Winter Evenings Communication with Novices in Religion, Part 1 – Part 7
Winter-Evenings COMMVNICATION with Young Novices in RELIGION. OR Queſtions and Anſwers about certaine chiefe Grounds of Chriſtian RELIGION; wherein every Anſwer, rightly underſtood, hath the force of an Oracle of GOD.
By IOHN CARTER, Preacher of Gods Word.
IOHN 5. 39.
Search the Scriptures.
Printed by the Printers to the Vniverſity of Cambridge, And are to be ſold at London by R. DANIEL at the Angel in Lumbard-Street. 1628.
Winter-Evenings COMMVNICATION with Young Novices in RELIGION.
Of the true Feare of God.
QVESTION. OF what Religion are you?
Anſwer. I feare the Lord, the God of heaven, who hath made the ſea, and the drie land, Ionah 1. 9.
Queſt. Many profeſſe as much as you doe, but who feare God in deed, and in truth?
Anſ. He that walketh in his uprightneſſe feareth the Lord, Prov. 14. 2.
Q. What is it to walk in uprightneſſe?
A. To doe juſtly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God, Mich. 6. 8.
Q. And who doe not feare the Lord, but despiſe him?
A. He that is lewd in his waies, deſpiſeth him, Prov. 14. 2.
Q. Who is lewd in his waies?
A. Whoſoever hateth to be reformed, and caſteth the words of God behinde him, Pſal. 50. 17.
Q. What reaſons have you to moove you to the effectuall ſtudy and practiſe of the true feare of God?
A. God hath made all things for himſelfe, Prov 16. 4.
Q. What other?
A. In his hand is my breath, and all my waies, Dan. 5. 23.
Q. What other?
A. God is of purer eies then to behold iniquity, Habac. 1. 13.
Q. What other reaſons have you?
A. God will bring every worke to judgement, with every ſecret thing, whether it be good or evill, Eccleſ. 12. 14.
The Nature and Properties of GOD.
Queſtion. OF what nature or ſubſtance is the Lord?
Anſ. He is a Spirit, and muſt be worſhiped in ſpirit and in truth, Ioh. 4. 24.
Q. What manner of ſpirit is God?
A. He is from everlaſting, to everlaſting; be filleth heaven and earth, Pſal. 90. 2. Ier. 23. 24.
Q. What properties or vertues in God, are chiefly to be conſidered of us?
A. That power belongeth unto God, and to thee O Lord mercy, that thou rewardeſt every man according to his workes, Pſal. 62. 11. 12. Exod. 34. 67.
Q. God is indeed moſt mighty, mercifull and juſt; What uſe is to be made thereof?
A. Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after have no more that they can doe, Luk. 12. 4.
Q. Whom then ſhall we feare?
A. Feare him which after he hath killed, hath power to caſt into hell, Luk. 12. 5.
Q. What other uſe is to be made?
A. To truſt in him at all times, to poure out our hearts before him, Pſal. 62. 8.
Creation.
Queſtion. HOw did God make all things at the begining?
A. Exceeding good, Gen. 1. 31.
Q. Whereof were all things made?
A. The worlds were framed by the word of God, ſo that things which are ſeen, were not made of things which doe appeare, Heb. 11. 3.
Q. How made he man?
A. In his owne Image, Gen. 1. 26.
Q. Wherein ſtood that Image?
A. In knowledge, righteouſneſſe, and true holineſſe, Col. 1. 10. Epheſ. 4. 24.
Q. Whereof was the body of man framed?
A. Of the duſt of the ground, Gen. 2. 7.
Q. What inſtruction ariſeth from thence?
A. Why is earth and aſhes proud? Eccleſiaſtic. 10. 9. Gen. 18. 25.
The Providence of GOD.
Queſtion. VVHat have you learned concerning the divine Providence?
A. God worketh all things after the counſell of his owne will, Epheſ. 1. 11.
Q Worketh he ſo in the Church onelyonly, and not in the reſt of the world?
A. The Lord looketh downe from heaven, and beholdeth all the ſonnes of men, Pſal. 33. 13.
Q. What manner of beholding is there ſpoken of?
A. He faſhioneth their hearts every one, and conſidereth all their workes, Pſal. 33. 15.
Q. God is in all mens boſomes, and maketh their wretched inclinations and deviſes to ſerve his moſt holy ends: But doth this providence reach no further then the children of God, and the children of men?
A Yes; one Sparrow, whereof two are ſold for a farthing, ſhal not fall on the ground without your Father, Mat. 10. 29.
Q. And what ſaith the Lord yet further of thoſe ſparrows?
A. Not one of them is forgotten before God, Luk. 12. 6.
Q. What uſe is to be made hereof?
A. Even the very haires of your head are all numbred: Feare not, ye are of more value then many Sparrowes, Luk. 12. 7.
Q. Feare not any want of proviſion or protection. But in a prosperous and wealthy estate, what uſe is to be made of it?
A. Beware leſt thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, ſaying, My power, and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth, Deut. 8. 11. 14. 17.
Q. What is then to be remembred of us?
A. Thou ſhalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, Ʋerſ. 18.
Q. But when we are under many and grievous temptations, and are much exerciſed with loſſes and croſſes, what uſe are we then to make hereof?
