A Soul-Searching Catechism, Catechism 2
A ſhort Catechiſme FOR BABES.
Q. HOw doth it appear that there is a God?
A. From the creati…n of heaven and earth, Pſal. 19.1. Rom. 1.20.
Q. What is God?
A. A Spirit, John 4.23. immortal, 1 Tim. 6.16. infinite, 1 Kings 8.27. knowing all things, Heb. 4.13. and preſent everywhere, Pſalme 139.7, 8, 9.
Q. How doth this God ſubſiſt?
A. In the being of Father, Son, and Spirit; who are all one God, 1 Iohn 5.7.
Q. Whether is the Father Son or Spirit greateſt?
A. There is an equality of glory, eternity, and power, in the Father, Son, and Spirit, Rom. 9.5. Phil. 2.6. Matth. 28.19. 1 Iohn 5.7.
Q. How did God make man at firſt?
A. Pure and holy, Gen. 1.26. Eccleſ. 7.29. but we all fell in our firſt parents, Rom. 5.12, 13, 14.
Q What befell unto us by Adams fall?
A. The judgement came upon all, to condemnation, Rom. 5.15, 16.
Q. What is the condition of every man ſince the fall of Adam?
A. Dead in treſpaſſes and ſins and by nature children of wrath, Eph. 2.1, 3.
Q What way is there to come out of this miſerable condition?
A. OnelyOnly by Jeſus Chriſt, Acts 4.12.
Q. What are we to conſider eſpecially in Chriſt?
A. 1. His natures. 2. His offices.
Q. What are the natures of Chriſt?
A. They are two:
1. His Godhead.
2. His Manhood.
Q. Why was it needful that he ſhould be God?
A. That he might make the ſufferings of his Manhood of infinite worth and vertue, Heb. 9.14. Act. 20.28.
Q. Why was it needful that he ſhould be man?
A. That he might dye and ſatisfie Gods juſtice in the ſame nature that had offended, Matthew 20.28. 1 Corinthians 15.21, 22.
Q. What are the offices of Chriſt?
A. They are three.
Q. Which are they?
A. His Kingly, Prieſtly, and Prophetical office.
Q Why was Chriſt a King?
A. That he may reign in the hearts of his people, Luk. 19.27. and in the Churches, Pſal. 2.6.
Q. Why was he a Prophet?
A. To reveale his Fathers will; ſo that are to hear him in all things, Acts 3.22. Mat. 17.5.
Q. Why was he a Prieſt?
A. To offer ſacrifice for the ſins of his people, Heb. 8.3.
Q. What ſacrifice did Chriſt offer?
A. His own body on the croſs, Heb. 9.25, 26. wherewith he appears in Gods preſence for his people, Heb. 9.24. his blood ſpeaking good things.
Q. What is faith?
A. A taking of Chriſt as a Lord and a Saviour, and reſting upon his ſatisfaction, Rom. 7.4. Joh. 1.12. Rom. 10.7.8.
Q. What accompanies Juſtifying faith, without which it is not in the ſoul?
A. An holy diſpoſition or intention of heart to confeſs the truth of God, though with the loſs of all we have in the world, Rom. 10.10. Mat. 10.32.
Q. What is repentance?
A. A thorow change of the purpoſes of the heart, whereby they are univerſally ſet againſt all ſin, with an hatred of it, Rom. 12.2. Act. 2.38. Iſa. 30.22.
Q. What meaſure of love muſt we love the Lord with?
A. With a ſovergaine love; better then father or mother, ſon or daughter, yea then our own lives, Mat. 10.37, 38, 39.
Q. What denial of Chriſt is that which ſhuts perſons out of heaven?
A. Habitual denial, or denial of Chriſt in the purporſe of our hearts; when we, for the ſaving of our lands, liberties, country, or lives, will deny Chriſt, or any part of his truth, Mat. 10.33. 2 Tim. 2.12.
