Brief Method of Catechizing, Catechism 2 – Prayer
THE FOVRE PRINCIPAL points contracted, and diuided into euen parts: eueryevery part containing ten questions.
Q. WHat is the estate of eueryevery naturall man?
Miserie. Ephes. 2.3. Rom. 7.24.8. Acts 23. Rom. 6.23.A. Very miserable, and in no wise to be rested in.
Q. What maketh his estate so bad?
A. Two things: sinne, and the punishment thereof.
Q. What call you sinne?
1. Iohn 3.4.A. EueryEvery breach of Gods law.
Q. How doth man breake the law of God?
Esai. 1.16. Dan. 9.6. Eze. 33.31.A.By doing things forbidden, leauing things commanded, or failing in the maner.
Q. What is the punishment of sin?
Deu. 27.26 & 28.15. &c. Luk. 16.2.3 26. Prou. 6.16.A. All miseries in this life, death in the end, and hell euer after.
Q. Is sin such a grieuous thing?
A. Yea: it is the most filthie and loathsome thing in the world.
Q. How appeareth that?Esay. 1.14.
A. Both by the punishment,Mark. 9.43.44. and by the person against whom it is committed.
Q. Who is that?
A. Almighty God,1. Sam. 2.25. Heb. 10.31 &. 12.29. Psal. 51.4. Act. 2.37.40. whose holinesse and iustice is infinit.
Q. What shall a man doe in that wofull state?
A. Bewaile his miserie, and hasten to get out of it.
Q. Is he able to get out of it?
A. No:Rom. 7.6.7.8. Luk. 11.23 Mark. 4.19 And besides he hath three enemies, the flesh, the diuell, and the world, that will labour to hold him in it.
The second part.
Q. Where shall a man find helpe?
A. Only in Iesus Christ, the only Sonne of God.Deliuerance Act. 4.12.
Q. What hath he done to deliuer man out of miserie?
A. He became man,Iohn 1.14: Rom. 8.3. and in our nature answered the law, and satisfied the iustice of God.
Gal. 3.12. Rmo. 8.4.Q. How hath he answered the law?
A. By bearing the punishment which the Law threatned, and fulfilling the righteousnesse which the law required.
Q: How did Christ beare the punishment due to sinne by the law?
Mat. 2.14. Luk. 9.58. Phil. 2.8.A. By induring manifold miseries all his life time, and in the end the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the Crosse.
Q. How did he worke the righteousnesse required by the law?
Luk. 2.51. Mat. 3.15.A. By being obedient to the wil of God, in thought, word and deed, all his life long.
Q. What benefit hauehave men by Christs sufferings?
Heb. 2.14.15.A. Deliuerance from sin, and the punishment thereof.
Q. And what by his righteousnes and obedience?
Gal. 4.5.6.7.A. The fauour of God and euerlasting happinesse.
Q. How may men obtaine these benefits by Christ?
Ioh. 1.12.A. Only by a true faith in him.
Q. What is a true faith in Christ?
A. An assurance,Ioh. 6.69. that by his sufferings our sinnes are forgiuen; and by his righteousnes, the fauour of God, and euerlasting life is obtained for vsus.
Q. Is it in our power to beleeue?
A. No:Ephes. 2.8. Rom. 1.16.17. & 10.17 it is the gift of God by the working of the spirit, through the preaching of the Gospell.
The third part.
Q. Shall all beleeuers hauehave benefit by Christs death?
A. All that doe truly beleeue shall:Godly life. but there is a dead faith that profiteth nothing.Iohn 3.16. Iames 2.14
Q. How is the true faith perceiued?
A. By the fruits thereof,Iames 2.18 1. Iohn 2.3. and namely by repentance.
Q. Why so?
A. Luk. 19.8.9Because wheresoeuer Gods spirit worketh true faith, there he worketh repentance also.
Q. What is repentance?
A. Such a change of the heart,Matth. 3.8. as bringeth forth a reformed life.
Q. Whence commeth this change?
Luke 7.47.A. Especially from the sight and feeling of Gods merciemercy towards vsus in Christ.
Q. From what is the heart changed?
A. From the louelove of the world, to the louelove of God:Iohn 21.15. Philem. v. 11. from carelesnesse, to conscience, and desire to please God.
Q. What is the change called?
2. Cor. 5.18 Gal. 6.1.5.A. It is called in Scriptures, a new creature.
Q. How doth it appeare?
Psal. 34.14 1. Tim. 4.7.8.A. When in word and deed we abstaine from euill, & exercise our selues in that which is good.
Q. Is this change of heart and mind perfect in any?
A. No: we beleeue not perfectly: and therefore we cannot louelove perfectly:Mar. 9.24. 1. Cor. 13.9. Heb. 6.1.3. 1. Thess. 5.19.20. but we must striue to perfection.
Q. How must we striue?
A. By a diligent vse of the meanes, which God hath appointed, for our increase in faith and repentance.
The fourth part.
Q. What are the publike meanes?
A. They are chiefly three; hearing the word,Helpes to godlinesse. Rom. 10.13.14.15. Luk. 22.19. 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 4.11. 1. Cor. 10.16. receiuing the Sacraments, and ioyning in prayer.
Q. What are the Sacraments?
A. Certaine outward signes and seales appointed of God, to assure vsus that Christ and al his benefits are giuen to vsus.
