world that he gave his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and that we should not perish but have everlasting life Q. What do the Scriptures inform us concerning this Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God A. The Scriptures inform us that he is the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express image of his person that in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily that he is over all God blessed for ever that he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the World and when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman being conceived of the Virgin Mary by the holy Ghost and power of the most high that he was holy harmless and undefiled in his lise that he did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth that he went up and down doing good and was approved of God by miracles wonders and signs which God did by him that he died for our sins and was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures and in the sight of the Apostles while they beheld he was received into heaven and sate at the right hand of God from whence he shall come in like manner at the end of the world being ordained of God to judg the quick and the dead Q. How did Jesus Christ save us from sin and death A. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law by being made a Curse or enduring a cursed death for us and God made him to be Sin or a Sacrifice for sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him he tasted death for every man and gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Q. What do you learn from God's love in sending his Son to be the Propitiation for our sins A. I learn from thence that if God so loved us we ought also to love one another and that if God spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all he will with him also freely give us all things Q. What do you farther learn from God's love in the gift of his Son A. I learn to say with the Apostle Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord JesusChrist who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace and to declare with the Elders before the throne that worthy is the Lamb that was slain and by his blood hath redeemed us unto God to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing unto him thererefore that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Q. Who are those that shall receive forgiveness of sin and Eternal life and Salvation by Jesus Christ. A. They that believe in Christ and repent shall not perish but receive remission of sins and everlasting life and he is the Author of Eternal salvation to all them that obey him Q. Seeing then that Faith and Repentance and New Obedience are of absolute necessity to Salvation by Jesus Christ First what is true and saving Faith A. True and saving Faith is to believe with the heart that Jesus is the Christ that is that he was anointed and sent of God to be a Prophet Priest and King and to receive him as such Q. What is it to believe with the heart that Jesus Christ was anointed and sent of God to be a Prophet and to receive him as such A. To believe with the heart that Jesus Christ was anointed and sent of God to be a Prophet and to receive him as such is effectually and throughly to believe that he was anointed and sent of God to preach the Gospel whereby he hath brough life and immortality to light that he was sent to speak unto the world those things which he heard from God who gave him commandment what he should say and speak and therefore to hear him that is obey him in all things Q. What if we shall refuse or neglect to hear this Prophet and shall disobey his doctrine A. Every soul which will not hear this Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people for he that despiseth him despiseth him that sent him and if they escaped not that refused him Moses that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him Christ that speaketh from heaven And if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Q. What is it to believe with the heart that Jesus Christ was anointed and sent of God to be a Priest and to receive him as such A. To believe with the heart that Jesus Christ was anointed and sent of God to be a Priest and to receive him as such is effectually to believe that he offered himself without spot to God and gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour to the end that he might make reconciliation for iniquity and put away sin by the sacrifiee of himself and therefore to look for redemption through his blood and not to expect salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Q. Did Christ perform and execute all that belonged to his Priestly office here on earth or doth he yet continue a Priest in heaven A. Christ our High Priest having once offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever he with his own blood entered in once for all into heaven there to appear in the presence of God for us and he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Q. What encouragement doth the belief of Christ's continuing and acting as a Priest in heaven afford unto us A. Seeing we have a great High-priest Jesus the Son of God that is passed into the heavens and is set down at the right hand of God and also maketh intercession for us we may come boldly that is freely to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Q. What is it to believe with the heart that Jesus Christ is anointed of God to be King and to receive him as such A. To believe with the heart that Jesus Christ is anointed of God to be King and to
or respects avail us any thing to justification and salvation without this new and spiritual obedience A. Neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcifion but a new creature the keeping of the commandments of God and not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that doth the will of his Father which is in heaven For why call ye me Lord Lord saith our Saviour and do not the things which I say The hearers of the Law are not just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Q. May it not suffice to keep some of the Commandments of God but must we obey all A. We must have respect unto all God's commandments and hate every false way for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet wilfully offend in one point he is guilty of all or liable to the punishment due to the breach of all viz. Eternal death Q. Will God accept at our hands nothing short of absolutely perfect Obedience A. Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him for he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust and if there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not That is it is accepted if we demonstrate that we are reallywilling by our acting in a good suitableness to the strength we have received Q. Do you think that you can deserve forgiveness of sin and eternal Salvation at God's hands by obeying his commandments A. No by no means but when we have done all those things that are commanded us we must say that we are unprofitable servants we have done but that which was our duty to do and not by works of righteousness which we have done that is not for the desert of them but according to his mercy he saveth us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and he maketh us accepted in the beloved by whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of his grace Q. Seeing we cannot merit at God's hands by any thing we can do and that we are pardoned and saved purely by the free Grace of God in Christ how comes obedience to his commandments to be indispensably necessary to our being so A. Obedience to God's commandments is therefore indispensably necessary to our being pardoned and saved because that the righteous Lord loveth righteousness but hateth wickedness and all the workers of iniquity insomuch as he that justifieth the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord so that without holiness no man shall see the Lord for thereby we are made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light nor can we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness for God is light and in him is no darkness at all Wherefore God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless us by turning every one of us from our iniquities and hath exalted him to be a prince a Saviour first to give repentance and then forgiveness of sins and he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it that is to perfect it or preach it fully So the same word is used Rom. 15. 