Q. What doth the Scripture reveal concerning ſpiritual Life?
A. That whereas we are all dead men by Adams ſin and our own, when God pardons we are alive, Rom. 5.18.
Q. What other life hath believers?
A. A life of holineſs, whereby believing ſouls are quickned up to all the wayes of God, Rom. 6.13.
Q. What ought to be the ground of a Chriſtian mans obedience?
A. The command of Chriſt, which is the bond of the conſcience, Rom. 1.14. Act. 20.22.
Q. What other ground is there?
A. The love of God, from whence our obedience ought to flow, John 14.15. 2 Cor. 5.15.
Q. What doth the Scripture reveal of the combat of fleſh and Spirit?
A. The fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the fleſh; ſo that we cannot do the good we would do, Gal. 5.17.
Q. What may comfort in this combat?
A. That we hate the evil that we do, and love the good we do, and hunger and third to do the good we do not, Rom. 7.15, 16, 17, 18, 19.
Q. What is the danger of ſinning againſt conſcience?
A. Such ſhall be puniſhed with many ſtripes, Luk. 12.48.
Q. What is it to live by faith?
A. To reſt on Gods promiſe for every good thing, without uſing unlawful means, Pſal. 84.11, 12. Iſa. 28.16.
Q. What is the new Covenant?
A. It is Gods work, whereby he not onelyonly pardons all the ſins of all the Elect, and gives them eternal life through the ſatisfaction of Chriſt, but alſo promiſeth to take away their ſtony hearts, and writes his laws in their hearts, and cauſes them to relliſh and ſavour good things, and vouchſafes to be their God, and takes them to be his people. Heb. 8.10. 11, 12.
Q. What is prayer?
A. Pouring out of the ſoul before God, 1 Sam. 1.15. Pſal. 62.2.
Q. What are the parts of prayer?
A. They are ſometimes divided in four parts, 1 Tim. 2.1. yet may we reduce them to three parts: firſt, confeſſion of ſins. Secondly, petition for grace and favors. Thirdly, thankſgiving for benefits. To which we may add interceſſions to turn away judgement.
Q. What principal Properties ought there to be in an holy prayer?
A. It ought to be offered from a believing ſoul, Mat. 21.22. in the name of Chriſt, Joh. 16.23, 24. from the Spirit aſſiſting with ſighs and groans, Rom. 8.26. for things according to the will of God, 1 Joh. 5.14.
Q. What is baptiſme?
A. It is a ſign of a believers fellowſhip with Chriſt in his death, burial, and reſurrection; that as his body is buried in water, ſo his ſins are buried through the ſatisfaction of Chriſt; and as he riſeth out of the water, ſo he is bound to walk with Chriſt in newneſs of life, Rom. 6.3, 4 5, 6. Col. 2.12.
Q. Who are the perſons to be baptized?
A. Thoſe who are made Diſciples, and make profeſſion of their faith and repentance, Mat. 28.19. Mark. 16.15, 16. Heb. 10.22. Act. 1.37, 38.
Q. What is the end why the Lords Supper was appointed?
A. For the continual remembrance of the ſacrifice of Chriſts death, and remiſſion of ſins which believers have therein, 1 Cor. 11.25.26.
Q. What muſt a Chriſtian do, that he may receive worthily or preparedly?
A. He muſt examine himſelf, whether he be in Chriſt, and whether the Spirit of God dwell in him, 1 Cor. 11.28.
Q. What is the danger of unworthy receiving?
A. Temporal judgement, if they repent; eternal, if they repent not.
Q. Wherefore are hands laid upon believers after baptiſm?
A. That they may receive a further increaſe of the Spirit therein, 2 Tim. 1.6.
Q. What is revealed concerning the reſurrection of the dead?
A. That all ſhall riſe againe: the godly to the reſurrection of eternal life, the wicked to the reſurrection of eternal damnation, Dan. 12.2. Joh. 5.28.
Q. With what bodies ſhall the Saints ariſe?
A. with the ſame body in number, but with more glorious qualities, 1 Cor. 15.42, 43, 44, 53. Phil. 3.21.
Q. VVhat follows the reſurrection?
A. The laſt judgement, wherein all ſhall be judged of every thing done in the body, whether it be good or evil, Joh. 6.40. John 5.28. 2 Cor. 5.10. Revel. 20.12, 13, 14.
FINIS.
End of the text · Christopher Blackwood, A Soul-Searching Catechism (1653)