Of Chriſt's acknowledging believers, Quest 39 Of man's duty to God,
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechisms
Q. 7. Donot the faints enjoyGodhere ?
A. Yes, theydo; butnotſo as theyſhall enjoyNim in heaven; 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Now weſeethrough a glaſs darkly, but thenface to face; now I know in part, butthen ſhall I know even as alfo I am known.
Q. 8. What arethe ſpecial differences betweenthe faints communionwithGodhere, andthat inheaven ?
A. Their communion with God here is cloggedwith fin ; Rom. vii. 21. I find then alaw, thatwhen Iwoulddo good, evil is preſent with me. Here it is not conftant ; Pfalm xxii.
1. My God, myGod, why haft thou forſaken me ? Nor is it fatisfying; butinheaven itwill be pure, conſtant, and fatisfying.
Q. 9. Howlong ſhalltheythere enjoyGod ?
A.Not fordays, years, ages,but for ever and ever ; 1 Theff. iv. 17. And fo fhallwe beeverwith the Lord.
Q. 10. What isthe firſt inſtruction from hence ?
A. Thatthe world isnot the place ofthe faints reft and fatisfaction ; Heb. iv. 9. There remaineth therefore a reſt to the peopleofGod. 2Cor. v. 2, 6. For in this we groan earneftly, defiring tobe cloathed uponwith our houſe, which is from heaven: thereforewe are always confident, knowingthat whilft we are at home inthe body,we are abfent from the Lord.
Q. 11. What is the ſecond inſtruction from hence ?
A. Thatdeath isa fingularbenefit tothe faints; and though itbeanenemytonature,yet itisthemedium toglory; 2 Cor. v. 4. Forwethat are in this tabernacle do groan, beingbura dened, not for that we would be uncloathed,but cloathedupon, that mortalitymightbe ſwallowedup of life.
Q. 12. What is the third inſtruction hence ?
A. The neceffity of faith and regeneration in this world.
None ſhall be raiſedup inglory,acknowledged, acquitted, and made perfectly bleſſed inthe full enjoyment ofGod, but believers ; Rom. viii. 30. Moreoverwhomhe didpredeftinate, them he alsocalled; andwhom he called, them he alſo juftified; andwhomhejustified,them he alſoglorified.
Heb. xii. - 14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, withoutwhich no man ſhallfee the Lord.
Queſt. 39.W Of Man's Duty toGod.
Hat is the dutythatGod requirethofman?
A. The duty whichGodrequireth ofman, is obedience to his revealed will.
VOL.VIII,
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechifm.
Q. 1. Is obedience to God's willthe duty ofeveryman ?
A. It is unquestionably the duty ofevery man to obey the will ofGod, fo far as he hathmade itknown to him ; Micah vi. 8. He hath ſhewed thee, O man, what is good : andwhat doth the Lord require of thee, but todo juſtly, and to love mercy, and towalkhumblywith thyGod.
Q. 2. On what account is man's obedience due toGod ?
A. It is due to him, First, as he is our Creator, in whom we live, and move, and have our being ; Acts xvii. 27, 28.
Secondly, As he is our Benefactor, from whomwe receive all our mercies ; Deut. xxviii. 47. Becauſe thou ſervedſt not the Lord thy Godwith joyfulneſs andwith gladness ofheart, for the abundance ofallthings therefore ſhalt thouſerve thine enemies, which the Lord ſhall ſend against thee, in hunger, thirſt, and in nakedneſs, and in want of all things.
Thirdly, As he is our Lord, and law-giver ; James iv. 12. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to ſave and to destroy.
Q. 3. Is obedience due to nonebutGod only ?
A. Yes ; fubjects muſt obey theirlawful magiſtrates ; Rom. xiii. 1. Let every foul be fubject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God ; The powers that be, are ordained ofGod.
People their miniſters ; Heb. xiii. 17. Obey themthat have the rule over you, and ſubmityourſelves, for they watch for your fouls, as theythat must give an account.
Children their parents ; Eph. vi. 1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, forthis isright.
But not as they are to obey God.
Q. 4 What isthe difference betwixt ourobedience toGod's commands, and men's ?
A. We are to obey God, chiefly and fupremely, for his ownfake, but creatures ſecondarily, and for God's fake ; 1 Pet. ii. 13. Submit yourſelves to every ordinance of men for the Lord's fake. AndEph. vi. 1. Children obey your parents [in the Lord,] for this is right.
Q. 5. What muſt we do when the commands ofGod and men fall croſs to one another ?
A. In that cafe we must yield our obedience to God, and not toman, whatever we ſuffer for it ; Acts iv. 19. Whether it be right in the fight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
Q.6. Whymuſt we obeyGod ratherthanman ?
A. BecauſeGod is the ſupreme and fovereign Lord of our confciences , and no creature hath power to command our obediencebut in, and from him ; Ifa. xxxii. 22. For the Lord
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechifm.
isourjudge, theLord is our law-giver, the Lord is our king, hewill fave, us .
Q. 7. Have the people liberty to comparethe laws ofGod andmen, andjudge how they agree, or differ ?
A. Yes; theirjudgment ofdifcretion is both commanded; 1 Cor. i. 10, 15. I ſpeak as to wiſe men ;judge yewhat I ſay.
Andcommended; Acts xvii. 11. Theſe were more noble than thoſe in Theſſalonica, inthat they received the word with all readiness ofmind, and ſearched the ſcriptures daily, whether thoſe things were ſo.
Q. 8. What is the only rulefor our obedience toGod ?
A. The will ofGod revealed in the ſcriptures is our only rule of obedience; Iſa. viii. 20. To the law and to the teftimony ; ifthey ſpeaknot according to this word, it is becauſe there is no lightin them.
Q. 9. But if a man have a voice, a viſion, or a dream, ſeeming tohint the ſecret will ofGod, may he not obey it ?
A. Yes ; if it be confonant to the revealed will of God in theword, otherwise not ; Deut. xxix. 29. The ſecret things belong untothe Lord ourGod ; butthoſethings which are revealed, belong untous, and to our children for ever, that we maydo all the words ofthis law.
Q. 10. What is the firſt inſtruction from hence ?
A. That it is highly finful and dangerous todiſobey the knownwillofGod in any thing ; Rom. i. 18. For thewrath
: ofGod is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteouſneſs of menwho holdthe truth in unrighteouſneſs.
Luke xii. 47. And that fervant which knew his Lord's will, andprepared not himself, neither did according to his will, ſhallbebeatenwith many stripes.
Q. 11. What is the ſecond inſtruction ?
A. That is ableffed man,who confcientioufly labours toobey the will of God, ſo far as he can discover it ; John xiii.
17. Ifye know theſethings, happy are ye ifye do them. Gal. vi. 16. And as many as walkaccording to this rule, peace be onthem, and mercy.
Q. 12. What is the third inference ?
A. It is highly finful anddangerous tocommand others, or obeycommands from others, which are not according toGod's command ; Hofea v. 11. Ephraim is oppreſſed, and broken in judgment, becauſe he willingly walked after the commandment. Jer.vii. 31. Andtheyhavebuilt the high places ofTophet, which is inthe valley ofthe ſon ofHinnom, to burn