Q WHat is every owne bound to know that lookes to be saved?

A. Two things.

• 1. Something concerning God.
• 2 Something concerning Man.

Q What ought you to know and beleeve con­cerning God?

A. That there is owne most glorious God. Deut. 6.4. Exod. 33.18.

Q How doth it appeare that God is so glorious?

A. In foure particulars.

• 1. In his Effence, which is incomprehensible.
• 2. In his attributes, which are those divine perfections wherby hee makes himselfe known to us, which attributes are not qua­lities in God, but nature. Gods Iustice is God himselfe, and Gods povver is God himselfe &c.
• [Page 2]3. In his persons, which are three.
  • 1. The Father begetting.
  • 2. The Sonne begotten.
  • 3. The Holy Ghost proceeding.
  • 1 The Father is glorious in regard of Election.
  • 2. The Sonne is glorious in regard of Redemption.
  • 3. The Holy Ghost is glorious in regard of Application.
  • 1. The Father is glorious in choosing the house. that is in the heart of a poore sinner.
  • 2. The Sonne is glorious in purchasing the house. that is in the heart of a poore sinner.
  • 3. The Hoy Ghost is glorious in dvvelling in the house. that is in the heart of a poore sinner.
• 4. In his vvorkes.

Q What are those?

A.

• 1. His decrees of
  • Election.
  • Reprobation
• 2. His vvorkes of
  • Creation.
  • Providence.

Q What ought you to know and beleeve con­cerning his worke of creation?

A. That this one glorious God made all things of nothing in six dayes in excellent or­der and very good. Heb. 11.3. Exod. 20.11. Gen 1. [...]1.

Q What ought you to know and beleeve con­cerning the work of providence?

A. That this one glorious God vvisely orde­reth, governeth, and disposeth of all things, even to the least circumstance, Mat. 6.26. &c. and 10, 29, 30.

Q. What ought you to know and beleeve con­cerning man?

A. These six things follovving:

• 1. What vvas the glorious, and happy condition of man by creation.
• 2. What that miserable, and lamentable e­state is, that man is novv fallen into.
• 3. What Iesus Christ is, the only meanes of deliverance out of this estate.
• 4. What faith is, the only meanes of apply­ing Christ, and hovv it is vvrought in the soule.
• 5. What that happy estate is, that every man that is in Christ by Faith, is brought unto.
• 6. What kind of thankfulnesse, and life it is, that God requires of all them that be in this estate by Christ.

Q. What are you to know concerning the glori­ous condition of man by Creation?

A. God created all man-kind in his ovvne Image.

Q Wherein did the Image of God consist?

A. In perfect knovvledge, righteousnesse, and holynesse. Col. 3.10. Ephes 4 24.

Q. Man being created in a most happy conditi­on, wherein did his happinesse consist?

A In two things especially:

• 1. His understanding vvas full of divine knovvledge of the vvhole mind of God.
• 2. His vvill and affections vvere fully confor­mable to Gods vvill.

Q Wherein did mans happinesse further con­sist?

A. In five things:

• 1. He vvas in favour vvith God.
• [Page 4]2. He had familiar communion vvith God.
• 3. He felt unspeakable joy arising from this communion.
• 4. He had dominion over all inferior crea­tures.
• 5. He vvas immortall, and should never have tasted of death, if hee had not fallen by sinne.

Q. Doth this any way concerne us?

A. Yes; his estate vvas ours in him; vvee being then in his loynes.

Q. What learne you by this?

A. Three things:

1. To lament and bevvaile the losse of this condition by sinne.

2. That I ought to labour to get this jmage of God repayred in me.

3. That I ought not to be ashamed of holy­nesse, nor to content my selfe vvith some small measures of it, much lesse to hate it, as pro­fane persons and dissembling hypocrites doe.

Q. What is that miserable and lamentable e­state that man is now fallen into?

A. His misery novv appeares in foure things.

1. In his birth: he is borne dead in sinne and so void of all good, and full of all evill, and so a child of vvrath. Ephes. 2.1, 2, 3, 4. Rom. 1.29.

2. In his life, vvhatsoever he doth is sinne in Gods sight. Tit. 1.15. God and all creatures are his enemies. Psal. 5.5. Iob. 5.23. he re­maines a bondslave of Satan til God convert him. Acts. 26.18. and hangs by the tvvine­thred of life every moment ready to drop into hell.

3. In his death: then comes an end of all [Page 5] his hopes, and pleasures, and the beginning of all his vvoes and sorrovves.

4. After death: First comes his particular judgement. Heb. 9.27. after this follovves his generall judgement, vvhen that terrible sen­tence, 25. and the 41. ver. shall be pressed upon him. After this follovves the execution, vvhere­in the vialls of Gods fierce vvrath are povvred out upon his soule and body, vvhich fire shall never be quenched.

