such inspired and cast into his mind by Satan though not arising from himself pray as David Psal 19.12 14. 2. Wash thy heart in Christ his blood that it may be enabled to think good thoughts Jer. 4.14 3. Study good thoughts Carnal men have many good thoughts cast into their hearts which they cast out again as fast but their hearts have no good thoughts arising from them contrarily Gods people Act. 7.23 2. Tim. 2.15 Q. What means are there to govern our tongues A. 1. Pray to God to set a watch over them Psal 141.3 Psal 19.14 Psal 51.15 2. Get an holy frame of heart Mat. 12.34 35. Psal 37.30 31. Prov. 16.23 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things 3. Let the purpose of thy heart be set against unholy speaking Psal 17.3 Psal 39.1 4. Suppress sin when it is onely in the motion so will it not come forth of the tongue Prov. 30.32 Mat. 15.19 5. Be sparing in thy words men that speak much must needs lash out Eccles 5.3 7. Prov. 10.19 Prov. 17.27 6. First think then speak Dan. 2.14 Prov. 16.23 7. The sad account that men who speak idle words must give Mat. 12.36 Jude 1 5. Psal 50. 19 20 21. 8. Consider a happy life depends much on the well-Government of the tongue Psal 34.12 Prov. 21.33 And upon the mis-government of it comes much of our misery 2 Chron. 10.13 14. Prov. 18.21 Jam. 3.6 9. Inure your selves to gracious and savory words Col. 4.6 powdered with salt so that as salt draws out of meat putrifying humors and makes it rellishable for the palate and fit for digestion so should a principle of grace in the heart purge rottenness out of the tongue Of Family-Duties Q. WHat is the duty of a Master of a Family A. To provide for their souls Gen. 18.19 and bodies of his Family 1 Tim. 5.8 Q. What is the Husbands Duty A. To love his wife as himself affording comforts to her as to himself Ephes 5.28 and not to be bitter to her Col. 3.19 Q. What is the Wives Duty A. Submission to their Husbands Col. 3.18 and reverence towards them inward in heart and outward in carriage Ephes 5.33 Q. What are the Parents Duties towards their Children A. To train them up in Gods wayes Prov. 22.6 Ephes 6.4 and to provide for them 2 Cor. 12.14 Q. What is the childs duty A. To honour their Parents Ephes 6.2 and to obey them in all lawful things Col. 3.20 and to requite their kindness 1 Tim. 5.4 Q. What is the Masters duty to his Servant A. To give them what is just and equal knowing they have a Master in heaven Col. 4.1 Q. What is the Servants duty A. To honour their Masters 1 Tim. 6.1 and sincerely to do them service abhorring eye-service Col. 3.22 doing service not onely for the gaine of their wages but principally out of Conscience to the Lord Ephes 6.5 6 7. Col. 3.23 24. Of the Resurrection and last Judgement Q. WHether shall thâ—re be a Resurrection of the Body A. Yes John 5.28 All that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth some to the Resurrection of life and some to the Resurrection of eternal damnation Acts 24.15 Q. What Body shall rise again the same or another A. The same body in number though with more glorious qualities as the same seed that is sown groweth again 1 Cor. 15.36 So that the godly when they rise again shall see God not with other but with these same eyes Job 19.25 26 27. He means the eyes of his body because he saith I and I my self and not a stranger and because he mentions his skin flesh and the same eyes he then had It is just that Jobs eyes that had wept tears and Pauls body that bore brands or markes of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6.17 should be rewarded and not a new made body or new eyes 1 Cor. 15.42 The Apostle pointing at his own body saith This corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality John 2.19 Destroy this Temple and I will raise it up meaning the Temple of his body See also Rom. 8.11 John 11.24 Q. How doth it appear that the bodies of Saints shall rise the same bodies but with new qualities A. The Apostle makes it appear by a plain similitude 1 Cor. 15.35 37. of a wheat-corn cast into the earth which being rotten comes forth not naked hard dry without life as it was sown nor rotten as it was in the earth but keeping the same substance and kind it comes forth with new qualities of ears husk stalk being living and full of juice so the same body in number shall rise again but with more glorious qualities Q. What are those glorious qualities our bodies shall rise with A. They are these 1. Incorruptibility they shall not dye any more Mat. 22.30 2. Gloriousness they shall shine like the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3.21 3. Powerfulness it shall be raised in power able to move whither it will 1 Cor. 15.43 1 Thes 4.16.17 4. Spirituality 1 Cor. 15.44 not onely because it shall not need meat drink or apparel but also because it shall be like a spirit in the nimbleness of its motion 