a sincere Believer This is all that the Article containeth 5. But while I profess to Believe it is supposed that I hope I do it sincerely and therefore have some hope that I am pardoned 6. But because a Man may sincerely believe and yet doubt of the sincerity and God hath no where said in Scripture that I or you are Sincere Believers or are pardoned therefore to believe this is no Divine Faith save by participation nor is it profest by all that profess the Creed But it is an Effect of two Acts 1. Of our Faith 2. And of the Conscience of our sincerity in Believing It is a Conclusion that all should labour to make sure though it be not the proper sence of the Article Q. 16. Seeing all true Believers are at first justified and pardoned as to the Everlasting punishment doth it not follow that all God's Children have afterward none but temporal chastisement to be forgiven A. 1. I told you that sin is not forgiven even to stated Believers before it is committed and when it is committed the qualifying Condition must be found in us And though our first true Faith and Repentance qualifie us for the Pardon of all Sin past yet when more is committed more is required in us to our Pardon that is that we renew Repentance and Faith as far as Sin is known and that we beg Pardon and forgive others 2. Yet the future punishment is not so much unforgiven to the Faithful as to others before renewed Repentance For they have the main qualification and want but an act for which they are habituated and have God's Spirit to assist them 3. And though Sins unknown which are ordinary infirmities are forgiven without express particular Repentance yet in order of nature the Desert of punishment goeth before the forgiveness The very Law of Nature maketh durable punishment due to durable Souls till the dueness be remitted by forgiveness Q. 17. Is my sin forgiven as long as I believe it not forgiven A. If you believe not that God is a merciful pardoning God and Christ a pardoning Saviour whose Sacrifice and Merits are sufficient and God's Promise of Pardon to the Penitent Believer is true and to be trusted you are not pardoned But if you believe this and consent to Christ's pardoning Covenant you are pardoned though you doubt of your own forgiveness Q. 18. How may I be sure that I am forgiven A. The everlasting punishment is forgiven when you are one that God by his Covenant pardoneth and that is when by true Faith and Repentance you Consent to the Covenant Terms and give up your self to God as your God and Saviour and Sanctifier And when temporal punishments are remitted in Soul or Body experience of their removal may tell you Q. 19. What keepeth up doubts of forgiveness of Sin A. 1. Ignorance of the Terms of the pardoning Covenant 2. And ignorance of our Selves and our own Sincerity 3. Especially renewing our guilt by Sin and being so defective in our Repentance and other Grace as that we cannot be sure of our Sincerity Above all when frequent sinning after Promises make us not credible to our selves Q. 20. But is not the Cure of a doubting Soul to Believe though he find no Evidence in himself and that because he is commanded to believe and so believing will be his Evidence A. Believing is a word that signifieth divers Acts As I told you It is every Mans duty to believe Gods Mercy and Christ's Redemption and Sufficiency and the truth of the conditional Promise and to Accept Pardon as Offered on the Terms of that Promise and then not to cherish doubts of his Sincerity But it is not every Mans duty to Believe that he is sincere or that his Sin is pardoned Else most should be bound to believe an Untruth that it may after become true Presumption destroyeth far more than Despair For an ungodly impenitent Person to believe that he is godly and justified by Christ is to believe himself who is a Lyar and not to believe Christ yea it is to believe himself against Christ who saith the contrary Q. 21. What is the use of this Article of the Forgiveness of Sin A. The Use is exceeding great not to embolden us in sin because it is pardonable nor to delay Repentance and forsaking sin For that were to cast away Pardon by Contempt But 1. to shew us what a merciful God we serve 2. And what a Mercy it is to have a Redeemer and a Pardoning Saviour 3. And what a Comfort to be under a Pardoning Covenant of Grace 4. And it tells us that the review of the sins of our unregenerate State though they must keep us humble should yet be still used to raise our Hearts to joyful thankfulness to God for the Grace of a Redeemer 5. And it should keep us from despair and discouragment in all our weaknesses while we have the Evidence of daily Pardon 6. Yea it should make us hate Sin the more which is against so good a God 7. We may come with reverenâ— boldness to God in Meditation Prayer and Sacraments when we know that Sin is pardoned 8. And we may taste the Sweetness of all our Mercies wheâ— the doubt of our forgiveness doth not embitter them 9. And we may much the easilier bear all Afflictions when the everlasting punishment is forgiven 10. Anâ— we may die when God calls us without horrour wheâ— we believe that we are pardoned through Christ nothing but Sin can hurt or endanger us at Christs Tribunal when that is forgiven and there is no Condemnation to us being in Christ how joyfully may we think of his appearing 11. What Peace of Conscience may we have continually while we can say that â—â— our Sins are forgiven us For as Psal. 32. 1. Anâ— blessed are they whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no guile CHAP. XXI The Resurrection of the Body Qu. 1. I Have oft wondered why there is nothing iâ— the Creed of the Immortality of the Soul and its state before the Resurrection A. 1. The Article of Christ's Descent tells us that his Soul was among the separated Souls while his Body was in the Grave as he told the Thief that he should be that day with him in Paradise 2. The Resurrection of the Body is a thing not known at all by Nature but only by supernatural Revelation and therefore is an Article of meer belief But the Immortality or future Life of Souls is a point which the Light of Nature revealeth and therefore was taken both by Iews and sober Heathens as a Truth of common Notice Even as the Love of our selves is not expressed in the Ten Commandments but only the Love of God and others because it was a thing presupposed 3. The Immortality of the Soul is included in the Article of the Resurrection of the Body For if
