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A47130 A Christian catechisme, for the instruction of youth, and others to whom it may be useful in the grounds of Christian religion, and practice of Christian piety wherein the twelve articles of the Christian creed, and the Godhead and manhood natures of Christ and his prophetical, priestly, and kingly office are briefly explained : and the true Christian doctrin, concerning Christ his being a sufficient saviour, as he is both God and man : and with respect to both the absolute necessity, and excellent consistencie of his outward coming in the flesh, and his inward coming, and spiritual appearance in our hearts, through faith in him, and love and obedience to him, in order to our eternal salvation, declared and demonstrated by testimonies of Holy Scripture : and the divine excellency of the light within, in distinction from humane reason, asserted and vindicated : and the question concerning its sufficiency to salvation, truly stated and resolved : where also many other Gospel doctrins, and practical Christian truths and duties are held forth / by George Keith. Keith, George, 1639?-1716. 1698 (1698) Wing K150; ESTC R19823 60,929 128

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in their Sins and the Apostles are false Witnesses and Christ 's Prophecy who foretold his Resurrection on the third Day hath failed 1 Cor. 15. 13 14 15. Q. But may not his Resurrection be owned and not his Ascension into Heaven with the same Body A. The one cannot be owned without the other for if Christ 's Body did not ascend it did evanish or return to Dust and Christ Dyed again and his Body suffered Corruption which could not be for the Scripture witnesseth that Christ having once dyed dyeth no more Death hath no more dominion over him Q What Scriptures in the Old Testament foretold Christ 's Ascension A. Diverse places such as Psal 24. 7 8 9 10. Psal 47. 5. Psal 68. 18. Isaiah 52. 13. Gen. 49 9. Q. What Figure in the Old Testament did signifie Christ 's Ascension A. The burnt Offering the Smoke of which ascended straight upwards whence it has its name in the Hebrew from a word that signifieth to ascend Q Was not Isaack's being said on the Altar and afterwards being raised alive a Figure of Christ 's Death and Resurrection according to Heb. 11. 19. Q. Is there a real place above the Earth called Heaven into which Christ hath entred with his Body and whole glorified Manhood of Soul and Body A. Yea. Q How doth this agree with Scripture that saith Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. A. It is the same Body in Substance though changed greatly in Manner and Qualities from Natural or Animal Gen. 11. 12. Matth. 1. 17. to Spiritual from Mortal to Immortal such as the Bodies of the Saints shall be at the Resurrection Q. Why do we not see that Heavens with our bodily Eyes into which Christ 's Body is entered A. Because of the Weakness and Grossness of our Flesh and of our fleshly Sight which can scarce see the Body of the Air that we breath in nor behold the brightness of the Sun but when our Bodies shall be changed and made Spiritual at the Resurrection we shall see the glorious Heavens and also the glorious Body of Christ and the glorified Bodies of all the Saints in Heaven Q. Is there also a real place called Hell into which the Wicked both Soul and Body shall be cast at the Day of Judgment A. Yea which is that called Tophet Isaiah 30. 33. Which hath been ordained of old he hath made it deep and large the Pile thereof is Fire and much Wood the Breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it Q. What signifieth Tophet and why is it so called A. Tophet signifieth the beating of a Drum and was the place where the Idolatrous Israelites burned their Children and Sacrificed them alive to their Idol Molech where they used to beat Drums to hinder them from hearing the pitiful Cry of their Children therefore by a Metaphor Hell is called Tophet and by the like Metaphor Hell is called by Christ in the N. Testament Gehenna i. e. the Land or Field of Hinnon where all the Filth of the City of Jerúsalem was cast into that piece of Ground having formerly belonged to a Man called Hinnon Q. Why hath God so ordered it that as the place of Reward to the Saints and of Punishment to the Wicked should not be seen by us in this Life nor apprehended by any of our outward Senses so that none should come from the Dead to tell us of these things A. That thereby we might have the greater occasion for the Exercise of our Faith which is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. We have not only Moses and the Prophets Testimony concerning future Rewards and Punishments but the Testimony of Christ himself who rose from the