Q. Wherein doth the aggravation of this wo­full estate of man by nature appeare?

A. In three particulars:

• 1. He knovves not his misery. Rev. 3.17
• 2. He is not affected vvith it, though hee should knovv it. Rom. 2.5.
• 3. Hee is unable of himselfe to come out of it, though he should both knovv it and be af­fected vvith it. Rom. 5.6.

Q. What learne you from hence?

A. I learne that Gods vvrath against sinne, and sinnefull man (temaining in this condion) is very great.

Q. How great is it?

A. So great that nothing (vvithout Christ) but eternall death of body and soule in the ever­lasting torments of hell can satisfie Gods just displeasure. Gal. 3.10.

Q. Is it best now to see your miserable conditi­on by nature, and to seele this wrath of God, and mourne under it while there is hope, and meanes to come out of it; or to stay till the gate of grace be shut; and God snatches the soule from all hope, and meanes by death?

A. It's farre better to see it, and to mourne under it novv.

Q. How, and why must a man see and feele him­selfe under this wrath and misery?

A. 1. Every man must see that he is under Gods vvrath for the present; else he vvill ne­ver seeke to Christ to beare it for him.

2. Man must see vvhat this fearefull vvrath of God is, that is novv piled against him; else he vvill never prize Christ to deliver him out of it.

3. All men must see that this vvrath is ready to light on them every moment in the full mea­sure of it; else they vvill deferre their returne till hereafter.

4 A man must see hee is bound hand and foot in the chaines of his sinnes, and cannot come from under them, nor lay hould of Christ to help him out of them; else he vvill presume he hath received Christ vvhen he hath not.

Q. What is to be knowne of every one concer­ning Iesus Christ, the only meanes of deliverance out of this estate?

A. These foure things:

1. What his person is, namely, both God and man united into one person, which is Iesus Christ.

2. What his love is tovvards man, namely past understanding. Ephes 3.18, 19.

3. What his offices are, vvhich are these three.

1. His Priestly office, whereby he offered himselfe for his Church Heb. 7.27.

2. His Propheticall office, whereby he tea­cheth his Church. Acts 3.22.

3. His Kingly office, whereby he rules his Church. Psal. 2.6.

4. Hovv he delivers those, vvhom he purpo­seth to save, hamely by being made sinne, and curse and righteousnesse for them. 2. Cor. 5.21. Gal. 3.13. 1. Cor. 1.30.

Q. What learne you from hence?

A. I learne that all my sinnefull duties, no nor my death, cannot pacifie Gods vvrath, and deliver mee from it: It is done only by the perfect righteousnesse and death of Iesus Christ.

Q. How may we come to get this Christ to doe all for us?

A. By receiving him by Faith. Ioh. 1.12.

Q. When may a man without presumption re­ceive Christ as his owne? Mat. 11.28, 29

A. 1 When the poore soule is so vveary, and heavy laden vvith the apprehension of sinne, and vvrath that it cannot live vvithout Christ.

2. When the poore sinner is so out of love vvith himselfe, that he is content to part vvith all sinne for Christ. Isa. 55.7.

3. When the poore sinner receives Christ to that end that God the Father offers him, namely to be his Priest, Prophet, and King.

Q How may a man come to receive Christ? can man create Faith in himselfe to receive him, or must the Lord by an infinite almighty power worke it in him?

A. The Lord must create faith in him by his almighty povver. Ephes. 1.19.

Q. What is to be knowne concerning faith, the only meanes of applying Christ?

A. Tvvo things

• 1. vvhat Faith is.
• 2. Hovv it is vvrought in the soule.

Q. What is Faith?

A. It is a speciall grace of God, vvhereby an humbled sinner feeling himselfe unable to be­leeve, Mat. 11.28. is dravvne, and so comes by the helpe of Gods Spirit to Christ for all good, and so rests upon him. Iob. 6.44, 45. Phil. 3.7, 8, 9.

Q. How doth the Lord worke this Faith in the soule by his mighty power, and how comes the soule to know it is wrought?

A. By these nine steps:

1. The Lord gives the soule a listning eare to the vvord preached, as if God himselfe vvere speaking to it.

2. The Lord makes the soule to understand the word. Mat. 13.23.

3. The Lord savingly vvounds the soule, vvith the sence and apprehension of his lost e­state; having understood it. Acts. 2.37.