forsake it not and mystically all that sincerely do consent to it And 7. So it tells us how to exercise Church Discipline that we cast not out those as none of Christs members for their Infirmities who are not proved by sufficient witness to have done that which cannot stand with the sincere keeping of that Covenant And thus Baptism not as a meer Outward washing but as including the Grace which it signifieth and the Covenant and Vow which it sealeth is the very Kernel of the Christian Religion and the Symbol or Livery of the Church and Members of Christ. Q. 35. Are all damned that die unbaptized A. Baptism is the solemn devoting men in Covenant to Christ. All that hear the Gospel are condemned that consent not to this Covenant But the Heart-consent for our selves and Children is our Title-condition before God who damns not men for want of an outward Ceremony which by Ignorance or necessity is omitted Believers Children are Holy because they and theirs are devoted to God before Baptism Baptism is to Christianity what publick Matrimony is to Marriage Ordination to the Ministry listing to a Souldier and Crowning to a King CHAP. XLVI Of the Sacrament of Christs sacrificed Body and Blood Qu. 1. WHat is the Sacrament called the Lords Supper or Eucharist A. It is a sacred Action in which by Bread and Wine Consecrated broken and poured out given and taken and eaten and drunk the Sacrifice of Christs Body and Blood for our Redemption is Commemorated and the Covenant of Christianity mutually and solemnly renewed and sealed in which Christ with the benefits of his Covenant is given to the Faithful and they give up themselves to Christ as members of his Church with which they profess Communion Q. 2. Here are so many things contained that we must desire you to open them severally And first what Actions are here performed A. 1. Consecration 2. Commemoration 3. Covenanting and communication Q. 3. What is the Consecration A. It is the seperating and Sanctifiing the Bread and Wine to this holy use by which it ceaseth to be meer common Bread and Wine and is made Sacramentally that is by signification and representation the Sacrificed Body and Blood of Christ. Q. 4. How is this done and what Action consecrateth them A. As other holy things are consecrated as Ministers Utensils Church-maintenance Oblations the Water in Baptism c. which is by an authorized devoting it to it 's proper holy use Q. 5. But some say it is done only by saying these words This is my Body or by Blessing it A. It is done by all that goeth to a Dedication or Seperation to it's holy use and that is 1. By declaring that God commandeth and accepteth it which is best done by reading his Institution and that we then accordingly devote it 2. By Praying for his Acceptance and Blessing 3. By pronouncing Ministerially that it is now Sacramentally Christs Body and Blood Q. 6. Is the Bread and Wine the true Body and Blood of Christ A. Yes Relatively Significantly Representatively Sacramentally that is it is consecrated Bread and Wine on these accounts so called Q. 7. But why do you call it that which it is not really when Christ saith This is my Body â—â—d not this signifieth it A. The Name is fitly taken from the Form And â— Sacramental form is a Relative form If you see â— Shilling of the Kings Coin and the question be Whether this be a Shilling or the Kings Coin or Silver You will answer It is all three The matter of it is Silver The General Relation is Money or Coin The Special Relative form is It 's a Shilling And this is the fittest name when the value is demanded So the question is Whether this be Bread and Wine or a Sacrament or Christs Srcrificed Body and Blood It is all these and the Answer must be according to the meaning of the question It is usual to say of Pictures This is the King and This is such a one and This is my Father c. Certainly the two parts of the Sacrament must be understood alike And of one Christ saith This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you Luk. 22. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 25. Where none can deny that by Cup is meant the Wine and by Is the New Testament is meant Is the Exhibition and Sealing of the New Testament and not the very Testament it self And it s known that Christs common Teaching was by Parables and Similitudes where he saith Mat. 21. 28. A Certain man had two Sons c. v. 33. A Certain Housholder planted a Vineyard c. And so frequently Mat. 13. 21 22 23 37 38 39. He that soweth is the Son of Man The Field iâ— the World The good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom The tares are the Children of the Wicked one The Enemy is the Devil The Reapers are the Angels that is They are signified This is ordinary in the Gospel Ioh. 15. 1. I am the Vine and my Father is the Husbandman Joh. 10. 7 9 14. I am the Door I am the good Shepheard as David Psal. 22. 6. I am a Worm and no man Mat. 15. 13 14. Ye are the salt of the Earth the Lights of the World that is Ye are like these things Yea the Old Testament useth is for Signifieth most frequently and hath no other word so fit to express it by Q. 8. Why then do the Papists lay so much stress on the Word is Yea why do they say That there is no Bread and Wine after the Consecration but only Christs Body and Blood under the shew of them A. The Sacrament is exceeding Venerable being the very Eating and Drinking Christs own Sacrificed Body and Blood in similitude or representation And it was meet that all Christians should discern the Lords Body and Blood in similitude from common Bread and Wine And in time the use of the Name when the Church was drowned in Ignorance was taken about one thousand years after Christ for the thing signified without the sign As if they had said This is the King Therefore it is not a picture nor is it Cloth or Colours And it being proper to the Priests to consecrate it they found how it exalted them to be judged able to make their Maker and to Give or Deny Christ to men by their Authority and so they set up Transubstantiation and by a General Council made it Heresie to hold that there is any Bread or Wine left after Consecration Q. 9. Wherein lyeth the evil of that Opinion A. The Evils are more and greater than I must here stay to recite In short 1. They feign that to be Christs Body and Blood which was in his Hand or on the Table when he spake the words as if he had then two Bodyes 2. They feign his Body to be broken and his Blood shed before he was crucifyed 3. They feign him to have Flesh and Blood in Heaven