A. I was dumb and opened not my mouth becauſe thou didſt it, Pſal. 39. 10.
Q. What further uſe?
A. Let them that ſuffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their ſoules to him, in well doing, as unto a faithfull Creator, 1. Pet. 4. 19.
Of Sinne, and the bitter fruits of it.
Queſtion. HAve our firſt parents Adam and Eve, with their poſterity, continued in their innocencie?
A. No; all have ſinned, and are deprived of the glory of God, Rom. 3. 23.
Q. What is ſinne?
A. The tranſgreſſion of Gods Law, 1. Ioh. 3. 4.
Q. What was the firſt tranſgreſſion?
A. The eating of the tree whereof God commanded them that they ſhould not eate, Gen. 3. 11.
Q. How were they brought to that?
A. The Serpent beguiled Eve by his ſubtilty, 2. Cor. 11. 3.
Q. Who put that into the Serpent?
A. The old Serpent the Devill, who was a murtherer from the beginning, Revel. 12. 9. Ioh. 8. 44.
Q. Was not he alſo made after Gods image at the firſt?
A. Yes; but he abode not in the truth, Ioh. 8. 44.
Q. VVhat effect followed that fearefull fall of our firſt parents Adam and Eve?
A. By ſinne death entred into the world, and paſſed upon all men, Rom. 5. 12.
Q. What death?
A. They are dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, Epheſ. 2. 1, 2, 3.
Q. This is called ſpirituall death, depriving men of the favour, image, and life of God. Did not corporall death alſo follow?
A. Yes; Duſt thou art, ſaith the Lord, and to duſt ſhalt thou returne, Gen. 3. 19.
Q. Is there not yet another death?
A. Yes; eternall death, to be caſt into hell, into the fire that never ſhall be quenched, Mark. 9. 45.
Q. Doth not a naturall man, by living in ſinne, make his ſtate yet more grievous and intolerable?
A. He treaſureth up to himſelfe wrath againſt the day of wrath, Rom. 2. 5.
Q. And is there no way or meanes left to man, whereby he may worke himſelfe out of this wofull plight, and recover his loſt dignity?
A. No; What can a man give in exchange of his ſoule? Matth. 16. 26▪
Of the holy Goſpel, and of CHRIST IESVS.
Queſtion. SHall we then utterly deſpaire?
A. God forbid; We have glad tidings from heaven, of great joy to all people, Luke 2. 10.
Q. What tidings are thoſe?
A. That unto us is borne a Saviour, which is Chriſt the Lord, Luk. 2. 11.
Q. You have been taught, that by the Goſpel is meant glad tydings, and here we have the ſumme of it. But who is this great Saviour? and how was he anointed to be the Chriſt, or Meſſias, which words, as we know, ſignifie Anointed?
A. God anointed Ieſus of Nazareth with the holy Ghoſt, and with power, Act. 10. 38.
Q. Why was he called Ieſus?
A. Becauſe he ſaveth his people from their ſinnes, as ſpake the Angel, Matth. 1. 21.
Q. Of whom was he borne?
A. Of the Virgin Mary, eſpouſed to Ioſeph the ſonne of David, Matth. 1. 18, 20.
Q. Why is David mentioned?
A. Becauſe he was to be made of his ſeed according to the fleſh, Rom. 1. 3. Matth. 1. 1.
Q. But how could a virgin conceive and beare a ſonne?
A. The Holy Ghoſt came upon her, and the power of the higheſt did overſhadow her, Luk. 1. 35.
Q. What came of that?
A. Therefore alſo that holy thing which was borne of her, was called the Sonne of God, Luk. 1. 35.
Q. What other name was to be given him?
A. They ſhall call his name Emmanuel, Matth. 1. 23. Eſa. 7. 14.
Q. What is that being interpreted?
A. God with us, Matth. 1. 23.
Q. What reaſon is there of that name?
A. He is God manifeſted in the fleſh, 1. Tim. 3. 16.
Q. What other reaſon is there of that name?
A. God was in Chriſt, reconciling the world to himſelfe, not imputing their ſinnes unto them, 2. Cor. 5. 19.
Redemption.
Queſtion. HOw did God reconcile the world to himſelfe by Chriſt?
A. He made him to be ſinne for us, who knew no ſinne, 2. Cor. 5. 21.
Q. How did Chriſt become ſinne for us?
A. He gave himſelfe for us an offering, and a ſacrifice of a ſweet ſmelling ſavour to God, Eph. 5. 2
Q. When did he that?
A. When he bare our ſinnes in his body on the tree, 1. Pet. 2. 24.
Q. Was the Sonne of God, the Lord of glory, hanged on the tree?
A. Yes; he humbled himſelf, and became obedient to the death, even the death of the croſſe, Phil. 2. 8.
Q. To what end did he undergoe all this hardſhip?
A. That we being delivered from ſinne, ſhould live in righteouſneſſe, 1. Pet. 2 24.
Q. Why ſuffered he that kinde of death, rather then any other?
A. To declare that he was made a curſe for us, Gal. 3. 13.
Q. How doth that appeare?
A. It is written, Curſed is every one that hangeth on tree, Gal. 3. 13.
Q. Why was he made a curſe for us?
A. To redeeme us from the curſe of the Law, Gal. 3. 13.
Q. What is that curſe of the Law?
A. Curſed be he that continueth not in all the words of this Law to doe them, Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10.