Dead and hath given us in the Records of the holy Evangelists and Apostles in the New Testament full and sufficient Ground of Faith to believe these things to which the Spirit of Truth doth bear an inward Witness and who will not believe on such great Evidences nor would they believe if any should rise from the Dead to tell them Luke 16 31. Q. How is Christ the Object of our Faith for Remission of Sin and Justification is it as his Blood is shed in us and as he offers up himself a Sacrifice in us as some say to appease the Wrath of God A. Nay for all such Notion of Christ 's blood being shed in us and his offering up himself in us a Sacrifice for Sin to appease the Wrath of God is false and contrary to Scripture c. Q Is then Jesus Christ considered as he died for us without us and rose again and as he was the Sacrifice for our Sins by his Death and Blood that was outwardly shed the Object of our Faith for Remission of Sins and Justification A. Yea Rom. 10. 9 10. Coloss 1. 20. Heb 12. 2. Acts 10. 41. SECT VII Q. HOW doth Christ perform his Kingly Office A. By his various Administrations of it in the several Parts thereof Q. Which are the several Parts of it A. First Such as respect Angels both good and bad and the whole Creation Secondly Such as respect the World or that part of Mankind that do not belong to his Church Thirdly Such as belong to his Church Q. Hath Christ a Kingly Power and Government over all the good and holy Angels A. Yea Heb. 1. 6 7. Col. 2. 10. Eph. 1. 21. Phil. 2. 10. Mark 1. 25 9 25. Luke 4. 35 9 42. Q. Hath he also a Power and Government over the evil Angels and all evil and unclean Spirits and the Devil the Prince of them A. Yea as plainly appeared by the Power and Authority he used to cast forth the unclean Spirits out of the Bodies of many that were Possessed Q. Hath Christ also a Kingly Power and Government over Heaven and Earth and the whole Creation A. Yea as is evident from his own words that all Power in Heaven and Earth was his being given him of the Father Matth. 28. 18. Matth. 8. 26 27. Mark 2. 27 28. Acts 10. 36. And which he shewed by his commanding the Winds and the Seas and the great Miracles which he wrought who as he was Lord of the Sabbath so he was Lord of all Creatures Q. How doth Christ put forth his Kingly Power and Government over Devils and wicked Men seeing they are Disobedient to him A. By restraining and limiting their Power over-ruling their evil Designs and Actions and causing them to turn to his Glory and the Glory of his Father and to the good of his chosen and lastly by Judging and Punishing them at the last day Psal 76. 10. Rom. 8. 28. Acts 17. 31. Matth. 8. 29. Q. How doth Christ perform his Kingly Office over the World or that part of Mankind that do not belong to his Church and neither are nor shall become Members of it but remain Impenitent to the last A. By giving them a righteous Law universally in their
the difficulty comes gradually to be removed and such an attainment becomes exceeding delightful and sweet as well as profitable to the Soul surely David had attained it when he said Truly my Soul is silent on God Psal 62. 1. as the best translation is and Unto thee O Lord silence praise in Zion Psal 65. 1. As intimating that as God is praised in silence so praise cannot be truly performed unto God while the Mind is unsettled disquieted and discomposed which it will needs be until it come to true Silence as also when he said My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed Psal 57. 7. and then it follows I will Sing and give Praise and divers places of Scripture hold forth not only the duty of inward Silence or ceasing from all Self-actings whether of the Understanding or Will but also the great profit and benefit of it Lam. 3. 27 28. Psal 4. 4. 46. 10. Isa 30. 7. 19. Q. How by Meditation A. After the Mind is cleared and disburdened of all Self-disquieting thoughts and actings then as a fruitful Soil having good Seed sown in it and being watered with Rain from above and warmed with the Sun's heat brings forth plenty of sweet smelling Herbs and Flowers both pleasant to the Sight and profitable for Use which it could not do while it was loaded with Rubbish being helped with the Rain and Warmth of God's Holy Spirit it bringeth forth with ease and pleasure precious and wholsom Meditations and Thoughts most sutable and proper to its present state upon variety of objects all which do greatly conduce to dispose the Soul for Prayer and Thanksgiving and any other religious Duty Q. Doth the holy Spirit help us in Meditation without all use of outward means of Instruction as Reading in the holy Scriptures Hearing Conference A. Nay but by using frequently these outward means the Holy Spirit by his holy Inspirations and Motions brings seasonably to our remembrance what we have formerly heard or read and have been taught out of the holy Scriptures of divine Truth and also brings to our frequent remembrance the great Love and the many Mercies of God to us both Spiritual and Temporal and his great and manifold Deliverances Preservations and gracious Providences which afford us matter of Praise and Thanksgiving unto God which ought to be offered up with our Prayers Q. What things more particularly are the proper and necessary matter and subject of our Meditation A. The Works of Creation and Providence both in general and particular and more especially the Psal 77. 