Considerations and Prayers are necessary Q. 18. May one communicate who is uncertain of the sincerity of his Faith A. By Faith you mean either Objective or Active Faith 1. One that is so far uncertain that the Gospel is true and that there is a Life to come as that he dare not say I have no wavering or doubt of it may yet be a true Believer and may communicate if his perswasion be but so prevalent as to resolve him to consent to the Covenant of Grace and take God for his God and Christ for his Saviour and the Holy Ghost for his Sanctifier Gods Law for his Rule his Promise for his Security and Heaven for his Happiness and here to place his Hope and Trust forsaking all that stands against it A weak and doubting Faith may bring a man to Martyrdom and to Heaven if it bring him to trust Christ with Soul and Body in the way of Obedience to him 2. If by Faith you mean the Act of Believing and Consenting God hath made the Sincerity of our Faith necessary to our Salvation but not the Certainty that it is Sincere Every man must do his best to discern the Trust Consent and Choice of his own Heart And he that truly believeth and yet is not sure of it if he can say As far as I am able to know my own Heart by Trial I seriously think that I resolvedly consent to the Covenant of Grace and prefer Christ Holiness and Heaven before all this World and trust to Christ and his Promises for my Felicity ought to come to the Table of the Lord notwithstanding his uncertainty Q. 19. Whence is it that so many Christians are more terrified than comforted by the Lords Supper A. 1. Some of them by an excess of reverence to this above all other Ordinances of God which by degrees brought in the Papists Transubstantiation and Adoration And by a dread lest by unworthy Receiving they should eat and drink their own Damnation And so coming thither with a deeper sence of the danger than of the Benefit And mistaking their Imperfections for this Unworthy Receiving 2. And some come with two high expectations that God must suddenly give them Joy or all the grace that is signified by the Sacrament while they have not the Holy skill to fetch in Comfort by the exercise of their Faith And when they miss of what they expected they are cast down 3. And too many by wilful Sin or Negligence deal falsly with God and break their Covenant and renew their wounds of Conscience and deprive themselves of the Comforts of the Love of God and the Grace of Christ and the Communion of the Holy Spirit Q. 20. Is not the Lords Supper a Converting Ordinance which therefore should be used by the unbelievers or ungodly A. Many things may accidentally by Gods Grace convert a man which are not to be chosen and used to that End Plagues Sickness Death-approaching may convert men Falling into a hainous Sin hath affrighted some to leave their Sin But these are not means to be chosen for such Ends. And the Fear and Care of preparing for a Sacrament hath converted some when it was not the Receiving that did it It is so evident as not to need long proof that God never appointed the Lords Supper to be chosen and used by Infidels or Impenitent ungodly persons as a means to convert them 1. Because it is presupposed that they be baptized who communicate And I have proved that Baptism to the adult presupposed the Profession of Faith and Repentance And that it delivereth Pardon and Title to Salvation 2. Because Faith and Repentance and Covenant-consent renewed are also to be professed by all before they communicate 3. Because it was ever an Ordinance proper to the Church which consisteth of Professors of Faith and Holiness 4. And the Communicants are said to be One Bread and one Body and to Eat Christs Flesh and drink his Blood and Christ to dwell in them by Faith and to have Eternal Life hereby And as for them that say it is not saving Faith but some Commoner Preparatory sort which is necessarily to be professed in Baptism and the Lords Supper I have at large confuted them in a Treatise of Right to Sacraments and the reasons before and now named confute it I adde that their Opinion is destructive to true Christian Love For by them No one should be taken for a Child of God and in a state of Salvation for being baptized and Communicants and so not Loved as such And how Poor a Charity is it to love all Visible Church-members but as the Children of the Devil must be loved Q. 21. Must we Love all as true Christians who are baptized and communicate and profess Christianity A. Yes with these three exceptions 1. That it is not as a certain Truth that we must judge them sincere but as Probable 2. That there be divers degrees of Probability as there be of Profession Some we are almost sure are sincere And some we have more Fear than Hope of And we must measure our Love and Trust accordingly 3. If men by Word or Life Apostatize or plainly contradict and destroy their profession of Christianity thereby they nullisie our Obligation to take them for Christians But till men render their Profession incredible by Contrary Profession or Practice we are by the Rules of Christian and Humane Charity to take all Professed baptized Communicating Christians to be sincere but only in various degrees of probability Q. 22. How must the Lords Supper be improved after the receiving A. By a serious remembring with Joy and thankfulness how great Mercies we have received of God And with chearful Obedience what a Covenant we have made and what duty we have most solemnly promised And in how near a Relation and bond we are tyed to the whole Church of Christ and to all our fellow Christians And frequently to plead these great Receivings and Great Obligations to quicken our Faith and Hope and Joy and to overcome all Temptations to the World and Flesh to Unbelief Disobedience and Despair Q. 23. Some say that no man should be kept from the Sacrament or Excommunicated because it is the Food of their Souls c. A. 1. If none be kept from Baptism Heathens and Infidels and professed deriders of Christianity might be baptized to make a mock of Baptism We must make men Christs Disciples before we baptize them Mat. 28. 19. And then Baptism would be no Baptism nor the Ministry no Ministry the specifying End and Use being changed 2. Then the Church would be no Church but lie common with the World 3. And then Christ would be no King and Head and Husband of the Church that is no Christ. 4. If all may not be baptized all may not communicate for Baptism entereth them into a state of Communion Else the unbaptized and all Infidels might communicate 5. Some baptized persons turn