Q. How many Sacraments are there?
A. Two:1. Cor. 10.2.3.4. Baptisme and the Lords Supper.
Q. What doth Baptisme assure vsus of?
A. That being ingraffed into Christ,Tit. 3.5. 1. Pet. 3.21 we are washed from our sins by his bloud, and borne anew to God.
Q. What doth the Lords Supper assure vsus of?
A. It doth further warrant vsus,1. Cor. 10.16.17 & 11.25 26. that Christ is giuen to vsus to bee our spiritual nourishment to euerlasting life.
Q. Who maketh the right vse of the Sacraments?
A. Act. 20.11.12.He that is thereby daily confirmed in faith, and newnes of life.
Q. Who obtaine this benefit by the Lords Supper?
A. Such, as come with knowledge,1. Cor. 11.28. faith, repentance and louelove.
Q. What is prayer?
Matth. 6.9. &c. Luk. 17.15.16.17.A. crauing of those things at Gods hands which we want, and a thanking of him for those we hauehave.
Q. When do men pray aright?
Psal. 50.14 Col. 3.17.A. When they pray only to God, in the name of Christ: asking things lawfull, to his glory, with faith, feeling and louelove.
Q. What be the priuate meanes?
Gen. 24.63. & 18.19. Dan. 9.2. &c. Luk. 21.34. Heb. 10.24A. Reading and prayer, alone and with others, instructing our families, thinking vponupon good matters, admonishing and comforting one another, and watching ouer our owne waies, according to the word.
A MORE BRIEFE SVMME wherein the former fortie Questions and Answeres are brought to foure.
Q. WHat is the summe of the first point?
Gen. 6.5.A. That eueryevery man by nature is a most vile and cursed creature,Psal. 51.5. Iohn 3.6. Ephes. 2.1.2.3. an enemie to God, a bondslaue of sinne and Satan, and heire of eternall condemnation.
Q. What is the summe of the second point?
A. That the onelyonly meanes to free vsus out of this miserable estate,Act. 4 12. & 26.15.18. Heb. 2.14.15. Iohn 1.12. and to make vsus truely happie and holy, is Iesus Christ alone, and the same apprehended only by faith.
Q. What is the summe of the third point?
A. That whosoeuer doth truly beleeue in Iesus Christ,2. Cor. 5.17 Rom. 6. &c. & 8.1.2. &c. & 7.1.2.6.3. &c. Col. 3.1.2. Prou. 29.18. Amos 8.11.12. Rom. 10 14 Exod. 20.7 is a new creature, daily dying to sinne, and rising againe to righteousnesse and holines.
Q. What is the summe of the fourth point?
A. That whosoeuer will continue a new creature, and increase in grace, must conscionablie vse both the publike and priuate meanes, which God hath appointed for that end.
A PRAYER FRAMED according to the foure former points.
ALmightie God, & most mercifull Father in Iesus Christ, as thou hast plainly set before vsus our cursed estate,Miserie. in the cléere glasse of thy heauenly word: so we beseech thee to opē our eies to see it, and pierce our hearts to feele it, by the inward working of thy holy spirit. For we, O Lord, are most vaine and vile creatures, iustly tainted with the rebellion of our first parents, conceiued in sin, bondslaues of Satan; necessarilie, and yet willinglie seruing diuers lusts, and committing innumerable sinnes against thy Maiestie: whereby we deserue most iustly to endure all miseries in this life, & to be tormented in hel, for euer. But blessed be thy name, O Lord our God: who, when there was no power in vsus,Deliuerāce. no not so much as any desire or endeuour to get out of this wofull estate, hast made vsus see & feele in what case we were, and prouided a most soueraigne remedy for vsus, euē thy deare and only begotten sonne, whom thou hast freely offered vntounto vsus: not onlie kindling in vsus a desire to inioy him, but enabling vsus, by a true and liuely faith to lay hold vponupon him, and to be partakers of al his benefits, to the saluatiō of our soules. And now, O Lord, that it hath pleased thee, by faith to ioyne vsus to thy Sonne Iesus Christ, and by thy spirit to make vsus members of his bodie: we humbly beseech thee, by the same spirit, to renew vsus daily, according to thine owne image.Pietie. Work in our hearts a daily increase of true faith and repentance; and in our liues, a holy & comfortable change. O Lord, enable vsus, in some good measure, to walke worthy of al thy mercies, and to serue thee, who hast created and chosen vsus; and thy Sonne, who hath redeemed vsus from death, and made vsus heires of glorie; and thy blessed spirit, who doth continually sanctifie & keep vsus, with faith, feare and zeale, in true holines and righteousnes, al the daies of our life. Finally, seeing of thine infinite goodnes and mercy,Helpes. thou hast appointed diuers excellent and holy meanes for the daily encrease of thy graces in vsus, and for the confirming and quickning of vsus in a Christian conuersation, we humbly beseech thee to grant all those good meanes vntounto vsus, and to continue them amongst vsus; giuing vsus grace to vse them purely, constantly and zealouslie, to the glory of thy name, profit of our brethren, and saluation of our soules, through Iesus Christ: to whom, with thee O Father, and the holy Ghost, be giuen all honour and glorie for euer. Amen.