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Q. 15. Why do we pray only for daily bread, or a competency, may we not pray for abundance and riches?

A. No, because riches are a great fnare and temptation; Matth. xix. 23, 24. Then faid Jefus unto his difciples, Verily I fay unto you, that a rich man fhall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I fay unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Prov. xxx. 8, 9. Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me: left I be full and deny thee, and fay, Who is the Lord? Or left I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Q. 16. What shall we then do with riches, if providence cast them upon us, fhall we caft them away?

A. No, for fome of the best of men, and greateft of God's favourrites, have lived and died rich. But, (1.) We must wean our hearts from them; Pfalm lxii. 10. Trust not in oppreffion, and become not vain in robbery; if riches increase, fet not your heart upon them. (2.) Be thankful for them; and, (3.) Fruitful with them in acts of piety and charity; 1 Tim. vi. 17, 19. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy: laying up in ftore for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Q. 17. Wherefore is the bread called our bread ?

A. Not becaufe we are abfolute lords and poffeffors of it, for it is God's only; Pfalm xxiv. 1, 2. The earth is the Lord's, and the fulnefs thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the feas, and established it upon the floods. Pfalm 1. 10, 12. For every beaft of the foreft is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. But, (1.) Because we must have a covenant right to it; and, (2.) A civil right; we must come lawfully and honestly by, and so keep the good things of this life; 2 Theff. iii. 10. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither fhould he eat.

Q. 18. Having prayed for our daily bread, need we to labour and endeavour to get it?

A. Yes, we muft labour in good and honeft callings; God's bleffing and man's induftry muft concur towards the prefent maintenance of life; Pfalm cxxviii. 1, 2. Bleffed is every one that feareth the Lord: that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands happy fhalt thou be, and it fhall be well with thee. Prov. x. 4, 22. He becometh poor that dealeth with a flack hand; but the hand of the diligent maketh rich, The blefling of the Lord maketh rich, and he addeth no forrow with it..

Q. 19. What is the first inference from it?

4. That we must not feek great matters for ourselves, neither make

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them the matter of prayer to God; nor the end and defign of our labours and callings among men.

Q20. What is a fecond inference from hence?

4. That having food and raiment, we must be therewith content, and therefore thankful; 1 Tim. vi. 8. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. 1 Theff. v. 18. In every thing give

thanks.

Q. 21. What is the third inference?

A. That we afcribe not our fuccefs in the world to our own skill and industry, for the wifeft and most industrious do fometimes labour in the fire, and put their gain in a bag with holes; but to God's free donation to us, and to his bleffing upon our endeavours; Gen. xxxiii. 5, 11. And he lift up his eyes, and faw the women and the children, and faid, Who are those with thee? And he said, the children which God hath graciously given thy fervant.Take, I pray thee, my bleffing that is brought to thee, because God hath dealt gracioufly with me, and because I have enough. Deut. xxviii. 3 Bleffed fhalt thou be in the city, and bleffed thalt thou be in the field. Ver. 6. Bleffed fhalt thou be when thou comest in, and bleffed fhalt thou be when thou goeft out.

Concerning Forgiveness of Sins.

Queft. 105. WHAT do we pray for in the fifth petition?

A. In the fifth petition, which is, [And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,] we pray, that God, for Chriff's fake, would freely pardon all our fins; which we are the rather encoura ged to afk, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.

Q. I. Why doth this petition immediately follow the former?

A. To teach, that all temporal and corporal good things, without fpecial and spiritual ones, are little worth; Pfalm iv. 6. There be many that fay, Who will fhew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Pfalm xvii. 14, 15. From men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whofe belly thou filleft with thy hid treafure. They are full of children, and leave the reft of their fubftance to their babes. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteoulnefs? Ifhall be fatisfied, when I awake with thy likeness.

Q. 2. Why is it annexed to the former with the copulative and? A. To teach, that to be one minute in the confluence of all earthly good things, without the pardon of fin, is a very dangerous and dreadful condition; Luke xii. 16, 20. And he fpake a parable unto them, faying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: But God faid unto him, Thou fool, this night fhall thy foul be required of thee; then whofe fhall thofe things be which thou haft provided?

Q. 3. Why is forgiveness of fins placed in the front of spiritual bleffings?

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A. Because till fin be pardoned, we are under wrath, and can have no special faving grace applied to us, till we are accepted; till we are in Chrift, we have no covenant-right to the bleffings of Chrift; Mat. xi. 28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give your reft. Ver. 30. For my yoke is eafy, and my burden is light; John xv. 4, 5. Abide in me, and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit : for without me ye can do nothing.- -Ver. 7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you; ye fhall afk what ye will, and it fhall be done unto you. John . ult. He that believeth on the Scn, hath everlafting life; and he that believeth not the Son, fhall not fee life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Q. 4. Why do we pray for forgivenefs? Cannot we make amends for our fins, and be freed from their guilt, without pardon?

A. No, all that we can ever do, or fuffer, can never expiate the guilt of the leaft fin; Pfalm xlix. 7, 8. None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him; (for the redemption of their foul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever.) 1 Sam. ii. 25. If one man fin against another, the judge fhall judge him but if a man fin against the Lord, who fhall intreat for him? 0.5. Does God then freely, and out of mere grace, forgive us? A. Yes, without any respect had to any thing we can do, or be; Ifa. xliii. 25. I, even I am he that blotteth out thy tranfgreffions for mine own fake, and will not remember thy fins. Rom. ix. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compaffion on whom I will have compaffion. Ver. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Q. 6. How doth God forgive fins?