Joy to long to depart and be with Christ then we are prepared not only for a safe but a joyful Death Q. 3. O! But this is a great and difficult work A. It is not too hard for the Sâ—… of Christâ— and a Soul renewed by it It is our great follâ—… and naughtiness that maketh it hard Why eâ—… should it be hard for a man that loveth himself and knoweth how quickly a Grave and rotting in the Dark must end all his pleasures in this World to be earnestly desirous of a better after it And why should it be hard for one that believeth that mans Soul is immortal and that God hath sent one from Heaven who is greater than Angels to purchase it for us and promise it to us and give us the first fruits by his Holy Spirit to rejoyce that he dyeth not as an unpardoned Sinner nor as a Beast but shall live in perfect Life and Light and Love and Joy and Praise for ever What should rejoyce a believing considering man like this Q. 4. O! But we are still apt to doubt of things unseen A. 1. You can believe Men for things unseen and be certain by it for instance that there is such a place as Rome Paris Venice that there have been such Kings of England as Hen. 8. King Iames c. You know not but by believing others whether ever you were Baptized nor who was your Father or Mother 2. You see not your own Soul nor any ones that you talk with and yet you feel and see such things as may assure any Sober man that he hath a Soul God is not seen by us yet nothing is more certain than that there is a God 3. We see Plants Flowers Fruits and all vital Acts produced by an unseen Power we see â—ast lucid glorious Regions above us and we see and feel the effects of invisible powers therefore to doubt of things because they are unseen is to doubt of all the vital noblest part of the World and to believe nothing but gross and lowest things and to lay by Reason and become Bruits But of this I have said more near the Beginning Q. 5. What should we do to get the Soul so familiar above as to desire to be with Christ A. I. We must not live in a foolish forgetfulness of Death nor flatter our Souls into delayes and dulness by the expectations of long life on Earth the grave must be studied till we have groundedly got above the fears of it II. We must not rest quiet in such a humane belief of the Gospel and the Life to come as hath no better grounds than the common opinion of the Countrey where we live as the Turks believe Mahomet and his Alcoran for this leaveth the Soul in such doubts and uncertainty as cannot reach to solid Joy nor Victory over the World and Flesh But the true Evidences of the Gospel and our Hopes must be well digested which I have opened to you in the beginning of which I give you a breviate in two Sentences 1. The History of the Gospel of Christs Life Miracles Death Resurrection Ascension sending down the Spirit the Apostles Miracles and Preaching and Writing and Sufferings is a true History Else there is none sure in the World for none of such Antiquity hath greater Evidence 2. And if the History aforesaid be true the Doctrine must needs be true for it is part of the History and owned and sealed certainly by God III. We must not be content to be once satisfied of the Truth of the Life to come but we must mentally live upon it and for it and know how great business our Souls have every day with our Glorified Lord and the Glorified Society of Angels and the perfected Spirits of the just and with the blessed God of Love and Glory We must daily fetch thence the motives of our desires hopes and dutyes the incentives of our Love and Joy The Confutation of all Temptations from the Flesh and World and our supporting patience in all our Sufferings and Fears Read oft Ioh. 17. 22 23 24. 20. 17. Heb. 12. 22 23 24. Mat. 6. 19 20 21 33. Col. 3. 4 5. 2 Thes. 1. 10 11. Heb. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 16 17. 5. 1 2 3 5 7 8. Phil. 1. 21 23. 3. 18 19 20 They that thus live by Faith on God and Glory will be prepared for a joyful death IV. We must take heed that no worldly Hope or Pleasure vitiate our Affections and turn them down from their true delight V. We must live wholly upon Christ his Merit Sufficiency Love and Mediation His Cross and his Kingdom must be the summe of our Learning Study and Content VI. We must take heed of grieving the Spirit of Consolation and wounding our Consciences by wilful Sin of Omission or Commission VII We must Faithfully improve all our Time and Talents to do God all the Service and others all the good that we can in the World that we may be ready to give an account of our Stewardship VIII We must be armed against Temptations to unbelief and despair IX We must while we are in the Body in our daily thoughts fetch as much help from sensible Similitudes as we can to have a suitable Imagination of the Heavenly Glory And one of the most Familiar is that which Christ calleth the Coming of the Kingdom of God which was his Transfiguration with Moses and Elias in Glorious appearance in the Holy Mount Mat. 17. 1. Which made Peter say It 's good to be here Christ purposely so appeared to them to give them a sensible apprehension of the Glory which he hath promised And Moses that was buried appeared there in a Glorified Body And we must not think only of God but of the Heavenly Society and even our old Acquaintance that our Minds may find the more Suitableness and Familiarity in their objects and Contemplations X. We must do our best to keep up that Natural Vivacity and Chearfulness which may be Sanctified for Spiritual Employment for when the Body is diseased with Melancholy Heaviness or Pains and the Mind diseased with Griefs Cares and Fears it will be hard to think joyfully of God or Heaven or any thing XI We must exercise our selves in those dutyes which are nearest kin to the work in Heaven Specially labouring to excite Hope Love and Joy by Faith and Praising God especially in Psalms in our Families and the sacrâ—d Assemblies and using the most Heavenly Books and Company XII We must not look when all is done to have very clear Conceptions of the quality and acts of separated Souls or the World of Spirits But must be satisfied with an implicite Trust in our Father and our Glorified Lord in the things which are yet above our reach And giving up Soul and Body to him we should joyfully trust them with him as his own And believe that while we know as much as may bring us well
