Winter Evenings Communication with Novices in Religion, Part 8 – Part 13
Iuſtification.
Queſtion. VVHo are they then that ſtand juſtified, or acquitted of all things from which they cannot be juſtified by the law of Moſes?
A. By Ieſus Chriſt every one that beleeveth is juſtified, Act. 13. 39.
Q. What is it to beleeve in Chriſt Ieſus?
A. To beleeve and know (with Peter) that he is the Chriſt, the Sonne of the living God, Iohn 6. 69.
Q. What more?
A. And that he hath loved me, and given himſelfe for me, Gal. 2. 20.
Q. Wherein appeareth the excellencie and neceſſity of this faith?
A. He that hath received his teſtimony, hath put to his ſeale, that God is true, Iohn 3. 33.
Q. And what the unbeleever?
A. He maketh God a lyar, 1. Ioh. 5. 10.
Q. Why ſo?
A. Becauſe he beleeveth not the record that God witneſſeth of his Sonne, 1. Iohn 5. 11.
Q. What is that record?
A. That God hath given unto us eternall life, and this life is in his Sonne, 1. Ioh. 5. 11.
Q. Have workes of righteouſneſſe no place in our juſtification before God?
A. No, for even Abraham our father beleeved God, and it was imputed to him for righteouſneſſe, Rom. 4. 3.
Q. Why are workes excluded?
A. That no fleſh ſhould glory in Gods preſence, 1. Cor. 1. 29.
Q. VponUpon what condition ſhall our faith be imputed to us for righteouſneſſe, as Abrahams was to him?
A. If we beleeve in him that raiſed up Ieſus our Lord from the dead, Rom. 4. 24.
Q. Was Chriſt his raiſing from the dead a matter of ſo great moment?
A. Yes; he was delivered for our offences, and raiſed againe for our juſtification, Rom. 4. 25.
Q. Since he ſatisfied for our offences by his death, why is juſtification aſcribed to his reſurrection?
A. God raiſed him from the dead, and gave him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God, 1. Pet. 1. 21.
Q. Can there be no faith nor hope in God, without Chriſt his raiſing up from the dead?
A. No; if Chriſt be not raiſed up, our faith is vaine, we are yet in our ſinnes, 1. Cor. 15. 17.
Q. What obtaine we then at Gods hand by Chriſt his raiſing up from the dead?
A. The ſure mercies of David, Eſa. 55. 3. Act. 13. 34.
Q. VVhat are thoſe ſure mercies of David?
A. God maketh an everlaſting covenant with us, Eſa. 55. 3. as he did with David.
Q. What commeth to us by vertue of this everlaſting Covenant?
A. We receive a kingdome which cannot be ſhaken or mooved, Heb. 12. 28.
Q. As David by promiſe received from God an everlaſting kingdome, 2. Sam. 7. 13. &c. which promiſe was made good in and by the reſurrection of Chriſt; ſo we: But where is this promiſe of the kingdome, ſince they who moſt beleeve in him that raiſed up Ieſus our Lord from the dead, ſeeme many times of all other moſt miſerable, and that even to their very dying day?
A. God, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the reſurrection of Ieſus Chriſt from the dead, 1. Pet. 1. 3.
Q. What hope is that?
A. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reſerved in heaven for us, 1. Pet. 1. 4.
Q. That is indeed reſerved for us: But how are we (ſo fraile by nature, and ſo beſet on every ſide with many ſore temptations) reſerved for it?
A. We are kept (as in a fort) by the power of God, through faith unto ſalvation, 1. Pet. 1. 5.
Q. This ſalvation is to be revealed in the laſt time, as it is there ſaid: But how ſhall we poſſeſſe our ſoules in the meane ſeaſon?
A. By our patience, Luk. 21. 19.
Q. Is there ſo great need of patience?
A. Ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promiſe, Heb. 10. 36.
Q. It is true indeed. For we muſt needs drink of the cup which God reacheth unto us: neither can any be a true Chriſtian which doth not patiently offer himſelfe in ſacrifice to God.
Regeneration.
HOw doe men attaine to that high dignity of being beleevers in Chriſt Ieſus?
A. They are borne of God, Ioh. 1. 13.
Q. Muſt there then be a new birth?
A. If any man be in Chriſt, he is a new creature, 2 Cor. 5. 17.
Q. By what meanes are they borne of God?
A. By the incorruptible ſeed of his word, 1. Pet. 1. 23.
Q. What word of God is that?
A. The word which by the Goſpel is preached unto them, 1. Pet. 1. 25.
Q. What things are requiſite and neceſſary to the effectuall hearing of the Goſpel preached?
A. To have our hearts opened by God, to attend to it as Lydia, Act. 16. 14.
Q. What elſe?
A. To be taught and drawne of God, Ioh. 6. 44. 45.
Q. What elſe?
A. Beleeving to be ſealed with the holy Spirit of promiſe, Eph. 1. 13.
Sanctification. Mortification.
Queſtion. VVE heard before how Chriſt bare our ſins in his body on the tree, that we being delivered from ſin, ſhould live in righteouſneſſe: What is it to live in righteouſneſſe?
A. To live henceforth not after the luſts of men, but after the will of God, 1. Pet. 4. 2.
Q. What is the will of God?
A. This is the will of God, even your Sanctification, 1. Theſ. 4. 3.
Q. When is our ſanctification according to the will of God?
A. When, as he that calleth us is holy, ſo we be holy in all manner of converſation, 1. Pet. 1. 15.
Q. What reaſon is given why it ſhould be ſo?
A. Becauſe it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, Verſ. 16.
Q. So we are commanded to be perfect, as our Father which is in heaven is perfect; not for the degree, for in that we come infinitely ſhort of Gods holineſſe, or perfection; but for truth and univerſality of obedience to his lawes. This leaveth no liberty to men to live after the fleſh in any thing?
