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ty, unto iniquity; even fo now yield your members servants to righteousness, unto holiness..

Q. 13. May great finners be fanctified?

A. Yes; the Spirit of God can fanctify the vileft heart; I Cor. vi. 11. And fuch were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified.

Of Affurance, the Fruit of Juftification.

Queft. 36. WH:

Hat are the benefits which in this life do either accompany, or flow from justification, adoption, and fanctification?

A. The benefits which in this life do either accompany, or flow from juftification, adoption, and fanctification, are affurance of God's love, peace of confcience, joy in the holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perfeverance therein to the end.

Q. 1. Is affurance poffible to be attained in this life?

A. Yes; for some have had it; Cant. vi. 3. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine. And all Christians are commanded to strive for it; 2 Pet. i. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence, to make your calling and election sure. Q. 2. How many forts of affurance are there?

A. There is an objective affurance; 2 Tim. ii. 19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And a fubjective or perfonal affurance; Gal. ii. 20. Who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Q.3. Is perfonal affurance perfect in this life?

A. No; it admits of doubts and fears, which interrupts it, and it is not always at one height; 1 Cor. xiii. 10. When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Q.4. On what teftimony is personal affurance built?

A. Upon the testimony of God's Spirit witneffing with ours; Rom. viii. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God,

Q. 5. Doth the Spirit make use of figns in us to affure us? A. Yes; ordinarily he doth; 1 John iii. 14. We know that we are paffed from death to life, because we love the bre thren. And ver. 24. Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Q. 6. How is true affurance difcerned from prefumption? A. True affurance humbles the foul; Gal. ii. 20. I am crucified with Chrift; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And makes the foul afraid of fin; 2 Cor. vii.

1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthinefs of the fleth and fpirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

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Q.7. What is the ufual feafon of affurance?

A. The time of greateft fufferings for Chrift; 1 Pet. iv. 14. ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory, and of God refteth upon you.

Q. 8. Is perfonal affurance abfolutely neceffary to falvation? A. No; a man may be saved, and in Chrift, without it; Ifa. 1. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and ftay upon his God.

Q. 9. What is the fruit of affurance?

A. Joy unfpeakable amidst outward troubles; Rom. v. 1 I And not only fo, but we also joy in God, through our Lord Jefus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Q. 10. What fins ufually eclipfe our affurance?

A. Negligence in duty ftarves it; 2 Pet. i. 10. Give diligence to make your calling and election fure: For if ye do thefe things ye fhall never fall. And finning against light, ftabs it; Pfalm li. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou haft broken may rejoice.

Q. II. What is the first inference from this doctrine ?

A. That no unregenerate person can have any affurance; for it is the fruit of juftification, adoption, and fanctification. Q. 12. What is the second inference?

A. That all the joys of heaven are not to come; but some communicated in this life; 1 Pet. i. 8. Whom having not feen ye love; in whom though now ye fee him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unfpeakable, and full of glory.

Q. 13. What is the third inference ?

A. That affured believers need to be circumfpect perfons, that they grieve not the Spirit; Eph. iv. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed unto the day of redemption.

Quest. 1.

WH

Of Peace of Confcience.

Hat doth the word Peace fignify in scripture? A. In the language of the Old-Teftament it fignifies all temporal good; 1 Sam. xxv. 6. Peace be both to thee, and peace be in thine house, and peace be unto all that thou haft. And in the New-Teftament all special good; as 2 Theff. iii, 16. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always.

Q. 2. What are the kinds of special peace ?

A. There is a twofold peace; one without us, by reconcili ation; Rom. v. 1. Therefore, being juftified by faith, we have peace with God. And peace within us, by way of confolation; Col. iii. 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Q. 3. What did our peace cost Christ?

A. It coft him bloody ftripes and fufferings; İfa. liii. 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his ftripes we are healed.

Q4. Can none have true peace but such as are in him?

A. No; others may have false peace; Luke xi. 21. When a ftrong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace. But believers only have true peace; Rom. v. 1. Therefore, being juftified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift

Q. 5. Have all believers peace in their confciences at all times?

A. No, they are always in a state of peace, but have not always the fenfe of peace; Ifa. 1. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him truft in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

Q. 6. What is that which hinders the sense of peace in believers?

A. Their fins against the Lord, and grieving of his Spirit ; Ifa. lix. 2. But your iniquities have feparated between you and your God; and your fins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Q. 7. What maintains the state of peace when the fense of peace is loft?