the Soul and Bodâ—… of Christ nor know when an Angel is in the rooâ—… with us and when not These things are unfit for oâ—… enquiry and decision CHAP. XVI From thence he shall come again to judge thâ—… Quick and â—… Dead Qu. 1. WHat is meant by the Quick and â—… Dead A. Those that are found alive at Christ's coming and those that were dead before Q. 2. Are not the Souls of Men judged when Men die A. In part they are But as it is Soul and Body that make a Man so it is the Judgment upon Soul and Body which is the full judgment on the Man God's Execution is the principal part of his Judgment And as Souls have not the fulness of Glory or Misery till the Resurrection so they are not fully Judged till then And Societies must be then judged and Persons in their Sociable relations together Q. 3. Whither is it that Christ will come and where will he judge the World A. Not in Heaven for the wicked shall not come thither But Paul tells us 1 Thes. 4. 16. That the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the Dead in Christ shall rise first and then they that are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. By which it appeareth that the place of Judgment will be in the Air between Heaven and Earth Q. 4. In what manner will Christ come to Iudgment A. Christ tells us Matth. 25. 31. That the Son of Man that is Christ as Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him and shall sit on the Throne of his Glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard divideth his Sheep from the Goats And St. Paul saith 2 Thess. 1. 7 8. The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ Who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe Q. 5. Where are the Souls of the Dead before the Day of Iudgment A. The Souls of the Faithful are with Christ in Heaven and the Souls of the Wicked are with Devils in misery Q. 6. Where is it that the Devils and Wicked are in misery A. They are shut out from the Glory of God and where ever it be that they are it is as Gods Prison till the Judgment of the Great Day But the Scripture calleth the Devil the Prince of the Power of the Air Eph. 2. 2. Yet is he on Earth for he worketh in the Children of disobedience and is ready with his Temptations with all Men And he is said to go to and fro in the Earth Job 1. 7. 2. 2. And he is said to walk in dry places seeking rest and dwelling in the wicked Mat. 12. 43 44. Q. 7. But are the Souls of the Wicked in no other Hell than the Devils are A. The Scripture tells us of no other But it tells us not of their tempting and possessing Men as Devils do but of their suffering Q. 8. Are Devils and Wicked Souls in the same Hell that they shall be in after the Day of Iudgment and have they the same punishment A. Whether there shall be any change of the Place it is not needful for us to know But the punishment is of the same kind But it will be greater after Judgment were it but because the Body joyned to the Soul and the multitude of the damned joyned in the Suffering will make every one more receptive of it Q. 9. Is there no middle place between Heaven and Hell or a middle state of Souls that are in hope of deliverance from their pain A. Hell it self is not all one Place seeing Devils are both in the Air and in the Earth and where else we know not And in Iob 1. 11 12. Satan was among the Sons of God But as for any hope of deliverance to them that die unpardoned the Scripture tells us of none buth saith that the Night cometh when none can work and that This is the accepted time this is the Day of Salvation And that every Man shall be judged according to what he had done in the Body whether it be good or evil It is therefore mad presumption for any one to neglect this Day of Salvation upon a hope of his own making that they that die the Slaves of the Devil may repent and be delivered in their Airy Life and be made the Children of God or that any Purgatory fire shall refine them or any Prayers of the Saints in Heaven or Earth deliver them Q. 10. But it seems by their pleading described by Christ Mat. 25. that they will not be past hope till the Sentence be passed on them A. But the same Text tells you what Sentence certainly shall pass and therefore that if they keep any hope it is not of Gods making but their own and will be all in vain But indeed those words seem rather to express their fervent desire to escape Damnation than their hope The wicked may cry for Mercy when it is too late but shall not obtain it Dives Luke 16. may beg for a drop of Water but not get it Q. 11. But will it not be a long work to judge all that ever lived from the beginning of the World unto the End A. Gods Judgment is not like Mans by long talk and wordy Tryal though Christ open the Reasons of it after the manner of Men Gods Judgment consisteth of full Conviction and Execution And he can convince all Men in a moment by his Light shining at once into every ones Conscience As the Sun can enlighten at once the Millions of Eyes all over the Earth And Gods execution casting all the wicked into utter darkness and misery needs no long time though it's continuance will be for ever Q. 12. May we know in this life what Iudgment Christ will then pass on us A. All Men or most Men do not know it Nor will it be known by a slight and sudden Thought nor by blinded or self-flattering Sinners nor by the worser sort of true Believers that sin as much as will stand with sincerity nor yet by such ignorant Christians who understand not well the terms of the Covenant of Grace or have true Grace and know it not to be true nor yet by such timerous Christians whose fear doth hinder Faith and Reason But there is no doubt but we may know and ought to use all diligence to know what Sentence Christ will pass upon us
