A. All thofe fenfual Defires and Inclinations, whereby we are disposed to thofe Sins which are in a peculiar manner called, in Holy Scripture, The Works of the Flesh; fuch as Uncleanness, Drunkenness, &c. See Gal. v. 19. Rom. viii. 13. Coloff. iii. 5. John ii2-16,5

112. What was the Second thing which your Godfathers, and Godmothers, promised for you at your Baptism?

A. That I should beltebe all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith.

1

13. 2. Where are thofe Articles to be met with?

A. They are only to be found in, and believed upon the Authority of, God's Word: Yet have been collected into that fhort Summary of our Faith, which is commonly called The Apoftles Creed. See Part ii.

14. 2. What was the Third thing which your Godfathers, and Godmothers, promifed in your Name at your Baptifm?

A. That thould keep God's Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the fame all the Days of my Life.

15. 2. Has there been any fuch Summary Collection made of God's Commandments, as you fay there has been of the Principal Articles of your Chriftian-Faith?

17; 18, 19.

A. Yes, there hath, and that by God him. Mat. xix. felf, in those Ten Commandments which he de- Luke xvi liver'd to the Jews heretofore; Exod. xx. and 18, 20. which continue no lefs to oblige us now. Mat. Rom. xiii. 8, 9. V. 17, &c. See Part iii.

16. 2. Doût thou not think that thou art bound to believe and do, as they have Promiled for thee?

A. Yes verily, and by God's help so I will, &c.

17.2; Upon

1572 Upon what grounds do you think yourfelf obliged to make good, what your God+ fathers and Godmothers promifed for you at your Baptifm?

John vi. 44. 2 Cor. iii. 5.

Phil. i. 6. >-ii. 13.

Jer. xxxii.

40.

1 John iii. 9. 2 Theff.iii.3.

A. Upon many Accounts; but chiefly, because what was then tranfacted, was not only done in my Name, but for my Benefit, and Advantage: And I must refolve to fulfil what they promised for me, or I fhall not receive the Bleffings, which, in confideration thereof, God was pleased to make over to me. Befides that they promifed nothing on my Behalf, but what) it would otherwife have been my Duty, as well as Intereft, to have fulfill'd.

18. 2. By what means do you hope you fhalk be Able to fulfil what they promifed for you?

A. By the Grace of God, which, I am affured fhall not be wanting to me, if I do but heartily pray to God for it, and take care to use it as I ought to do. Luke xi. 13. If ye, being Evil, know how to give good Gifts unto your Children, bow much more fall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?.

19. 2. How are you affured of God's Grace to enable you to Believe, and to Do, what he requires of you?

A. I am affured of it from hence, That by my Baptifm I was put into a State of Salvation, which Ezek. xxxvi. I could not have been, were I not thereby secure 25, 26, 27. of what foever is needful, on God's part, to be beftow'd upon me, in order to my attaining of Salvation, through Jefus Chrift our Saviour. Rom. i. 16. The Gospel of Chrift is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that Believeth. Phil. ii. 12, 13. Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling: For it is God which worketh in you both to Will and to Do, of his good Pleasure. 20. 2. How came you to be called unto fuch a Bleffed State as this?

4. Only

A. Only by the Mercy of God, and thro' the Jo. vi. 44. Merits of Jefus Chrift our Saviour; and therefore Ephef. ii. 8. Phil. i. 29. I do most heartily thank our Heavenly Fa- 2 Tim. i. 9. ther, that he has called me to this State Tit. iii. 4, 5. of Salvation, through Jefus Chriß öur

Saviour.

21. 2. Do you think you fhall be able ftill to go on, and perfevere in this State?

A. It is my earneft defire and purpose fo to do; Jo. viii, rẻ and I truft that, by the Grace of God, I fhall do Rom. ii. 7 fo. For which caufe, I will never ceafe to pray Cor. i. 8. -xv. 58. unto him for the continuance of his Grace; 2 Cor. 1. 224 that fo I may be found Faithful and Sincere in Gal, vi. ge my Duty to my Life's End. z Theff. iii. 3. The Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from Evil. Eph. iv. 30. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are fealed unto the Day of Redemption. Phil. i. 6. Being confident of this very thing, That he which hath be gun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jefus Chrift.