10. 11. Psal 143. 5. Eccles 12. 1. great Work of our Redemption and the great Glory of God that is wonderfully demonstrated therein in his great Attributes of Mercy and Justice Wisdom and Power in most excellent Harmony and how the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are all concerned in that great Work the Father did not dye for us but he so loved us that he spared not his dear Son but gave him freely to dye for us and Christ so loved us that he freely gave himself for us to suffer the cursed Death of the Cross in our stead and the Holy Ghost so loved us that he is come to be a true and faithful 〈◊〉 so us in our hearts to assure us that Christ dyed for us and to apply to us the great Worth Essicacy and Merit of what Christ hath done and suffered for us who is the free gift both of the Father and the Son to us and also freely giveth himself to us by whom God through Christ doth work the true convincement in us of our sin and misery and the true Conversion from it begotting in us true Faith Hope and Charity and all other Evangelical Virtues and Fruits which are therefore called the Fruits of the Spirit all which ought to be the most frequent matter and subject of our most serious and devout Meditation together with the exceeding great obligation of duty that lyeth upon us of Love and Obedience as the reasonable return of such exceeding great and rich favour love and mercy freely bestowed upon us which are the great motives to Christian Obedience also the Laws and Commandments of God and Christ to the end we may obey them ought to be our daily study and meditation in the doing of which we may expect the Blessedness and Promises of God to be fulfilled to us Psal 1. throughout and likewise the precious Promises of God recorded in Scripture ought to be frequently in our Meditations that by them we may be encouraged to pray to God for the performance of them And we ought not only to have continually before the eyes of our Minds the great Love of Christ in his dying for us but his most holy Example in his most perfect Obedience Resignation Patience Humility Self-denyal Love to his Enemies that we may follow his Steps 1 Pet. 2. 21. Moreover the frequent consideration of our State past present and future with the most diligent and impartial examination of our selves and of our daily conversation both exteriour and interiour is most necessary for us that wherein we have failed in our duty either to God to our selves or our neighbours we may be humbled and sorry for it confess our sins to God and ask forgiveness of God for Christ's sake and wherein we have been helped by his Spirit and Grace to advance in the ways of Holiness to bless and praise God through Christ Jesus for the same also the frequent meditation of Death and Judgment the vanity of the World with all its Prouts Pleasures Honours and Preferments and the exceeding great advantage of Godliness which hath both the Promises of this Life and of the life to come is exceeding both profitable and necessary to us in all which or whatever is necessary to be remembred by us Cant. 1. 4. Psal 8. 3. 4. Psal 63. 5. 6. Psal 119. 23. 48. 148. 1 Tim. 4. 15. 2 Tim. 2. 8. Psal 104. 34. and made the subject of our frequent meditation the faithful may expect the assistance of God's blessed Spirit in the diligent use of the means and helps that God hath offered to us Q. To whom are we to pray and give thanks as the one intire object of Divine Worship Prayer and Thanksgiving A. To God the Father the Son Jesus Christ God Man and the Holy Spirit and who is also the one intire object of our Faith 1 Cor. 1. 2. 3. Revel 1. 4 5. 6. Q. Are we to make use of any Images in Divine Worship A. Nay Exod. 20. 4. 5. Acts 17. 25. 29. 30. Q. How are we to pray and give thanks so as to be accepted A. In Spirit and Truth in sincerity of heart in Faith without doubting in humility in holy fear with understanding with love and fervency of heart with frequency and constancy to all which we need the continual help of God's Spirit and Grace to aid and assist us John 4. 23. 1 Tim. 2. 8.
