then to the last General Head of Catechism The Doctrine Of the Sacraments Q. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church A. Two only as Generally necessary unto Salvation that is to say Baptism and the Supper of
against it in our Baptism and made a fast and Solemn Vow to cease to do evil and learn to do good and to live in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of our lives Q. What think ye then of such men as having been Christned or Baptized live in Impenitency or Vnbelief A. They forfeit all the benefits of their Baptism and Gods Covenant of Grace and Forgiveness nay it shall aggravate their Condemnation Catechist This is One great Aggravation of the sins of all impenitent sinners even Perjury or a breach of their Baptismal Vow and Covenant Hear what Solomon saith Eccl. 5.4 When thou vowest a vow defer not to pay it for God hath no pleasure in fools pay that which thou hast vowed Better it is thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldst vow and not pay This holds good in any sort of Religious lawful vow much more in this It had been much better for us that we had never been Baptized than if having been so we break our Baptismal Vow and Covenant by a wicked and sinful course of life With which sad Reflection I conclude what I shall teach you of the first Sacrament That of Baptism I ask you then in the next place Q. What is the other Seal of the Covenant of Grace besides Baptism A. The Lords Supper wherein we renew our Covenant with God which we made in Baptism and are nourished in as we are by Baptism admitted into the Church Catechist Christ himself calls this Sacrament Matth. 26.28 The blood of the new Testament And S. Paul Heb. 10.29 calls it The blood of the Covenant For he there speaks of their great guilt who count the blood of the Covenant an Vnholy thing In short as it was the Blood of Christ shed upon the Cross that ratified the Covenant of Redemption and forgiveness to mankind so in this Sacrament representing and exhibiting that blood of Christ for remission of sins to all worthy Receivers we have God sealing His part of his Covenant and assuring us thereof and we for our parts do renew Our Vow to God Consecrating and devoting ourselves again here to his Service and Obedience Let us hear then what your Catechism teacheth you of this Blessed Sacrament Q. For what end was the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ordained A. For the continual remembrance of the Sacrifice of the death of Christ and the benesits which we receive thereby Catechist We are not to drop one word in this answer and to the end therefore you may take due notice of every one I pray you answer me these Inquiries Q. What is the great and chief end of the Lords Supper A. To keep Christs death in continual memory and the benefits thereby purchased for us Catechist It is a plain Text for this 1 Cor. 11.25 26. At the Institution of this Sacrament Our Saviour bad his Disciples Do this that is all that I have done in your sight in remembrance of me For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come The Bread broken and the Wine poured out do apparently and evidently shew forth in sensible signs the death of Christ how his body was broken rent and torn by the thorns and scourges and nails and spear and how his blood was shed in streams from his wounded head and hands and feet and side on the Cross Gal. 3.1 They evidently set forth Christ crucified before our eyes amongst us Q. For what end did Christ die A. To be a Sacrifice of propitiation for our sins to his Father Catechist Mark well those words the Sacrifice of the death of Christ 2 Cor. 3.21 He was made sin for us who knew no sin that is He was made a Sacrifice for them Isaiah 53.10 He made his Soul that is his life an offering for sin Eph. 5.2 He gave himself a Sacrifice unto God for a sweet smelling Savour c. 1 Joh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitiation or a propitiatory Sacrifice for our sins and not for our sins only but also for the sins of the whole world By all which Texts it is manifest such is the nature of Christs death It was in a full sence a Sacrifice a Sacrifice of propitiation or Atonement For Col. 1.20 He made peace through the blood of the Cross So that Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Q. Is Christ then offered up as a Sacrifice in the Lords Supper A. No But therein is a lively Representation or Commemoration of that Sacrifice which Christ once for all offered for all upon the Cross Catechist I would desire you to mind this well to arm you against the Papists abominable Mass for therein they will have Christ to be daily offered up as a Sacrifice for the quick and the dead And of this they boast that it is done daily in their Church as if Christs offering up himself once for all upon the Cross was not sufficient to satisfie Gods justice for our sins But in opposition to this great Abomination of the Romish Church agreeable to the language of Holy Scripture and of the primitive Fathers we hold the Lords Supper to be only a Commemoration of that one Sacrifice once offered upon the Cross and for proof hereof we appeal to the Apostle Heb. 9.25 26. He was not our Apostle saith to offer himself often as the High priest entred into the most Holy place every year with the blood of others For then must he have often suffered since the Foundation of the world But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself And again ver 28. He saith Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and again chap. 10.14 By one offering hath he for ever perfected them that are Sanctified Q. How often is the Lords Supper to be Administred and received A. So often that we may have Christs death in continual remembrance Catechist The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11.28 As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup c. plainly intimating that the Christians of Corinth did it often And doubtless so often ought all Christians to do it that Christs death may be had in continual remembrance Mark the words in your Answer for the continual remembrance of the Sacrifice of the death of Christ It is hard to conceive that they can have Christs death in continual remembrance who seldom Communicate perhaps never all the year long but at Easter And quite contrary did the first Christians whose pattern we ought to follow as near as we can they certainly communicated every day or at least every first day of the week every Lords day It was one part of their constant publick and Solemn Service Act 2.41 They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in