1 Thes 4.17 Q. What follows the resurrection A. The last and general Judgement John 6.39 I will raise him up at the last day Q. Who shall be judged A. All persons shall come to judgement the godly having their sins forgiven them shall come to a judgement of tryal 2 Cor. 5.10 Mat. 12.38 but the wicked unto a judgement of condemnation Iohn 5.28 Q. Who shall be the Judge A. Although the Trinity shall judge yet the Exercise and Administration of it is committed to the Son John 5.22 27. Acts 10.42 17.31 He is most fit to be Judge for as God he knows the secrets of all hearts and he is fit to speak to man as being man Q. What are the rules Christ will proceed by in judgement A. Such as never had the Scriptures shall be judged by the Law writ in their hearts they not having walked sutably thereto Rom. 2.13 and those that have had onely the old Testament shall be judged out of that Iohn 5.45 and those that have had the whole word shall be judged out of it Rom. 2.16 Q. What will Iesus Christ do after he is set in judgement A. All shall be called forth and the sheep evidencing their faith in Christ not onely by their words Mat. 12.38 but also by their works Mat. 25.35 shall receive the blessed sentence of absolution Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you but the Goats having neither faith nor fruits Matth. 25.42 43. shall be so straitly reckoned with that they shall be called to an account for every ungodly speech Matth. 12.37 Jude 15. and so shall receive that dreadfull sentence Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the
Mercy Deut. 29.19 Rom. 2.4 5. Psal 68.21 Q. Whether may not a child of God fall into sins against his knowledge and conscience A. 1. There are some failings in duty and stirrings of lust in godly men which are committed with knowledge but not against it for it is not in the power of knowledge to prevent them Rom. 7.15 18. these evils arise on a suddain 2. A godly man may sin against his knowledge through strength of passion and suddain furreption before he hath time to compose his heart Conscience in the act of it checks him yet he cannot keep it back so Peter denyed Christ and Ionah his Conscience told him he should not be angry when God asked him if he did well to be angry Ionah 4.9 3. A godly man may fall sometimes into deliberate sins against knowledge when that which he knows habitually he doth not actually think of the violence of the temptation blinding the judgment and beating back the voice of Conscience so David is set forth as a smarting spectacle of misery lest any man should venture as he did to have fallen into the sins of adultery and murder against knowledge Davids mind was so taken up with Bathsheba that he little thought of what he knew 4. A godly man exceeding seldom or never falls into a deliberate sin against knowledge when he doth actually and deliberately think and judge of what he knows 1 Ioh. 3.9 Q But if sinning against knowledge be so dangerous is it not best to remain in ignorance A. Ignorance when it is against a mans Will may excuse from so much guilt Luke 12.48 yet will it not excuse wholly Acts 17.30 But when it is an ignorance of wicked disposition that a man is either willingly ignorant 2 Pet. 3.5 or winks and closes up his eyes against the light Isa 30.10 11. Matth. 13.13 14. Ioh. 3.20 so that they will not read such Books nor hear such Preachers nor confer with such men as might discover truth to them God is wont not only Judicially to harden such in their blindness Matth. 13.14 compared with Iohn 12.40 but will also one day reckon with such wilful ignorants as if all their sins had been committed against Knowledge Q. What are the Covenants principally considerable which God made with his people A. Besides divers other Covenants which he made as with Noah and with every living creature both fowl and beast that there should be no more a flood to drown the Earth of which Covenant he made the Rain-bow a token Gen. 9 9 10 11. as also a Covenant made with David that his seed should still rule over Israel with the Levites that they should be his Ministers Jer. 33.20 21 25 26. And a Covenant to give the Land of Canaan to the Jews Psal 105.9 10. there are two other Covenants most considerable Q. Which are they A. 1. A carnal typical Covenant or Testament called old Heb. 8.13 second Heb. 9.1 worse Heb. 8.6 which was dedicated with the blood of beasts Exod. 24.6 7 8. compared with Heb. 9.19 This was with all Israel in the day when God took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt Heb. 8.9 2. A spiritual or new Covenant Q. What did this old Covenant signifie A. 1. An obligation of the Jews to the Mosaical Law in general Exod. 19.5 6 7 8. Exod. 24.6 7 8. in the perfect observation whereof it's thought they were to have Canaan here and Heaven hereafter but failing in one point they were under a curse