A. Chrift's continual and potent interceffion with the Father for us; 1 John ii. 12. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye fin not: And if any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous.

Q. 8. What is the best way to maintain our peace with God? A. Strict walking by gofpel rules; Gal. vi. 16. And as many as walk according to this rule; peace be on them.

Q. 9. Doth this peace come and go with outward peace? A. No; we may enjoy this when no peace is to be had in the world; John xvi. 33. Thefe things I have fpoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye fhall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the

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Q. 10. What is the first inftruction from hence?

A. That the wicked are in a fad cafe at all times, but especially in evil times; Ifa. lvii. 20, 21. But the wicked are like the troubled fea when it cannot reft, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, faith my God, to the wicked. Q. II. What is the fecond inftruction from hence?

A. That the chief care of a Chriftian fhould be to keep his peace with God; Jer. xvii. 17. Be not a terror to me; thou art my hope in the day of evil.

Q. 12. What is the laft inftruction from hence?

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A. Let the faints long to be in heaven, the flate of full and perfect peace; Ifa. lvii. 2. He fhall enter into peace; they thall reft in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

Of Foy in the Holy Ghost.

Queft. I. HOW many forts of joy are there among men ?

A. There is a fenfitive joy; Acts xiv. 17. Nevertheleís he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful feasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. A finful joy; Prov. xv. 21. Folly is joy to him that is deftitute of wisdom. And a fpiritual joy; Rom. v. 11. And not only fo, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jefus Christ.

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Q.2. Why is fpiritual joy called joy in the holy Ghost? A. Because the holy Ghoft is the author of it; Gal. v. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, &c.

Q. 3. What is the first thing begets joy in the faints? A. The first thing they joy in is, their juftification before God; Ifa. Ixi. 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my foul fhall be joyful in my God; for he hath cloathed me with the garments of falvation, he hath covered me with the robes of righteoufnefs. Rom. v. 11. And not only fo, but we also joy in God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Q4. What is the fecond thing that breeds this joy?

A. Hope of glory breeds joy in the faints; Rom. v. 2. And rejoice, in hope of the glory of God.

Q. 5. What is the inftrument by which the Spirit conveys this joy?

A. Faith is the inftrument of it; Phil. i. 25. And having this confidence, I know that I fhall abide and continue with you all, for your furtherance and joy of faith.

O. 6. What is the first property of this joy?

A. It is joy unfpeakable, and full of glory; Pet. i. 8.

Believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.
Q. 7. What is the fecond property of it?

A. That it is not in the power of men to deprive the faints of it; John xvi. 22. And your joy no man taketh from you. Q. 8. What is the third property of it?

A. It makes the foul free and chearful in the ways of obedience; Pfal. cxix. 32. I will run the ways of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

Q. 9. What is most destructive to a Chriftian's joy?

A. Sin, especially fin against light; Pfalm li. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou haft broken may rejoice.

Q. 10. What fhould be the main care of a Christian in this world?

A. To maintain his joy in God to the laft; Acts xx. 24. But none of these things move me; neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy. Q. 11. Have not hypocrites their joys as well as real Chriftians?

A. Yes; but the joy of the hypocrite is not grounded upon fcripture-warrant, and will vanish away, and will come to nothing at last; John v. 35. He was a burning and a shining light; and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

Q.12. What is the first inference from hence?

A. Let all that expect joy in the holy Ghost, fee that they preserve purity of confcience and converfation; 2 Cor. i. 12. For our rejoicing is this, the teftimony of our confcience, that in fimplicity, and godly fincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-wards.

Q. 13. What is the last inference?

A. That religion is no melancholy thing, but the fountain ef all joy and pleasure; Prov. iii. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace.

Queft. 1.

Of the Increase of Grace.

Oth all true grace increase and grow?

A. Yes, it doth, like the morning light; Prov. iv. 18. The path of the juft is as the fhining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. And for that end, God hath appointed ministers and ordinances; Eph. iv. 11, 12. And he gave fome, apostles; and fome, prophets; and fome, evangelifts; and fome, paitors and teachers; for

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