SECT. IV.

2 BUT what if notwithftanding all your Means of Reftoringour prefent Defires and Refolutions, you felves to Gods fhould chance to fall away from your Duty; and Favour after thereby put yourself out of this ftate of Salvation; the Violation is there no way left for you to recover yourself, of them. and to return again to it ?

A. Yes, there is; by a true Repentance for the Luk. xv. 7, Sins which I fhall have committed, and an 18, &c. humble Confeffion of them to God; with earnest 1 Jo. i. 8, go Prayer for his forgiveness, through the Merits,

and Interceffion, of Jefus Chrift, our Bleffed Saviour and Redeemer.

2.2. What mean you by Repentance ?

A. I mean fuch a Conversion of a Sinner to 12 Cor. vii. God, whereby he is not only heartily a Sorry for the Evil he has done, and resolved to forfake it ; b but does actually begin to Renounce it, and to fulfil his Duty according to his Ability; with a Prov. xxviii. ftedfaft purpose to continue God's faithful Ser vant unto his Life's End.

5.

Pfal. xxxii.

13. Ifai.i.16,17. Ezek. xxviii.

21.

Pfal. xxxiv.

14.

3.2. What are the chief Acts required to fuch a Repentance?

A. To forfake Evil, and to do Good: To turn from those Sins which we Repent of; and to ferve Ifai.f.16.17. God by an univerfal Obedience of him, in whatfoever he has required of us.

4. 2. What is the firft Step towards a true Repentance?

A. To be thoroughly convinced of the Evil Pfal. xxxviii. of our Ways, and heartily Sorry for it.

18.

2 Cor. vii. 9, 10, 11.

5.2. Isevery kind of Sorrow to be look'd upon as a part of true Repentance?

A. No; there is a Sorrow for Sin which proceeds not from any Love of God, or Sense of our Duty to Him; nor yet from any real Hatred of the Sins which we have committed; but merely from the Fear of God's Judgment, and of the Punishment which we may be likely to fuffer for them. This is that Sorrow which is commonly called Attrition; and may be found in the most wicked Men, without ever bringing them to any true Repentance for their Sins.

6. 2. What then is that Sorrow which leads. to a true Repentance?

A. It is that Godly Sorrow which proceeds from a Senfe of our Duty, and of the Obligations we lie under to the performance of it. When we are forry for our Sins upon the account of our having thereby offended God; broken the Covenant of the Gofpel; and grieved the Holy Spirit which was given to us; and are therefore refolved immediately to forfake our Sins, and

never to return any more to the Commiffion of them.

7.2. How is fuch a Sorrow to be wrought ina Sinner?

A. Only by the Grace of God, and the ferious Confideration of our own Eftate towards him the former to be attained by our conftant Prayers for it; the latter, by accuftoming ourselves often to examine our Souls,. and to try our Ways, by the measures of that Obedience which the Gofpel of Chrift requires of us.

8. 2. Does not God make ufe of many other ways to bring Men to fuch a Sorrow?

A. God has many ways whereby to bring Sinners to Repentance. Sometimes he does it by fending fome temporal Evils and Calamities upon them: Sometimes by vifiting them with Terrors and Difquiets of Mind: Sometimes he calls upon them by the Outward Ministry of his Word; and fometimes by the Evils which befal Others, especially those who were their Companions in their Sins. But whatever the Occafions be which God is pleased to make use of to bring us to Repentance, it is ftill the Grace of his Holy Spirit, and the ferious Confideration of our own wretched Eftate, that muft begin the Work, and produce in us that Godly Sorrow, which finally ends in a true Repentance.

9. 2. What are the chief Motives, with Refpect to Ourselves, that will be the most likely to engage us thus to Sorrow for our Sins?

13.

A. The a Threats of God, denounced in the Luke xiii. 3. Holy Scriptures againft Impenitent Sinners; and Prov. xxviii. the b Promises there made of Pardon to all fuch bifa.lv. 7. as fhall truly Repent, and return to their Duty, Ezek. xviii. as they ought to do.

30---xxxiii.

II.