Gal. 3.10 the Ceremonial part of it also shadowed our redemption by Christ Heb. 9.18 19. Q. What was the proper effect of this old Covenant A. Bondage and slavish fear for not performing what this old Covenant did require this was signified by Hagar the bond-woman Gal. 4.24 25. and this Mount Sinai in Arabia a place without the bounds of the Land of promise and by the fleshly Jerusalem which was in bondage with her children all three which resemblances signifie that the old Covenant begot children to bondage not only under the unsupportable burthen of the Ceremonial Law Acts 15.10 which was a yoak of bondage Gal. 4.1 2 3. also chap. 5.1 but also under the bondage of the curse and of Gods wrath for not performing what the Law requires for which cause the Law is said to work wrath Rom. 4.15 to be a ministration of death 2 Cor. 3.7 and to slay the soul Rom. 7.11 Now as when a Pitcher falls upon the stones it 's the weakness of the Pitcher not of the stones that it is broken So the reason why the Law ministers death is not because of the weakness of the Law but the weakness of our flesh Rom. 8.3 Q. What is the other Covenant called A. It 's that Covenant which the Scripture cals the second Covenant Heb. 8.7 9.1 18. Heb. 10.9 or the new Covenant 1 Cor. 11.25 Heb. 8.13 9.15 or the better Covenant Heb. 7.22 as being established upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 of which Christ was surety Heb. 7.22 Q. What is this new Covenant A. It is Gods free Promise whereby he promiseth not only pardon of sins and eternal life to them that are elect or do believe the same but also doth promise to to take away the stony heart and to give them a new heart and a new spirit and to put his Laws in their minds and to write them in their hearts so that all of them from the least to the greatest know the Lord yea vouchsafes to be their God and takes them to be his people Q. What are the Articles or Branches in particular of this new Covenant A. They are these 1. Forgiveness of sins Heb. 8.12 I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more So that the Elect have not onely redemption from Original sin but from all transgression under the first Testament Heb. 9.15 by sprinkling clean water upon them Ezek. 26.25 Christs blood 2. A second branch is eternal life Rom. 5.15 Heb. 9.15 Christ is the Mediatour of the new Testament that by the means of death that is of Christs death they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance in this inheritance no bond-slave of Satan doth partake which appears Gal. 4.30 in the type in that the son of the Bond-woman which was Ishmael did not partake with the son of the Free-woman which was Isaac the message from God being Cast out the Bond-woman and her son for the son of the Bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the Free-woman The third Branch is softning of the hearth Ezek. 11.19 that whereas in the natural state the heart was so hard that neither promise threat nor command mercy misery moved Now this stony heartedness is taken away that the soul melts under the sense of Christs sufferings it 's own infirmities and Gods mercies The fourth Branch is Newness whereby Christ doth not onely
thy heart is emboldened in its Petitions and thou desirest further Communion with God that thou art as it were loath to leave off the words of prayer much less the suits of prayer it is a signe God will grant thy prayer to thee 8. Thou mayest know thy prayers are heard when in the close of thy prayer thou hast some comfortable answer suggested unto thee from God for example God by his Spirit comes to some suggesting on this wise when they pray powerfully viz. I will be thy God I will not fail thee nor forsake thee I will do thee much good I will be an everlasting God unto thee so God suggested to Paul at the end of his prayer 2 Cor. 12.9 My grace is sufficient for thee Lam. 3.5.7 when the Church was discouraged out of sence of her unworthiness God drew neer and said Fear not so Luther in Gen. c. 44. saith O that I could call upon God with the same fervency as oft as I would for when I pray in this manner meaning fervently this answer seems sensibly to be given unto me Fiat quod petis let the thing be done which thou desirest No man saith he can contemn this prayer which proceeds from inward bowels and affection much less can it be in vain with God for this last signe I am confident some of Gods Children have it but whether all have it I leave it to further enquiry 9. The manner of the falling out of things evidenceth prayer-hearing when God brings a thing to pass through many difficulties contriving all the passages in a business whereof if any of them had been wanting the business had not been effected so when the Church was delivered in answer to the Prayers of Esther and Mordecai so when Peter was brought out of prison beyond expectation it plainly appears it was the fruit of prayer when God makes the way easie and plain after prayer and the course of things begins to change and we meet with comforts in stead of former crosses it appears it is from prayers answered Esth 4.16 Acts 12.12 13. Of Gods with-drawments from the Soul Q. WHether may not God with-draw from his own Children A. Yes if God forsake Christ his onely begotten Son Mat. 26.38 in respect of comfort and joy though not in respect of union of natures then Believers must not look to go free Q. Why doth God with-draw from his children A. Careless and negligent use of means of grace or an overly performance of duties of Religion Song 5.2 2 3 4. 