with desire and hope As Heaven is the State and Place where God shineth to the understanding Creature in the greatest Glory and where he is best known so it is this heavenly Glory seen to us by Faith which is the most Glorious of all the Names or Notices of God to be hallowed by us Q. 19. What is the profaning of this Name of God A. The minding only of Earthly and Fleshly things and not believing considering or admiring the heavenly Glory Not loving and praising God for it nor desiring and seeking to enjoy it Q. 20. So much of God's Works which make him known Next tell us what you mean by the Words which you call his Name A. 1. All the Sacred Scripture as it maketh known God to us by History Precepts Promises or Penal Threats With all God's Instituted means of Worship 2. More specially the Descriptions of God by his Attributes 3. And most specially his Proper Name GOD Iehovah c. Q. 21. I 'le not ask you what his Attributes are because you have told us that before But how is this Name of God to be hallowed A. When the Soul is affected with that Admiration Reverence Love Trust and Submission to God which the meaning of these Names bespaeks And when the manner of our using them expresseth such affections Especially in publick Praises with the Churches Q. 22. How is this Name of God prophaned A. When it is used lightly falsly unreverently without the aforesaid Holy regard and affections Q. 23. III. What is that which you call God's Name imprinted on Mans Mind A. God made Man very good at first and that was in his own Image And so much of this is either left by the interposition of Grace in lapsed Nature or by common Grace restored to it as that all Men till utterly debauched would fain be accounted Good Pious Vertuous and Just and hate the imputation of Wickedness dishonesty and Badness And on the Regenerate the Divine Nature is so renewed as that their Inclination is towards God and HOLINESS TO THE LORD is written on all their Faculties And the Spirit of God moveth on the Soul to actuate all his Graces and to plead for God and our Redeemer and bring Him to our Remembrance to our Affections and to subject us wholly to his Will and Love And thus as the Law was written in Stone as to the Letter which is written only on tender fleshy Hearts as to the Spirit and Holy effect and disposition so the Name of God which is in the Bible in the Letter is by the same Spirit imprinted on Believers Hearts that is They have the Knowledge Faith Fear and Love of God Q. 24. How must we hallow this inward Name of God A. 1. By Reverencing and Loving God that is God's Image and Operations in us Not only God as glorified in Heaven but God as dwelling by Grace in Holy Souls must be remembred and reverenced by us 2. By living as in habitual Communion and Conversation with that God who dwelleth in us and who hath made us his Habitation by the Spirit 3. And by ready obeying the moving Operations of the Spirit for God And to contemn or resist these inward Ideas Inclinations and Motions is to prophane the Name of God Q. 25. But what is all this to the Sanctfying of God himself A. The Signs are but for him that is signified It is God himself that is to be admired Loved and Honoured as notified to us by these Signs or Name otherwise we make Idols of them In a Word God must be Esteemed Reverenced Loved Trusted and Delighted in Transcendently as God with affections proper to himself and this is to Sanctifie him by advancing him in our Heart in his Prerogative above all Creatures And all Creatures must be used respectively to this Holy End And specially those Ordinances and Names which are specially Separated to this use And nothing must be used as common and unclean especially in his Worship and Religious Acts. CHAP. XXVI Thy Kingdom come Qu. 1. WHy is this made the Second Petition A. To tell us that it must be the Second thing in our Desires We are to begin at that which is highest most excellent and ultimate in our Intentions and that is Gods Glory shining in all his Works and seen admired honoured and praised by Man which is the hallowing of his Name and the Holy Exalting him in our Thoughts Affections Words and Actions above all Creatures And we are next to desire that in which God's glory most eminently shineth And that is his Kingdom of Grace and Glory Q. 2. What is here meant by the Kingdom of God A. It is not that Kingdom which he hath over Angels and the innumerable glorious Spirits of the Heavenly Regions For these are much unknown to us and we know not that there is any Rebellion among them which needeth a Restoration But Man by Sin is fallen into Rebellion and under the Condemnation due to Rebels And by Christ the reconciling Mediator they are to be restored to their subjection to God and so to his Protection Blessing and Reward And because they are Sinners corrupt and guilty they cannot be Subjects as under the Primitive Law of Innocency And therefore God hath delivered them to the Mediator as his Vicegerent to be governed under a Law of healing Grace and so brought on to Perfect Glory So that the Kingdom of God now is his Reign over fallen Man by Christ the Mediator begun on Earth by Recovering Grace and perfected in heavenly Glory Q. 3. But the Scriptures sometimes speaks of the Kingdom of God as come already when Christ came or when he rose and ascended to his Glory and sometime as if it were yet to come at the great Resurrection Day A. In the first case the meaning is that the King of the Church is come and hath established his Law of Grace and Commissioned his Officers and sent forth his Spirit and so the Kingdom of healing Grace is come But in the second case the meaning is that all that Glorious Perfection which this Grace doth tend to which will be the Glory of the Church the Glory of Christ therein and the Glorification of Gods Love is yet to come Q. 4. What is it then which we here desire A. That God will enlarge and carry on the Kingdom of Grace in the World and bear down all that Rebells and hindereth it and particularly in our selves And that he would hasten the Kingdom of Glory Q. 5. Who is it then that is the King of this Kingdom A. GOD as the absolute Supream and Iesus Christ the Son of God and Man as the Supream Vicegerent and Administrator Q. 6. Who are the Subjects of this Kingdom A. There are three sorts of Subjects 1. Subjects only as to Obligation And so those without the Church are Rebellious obliged Subjects 2. Subjects by meer Profession And so all Baptized professing Christians
