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through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope.

Q 21. On what Account are we to receive it with love? A. We are to love it for its Author's fake, because it is the Word of God, Pfal. cxix. 159. Confider how I love thy Precepis, &c.

Q. 22. What is the fecond Motive of Love to the Word? A. The Holiness and Purity of it deferves and engages our Love to it, Pfal. cxix. 140. Thy Word is very pure: therefore thy Servant loveth it.

Q. 23. What is the third Motive to engage our Love to it? A. The great and constant Usefulness of it to our Souls, as that we cannot fubfift without, Job. xxiii. 12. →→ I have efteemed the Words of his Mouth more than my neceffary Food, Q24. How doth this Love to the Word manifeft itself? A. Our Love manifefts itself in our longing after it, Pfal. cxix. 20. My Soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all Times. Our diligent Attendance on it, Acts x. 33. Immediately therefore I fent unto thee, and thou haft well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all bene prefent before God, to hear all Things that are commanded thee of God.

Q. 25. How is Faith and Love evidenced to the Word after hearing it?

A. By preferving it carefully in our Hearts and Memories, Pfal. cxix. 11. Thy Word have I bid in my Heart: that I might not fin against thee.

Q 26. What is the best Cure for a bad Memory?

A. Labour to get an high Efteem of the Word, and an experimental Feeling of it, and frequently meditate on it, Pfal. cxix. 16. I will delight myself in thy Statutes: I will not forget thy Word, Pfal. cxix. 93. I will never forget thy Precepts; for swith them thou hast quickned me, Pfal. cxix. 99. — Thy Teftimonies are my Meditation.

Q26. How is Faith and Love principally manifested to the Word after hearing?

A. It is principally manifefted by bringing forth the Fruits of it in our Lives, Col, i. 5, 6. For the Hape which is laid up for you in Heaven, whereof ye beard before in the the Word of the Truth of the Gafpel, which is come unto you, as

it is in all the World, and bringeth forth Fruit, as it doth also n you, fince the Day ye heard of it, and knew the Grace of God in Truth

in

Q. 28. What is the Ufe of all this ?

A. This ferves to reprove our formal and dead Hearing the Word, and excites us all to evidence and exercise more Faith, Love and Obedience in hearing it.

Of Sacraments as Means of Salvation.

Queft. 91. How do the Sacraments become effectual

Means of Salvation?

A. The Sacraments become effectual Means of Salvation, not from any vertue in them, or in him that doth administer them, but only by the Bleffing of Chrift, and the working of his Spirit in them, that by Faith receive them.

Q. 1. What is the first proper Sense of this Word Sacra

ment?

A. It privately fignifies a folemn Oath taken by Soldiers when they lift themselves under a Prince or General; and and this Oath was mutual.

Q. 2. Why do we ufe it feeing it is not a Scripture Word?

A. Though the Word be not found in Scripture, yet the Thing intended by it is, and that brings the Word in Use, for in the Sacraments God obliges himself to us by confirming his Covenant by it, Rom. iv. 11. And he received the Sign of Circumcifion, a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith, which he had yet being uncircumcifed: that he might be the Father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcifed, that Righteoufnefs might be imputed unto them alfo, And we oblige ourfelves to God, Rom. vi. 3, 4. Know ye not that Jo many of us as were baptized into Chrift, were baptized into his Death? Therefore we are buried with him in Baptism into Death, that like as Chrift was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even fo we also should walk in Newness of Life.

Q3. What is here meant by Salvation?

A. By Salvation is meant our compleat and final Deliverance from Sin and Misery, both temporal and eternal.

From

From Sin, Matth. i, 21.

For he fall fave his People from their Sins. From Mife y, 1 Thef. i. 10.—Even J jus which delivereth us from the Wrath to cone.

Q. 4. What is a Mean of Salvation?

A. A Mean of Salvation fignifies any Appointment of God, whereby he promotes and accomplishes his Defign of faving our Souls, fo the Word is a Mean, Rom. i. 16. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Chrift, for it is the Power of God unto Salvation, to every one that believeth..

Q5. How doth the Word and Sacraments differ as Means of Salvation?

A. The Word is appointed to be the firit Means of begeting Faith; 1 Cor. iii. 5. Who then is Paul? or who is Apollo? but Minifters by whom ye believed, &c. . Sacraments are to feal and confirm it, Rom. iv. 11. And he received the Sign of Circumcifion, a Seal of the Righteoufnefs of Faith, &c. Q6. What is meant by an effectual Mean of Salvation? A. By an effectual Mean, is meant fuch a Mean as fully obtains and accomplishes the End it was appointed for, I Theff. ii. 13. Because when ye received the Word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the Word of Men; but (as it is in Truth) the Word of God, which effectually worketh alfo in you that believe.

