A Light from Christ Leading Unto Christ, Classis 2
The ſecond Claſsis, or Company of Queſtions.
1 Queſtion.
WHat or how manifold is that Divine knowledge requir…d, the habit of which muſt be examined and enlivened before we come to the Sacrament?
Anſ. A fourfold knowledge; 1. Of God. 2. Of our ſelves. 3. Of Chriſt. 4. Of the Sacrament.
Queſt. 2. Why is this Divine knowledge ſo neceſſary?2 Cor. 11.27, &c. Hoſ. 4.6. act 17.30 Luk. 10.41, 42. Zeph. 1.6 Heb. 2.3. Iob. 21.14 Prov 1.29, 30.
Anſ. Becauſe ignorant perſons are unworthy receivers, not able to examine themſelves, or diſcern the Lords body; eſpecially ſuch as thoſe that might learn and be Catechized, and neglect the means of knowledge: or, That are wilfully ignorant, that refuſe knowledge and inſtruction.
Queſt. 3. Wherefore is a lively Faith ſo neceſſary?
Heb. 11.6 & 4.2.Anſ. Becauſe without Faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God in any duty, or to feed on Chriſt and his vertue in the Sacrament.
Queſt. 4. For what cauſe is Evangelical Repentance requiſite?
Anſ. Becauſe the preſence, ſervice and ſacrifice of unregenerate impenitent perſons are abominable before God,Iſa. 1.12. 13, &c. Exo. 12.18. Rom. 2.28, 29. and as uncircumciſed of old; ſo thoſe unregenerate and impenitent are not fit to come to the Lords Table.
Queſt. 5. What Reaſon can be given why Chriſtian love and charity ought to be in ſuch as come to this Saceament?
Anſ. Becauſe where Chriſtian love is not in a Communicant, he cometh together with Saints, not for the better but for the worſe,1 Cor. ii. 17, &c. 2 Cor. 5.14, 15. Mat. 5.23, 24. Mat. 22.12, 13. forgetting the love of Chriſt to poor ſinners ſealed in the Sacrament, wch ſhould move him to love his brother, to do good to his poor brother, and ſeek reconciliation if he be offended, without which neither perſon nor ſacrifice is accepted, as coming without the Wedding garment.
Queſt. 6. What knowledge of God is requiſite, comfortably to meet Christ in this holy Ordinance?
Anſ. A true knowledge of God, 1. In his excellent nature. 2. In his perſons. 3. In his Word. And 4. in his works; And eſpecially in the great work of mans Salvation.
Queſt. 7. What is to be known of God concerning his excellent nature?
Anſ. Firſt, what God is in his eſſence and Divine being. And ſecondly, what he is in his eſſentiall properties, or Divine attributes, declaring his eſſence, and in ſome meaſure cōmunicable to his people.
Queſt. 8. What is God in his eſſence and Divine being?
Anſ. *Ioh. 4.24. Exo. 3.14 Iſa. 44.6. Iſa. 46.9.10, &c. Act. 11.25, 26. Rom. 11.36. Act. 17.28. 1 Cor. 8.5, 6.God is one ſpirituall ſelf-living-eſſence, having life and being of himſelf, from all eternity and giving life and being to all creatures.
Queſt. 9. What is God in his eſſentiall properties, Deu. 6.4. Mar. 12.30. Rom. 11.35. Deut. 33.27, Pſa. 147.5. Ier. 10.10. Iob 11.7, 8, 9. Ier. 23.23, 24. Iob 22, 3. Gen. 17.1 Rev. 19.6 Exo. 34.5, 6. 1 Tim. 1.17. Mat. 19.17. 1 Tim. 6.16. Mal. 3.6.or Divine Attributes?
Anſ. He is moſt ſingle, of himſelf, one eternall, infinite, omnipreſent, incomprehenſible, omnipotent, ſelf-immortall, moſt wiſe God, moſt mercifull, gracious, and moſt holy, juſt, true, perfect, pure, and powerfull; yea, All-ſufficient, ſelf-ſufficient, and Independent, originally, and unchangeably good and bleſſed for ever.
Queſt. 10. How are the properties or Divine Attributes diſtinguiſhed?
Anſ. They are diſtinguiſhed into two ſorts of Attributes:
Firſt, ſuch as are incommunicable to the creature.
Secondly, ſuch as in ſome manner and degree, are communicable and communicated to Angels and men.
Queſt. 11. What are thoſe Attributes which are incommunicable?
Anſ. They are divers; but we may chiefly take notice of theſe:
Firſt, The ſimplicity or ſingleneſſe of God,Exo. 3.14 Rom. 11.33, &c. 1 Cor. 8.6. being ſingle and a moſt pure eſſence, without all manner of compoſition, moſt abolute of and in himſelf for ever: And this no creature is.