Atheism remaining and yet is not an Idolater or Atheist If a man could not be saved till he were perfectly healed of every degree of these hainous sins no man could be Saved But Gods Interest is predominant in holy Souls Q. 21. Doth not Paul say of all save Timothy That All seek their own and not the things that are Jesus Christ's A. He meaneth not that they predominantly do so except those among them who were hypocrites But that all did too much seck their own and too little the things that are Jesus Christ's and were â—ot so self-denying as Timothy who as it were naâ—urally Cared for the good of the Church As Deâ—as forsook Paul in his suffering and went after â—is own worldly business but yet did not forsake Christ and preferre the world before him for â—â—ght we find of him Q. 22. You make this first Commandement to be the summe of all A. It is the Summary of all and our Obedience to it is Virtually but not Actually our obedience to all the rest This is it which Christ calleth the first and greatest Command Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and Soul and might This is the Foundation of all the rest of the Commandements and the Root of all The rest are but branches from it When we are obliged to Love God and obey him we have a General obligation to keep all his Commandements But as this General Command doth not put the special particular Commands in existence so neither doth it oblige us to obey them till they exist And then as the Genus and Species constitute every defined being so the General and Special obligation concurre to make up every duty He that sincerely obeyeth this first command is a true Subject of God and in a state of Salvation and will sincerely obey all particular Commands in the main course of his life when they are revealed to him CHAP. XXXV Of the Second Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the words of the second Commandement A. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image or any likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or that is in the Earth beneath or that is in the Water under the Earth Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and she wing Mercy to thousands of them that Love me and keep my Commandements Q. 2. How prove you against the Papists that this is not part of the first Commandement A. 1. By the matter which is different from it 2. And by the Scripture which saith There were Ten and without this there is but Nine 3. And by historical Tradition which we can prove that the Papists falsifie Q. 3. What is the true Meaning of the Second Commandement and wherein doth it differ from the â—â—rst A. The first Commandement bindeth us to give God his own or his due as God both in heart and life and to give it to no other The second commandeth men to keep so wide a difference between God and Heathen Idols as not to worship him as the Heathens do their Idols nor yet to seem by their bodily action to worship an Idol though they despise it in their Thoughts and pretend to keep their hearts to God Corporal and outward and seeming Idolatry is here forbidden For though a man renounce in Heart all other Gods yet if he be seen to bow down before an Image â— He seemeth to the beholder to mean as Idolaters do while he symbolizeth with them And as Lying and Perjury with the Tongue is sin though a mans inward thoughts do own the truth so bowing as Worshippers do before an Image is Bodily Idolatry though the mind renounce all Idols And God is the God of the Body as well as of the Soul And God would not have others encouraged to Idolatry by so scandalous an Example 2. And if it be the true God that such profess to worship it is interpretative Blasphemy As if they told men that God is like to that Creature whose Image they make So that â—â—andal and Bodily Idolatry and Blasphemy are the things directly forbidden in this Commandement as the real choosing and Worshipping a false God is in the first Q. 4. By this it seems that scandal is a hainouâ— sin A. Scandal is enticing tempting or encouraging others to sin by doing or saying that which is like to be abused by them to such an effect or laying a Stumbling-block in the way of blind or careless Souls If they will make our necessary duty the occasion of sin we may not therefore omit our duty if indeed it be an in indispensable duty at that time But if it be no duty yea or if it be only a duty in other Seasons and Circumstances it is a hainous sin to give such Scandal to another much more to Multitudes or publick Societies Q. 5. Wherein lyeth the evil of it A. 1. It is a countenancing and furthering sin 2. It is uncharitableness and cruelty to mens Souls 3. And therefore it is the Devils work Q. 6. But if our Rulers command us to do a thing indifferent which others will turn to an occasion of sin and damnation must we disobey our lawful Governours to prevent mens sin and fall A. If the thing in its own nature tended to so great and necessary good as would weigh down the contrary evil to the scandalized we must do our duty and labour to help them some other way But supposing it either Indifferent or of so small benefit as will not preponderate against the sin and â—anger of the scandalized we are Soul-murderers if we do not forbear it For 1. God hath given no Rulers power to Destruction of Souls but to Ediâ—â—cation no power to command us that which is â—o contrary to the indispensible duty of Love or Charity If an Apothecary or Physician or King command his Servant to sell Arsnick to all that will buy it without exception the servant may not lawfully sell it to such as he knoweth mean to Poyson themselves or others by it If the Commander be a sober man the servant ought to suppose that he intended such exceptions though he exprest them not But if he exprest the contrary he commanded contrary to Gods command without authority and is not to be obeyed 2. God himself dispenseth with his own Commands about Rituals or smaller matters when greater good or hurt stands on the other side The Disciples did justly pluck and rub the Ears of Corn and the Priests in the Temple break the rest of the Sabbath and an Ox or Ass was to be watered oâ— pull'd out of a pit on that day If the King oâ— Priest had made a Law to the contrary it had been null If Gods Laws bind not in such cases manâ— cannot God bids
