Of the word read and heard,
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. without a preacher ? And how shall they preach, except they be sent ? &c.
Q. 10. To whom are the ordinances made effectual to salvation?
A. To all God's elect they are effectual to salvation, and to them only; Acts xiii. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed.
John x. 26. Butye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, &c.
Q. 11. What is the first instruction from hence ?
A. That great preparation is due to all the ordinances, before we engage in them; Job xi. 13 , 14. If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands towards him.
If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thytabernacles .
Chron . xxix. 18. And prepare their heart unto thee.
Q. 12. What is the second inference from hence ?
A. That great reverence is due to God's ordinances, when we are actually engaged in the use of them; Psalm lxxxix. 7.
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints ; and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him,
Q. 13. What is the third inference from hence ?
A. That those people that want ordinances, are ina fad and deplorable condition; Eph. ii. 11, 12. Wherefore remember that yebeing in time pastGentiles in the stesh, who are called uncircumcifion by that which is called the circumcision in the fAeth made by hands ; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
Q. 14. What is the last instruction hence ?
A. That those that perith in the midst of ordinances, and means of salvation, will perish with aggravated perdition ; Mat. xi. 23. And thou Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Of the Word readandheard.
OW is the word made effectual to salvation ?but Quest. 89. especially the preaching of the word, an effectualmeans of convincing and converting sinners ; and building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith unto salvation.
Q. 1. What mean you by the word ?
A. By the word is meant the word of God, consigned to
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
writing in the books of the Old and New Testament; which though it be ministeredby men, yet is no other than the very word of God, and as such to be received ; 1 Theff. ii. 13 .
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men ; but (as it is in truth) the word of God, &c.
Q2. Whence is the efficacy of this word ?
A. It is wholly from the Spirit of God that it becomes effectual to any man's salvation ; 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7. I have planted, and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth ; but God thatgiveth the increase.
Q. 3. Is the reading of the scripture an ordinance of God for men's salvation ?
A. Yes, it is ; Deut. xvii. 19. And it shall be with him, and he shall feed therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law, and these statutes to do them. And in reading of it, God sometimes comes in by his Spirit to mens conversion ; Acts viii. 27,
28, 29. And he arose and went, and behold a man ofEthiopia, an eunuch of great authority underCandacequeen of the Ethiopians, whohadthecharge of all her treasure, and had come to
Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and fitting in his chariot, read Isaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip,
Gonear, and join thyself to this chariot, &c.
Q. 4. Is the hearing of the word a means of salvation ?
A. Yes, it is ; Ifa. lv. 3. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live, &c.
1 Cor. i. 21. It pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to savethemthatbelieve.
Q. 5. To what end is the word useful to men?
A. The first end and use of the word is to convince men of their fin and misery out of Christ ; 1 Cor. xiv, 24, 25. But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, &c.
Q. 6. What is it useful for, besides conviction ?
A. It is useful for conversion, as well as conviction ; Psalm xix. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul,
&c.
Acts xxvi. 18. To turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, &c.
Q. 7. Doth the word convince and convert all that hear it ?
A. No, but those only that are ordained to eternal life ; Acts xiii. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
Q. 8. What else is the word useful for ?
A. To build up the saints to perfection in Christ ; Eph. iv.
11, 12, 13. And he gave some apostles, andsomeprophets, and fomeevangelifts, and somepastorsandteachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ : till we all come in the unity of the faith,
. and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man ; unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
Acts xx. 32. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritanceamongallthem that are sanctified.
Q. 9. May the common people read the scriptures ?
A. Yes, it is a duty commanded by Christ ; Johnv. 39. Search the scriptures, &c. And commended by the apostle; 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.
Q10. Is it their duty or liberty also to preach it ?
A. No, it is not; for besides abilities for that work, there must bea call ; Rom. x. 14, 15. How shalltheyhear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they befent, &c.
Q. 11. What is the first instruction from hence?
A. That the enjoyments of the scriptures, and an able faithful ministry to expound and apply them, is a special mercy to any people; Psalm cxlvii. 19, 20. He sheweth his word unto
Jacob, his statutes and judgments unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any nation; and as for his judgments they have
not known them.
Q12 . What is the second instruction ?
A. That men cannot expect special and spiritual blessings from God in the wilful neglect of the ordinances ; Prov. xxviii.
9. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Q. 13. What is the third inference ?
A. That fad is their condition, who fit all theirdaysunder the word to no purpose at all; 2 Cor. iv. 3. 4. If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost : in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, left the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them.
Q. 14. What is the last inference ?
A. That Christ's ordinances and ministers should be most welcometothepeople to whomGodsends them; Isa. lii. 7. How