A. (1.) Univerfally, all fins; Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. And the Lord paffed by before him, and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands; forgiving iniquity, and tranfgreffion, and fin. Jer. xxxiii. 8. And I will cleanfe them from all their iniquities, whereby they have finned against me: And I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have finned, and whereby they have tranfgreffed against me. Hofea xiv. 2. Take away all iniquity, and receive us gracioufly. (2.) Completely, and perfectly; Ifa. xliii. 25. I, even I am he that blotteth out thy tranfgreffions for mine own fake, and will not remember thy fins. Pfalm ciii. 12. As far as the east is from the weft, fo far hath he removed our tranfgreffions from us. Mic. vii. 19. He will fubdue our iniquities; and thou wilt caft all our fins into the depths of the sea. Ifa. xxxviii. 17. For thou hast cast all my fins behind thy back.. (3.) Everlastingly; Jer. xxxi. 34. For I will

forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their fin no more. Heb. viii. 12. And their fins and their iniquities will I remember no more, Q. 7. But doth not God punish them afterward, whom he has juftified and forgiven ?

A. No, not with a proper and vindictive punishment; but he brings evils upon them for their fins, as a father chaftifes his child; and other forts of afflictions for their fpiritual good: He may be angry, as a Father, with thofe he has pardoned, but never hate them as a condemning Judge; Pfalm lxxxix. 28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant fhall ftand faft with him. Ver. 34. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips...

Q8. How can God he faid freely to pardon all our fins, when we pray it may be done for Chrift's fake; does not that imply that Chrift has fatisfied God for our fins, and deferved our remiffion?

A. Yes, it does fo; for the Lord Chrift, by his life and death, did fatisfy Divine Juftice, and did merit our forgiveness: But if he did fo, we did not fo; our fins cost him dear, but their pardon coft us nothing; our pardon is perfectly free to us, though due to Chrift, for God gave Chrift freely for us; God accepts of his merits, and applies them to us freely; Rom. iii. 24. Being juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift.

Q. 9. But is there nothing required from us as the condition of pardon? and if fo, how can it be abfolutely free?

A. There are required repentance from fin, and faith in the Lord Chrift; Luke xii. 3. But except ye repent, ye fhall all likewife perifh; John iii. ult. And he that believeth not the Son, fhall not fee life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. This is required from us towards our pardon, but yet it is free, (1.) Becaufe God freely ordains thus to pardon. (2.) Because both thefe are the free gifts of God; Acts xi. 18. Then hath God alfo to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. Eph. ii. 8. For by grace are ye faved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Q. 10. When then are our fins forgiven?

A. Juft upon our closure with Chrift by faith, in that very moment; Rom. v. 1. Therefore being juftified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jesus. Q.11. Why do we pray in the anfwer, for the forgiveness of all our fins ?

A. Because if the leaft guilt fhould remain upon us, it would exclude us from God's favour, and lodge us in everlasting burnings; Rom. vi. ult. For the wages of fin is death.

Q. 12. What are the privileges and bleffings that accompany pardon?/

A. Juftification is accompanied with adoption; John i. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the

fons of God, even to them that believe on his name. With the Spirit and principle of all grace and holinefs; 1 Cor. vi. 11. And fuch were fome of you; but ye are wafhed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. With an infallible title to eternal glory; John iii. 16. That whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have everlafting life; Rom. viii. 30. Whom he juftified, them he alfo glorified.

Q.13. How may we know that we are pardoned and juftified? A. Ordinarily, by our fanctification, by our loathing of fin, our contempt of the world, our valuing of Chrift, our love and thankfulnefs to God, &c. 1 Cor. vi. 11. But ye are fanctified. Rom. vii. 24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Gal. vi. 14. By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.. 1 Pet. ii. 7. Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious. Luke vii. 47. Her fins, which are many, are forgiven;

for fhe loved much.

Q. 14. What is meant by [our?] Is it only fuch fins as we have perfonally and actually committed?

A. No, but alfo Adam's fin, which is ours by imputation; Rom. v. 19. By one man's disobedience many were made finners. And original fin, which is ours by inhefion; Pfalm li. 5. Behold, I was fhapen in iniquity, and in fin did my mother conceive me. And other men's fins, which we have made ours, by exciting them to them, not hindering of them, filence at them, and other ways; 2 Sam. xii. 9. Thou haft killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and haft taken his wife to be thy wife, and haft flain him with the fword of the children of Ammon. 1 Tim. v. 22 Neither be partaker of other men's fins. Q. 15. Wherefore are fins called debts?

A. Because they are a non-payment of God's dues, a non-performance of our duty; which makes us liable to the arreft of death, and to the prison of hell.

Q.16. Why do we plead our own forgiveness of others?

A. Not as any merit of our own pardon; but either as an encouragement to ourĺelves to beg pardon; feeing such evil, envious, and malignant perfons, are enabled to forgive others, much more may we hope the good and gracious God will forgive us: or, as a condition, without which we can have no pardon, and with which we shall; Matth. vi. 14. For if ye forgive men their trefpaffes, your heavenly Father will alfo forgive you.

Q17. How do others trespass against us?

A. When they injure us, either in our perfons, or names, or families, or estates, or fouls, &c. 1 Sam. ii. 25. If one man fin against another, the judge fhall judge him; but if a man fin against the Lord, who fhall intreat for him?

Q. 18. Can we forgive our neighbour freely, fully, and perfectly, as God doth forgive us?

A. We cannot.

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