and the perfecter of his work on that day The Apostles settled that day as the stated time for constant Church-Assemblies and Communion And all the Churches in the World have constantly called it The Lords day and kept it as thus appointeâ— and uâ—ed by the Apostles from their dayes till now with one consent And because I must not here writâ— a Volume on this point instead of a Catechismeâ— he that doubteth may see all this fully proved in mâ— book called The Divine appointment of the Lorâ— day and in Dr. Youngs book called The Lords dâ—â— vindicated Q. 26. Is Rest as necessary now as under Mosâ—â— Law A. It was then commanded both as a means tâ—â—â—he holy work of the day and also as a Ceremoâ—â— which was made a duty in it self as a Shadow â—â— â—â—â— Christian Rest. In the first respect we are as much â—â—â— more obliged to forbear Labour even so far â—â—it hindereth holy work as they were then But â—â— in the second respect Q. 27. When doth the Lords day begin and end A. It 's safest to judge of that according to the Comâ—… estimation of your Countrey of the measure of â—â— other dayes remembring that it is not now as â—â—â— Jewish Sabbath to be kept as a Ceremony but as â—â—â— season of Holy Works As therefore you allow â—â—â— other dayes a stated proportion of twenty four â—â—â—rs for Labour and the rest for sleep or rest do â—â— by the Lords day and you need not further be â—â—pulous as to the time But remember 1. That you â—â—id scandal â— That even the Sabbath and so â—â— Lords day was made for man and Christ is the â—â—d of it who will have the greatest works preâ—…ed Q. 28. Doth not Paul tell us that all dayes are alike â—â— we must not judge one another for dayes Why then â—â—d Christians make a difference and not serve God â—â—lly every day A. Paul tells you that Christ hath taken away the â—â—ish Ceremonial difference of dayes for neglect â—â— which none is to be judged But it followeth not â—â—â— Christ hath made no difference himself and hath â—â— stated a day for Christian Work in Communion â—â—ve the rest One hour of the day doth not in â—â—lf now differ from another And yet every wise â—â—ter of a Family will keep the Order of stated â—â—s for Dinner and for Prayer And so will a Congregation for Lectures and other ordinary ocâ—â—sions I told you in the beginning that the Light â—… Law of nature tells us that Gods publick Worsâ—â—â— should have a stated day in which as free from versions and distractions we should wholly apâ—… our selves thereto And that all the Christians in â—… world assemble for the same work on the same dâ—… hath much of laudable concord harmony and mâ—…al help And therefore it concerned him who oâ—… is the King and Law-giver to the universal Churâ—â— to make them a Law for the determination of â—â—â— day which he hath done Q. 29. But is it not more spiritual to make eâ—… day a Sabbath A. It is most Christian-like to obey Christ â—… King Thus the same men pretend to make evâ—… meal a Sacrament that they may break the Law Christ who instituted the Sacrament Satans way drawing men from Christs Laws is sometime by â—…tending to do more and better But to keep evâ—â—â— day a Sabbath is to keep none It is not lawful cast off our outward labour all the six dayes nor â—… mind or body bear it to do nothing but religious Wâ—â—sâ—ip These men mean no more but to follow thâ—… earthly business with a spiritual mind and at soâ—… seasons of the day to worship God solemnly And â—… is but what every good Christian should do every â—… But who knoweth not that the mind may with more advantage attend Gods instructions and be â—…ed to him in holy Worship when all worldly â—…verting businesses are laid by and the whole man â—â—ployed towards God alone If men will regard 1. The experience of their oâ—… Souls 2. And of all others in the World they miâ—… â—… be resolved how mischievous a thing the negâ—… of the Lords day is and how necessary its holy â—…rvation 1. That man never knew what it is â—…ttend Gods worship seriously and therein to reâ—…e his special blessing who hath not found the â—…t advantage of our separation from all common â—…ess to attend holy work only on the Lords day â—… that feeleth no miss or loss of it sure never knew â—…t Communion with God is 2. And Servants â—…d be left remediless under such Masters as would â—… oppress them with Labour and restrain them â—… Gods service It is therefore the great mercy the universal King to secure the Liberties of the â—…vants and to bind all men to the means of their â—… felicity 3. And common reason will tell us that a Law obâ—…ing all men to spend one day of seven in Learnâ—… Gods Word and offering him holy Worship â—…st needs tend abundantly more to the increase of â—â—owledge and Holiness than if all men were left â—…heir own or to their Rulers wills herein 4. And common experience puts the matter of fact â—… of doubt that where the Lords day is most conâ—…nably spent in holy exercises there Knowledge â—…ty Charity and all Virtue do most notably prosâ—… And where the sanctifying of the Lords day â—eglected Ignorance Sensuality and Worldliness â—…nd O how many millions of Souls hath Grace â—…erted and comforted and edified on the Lords â—…es When men are obliged to hear read pray â—… praise God and to Catechize their Children and â—…vants as that which God requireth is it not liker â—…e done than if they be left to their own erroneâ—… backward sluggish minds or to the Will of â—…ers perhaps worse than they Q. 30. How is it that the Lords day must be sâ—… and Sanctified A. Not in diverting worldly thoughts wordâ—â—… deeds Much less in idleness or vain pastimes â—… least of all in such sinful pleasures as corrupt â—… mind and unfit a man for holy Work such as gâ—…tony drunkenness lasciviousness Stage-playes â—…mances Gaming c. But the Lords day is â—…cially separated to Gods publick Worship in Châ—… Communion and the rest to private and secret â—… exercises The primitive Christians spent moâ—… the day together And the publick Worship shâ—… not be only preferred but also take up as much of day as we can well spend therein Q. 31. What are the parts of Church-Service be used on the Lords day A. 1. The Reading of the Sacred Scriptures the Teachers and expounding them to the Peoâ—… Their preaching the Doctrine of the Gospel applying it to the case and Consciences of the â—…ers Their guiding them in the solemn exercisâ—… Gods Praise special Worship celebrating the Sâ—…ments especially that of Communion of the Bâ—… and Blood of Christ and that with such conjuncâ—… of Praises to God as that it may be fitly called Eucharist speaking and singing joyfully of Gods