Of Christ's acknowledging believers, Quest 39 Of man's duty to God,
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechisms
Q. 7. Do not the saints enjoyGodhere ?
A. Yes, they do; but not so as they shall enjoyNim in heaven; 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Now weseethrough a glass darkly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Q. 8. What are the special differences between the faints communionwithGodhere, and that in heaven ?
A. Their communion with God here is clogged with fin ; Rom. vii. 21. I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. Here it is not constant ; Psalm xxii.
1. My God, my God, why haft thou forsaken me ? Nor is it satisfying; but in heaven it will be pure, constant, and satisfying.
Q. 9. How long shalltheythere enjoy God ?
A.Not for days, years, ages,but for ever and ever ; 1 Theff. iv. 17. And fo fhallwe be ever with the Lord.
Q. 10. What is the first instruction from hence ?
A. That the world is not the place of the saints reft and satisfaction ; Heb. iv. 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the peopleofGod. 2Cor. v. 2, 6. For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be cloathed upon with our house, which is from heaven: therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body,we are absent from the Lord.
Q. 11. What is the second instruction from hence ?
A. That death isa fingularbenefit to the saints; and though itbeanenemytonature,yet itisthemedium to glory; 2 Cor. v. 4. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, beingbura dened, not for that we would be uncloathed,but cloathedupon, that mortalitymightbe swallowed up of life.
Q. 12. What is the third instruction hence ?
A. The necessity of faith and regeneration in this world.
None shall be raised up in glory,acknowledged, acquitted, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God, but believers ; Rom. viii. 30. Moreoverwhomhe didpredeftinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; andwhomhejustified,them he also glorified.
Heb. xii. - 14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall fee the Lord.
Quest. 39.W Of Man's Duty to God.
Hat is the dutythatGod requirethofman?
A. The duty whichGodrequireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
VOL.VIII,
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
Q. 1. Is obedience to God's will the duty ofeveryman ?
A. It is unquestionably the duty of every man to obey the will of God, fo far as he hath made it known to him ; Micah vi. 8. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good : and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and towalkhumblywith thy God.
Q. 2. On what account is man's obedience due to God ?
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 whom we receive all our mercies ; Deut. xxviii. 47. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve 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 ; subjects must obey their lawful magistrates ; Rom. xiii. 1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God ; The powers that be, are ordained of God.
People their ministers ; Heb. xiii. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submityourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account.
Children their parents ; Eph. vi. 1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
But not as they are to obey God.
Q. 4 What is the difference betwixt our obedience to God's commands, and men's ?
A. We are to obey God, chiefly and supremely, for his own fake, 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 of God and men fall cross to one another ?
A. In that case we must yield our obedience to God, and not to man, 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. Why must we obey God ratherthanman ?
A. Because God is the supreme and sovereign Lord of our consciences , and no creature hath power to command our obedience but in, and from him ; Ifa. xxxii. 22. For the Lord
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
is our judge, the Lord is our law-giver, the Lord is our king, he will fave, us .
Q. 7. Have the people liberty to compare the laws of God and men, and judge how they agree, or differ ?
A. Yes; their judgment of discretion is both commanded; 1 Cor. i. 10, 15. I speak as to wise men ;judge yewhat I say.
And commended; Acts xvii. 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Q. 8. What is the only rule for our obedience to God ?
A. The will of God revealed in the scriptures is our only rule of obedience; Isa. viii. 20. To the law and to the testimony ; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Q. 9. But if a man have a voice, a vision, or a dream, seeming to hint the secret will of God, may he not obey it ?
A. Yes ; if it be confonant to the revealed will of God in the word, otherwise not ; Deut. xxix. 29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God ; butthosethings which are revealed, belong unto us, and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Q. 10. What is the first instruction from hence ?
A. That it is highly sinful and dangerous to disobey the knownwillofGod in any thing ; Rom. i. 18. For the wrath
: of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
Luke xii. 47. And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shallbebeatenwith many stripes.
Q. 11. What is the second instruction ?
A. That is ableffed man,who conscientiously labours to obey the will of God, so far as he can discover it ; John xiii.
17. Ifye know these things, happy are ye ifye do them. Gal. vi. 16. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy.
Q. 12. What is the third inference ?
A. It is highly sinful and dangerous to command others, or obey commands from others, which are not according to God'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 in the valley of the son ofHinnom, to burn