A. To warn all how they pass rafh cenfures on Chrift's fervants; Pfal. lxxiii. 15. If I fay, I will speak this, behold I fhall offend against the generation of thy children.

Q. 10. What is the fecond inference?

A. Let none be afraid or ashamed to confefs the perfon, office, or any truth of Chrift, for any lofs or danger that may threaten them; Luke xii. 8, 9. Also I fay unto you, Whofoever shall confess me before men, him fhall the Son of man also confefs before the angels of God. But he that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.

Q. II. What is the third inference?

A. Let Chriftians abound in good works. Every act of charity for Chrift fhall be acknowledged by him in the day of judgment; Matth xxv. 35. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a ftranger, and ye took me in.

Q. 12. What is the laft inference ?

A. Let all Christians love and long for the day of Christ's appearing; 2 Tim. iv. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, fhall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto them also that love his appearing.

Quest. 1.

Of Chrift's acquitting Believers.

Hat is it to be acquitted by Chrift?

WH

A. It is to be difcharged and cleared from all the guilt of fin, and punishment due to it by the law, upon the account of Chrift's righteousness imputed by God, and received by faith; Rom. v. 1. Therefore being juftified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Christ. Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus.

Q. 2. How many ways are believers acquitted?

A. They are acquitted now in the court of heaven; Rom. viii. 33. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that juftifieth. In the court of their own confciences; 1 John iii. 21. Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God. And in the day of judgment: both particular, Heb. ix. 27. As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. And general; A&s iii. 19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your fins may be blotted out. Their fins are then blotted out.

Q. 3. How doth Chrift's acquittance now, differ from that at judgment?

A. They differ in refpect of publicnefs; this is fecret in

the believer's bofom, and that open before men and angels; Rev. iii. 5. I will confefs his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Q. 4. What is the fecond difference?

A. They differ in refpect of fubjective certainty and affurance. A believer may doubt of this, but not of that; 1 Cor. iv. 4, 5. For I know nothing of myself, yet am I not hereby juftified; but he that judgeth me, is the Lord; therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come.

Q. 5. What is the third difference betwixt them?

A. They differ in point of confolation: this always bears proportion to the certainty of it. Hence that day is called the time of refreshing; when Chrift blots out their fins by fentencial juftification; Acts iii. 19. Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your fins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the prefence of the Lord.

Q. 6. Do believers then lie under condemnation till that day? A. No; they are truly and fully juftified now; John v. 24. He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is paffed from death unto life. But this fentence is not yet published by Chrift's own mouth, as it fhall be then.

Q. 7. On what account fhall they be acquitted in that day? A. On the very fame account and score they are now, viz. For the imputed righteousness of Chrift in the way of free grace; Eph. i. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of fins, according to the riches of his grace.

Q. 8. Muft the faints be fummoned to Chrift's bar in that day? A. Yes; they must appear as well as others; 2 Cor. v. 10. For we must all appear before the judgment-feat of Christ. But not to the fame end; John v. 29. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the refurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the refurrection of damnation. Q. 9. What is the firft inference hence?

A. How fure is a believer's juftification, being fo ratified privately and publicly in this world, and that to come. Q. 10. What is the fecond inference ?

A. Though the day of judgment be awfully folemn, it fhould not be dreadful to believers: they should look for, and hasten to the coming of the day of God; 2 Pet. iii. 12. Looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, &c.

Q. 11. What is the third inference?

A. That faith is a grace of abfolute neceffity, and unfpeakable excellency; Rom. v. 1, 2. Therefore being juftified by faith, we

have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift; by whom alfo we have access by faith into this grace wherein we ftand. Q. 12. What is the last inference?

A. All unbelievers are in a miferable state now; John iii. 18. He that believeth not, is condemned already. And worfe in the world to come; Matth. xxv. 41. Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

Quest. 1.

Of the full enjoyment of God.

Hat doth perfect bleffedness suppose and imply?

WH

A. It fuppofes the total freedom of believers from all the moral evil of fin; Eph. v. 27. That he might present you to himfelf a glorious church, not having fpot nor wrinkle, or any fuch thing, but that it fhould be holy, and without blemith. And from all the penal evils of fuffering; Rev. xxi. 4. And God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there fhall be no more death, neither forrow, nor crying, neither fhall there be any more pain, for the former things are paffed away.

Q. 2. What else is implied in perfect blessedness ?

A. It implies the full and perfect enjoyment of God; 1 Cor. xv. 28. And when all things fhall be fubdued unto him, then shall the Son alfo himself be fubject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Q. 3. What is it for God to be all in all ?