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Q.7. Don't all the Means of Salvation prove effectual to Men?

A. Though the Means of Salvation prove effectual to all God's Elect, yet they are fo to no others, Acts xxviii. 23, 24. And when they had appointed him a Day, there came many to him into his Lodging, to whom he expounded and teftified the Kingdom of God, perfuading them concerning Jefus, both out of the Law of Mofes, and out of the Prophets from Morning till Evening. And fome believed the Things which were Spoken, and fome believed not.

Q. 8. Do not the Sacraments fave all that partake of them?

A. No, they do not; Baptifm may pass on a cast-away, Acts viii. 23. For I perceive that thou art in the Gall of Bitternefs, and in the Bond of Iniquity. And the Lord's Supper may be received unworthily, 1 Cor. xi. 27. Wherefore whofoever shall eat this Bread, and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily, fhall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

Q. 9. What is the Reason they prove not effectual to all A. Because their Virtue and Efficacy is not in themselves, but in God; for we fee they work as God's Spirit concurs, or not concurs with them, as in the Inftance before given. Q. 10. But is not that for Want of Wisdom, Holiness, or Zeal in the Minister, that they have no more Efficacy! A. No, it is not principally, or only from thence; for it is not in the Power of the holiest Minister in the World to make them effectual, 1 Cor. iii, 7.—Neither is he that, planteth any Thing, neither be that watereih: but God that giveth the Increase.

Q. 11. Whence is it that Sacraments become effectual?

A. It is only from the Spirit of Chrift working in them, and by them, on the fouls of Men, 1 Cor. xii. 13. For by one Spirit are we are all baptized into one Body, been all made to drink into one Spirit

and have

And

Q. 12. What is the firft Inftruction hence ?. A. That Men enjoying all the Ordinances of the Gospel, and partaking of the Sacraments annexed to the Covenant of Grace, may yet perish for ever, 1 Cor. x. 3, 4, 5: did all eat the fame spiritual Meat:: and did all drink the fame Spiritual Drink: (for, they drank of that spiritual Rock that fol lowed them: and that Rock was Chrift), but with many of them Gad was not well pleafed for they were overthrown in the Wildernefs, Luke xiii. 26, 27. Then shall ye begin to say, we have eaten, and drank in thy Prefence, and thou hast taught in our Streets. But be fhall fay, I tell you, Eknow you not whence you are; depart from me all ye Workers of Iniquity.

Q. 13. What is the fecond Inference?

A. That Men should not idolize some Ministers for the excellency of their Gifts, and defpife others, feeing it is not in them to make the Means effectual.

Q. 14. What is the last Inference?

A. That in all our Attendance upon the Means of Salvation, we should be careful to beg the Spirit and Bleffing of Christ, without which they cannot be effectual to our Salvation.

Of

Of the Nature of Sacraments.

HAT is a Sacrament?

Quest. 92. WA. A Sacrament is an holy Ordinance inftituted by Chrift; wherein by fenfible Signs, Chrift and the Benefits of the New Covenant are reprefented, fealed, and applied to Believers.

Q. i. How many Sorts of Sacraments are found in Scrip

ture?

A. Of Sacraments there are two Sorts, fome extraordinary and tranfient, as the Fiery Pillar, Manna, and Water out of the Rock, 1 Cor. x. 1, 2, 3, 4. Moreover, Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud, and all paffed through the Sea: and were all baptized unto Mofes in the Cloud, and in the Sea: And did all eat the fame fpiritual Mea:: And did all drink the fame Spiritual Drink (for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Chrift). And fome ordinary and flanding, as Circumcifion and the Paffover, before Chrift; and Baptifm and the Lord's Supper fince Chrift's Death.

Q. 2. How many Things are to be confidered in every Sacrament?

A. In every Sacrament five Things must be confidered, (1.) The Author, (2.) The Parts, (3.) The Union of those Parts, (4.) The Subjects, (5.) The Ends and Uses of it. Q3. Who is the Author of the Sacraments?

A. The Lord Jefus Chrift as King of the Church, by whofe fole Authority Baptifm was inftituted, Matth. xxviii. 19, 20. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft: teaching them to obferve all Things whatfoever I have commanded you, &c. And the Lord's Supper, 1 Cor. 11. 23, 24. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jefus, the fame Night in which he was be trayed, took Bread, and when he had given Thanks, he brake it, and faid, Take, eat, this is my Body, which is broken for you: This do in Remembrance of me.

Q. 4. Are the old Sacraments yet in being and Use in the Church?

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