A. No: For if you live after the fleſh, you ſhall die▪ Rom. 8. 13.
Q. What courſe then is to be taken to ſave our lives?
A. If through the Spirit we doe mortifie the deeds of the body, we ſhall live, Rom 8. 13.
Q. By this it plainly appeareth, that a neceſſity lieth upon us, of ſtriving to enter in at the ſtrait gate?
A Yes: Becauſe, Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that finde it, Mat. 7. 14.
Of the holy Scriptures.
Queſtion. VVHence is the will of God to be learned?
A. Out of the holy Scriptures, all given by inſpiration of God, 2 Tim. 3. 16.
Q. This is their excellency above all other writings, to be all given by inſpiration of God. Wherein elſe doe they excell all other writings?
A. They are able to make us wiſe unto ſalvation, through faith which is in Chriſt Ieſus, 2. Tim. 3 15.
Q How are we to be affected towards them, in regard of theſe excellencies?
A. Not to let them depart out of our mouth, but to meditate therein day and night, Ioſh. 1. 8.
Q. To what end?
A. That we may obſerve and doe according to all that is written therein, ibid.
Q What good will come of that?
A. Then ſhall we make our way proſperous, and then ſhall we have good ſucceſſe, Ioſh 1. 8.
Q. Doe not divers very ſtudious of the holy Scriptures meet with many loſſes and croſſes?
A. Yes; but marke the upright man, and behold the juſt, for the end of that man is peace, Pſal. 37. 37.
Q. How commeth that to paſſe?
A. Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all, Pſal. 34. 19.
Recovery and reconciliation after Offence.
Queſtion. THe righteous are delivered at Gods appointed time, though no▪ alwaies corporally, yet moſt graciouſly and happily; their heavenly Father making all things to worke for their good, and ſending them, as he did his owne Sonne, and the holy Martyrs, by the chariot of the croſſe, into their heavenly countrey. But, when we fall into ſinne (as who liveth and ſinneth not?) what is then our refuge?
A. We have an Advocate with the Father, Ieſus Chriſt the righteous, and he is the propitiation for all our ſinnes, 1. Ioh. 2. 1.
Q. Who maketh benefit hereof?
A. He that confeſſeth and forſaketh his ſinne, ſhall have mercy, Prov. 28. 13. 1. Ioh. 1. 9. Pſal. 32. 6.
Q. What is to be done then of every good man, when he hath offended God?
A. For this ſhall every one that is godly make his praier unto God in a time when he may be found, Pſal. 32. 7.
Q. What ſpeciall fruit commeth of that?
A. Surely in the flood of great waters, they ſhall not come nigh unto him, Pſal. 32. 7.
Q. God will keep them from being ſwallowed up in the deepest gulfes of dangers, and even of death it ſelfe: Doth not this embolden men to ſinne, ſeeing their pardon is ſo ready and certaine?
A. He that is borne of God keepeth himſelfe, that the wicked one toucheth him not, 1. Ioh. 5. 18.
Q. Satan toucheth him not with a mortall wound, but what courſe is to be taken in offences between man and man?
A. If thy brother treſpaſſe againſt thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him, Luk 17. 3.
Q. How farre muſt this readineſſe to forgive extend?
A. And if he treſpaſſe againſt thee ſeven times in a day, and ſeven times in a day turne againe to thee, ſaying, I repent, thou ſhalt forgive him, Luk. 17. 4.
Q. And what is more to be done herein?
A. Confeſſe your faults one to another, and pray one for another that you may be healed, Iam. 5. 16.
Good Workes.
Queſtion. SInce we are ſaved by grace through faith, Epheſ. 2. 8. what ſuch need is there of good workes?
A. They that have beleeved in God, muſt maintaine good workes for neceſſary uſes, Tit. 3. 8. 14.
Q. What are thoſe neceſſary uſes?
A. That men ſeeing our good workes, may glorifie our heavenly Father, Matth. 5. 16. 1. Pet. 2. 12.
Q. What other?
A. That we may adorne the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, Tit. 2. 10.
Q. What other?
A. Hereby the bowels of the Saints are refreſhed, Philem. 7.
Q. What other?
A. That we may make our calling and election ſure, 2. Pet. 1. 10.
Q. The foundation of God ſtandeth ſure, having the ſeale, The Lord knoweth them that are his; but the meaning is, to make it ſure to our owne ſoules and conſciences: What other neceſſary uſe is there of good workes?
A. Our worke ſhall have a reward, 2. Chr. 15 7. Luk. 14. 14. Rev. 14. 13.
Q. Even to a cup of cold water given to a diſciple in the name of a diſciple; but of grace, not of merit: What other neceſſary uſe is there?
A. That if any obey not the word, they may without the word be won by our converſation, 1. Pet. 3. 1. 2.
Q. Be won to the love and admiration of the word, and ſo be prepared to their converſion. Is there any other uſe?
A. So is the will of God, that by welldoing we may put to ſilence the ignorance of fooliſh men, 1. Pet. 2. 15.
Q. What ſpeciall motive is there to ſtirre us up unto forwardneſſe and fervency in the practiſe of good workes?
A. Chriſt gave himſelfe for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, Tit. 2. 14.
Q. And what more?
A. And purifie to himſelfe a peculiar people, zealous of good workes, ibid.
Q. What is the danger of not being zealous of good workes?
A. If we be luke-warme, and neither cold nor hot, the Lord will ſpew us out of his mouth, Rev. 3. 16.