Of the word read and heard,
An Exposition of the Affembly'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 falvation?
A. To allGod'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, beforewe engage in them; Job xi. 13 , 14. If thou prepare thine heart, and ſtretch out thine hands towards him.
If iniquitybe inthine hand, put it far away, and let notwickedneſs dwell in thytabernacles .
Chron . xxix. 18. And prepare their heart untothee.
Q. 12. What is the ſecond inference from hence ?
A. That great reverence is due to God's ordinances, when we are actually engagedin the use of them; Pfalm lxxxix. 7.
God is greatly to be feared in the affembly of the faints ; and tobe had in reverence of all them that are about him,
Q. 13. What isthe 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 thatwhich is called the circumcifion in the fAeth madeby hands ; that at that time ye were without Chrift, being aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael, and ſtrangers from the covenants of promife, 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 falvation, will periſh with aggravated perdition ; Mat. xi. 23. And thou Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, ſhalt be broughtdown to hell: for ifthe mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Of theWord readandheard.
OW is the word made effectual to ſalvation ?but Quest. 89. efpecially the preaching of the word, an effectualmeans of convincing and converting finners ; and building them up in holiness and comfort, through faithunto falvation.
Q. 1. What mean you by the word ?
A. Bythe word is meant theword ofGod, conſigned to
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechism.
writing in the books of the Old and New Testament; which though it be ministeredby men, yet is no other than the veryword 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 theefficacy of this word ?
A. It is whollyfrom the Spirit ofGod that it becomes effectual toany man's falvation ; 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7. I have planted, and Apollos watered, butGod gave the increaſe. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth ; butGod 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 itshall bewith him, and he ſhall feed therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, tokeep all the words of this law, and theſe ſtatutes to do them. And in reading of it, Godſometimes comes inby his Spirit to mens converfion ; Acts viii. 27,
28, 29. And he aroſe and went, and behold a man ofEthiopia, an eunuch ofgreat authority underCandacequeen of the Ethiopians, whohadthecharge of allhertreaſure, and hadcometo
Jerufalem for to worſhip, was returning, and fitting in his chariot, read Iſaias the prophet. Then the Spirit faid to Philip,
Gonear, and join thyself tothis chariot, &c.
Q. 4. Is the hearing of the word ameans of ſalvation ?
A. Yes, it is ; Ifa. lv. 3. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your foul ſhall live, &c.
1 Cor. i. 21. It pleaſed God, by the foolishness of preaching, to ſavethemthatbelieve.
Q. 5. To what endis the word uſeful tomen?
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. Itis usefulfor converſion, as well as conviction ; Pſalm xix. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the foul,
&c.
Acts xxvi. 18. To turn them from darkness to light, and fromthe power of Satan untoGod, &c.
Q. 7. Doth the word convince and convert all that hear it ?
A. No, butthoſe onlythat are ordained to eternal life ; Acts xiii. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechifm.
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; fortheperfecting of the faints, for thework of the miniſtry, for the edifying of thebody of Chriſt : till we all come in the unity of the faith,
. and of the knowledge of the Son ofGod, untoa perfect man ; unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulness of Chriſt.
Acts xx. 32. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, andto thewordof his grace, which is able to build you up, andgive youan inheritanceamongallthem that are ſanctified.
Q. 9. May the common people read the ſcriptures ?
A. Yes, it is a duty commandedby 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 ittheir 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? andhow ſhall they preach, except they befent, &c.
Q. 11. What is the firſt inſtructionfrom hence?
A. That the enjoyments ofthe ſcriptures, and an able faithful miniſtry to expound and apply them, is a ſpecial mercy to any people; Pfalm cxlvii. 19, 20. He ſheweth hisword unto
Jacob, his ſtatutes and judgments unto Ifrael; 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 fromGod 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 theword tonopurpoſe at all; 2 Cor. iv. 3. 4. If our goſpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loſt : in whom thegod 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 Chrift's ordinances and miniſters ſhould be moſt welcometothepeople to whomGodſends them; Iſa. lii. 7. How