Queſt. 12. What is a ſecond?
Anſ. A ſecond is the infiniteneſſe of God.
1. In reſpect of eternity,Deut. 33.27. Col. 1.17. Rev. 1.8. 1 Kings 8.27. Ier. 23.23, 24. Iob 11.7, 8, 9. Acts 17.24, &c. he is without beginning or end; and ſo is no creature.
2. In reſpect of incomprehenſiblenes.
1. No place can contain God; yet he is omnipreſent.
2. No underſtanding of any creature can comprehend him; yet he is not far from every one of us: And ſo is no Creature.
3. In reſpect of power, God is omnipotent of himſelf, ſo is no Creature;Rev. 19.6 pſa. 135.6. but the Lord hath and can do whatſoever he will.
4. In reſpect of knowledge,Pſa. 139.2, 3, &c. Acts 15.18. Pſa. 147.5. Heb. 4.13 Mal. 3.6. Iſa. 46.9, 10. 1 Tim. 6.15, 16. Gen. 17. i. Iob 35.6, 7, 8. he is omniſcient, he knoweth all things; ſo doth no Creature in the world.
Queſt. 13. What is a third Attribute?
Anſ. In a word, the Lord is ſelf-immortall and unchangeable, in and of his own nature: and ſo is no Creature in the world.
Queſt. 14. What is a fourth Property incommunicable?
Anſ. The Lord Jehovah is All-ſufficient, ſelf-ſufficient, bleſſed in himſelf for ever.
Queſt. 15. What are thoſe Attributes of God which are communicable, and in part communicated to Angels and to men; eſpecially to his Sons and Daughters in Chriſt?Ioh. 5.26 Exod. 34 5, 6, 7. Gen. 2.7. Acts 17.28. Deut. 31.39. 1 Tim. 1.17. 2 Chron. 1.10, &c. Iudg. 16.3. Mat. 5.1, 2, 3, &c,
Anſ. Amongſt other theſe: The life, wiſdom, ſtrength, will, goodneſſe, juſtice, mercy, truth and bleſſedneſſe for ever: All theſe are abſolutely, fully, and moſt perfectly in God, as of himſelf, and communicated to the creature in meaſure for Gods glory, and the good of his children: As wiſdom was communicated to Solomon, and ſtrength to Sampſon. So bleſſedneſſe, and other Divine Properties to Gods Children.
Queſt. 16. Are there not ſome ſpeciall Properties peculiar to the perſons in this Divine eſſence?
Anſ. Yes, It is the ſpeciall Property of God the Father to beget the Son; And the ſpeciall Property of God the Son,Ioh. 1.18 & 3.18. & 15.26. Gal. 4.6. to be begotten of the Father; And the ſpeciall Property of God the holy Ghoſt, to proceed both from the Father and the Son.
Queſt. 17. How many Perſons are there in this Godhead?
Anſ. Three Perſons, and yet but one God, Gen. 1.1.26. 1 Sam. 2.2.3. Pſal. 33.6, Iſa. 6.3. & 63.9, 10. Mat. 3.16.17. Mat. 28.19. 1 Joh. 5.7. Rom. 9.5. Acts 5.3, 4. Three one.
Queſt. 18. Which is the firſt Perſon?Gal. 1. i. Eph. 1.3. Iſa. 43.10, &c. Pſal. 2.7.
Anſ. God the Father, of himſelf from all Eternity, begetting the Son.
Queſt. 19. Which is the ſecond Perſon?
Anſ. God the Son from all Eternity begotten of the Father,Ioh. 1.14. Heb. 1.1, 2, 3. Ioh. 10.28, &c. being the brightneſſe of his glory, the expreſſe Image of his Perſon, and God equall bleſſed for ever.
Queſt. 20. Which is the third Perſon?
Anſ. God the holy Spirit,Act. 5.3. Heb. 9.14 1 Ioh. 5.7. God from all Eternity equall with the Father and the Son, and proceeding from them both.
Queſt. 21. Which is the greateſt or moſt Ancient of theſe three Perſons?
Anſ. In theſe three Perſons none is afore or after another;1 Ioh. 5.7. Ioh. 1.1.2. Ioh. 10.30. none is greater or leſſe then another, but all three Perſons are co-eternall together, and coequall: a Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity, to be glorified.
Queſt. 22. I conceive the Divinity of God the Father, is evident by the teſtimonies and grounds before mentioned, and will appear by further light alſo. But what other ground is there to aſſure you of the Divinity of the Son of God?
Anſ. Beſides the teſtimonies of Scripture alledged, the Divine Properties attributed to the Son of God, do plainly evidence the Divinity of the Son, becauſe they are ſuch as can agree to none but to God himſelf.
