Q. 82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? A. No mere man, fince the fall, is able, in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of Gody; but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed z. Q. 83. Are all tranfgreffions of the law equally hainous? A. Some fins in themselves, and by reafon of feveral aggravations, are more hainous in the fight of God than others a. Q. 84. not commit adultery, Thou fhalt not kill, Thou shalt not fteal, Thou fhalt not bear falfe witnefs, Thou fhalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this faying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy felf. Deut. v. 21. Neither fhalt thou defire thy neighbours wife, neither fhalt thou covet thy neighbours house, his field, or his man-fervant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his afs, or any thing that is thy neighbours. 82. y Eccl. vii. 20. For there is not a juft man upon earth, that doth good and finneth not. 1 John i. 8. If we fay, that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. v. 1o. If we fay that we have not finned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lufteth against the fpirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that ye would. - Gen. vi. 5. And God faw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen. viii. 21. And the Lord fmelled a sweet fayour: and the Lord faid in his heart, I will not again curfe the ground any more for mans fake, for the ima gination of mans heart is evil from his youth: neither will I again fmite any more every thing living, as I have done. Rom. iii. 9. What then? are we better than they? No in no wife, for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under fin-and fo on to verse 21. James iii. 2. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the fame is a perfect man, and able alio to bridle the whole bodyand fo on to verse 13. 83. a Ezek viii. 6. He faid fur-' thermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the houfe of Ifrael committeth here, that I fhould go far off from my fanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou fhalt fee greater abominations. v. 13. He faid also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt fee greater abominations that they do. v. 15. Then faid he unto me, Haft thou feen this, fon of man? turn thee yet again, and thou fhalt fee greater abominations than thefe. I John v. 16. If any man fee his brother fin a fin which is not unto death, he fhall afk, and he fhall give him life for them that fin not unto death. There is a fin unto death: I do not fay, that he fhall pray for it. Pfa, lxxviii. 17. And they finned yet more against him, by provoking the Moft High in Dd 3 the Q. 84. What doth every fin deferve? A. Every fin deferveth God's wrath and curfe, both in this life, and that which is to come b. Q. 85. What doth God require of us, that we may efcape his wrath and curfe, due to us for fin? A. To efcape the wrath and curfe of God, due to us for fin, God requireth of us faith in Jefus Chrift, repentance unto lifec, with the diligent ufe of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption d. Q86. What is faith in Jefus Chrift? A. Faith in Jefus Chrift is a faving gracee, whereby we receive, and reft upon him alone for falvation, as he is offered to us in the gospelf. the wilderness. v. 32. For all this they finned ftill: and believed not for his wondrous works. v. 56. Yet they tempted and provoked the moft high God, and kept not his teflimonies. 84. b Eph. v. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for becaufe of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of di obedience. Gal. iii. 1o. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe: for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Lam. iii. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punithment of his fins? Mat. xxv. 41. Then fhall he fay alfo unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. 85. Acts xx. 21. Teftifying both to the Jews, and alfo to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jefus Chrift. Prov. ii. 1. My fon, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee: v. 2. So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, Q.87. and apply thine heart to understanding: v. 3. Yea, if thou crieft after knowledge, and lifteft up thy voice for understanding: v.4. If thou feekeft her as filver, and fearchest for her, as for hid treasure: v. 5. Then fhalt thou understand the fear of the Lord; and find the knowledge of God. Prov. viii. 33. Hear inftru&tion, and be wife, and refuse it not. v. 34. Bleffed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the pofts of my doors. v. 35. For whofo findeth me, findeth life, and fhall obtain favour of the Lord. v. 36. But he that finneth against me, wrongeth his own foul; all they that hate me, love death. Ifa.lv. 3. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your foul fhall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the fure mercies of David. 86. e Heb. x. 39. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe, to the faving of the foul. f John i. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Ifa. Q. 87. What is repentance unto life? A. Repentance unto life is a faving graceg, whereby a finner, out of the true fenfe of his fin b, and apprehenfion of the mercy of God in Christi, doth with grief and hatred of his fin, turn from it unto God k, with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience /. xxvi. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfe&t peace, whofe mind is itayed on thee: because he truite th in thee. v.. 4. Truft ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting ftrength. Phil. iii. 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Gal. ii. 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jefus Chrift, even we have believed in Jefus Chrift; that we might be juftified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law fhall no fleth be juftified. 87. 