19. and Col. 1. 25. Q. Then you will never be perswaded to believe that Faith in Christ freeth us from our obligation to the Moral Law or any one precept of it A. Do we make void the law through faith God sorbid yea we establish the law And to live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world is that even the sum of all that which the grace of God that brings salvation teacheth us Nay it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than one jot or tittle of the law to fail till all be fulfilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or till all things be done that is till the world be destroyed Q. Which are the ten Commandments into which the Moral Law as it was given by God to Moses is divided of which the four first contain our duty towards God and the other six our duty towards man A. God spake all these words saying I am the Lord thy God which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage 1. Thou shalt have no other Gods before or besides me 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or the 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 shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain 4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant nor thy cattel nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it 5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 6. Thou shalt not kill 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery 8. Thou shalt not steal 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours House thou shalt not covet thy neighbours Wife nor his Man-servant nor his Maid-servant nor his Oxe nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy neighbours Q. How are these ten Commandments abridged by our Saviour Christ A. He hath reduced them all to these two Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength This is the first Commandment or the first Table And the second is like namely this Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Q. How is the love of God expressed A. This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments Q. How is this second Commandment or Table farther explained by Christ A. He hath farther explain'd it thus As ye would that men should do to you do ye also to them likewise Q. Can a man love God and hate his brother or refuse to supply his necessities according to his ability
our own selves Q. What is meant in Scripture by those thorns which choak the good seed of the word A. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the pleasures of this life and the lusts of other things these are the thorns which choak the word so that it becometh unfruitful Q. The third and last means you mentioned was the Sacraments How many Sacraments are there under the New Testament A. There are only two namely Baptism and the Lords Supper Q. What is Baptism A. Baptism is washing with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Q. What doth this Baptism or washing with water signifie A. This Baptism or washing with water signifies the washing away of sins or the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Q. What are they engaged to in reference to God the Father and the Son and Holy Ghost who are baptized in or into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost A. They are engaged so to live as that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed by them but that the name of Christ may be glorified in them they are obliged to put onChrist and as they name the name of Christ or profess his Religion so to depart likewise from all iniquity and seeing that they who are baptized into Jesus Christ are baptized into his death they are to reckon themselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God unto whom they are to yield themselves as those that are alive from the dead And lastly they are engaged not to grieve the holy Spirit of God whereby they are sealed unto the day of Redemption Q. What are they engaged to in reference to men who are baptized into Christ A. They are engaged to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace for there is one Baptism and by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body Q. What is the Sacrament of the Lord's supper A. The Lord's Supper is a Sacrament wherein after the giving of thanks and blessing bread is broken and eaten and wine is poured out and drank in remembrance or for a commemoration of Christ. Q. What doth the Bread broken fignifie and teach us to remember A. The Bread broken signifieth and teacheth us to remember the Body of Christ which was given and broken for us for he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities he gave himself a ransom for all and by his stripes we are healed Q. What doth the Wine poured out into the Cup signifie and teach us to remember A. The Wine poured out into the Cup signifieth and teacheth us to remember the Blood of Christ which was shed for many for the remission of sins for he poured out his soul or life unto death and by his blood he hath redeemed us unto God Q. How may we worthily receive the Lord's Supper A. Let a man examine or approve himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that Cup. Q. Of what benefit and advantage is the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to those that worthily receive it A. The Cup of blessing which we bless it is the communion or communication of the Blood of Christ and the bread which we break it is the communion or communication of the body of Christ. Q. What is the danger of receiving the Lord's Supper unworthily A. Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and he eateth and drinketh damnation or judgment to himself not discerning the Lord's body That is not eating it in a holy manner or making no difference between it and ordinary food Q. How do the sufferings and death of Christ represented in this Sacrament shew unto us the evil and heynousness of sin and by that means engage us to godly sorrow and repentance A. The sufferings and death of Christ represented in this Sacrament shew unto us the evil and heynousness of sin in that we are not redeemed from it but with the precious Blood of Christ his soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief and to lay upon him the iniquities of us all That is he would not admit sinners to terms of reconciliation with himself without such a Sacrifice for sin as that of his own dear Son Q. How doth the love of Christ in dying for us engage us to live a new life A. The love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves that is to their lusts and carnal affections but unto him which died for them Q. How doth the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper engage Christians to love each other A. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper engageth us to love each other in that we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread and are all made to drink into one Spirit That is our drinking all of the same Cup signifieth our being animated by the same spirit Q. How farther doth the Lord's Supper engage us to Christian love A. It farther engageth us to Christian love in that we are commanded to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour and in this Sacrament this Sacrifice is commemorated Q. Seeing Jesus Christ hath set Bishops and spiritual Governours and Teachers over his Church who by their prayers preaching the Word and administration of the Sacraments and Ecclesiastical Discipline are for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and edifying of his body and hath promised to be with them to the end of the world How are we to behave our selves towards them 1 Cor. 12. 28. Eph. 4. 11 12. 1 Tim. 3. 1. Mat. 28. 19 20. A. We are commanded to obey them that have the rule over us and submit our selves to them for they watch for our souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief and to esteem those that are over us in the Lord and admonish us very highly in love for their works sake and to account them worthy of double honour But as for those false Apostles and deceitful workers which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which we have learned we must avoid them for they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple having a form