A. It implies three things in it. Firft, That all the faints fhall be filled and fatisfied from God alone. Secondly, That there fhall be no need of other things out of which they were wont to fetch comfort. Thirdly, That all other things, as heaven, angels, faints, fhall be loved and enjoyed in God.

Q. 4. In what respect fhall they enjoy God in heaven? A. They fhall have the glorious and immediate prefence of God with them; Rev. xxi. 3. God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Q. 5. In what other refpects fhall they enjoy God?

A. They fhall fee him as he is; 1 John iii. 2. We shall be like him; for we fhall fee him as he is.

Q. 6. What will fuch a vifion of God produce?

.A. It will produce perfect conformity in them to God; 1 John iii. 2. When he fhall appear, we fhall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And perfect joy will result from hence; Pfalm xvi. 11. In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Q. 7. Do not the faints enjoy God here ?

A. Yes, they do, but not fo as they fhall enjoy him in hea ven; 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Now we fee through a glafs darkly, bút then face to face; now I know in part, but then fhall I know even as also I am known.

Q. 8. What are the fpecial differences between the faints communion with God here, and that in heaven ?

A. Their communion with God here is clogged with fin; Rom. vii. 21. I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is prefent with me. Here it is not conftant; Pfalm xxii. 1. My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? Nor is it fatisfying; but in heaven it will be pure, conftant, and fatisfying.

Q. 9. How long fhall they there enjoy God?

A. Not for days, years, ages, but for ever and ever; i Theff. iv. 17. And fo fhall we be ever with the Lord.

Q. 10. What is the first instruction froin hence ?

A. That the world is not the place of the faints reft and fatisfaction; Heb. iv. 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 2 Cor. v. 2, 6. For in this we groan earnestly, defiring to be cloathed upon with our houfe, which is from heaven: therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are abfent from the Lord.

Q. II. What is the second inftruction from hence?

A. That death is a fingular benefit to the faints; and though' it be an enemy to nature, yet it is the medium to glory; 2 Cor. v. 4. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being bura dened, not for that we would be uncloathed, but cloathed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Q. 12. What is the third instruction hence ?

A. The neceffity of faith and regeneration in this world. None fhall be raised up in glory, acknowledged, acquitted, and made perfectly bleffed in the full enjoyment of God, but believers; Rom. viii. 30. Moreover whom he did predeftinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also juftified; and whom he justified, them he alfo glorified. Heb. xii. 14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man fhall fee the Lord.

Quest. 39.

W

Of Man's Duty to God.

Hat is the duty that God requireth of man? A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.

VOL. VIH,

A

Q. 1. Is obedience to God's will the duty of every man ?A. It is unquestionably the duty of every man to obey the will of God, fo far as he hath made it known to him; Micah vi. 8. He hath fhewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do juftly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

Q. 2. On what account is man's obedience due to God? A. It is due to him, First, as he is our Creator, in whom we live, and move, and have our being; Acts xvii. 27, 28. Secondly, As he is our Benefactor, from whom we receive all our mercies; Deut. xxviii. 47. Because thou fervedft not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladnefs of heart, for the abundance of all things therefore fhalt thou ferve thine enemies, which the Lord fhall fend against thee, in hunger, thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things. Thirdly, As he is our Lord, and law-giver; James iv. 12. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to fave and to destroy.

Q. 3.

Is obedience due to none but God only?

A. Yes; fubjects muft obey their lawful magiftrates; Rom. xiii. 1. Let every foul be fubject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God; The powers that be, are ordained of God. People their minifters; Heb. xiii. 17, Obey them that have the rule over you, and fubmit yourselves, for they watch for your fouls, as they that must give an account. Children their parents; Eph. vi. 1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. But not as they are to obey God.

Q. 4 What is the difference betwixt our obedience to God's commands, and men's?

A. We are to obey God, chiefly and fupremely, for his own fake, but creatures fecondarily, and for God's fake; 1 Pet. ii. 13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of men for the Lord's fake. And Eph. vi. 1. Children obey your parents [in the Lord,] for this is right.

Q. 5. What must we do when the commands of God and men fall crofs to one another ?

A. In that cafe we must yield our obedience to God, and not to man, whatever we fuffer for it; Acts iv. 19. Whether it be right in the fight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

Q. 6. Why muft we obey God rather than man?

A. Because God is the fupreme and fovereign Lord of our confciences; and no creature hath power to command our obedience but in, and from him; Ifa. xxxii. 22. For the Lord