4. Act 5.6.9. Then the Lord makes the soule poore in spirit, ready to dye for vvant of grace, and Christ. Mat. 5.3.

5. Iohn. 3.16. The Lord reveales unto the soule the free­nesse of his grace and mercy in Christ, and then brings the soule to ponder on this mercy, from vvhence ariseth hope of helpe; hereupon hope comes and waites one Christ for it, seing novv it is possible that an unvvorthy sinfull, lost crea­ture may have it. Ioel. 2.14. Ionah 3.9.

6. Ephes. 2.7. The Lord reveales the riches of his mer­cy in Christ, whereby the soule hungers after it. Mat. 5.6. and is not quiet vvithout it, hence he desires, and longs, and beggs for it, vvith un­utterable groanes, seeing and knovving (vvith the prodigall) that there is enough in his fa­thers house. Luke. 15. Rom. 8.26.

7. Then the Lord reveales the vvorth and excellency of his mercy in Christ, Ephes. 3.7 and hereby makes the soule to love it. Hence love to this mercy comes secretly, and contents it selfe vvith it; hereupon the soule promiseth if it may but have this mercy in the Lord Iesus to pitty it, and receive it; it vvill everlastingly ovvne it, and admire the Lord for it. Lam. 3.24.

8. Psal. 63.3. The Lord reveales the svveetnesse of his mercy in the Lord Iesus, and hereby gives the soule a satisfying taste of it, and hence the will comes and is persvvaded vvith joy to leave it selfe for ever upon it, here to live, or here to dye. Psal. 39.7.

9. The soule being thus come up to Christ; the Lord doth at last reveale the property of mercy to him, (thus beleeving) vvhereby the soule is novv assured, and persvvaded that nei­ther height, nor depth shall seperate him from Gods love in Christ. Rom. 8.38, 39.

Q. What is that happy condition that every one doth injoy, who are thus in Christ by Faith▪

A. It consist in tvvo things:

• 1. Union with Christ.
• 2. The benefits vvhich the soule doth injoy hereby.

Q. What is Ʋnion with Christ?

A. It is that vvhereby the Spirit makes the soule one vvith Christ, and Christ all to it. 1. Cor. 6.17. Col. 3.11.

Q. What benefits doth the soule immediatly injoy by Vnion with Christ?

A. These foure

• 1. Iustification.
• 2. Reconciliation.
• 3. Adoption.
• 4. Regeneration.

Q. What is Iustification?

A. It is a gracious act of God the Father, vvhereby hee imputing the finnes of a belee­ver to Christ, and Christs righteousnesse to him, he accounts him guiltlesse, and iust be­fore him. Rom. 3.26.4.3.5.5.1. 2 Cor. 5.21. Ephes. 1.7. Col. 1.14. Psalm. 32.1, 2.

Q. What is reconciliation?

A. It is a most gratious act of God the Fa­ther offended, vvhereby he receives into his favour a justified sinner. 2 Cor. 5.18, 19. Col. 1.21.

Q. What is Adoption?

A. A gracious act of God the Father, vvhereby he accounts a reconciled sinner his sonne, and so makes him coheire vvith Christ. Gal. 4.5, 6.

Q. What is Regeneration?

A. It is a gratious act of God in the heart of his sonnes, vvhereby in uniting them un­to Christ, hee infuseth a most glorious life into them. Ephes. 2.10. and 4.24.

Q. What followes a beleevers Ʋnion with Christ?

A. Tvvo things.

• 1. Coalition, or grovving up vvith Christ
• 2. Glorification.

Q By what meanes or wherein doth a be­leeving soule grow up with Christ?

A. By increase of Faith and sanctification

Q Wherein doth sanctification consist?

1. In mortification, or dying daily to sinne.

2. In vivification, or living daily to Christ. Rom. 6.3, 4, 5. Rom. 8.11.

Q How are Faith and sanctification con­firmed and increased?

A. By the same meanes that they are begun by, and also by receiving of the Sacraments.

Q. How many Sacraments be there?

A. Tvvo

• 1. Baptisme, vvhich confirmes our Regeneration, or nevv birth.
• 2. The Lords Supper, vvhich sig­nifies and seales our grovvth in Christ.

Q What is a beleevers glorification?

A. When death hath svvallovved the bo­dies of Gods faithfull Servants, their bles­sed soules are taken up to Christ, and svval­lovved up in Glory vvhich never shall have an end. 1. Thes. 4.17.

Q. What kind of thankfullnesse and life is that which God requires of all them that be in this estate by Iesus Christ?

A. The Lord requires of them to an­svver his infinite love vvith their love againe, to the praise of Iesus Christ, testi­fied by obedience to the morral lavv, obser­ving it (though not as a covenant of vvorkes, yet) as a rule of life, according to his vvill. Iohn. 14.15, 21.

Q. What is this called?

A. Serving of God. Luk. 1.74, 75.

Q How must this be performed?