Gen. 18. 27. Gen. 32. 10. 1 Thess 5. 17. 1 Cor. 14. 15. Heb. 12. 28. Jam. 5. 16. Q. Is not private Prayer alone by our selves in secret a necessary duty daily to be practi●ed by us A. Yea Matth. 6. 6. Q. Is not also Prayer with others in Families and especially in publick where the Faithful meet together a necessary Duty A. Yea Jerem. 10. 25. Matth. 18. 20. Acts 13. 3. Q. What are the things for which we are chiefly to pray A. They are briefly contained in that excellent form of Prayer which Christ taught his Disciples saying Our Father c. all other Prayers throughout the Scriptures containing nothing for substance but what is comprehended in that Prayer and may be reduced to some Head thereof Matth. 6. 9. Q. Is not external Worship with our Bodies and outward Man as Vocal Prayer with our Mouths and the reverend behaviour of our Bodies as in bowing kneeling standing when we Worship God with Prayer and Thanksgiving a necessary part of Worship as well as the internal of the Heart and Mind and commanded of God 1 Cor. 6 20. Eph. 3. 14. Rom. 15. 6. A. Yea. Q Is it necessary and proper for the best of Men to confess their Sins and pray for forgiveness of them A. Yea 1 Joh. 1. 9. Q. Why should they pray for forgiveness of Sin who have receiv'd it already A. They have the same cause as to pray for their daily Bread who have it already beside that the great and most solemn and publick forgiveness of Sin is yet to come at the day of Judgment And the frequent sinful defects and imperfections that we fall into as James said In many things w● offend all require and call for our frequent confession and asking of God the forgiveness of our Sins Acts 3. 19. James 3. 2. Q. For whom are we to pray A. Not only for our selves but for all Men for our Enemies for our Friends and Relations and Neighbours for the King and all in Authority for the whole Church of God and all the Faithful every where and for all such of God's Elect as are yet unconverted and scattered that they may be converted and gathered for the prosperity and success of the Gospel that Truth Righteousness and Peace may be advanced Error and every false Way brought down Deceivers may be discovered and the Deceived recovered and reclaimed 1 Tim. 2. 2. Psal 51. 18. Psal 7. 9. Matth. 5. 44. 2 Thess 3. 1. Q. Doth the Spirit of God teach us to pray without all outward means of Instruction or use of the holy Scriptures A. Nay but in the use of them the Spirit of God working Faith in us and inflaming our Hearts with fervent Love and Affections wherein the very Substance and Life of Prayer doth chiefly consist and bringing to our remembrance words of the holy Scripture or the matter thereof sutable to our present states and conditions Q. But doth not the Spirit at times give new words to a Man that has a spiritual Gift of Prayer A. Not new coined words for that would be a new I anguage but the Spirit may and doth at times help a Man to apply and accommodate words already in use both Scripture words and others sutable and seasonable to the matter of his Prayer Q. Must be who prayeth by the Spirit every time that he prayeth use variety of different Expressions A. This is not always needful for Christ who had the Spirit above all Men that ever were or shall be prayed three several times using the same words Matth. 26. 44 Mark 14. 39. Q. Is there not a true Prayer of the Mind and Heart that is very acceptable to God and also very profitable to the Faithful when they do not utter audible words and there is not a proper season to utter them A. Yea as the Scriptures plainly testifie Lam. 2. 18. Gen. 24. 45. 1 Sam. 1. 13. Q. Is there not also a true Prayer in the Hearts of the Faithful very frequently without all words so much as conceived in the Mind as a Man may feel a hunger and thirst after Meat and Drink without saying in his Heart that he is hungry or thirsty A. Yea which Prayer is the true Spiritual hunger and thirst after God and Christ to enjoy still more and more of his Love Life and Holiness and is the continual motion and ascent of the Soul unto God and Christ by Love and Desire and is the most principal thing in Prayer which is oft without all words either outwardly expressed or inwardly conceived and after this manner the Faithful pray continually and without ceasing as the Heart is in a continual motion by the natural Life that is in it so the Mind and Soul of every Faithful Man is in a continual motion by the spiritual and divine Life of God and Christ in it that it may still more and more approach to God and be made conformable to him Psal 42. 1. 2. Psal 63. 8. Q. Though the Faithful are not to expect any new Articles or Doctrins of Faith to be revealed unto them by the Spirit nor any new Laws or Rules of moral Life but what are contained in the Scriptures yet such as are spiritual and holy Livers and walk with God in their daily Conversation both as to the exteriour and interiour part of it with great exactness diligence and circumspection regarding God and the leadings and guidings of his Spirit that leads into all Truth according to the plain Institution and Rules of the holy Scripture both in Faith and Practice may they not hope pray and wait for and certainly find clear and certain dire●tions of God's holy Spirit in their Hearts and Souls which they may certainly know to be such to direct and guide them safely and comfortably in the contingent and doubtful affairs and intricacies of humane Life respecting matters in themselves indifferent neither commanded nor forbidden in Scripture which oft cannot be resolved by the best dictates of meer humane Reason helped and assisted by general Rules of moral Prudence and has not the experience of many good and holy Men in all Ages confirmed the truth of it and are there not Promises of God in the Scripture that he will give such direction and guidance to such whom he counts worthy of it and who in Faith and Humility pray and wait for it A. Yea although it is great presumption in any that are but Carnal and lax in their manner of Life to expect such inward Direction Counsel and Conduct for which see the following Scriptures Psal 37. 23. Prov. 3. 58. Prov. 4. 12. 8. 9. Jam. 1. 5. Q. Ought not the first day of the Week on which our Lord Rose from the Dead be observed and kept so as to be solemnly set apart for the Service and Worship of God both in Publick and Private with abstinence from servile Labour and from worldly Affairs both in commemoration of our Lord's Resurrection on that day