2. For grieving his Spirit Isa 63.10 either by scandalous sins Psal 51.11 or treacherous denial of Christ 2 Tim. 2.12 Christ will deny to such comfort as well as owning 3. Not esteeming Gods presence Iob 15.11 we prize things in their absence 4. To make us grow in a hatred of sin as of that which deprives us of Communion with God Isa 57.17 5. That we may know what Christ underwent for us in the absence of Gods presence Luk. 22. 6. To try whether we will trust in God in the want of feeling Job 13.15 Q. What may comfort a soul when God withdraws comfortable feeling and influence of his presence which the soul hath formerly felt in Prayer and other Ordinances A. There are divers comforts as 1. Thy sadness for his absence doth argue a former enjoyment of his presence and being once Christs thou art ever Christs John 13.1 2. A man may fear God and have part in Christ and yet feel little or no comfort Isa 50.10 3. As in the gloomiest day there is so much light whereby we may know it to be day and not night so a Christian whom God hath in part forsaken may discern himself to be sincere because he hath a love to God and his glory 1 Sam. 4.18 vehement desires after grace and Gods presence Psal 63.1 and an absolute purpose against sin though he should dye without comfort Psal 44.17 18. 4. Consider a Christian in a forsaken Estate breathing out sighs and groans for the return of Christs presence may be as dear to God as he that enjoyes Gods presence Job 13.15 5. Absence of accustomed feelings then onely argue a back-sliding heart when they are suffered in the soul without sorrow and grief Psal 28.1 143.7 yet are not thy groans and sorrows the causes of Gods return but the dispositions of persons to whom he doth return 6. Christ in his withdrawment as well as in his return aimes at his souls good for upon his withdrawment the soul is stretched with desire after him Psal 42.1 7. God withdraws from the spirits of Saints onely in crowning graces as joy peace feeling not in saving graces as faith repentance self-denial c. these God never takes away Q. But why do you say Faith repentance self-denial c. are never taken away are they not Creatures and every Creature is subject to perish A. Grace of it self considered may dye for it is a Creature but consider it as united to Christ so it cannot dye Joh. 4.14 If believers were cut off from Christ grace should wither as the branch being cut off from the root doth but being knit to him the sap must be in the branches because it is in the root and life will be in the members because it is in the head waters will never dry up so long as there is a Fountain to maintain them Q. How may I recover the feeling of the Lords love to my soul A. 1. Cry mightily for his presence Psal 4.6 7. 27.9 2. Enquire when where and why God with-drew Jer. 14.8 as we do concerning dear friends when they absent themselves from us 3. Converse in all Ordinances wherein there is any in-comes of God Some receive comfort in reading 2 Reg. 22.11 19. others in Baptism Act. 8.39 others in hearing Act. 10.44 others in conference Luk. 24.32 4. Be humble and afflicted under Gods withdrawment Luke 1.53 vallies are blest with the happiest influence of Heaven 5. Call to remembrance thy former times of comfort Psal 77.5 6. assuring thy self thou hast to deal with an unchangeable God Though in winter the sap in plants goes into the root yet will it at Spring spread it self in the branches 6. Count no condition in the world too much though it were banishment imprisonment reproach or poverty so thou maist recover Gods countenance Many are so dainty that they will not suffer any thing for God and therefore God inflicts that which is the greatest of sufferings that is the with-drawment of himself 7. Beware of resting contented in the comfort of any Creatuâ—e without God and his sweet presence the whole earth is a barren Wilderness without himself Psal 63.1 8. Give not way to spiritual drouziness Q. But my heart is drouzy how shall I keep it awake A. Use wakeful considerations as of the shortness of life the eternity of glory the danger of back-sliding Psal 39.3 c. 2. Keep your selves in the light darkness makes men