Queſt. 23. What are theſe Properties thus manifeſting the Son to be God?
Anſ. Firſt, the infiniteneſſe and Eternity of his nature,Rev. 1.8.11. Heb. 7.3. Ioh. 8.58 Mat. 22.43, &c. Prov. 8.22. to 30. he being the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the Firſt and the Laſt: yea, without beginning of time, or end of dayes, before Abraham and David, and all creatures whatſoever; and therefore muſt needs be God.
Queſt. 24. What is a ſecond Property witneſſing the Divinity of the Son of God?
Mat. 28.20. Mat. 18.20. Iſa. 43.2, 3. Exo. 3.2. Dan. 3.25. Rev. 2.1.Anſ. Omnipreſency, or Chriſt his being every where preſent with his Church in generall to the end of the world; And whereſoever but two or three are gathered together his Name, yea, in all times of triall for the good of his Church and Children, Chriſt is preſent, and ſo he muſt needs be God.
Queſt. 25. What is a third Property?
Anſ. Chriſt his Omniſciency,Iohn 2.24, 25. Mark 2.7, 8. Rev. 2.23. or his knowing all things, the diſcerning the very thoughts and intentions of the heart, and therefore he muſt needs be God.
Queſt. 26. What is a fourth Property?
Anſ. Chriſt his Omnipotency and Almighty power;Ioh. 5.19, 20, &c. Iſa. 9.6. he can do whatſoever he pleaſeth, whatſoever the Father doth, the Son doth, and ſo he muſt neceſſarily be God.
Queſt. 27. What other evidence is there of the Divinity of Chriſt the Son of God?
Anſ. The works of the Son of God:
Firſt, the great work of Creation,Gen. 1.1, 2, 7. Ioh. 1.1. 2. Ioh. 14.11. Col. 1.15, 16, 17. God the Son creating the world, together with the Father and the holy Ghoſt: That Elohim, or thoſe ſtrong ones created heaven and earth, and made man.
Secondly, the great work of preſervation,Heb. 1.2, 3. upholding all things by the word of his Almighty power.
Queſt. 28. Have you any more grounds to evidence the Deity of the Son of God, Ioh. 1.14.who took our nature upon him?
Anſ. I might give more,Ioh. 3.16. Ioh. 14.1. Lev. 17.5 Acts 7. Mat. 28.21. I will name but one, and this is the Divine worſhip and ſervice to be given, and due to the Son of God, as to God the Father, as to believe in him, to pray to him, to be Baptized in his Name, and to yield obedience unto him,Phil. 2.10 Ioh. 10.30. as to our Lord God and King for ever: And from all theſe we may conclude, that the Son of God is God, and one with the Father.
Queſt. 29. Certainly theſe grounds do make it evident, that the Son of God, who is equall with God, took our nature upon him, 1 Ioh. 5.20.to be our Saviour; yea, truly God and eternall l fe; But what profit is the knowledge of this to a poor ſoul?
Anſ. It is a comfort and joy unſpeakable; yea, Eternall life to know and believe the Son of God to be God as well as man:Ioh. 17.3 & 20.28. Iſa. 63.1, 2. 2 Tim. 4 17, 18. and my Lord and my God able and mighty to ſave his Church and children from all their enemies, and to preſerve me and them to his everlaſting Kingdom.
Queſt. 30, You have evidenced fully the Deity of the Son of God: Have you any ſuch like grounds, to evidence the Deity of the third Perſon in Trinity, the holy Spirit of God?
Acts 5.3, 4. Gen. 1.1, 2 Pſa. 139.7, 8, &c. 1 Cor. 2.10.Anſ. Yes verely, If we conſider the Name of God aſcribed in Scripture to the holy Ghoſt, that the holy Spirit moved in the great work of Creation, and is every where preſent, and an All-ſearching and omnipotent ſpirit,Pſa. 33.7 whoſe works are mighty, and in whoſe Name we are all Baptized,Mat. 28.19. as well as in the Name of God the Father, and of God the Son: Theſe and more they may ſatisfie the believing ſoul, that the bleſſed ſpirit is God, and God equall with the Father and the Son, to be bleſſed and glorified for ever.
Queſt. 31. What comfort can this be to the Saints?
Anſ. Iohn 14.16, 17, 18, 26. Iohn 15.26.What greater comfort then that our Teacher, Counſellor and Comforter is God, able to adviſe us in our greateſt ſtraits, and to give us conſolation in ſaddeſt times of darkneſſe, that he is our helper in our prayers; every where preſent with us, yea, in the Saints,Rom. 8.11, 16, 20. for their joy, is ready to witneſſe with our ſpirits, that we are the Children of this bleſſed Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghoſt, bleſſed for ever.