Page images
PDF
EPUB

void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

41st Q-Is the first day the Christian Sabbath as the seventh day was the Jewish?

A.-No, for though, from a sense of duty, we set apart that day for devotional purposes, the Christian sabbath, of which the Jewish was typical, applies to no one day in preference to another; but to that advanced state of religious experience, in which the Christian rests from his own works.

Isaiah xi. 10. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

Matt. xi. 28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Heb. iv. 1. Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them [the Israelites]: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3. For we which have believed do enter into rest. 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

42d Q.-What is the substance of the Law, as expressed by our Lord and his Apostles?

[ocr errors]

A.-It is to love the Lord our God with our whole heart, without any reserve, and to love our neighbour as ourselves.

Mark xii. 28. And one of the scribes came, and asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord: 30. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Matt. xxii. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Rom. xiii. 8. Love one another; for he that loveth another, hath fulfilled the law. 9. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

43d Q.-Is man able to keep the commandments of God?

A.-It is impossible for man, unassisted by the Grace of God; but through the Spirit of Christ strengthening him, he can do all that is required of him; for the gracious and allwise Creator does not require impossibilities any of his creatures, by enjoining what he does not give power to perform.

of

E

John xv. 4. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can yc, except ye abide in me. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Rom. vii. 18. I know that in me, (that is in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find

not.

John xiv. 18. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

2 Cor. xii. 9. And he [the Lord] said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Neh. ix. 20.

instruct them.

Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to

Phil. iv. 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

S..IV.

44th Q.-Were the Israelites favoured with any further declaration of the divine. will than what was contained in the Law of Moses ?

A. Yes, God sent, from time to time, prophets to them; either to encourage them, when they loved and feared him, or, to denounce the judgments he would inflict on them, if they forsook him and disobeyed his commands.

Hag. ii. 4. Be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord, and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech the high priest, and be strong all ye people of the land, saith

the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts: 5. According to the word that Feovenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

Zech. i. 16. Thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be builded in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. 17. Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort. Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

2 Chron. xxiv. 18. And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass. 19. Yet he sent prophets to them to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them; but they would not give ear. 20. And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also for saken you. 21. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king, in the court of the house of the Lord.

be

2 Chron. Xxxvi. 15. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up times, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place: 16. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets.

45th Q.-Did Moses and the prophets foretell the coming of Christ ?

-

A. They did, but none more explicitly than Isaiah, who has so fully described the person and mediatorial office of Christ, that he is often called the evangelical prophet.

Deut. xviii. 17. And the Lord said unto me, 18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

Ps. ii. 6. I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. 8. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

Ps. xxii. 7. All they that see me, laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8. He trusted in the Lord, that he would deliver him : let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 16. They pierced my hands and my feet. 18. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my

vesture.

Ps. Ixix. 21. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Ps. xvi. 10. Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Ps. cx. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 4. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedec.

Jer. xxiii. 5. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judg ment and justice in the earth. 6. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness.

Dan. vii. 13. I saw in the night visions, and be hold, one like the son of man, came with the clouds of

« PreviousContinue »