Of God's kingdom,
An Exposition of the Affembly's Gatéchifm.
: the Lord, ye that tremble at his word : Your brethren that hatedyou, thatcaſt you out for myname's fake, faid, Let the Lord be glorified: But he ſhall appear to your joy, and they ſhallbe ashamed. And John xvi. 2. They ſhall put you out of the ſynagogues : Yea, the time cometh, that whoſoever killeth you, willthink that he doth God ſervice.
Q. 13. What is the third inferencefrom hence ?
A. That it ſhould be indifferent to a Chriſtian what conditionGod puts him into, ſo that hemaybut be useful tofanctify and exalt the name ofGod therein ; Phil. i. 20.-As always, ſo now alfo Chriſt ſhall be magnified inmybody,whether it beby life or bydeath .
Q. 14. What is the laſt inference hence ?
A. That it is an high and dreadful provocation ofGod to prophaneandabuſe his worship, whereon his name is called, andwherein it is to be ſanctified; Lev. x. 1, 2, 3. AndNadab andAbihu, the fons of Aaron, took either of them his cenſer, andput fire therein, and put incenſe thereon, and offered ſtrange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.
And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, andthey died before the Lord.
Then Moſes ſaid un toAaron, this it that the Lord ſpake, ſaying, I willbe ſanctified in themthatcome nigh me,and before allthe people will
Ibeglorified.
OfGod's Kingdom.
Hat dowe pray for intheſecondpetition?
Queſt. 102.W A. In thesecondpetition, which is, [Thy kingdom come,] we pray that Satan's kingdom-may be destroyed, and that the kingdom ofgrace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, andkept in it, and that the kingdom ofglory may be hastened.
Q. 1. What is the first thing fignified by the kingdom of Godhere?
: A. The gospel is here intendedby the kingdom of God, Matth. xiii . 47.
Again, the kingdom ofheaven is likeunto a net that was caſt into the fea, and gathered of every kind.
Q. 2. What is the thing fignified by the coming of this kingdom ofGod ?
A. It fignifies the removal of all impediments, that hinder its propagation inthe world ; 2 Theff. iii. 1. Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free courſe, andbeglorified, even as itis with you.
VOL . VIII.
An Expofition of the Affembly's Catechism .
Q. 3. Who, andwhat hinders the propagation of it ?
A. Antichrift, that man of fin, hinders it externally ; z Theff. ii . 4. Who oppofeth and exalteth himselfabove all that is calledGod, or that is worshipped; ſo thathe asGod fitteth in the temple ofGod, ſhewing himselfthat he is God.
The devil and mens luſts internally; 1 Theff. ii. 18. Wherefore wewould have come unto you (evenI Paul) once and again; but Satan hindered us .
Luke xix. 14. But his citizens hated him, andfent a meſſenger after him, ſaying,We will not have this man to reign over us.
Q. 4. What then is the defire ofall good men, with reſpect tothecoming ofthe goſpel kingdom ?
A. That all nations maybe brought to Chriſtbythe preaching of it, and ſo Chriſt's kingdom be greatly exalted and enlarged ; Ifa. ii . 2. And it ſhall come to paſs in the lastdays, that the mountain of the Lord's houſe ſhall be eſtabliſhed in the top ofthe mountains, and ſhall be exalted above the hills ; and all nations ſhall flow unto it.
Q. 5. What is theſecondthing here meant by the kingdom ofGod?
A. It fignifies and intends the work ofſaving grace wrought inmens fouls ; Luke xvii. 21.
Behold, the kingdom ofGod iswithinyou.
Q. 6. Why is this work ofgrace calledthe kingdom ofGod?
A. Becauſe where-ever faving grace comes, it ſubdues the foultoChriſt's ſceptre ; 2 Cor. x. 5. Cafting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itſelfagainst theknowledge ofGod, andbringing intocaptivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift .
Q. 7. Wherein conſiſts the kingdom ofgrace ?
A. It confiſts not in external rites and obſervances, but in righteouſneſs, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost ; Rom . xiv. 17. For the kingdom ofGod is not meat and drink, but righteouſneſs, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost
Q. 8. What do we ask ofGod in this petition,with reſpect to this kingdom ofgrace?
A. Hereinwe defire not only our own perſonal progreſſive fanctification, but the ſanctification of others all the world over ; Acts xxvi. 29. And Paul ſaid, I would toGod that not only thou, but alſo all that hear me this day, were both almoft, and altogether ſuch as I am, except theſe bonds.
Q. 9. What is the thirdthing here meant bythe kingdom ofGod?
A. By it is here meantthe future ſtate ofglory andbleffed