8 Acts xi. 18. When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, faying, Then hath God alfo to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. Acts ii. 37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and faid unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what fhall we do? v. 38. Then Peter faid unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Chritt, for the remiffion of fins, and ye fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Joel ii. 12. Therefore alfo now, faith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with faft ing, and with weeping, and with mourning. Jer. iii. 22. Return, ye Q. 88. backfliding children, and I will heal your backflidings: Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. Jer. xxxi. 18. I have furely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou haft chaftifed me, and I was chaitifed, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I thall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. v. 19. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was inftructed, I fmote upon my thigh: I was afhamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Ezek. xxxvi. 31. Then fhall ye remember' your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and fhall lothe yourselves in your own fight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations. 1 2 Cor. vii. 11. For behold, this felf-fame thing that ye forrowed after a godly fort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement defire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! in all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Ifa. i. 16. Wath ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, ceafe to do evil, v. 17. learn to do well, feek judgment, relieve the oppreffed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 88. Q. 88. What are the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption? A. The outward and ordinary means, whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, are, his ordinances, especially the word, facraments and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for falvation m. Q. 89. How is the word made effectual to falvation? A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting finners, and of building them up in holiness, and comfort, through faith unto falvation n. Q.90. 88. m Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: v. 20. Teaching them to obferve all things whatfoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Acts ii. 42. And they continued ftedfastly in the apoftles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. v. 46. And they continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from houfe to houfe, did eat their meat with gladness and finglenefs of heart; v. 47. praifing God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily fuch as thould be faved. 89. n Neh. viii. 8. So they read in the book, in the law of God diftin&tly, and gave the fenfe, and caufed them to understand the reading. 1 Cor. xiv. 24. But if all prophefy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: v. 25. And thus are the fecrets of his heart made manifeft; and fo falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. Acts xxvi. 18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of fins, and inheritance among them which are fanctified by faith that is in me. Pfal. xix. 8. The ftatutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightning the eyes. Acts xx. 32. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are fanctified. Rom. xv. 4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the fcriptures might have hope. 2 Tim. iii. 15. And that from a child thou haft known the holy fcriptures, which are able to make thee wife unto falvation, through faith which is in Chrift Jefus. v. 16. All scripture is given by infpiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inftruction in righteoufnefs: v. 17. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnifhed unto all good works. Rom. x. 13. For whofoever fhall call upon the name of the Lord, fhall be faved. v. 14. How then fhall they call on Q.90. How is the word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to falvation? A. That the word may become effectual to falvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence o, preparationp, and prayerq; receive it with faith and lover, lay it up in our hearts, and practise it in our lives t. Q.91. How do the facraments become effectual means of falvation? A. The facraments become effectual means of falvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them, but only by the bleffing of Chriftv, and the working on him, in whom they have not be lieved? and how fhall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? v. 15. And how fhall they preach, except they be fent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things? v. 16. But they have not all obeyed the gofpel. For Efaias faith, Lord, who hath believed our report? v. 17. So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom. i. 16. For I am not afhamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.. 90. Prov. viii. 34. Bleffed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the pofts of my doors. p1 Pet. ii. 1. Wherefore laying afide all malice, and all guile, and hypocrifies, and envies, and all evil speakings, v. 2. as new-born babes defire the fincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. 9 Pfa. cxix. 18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. 1 of r Heb. iv. 2. For unto us was the gofpel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 2 Theff. ii. 10. And with all deceivablenefs of unrighteoufness in them that perith; becaufe they received not the love of the truth, that they might be faved. Pfa. cxix. 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not fin against thee. ↑ Luke viii. 15. But that on the good ground, are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Jamesi. 25. But whofo looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man fhall be blefied in his deed. 91. v 1 Pet. iii, 21. The like figure whereunto, even baptifm, doth alío now fave us, not the putting away the filth of the fleth, but the anfwer of a good confcience towards God, by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift. Matt. iii. 11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me, is migh |