Of the conclusion,
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. promise ; 1 Cor. x. 13. But God is faithful,who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able. 2 Cor. xii. 9. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee ; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Q. 9. What is the first inference ?
A. That fin is the worst of evils .
Q. 10. What is the second inference ?
A. That without God's grace we can never withstand, but fhallbe overcome by every temptation ; 2 Cor. iii. 5.Not that we are sufficientofourselves, to think any thing as of ourselves ; but our fufficiency is of God. John xv. 5. For without meye can do nothing.
Q11 . What is the third inference?
A. That we must do all we cantokeep ourselves from temptation, and to engage the grace of God with us in temptation, by prayer,by pleasing the Spirit of God,by looking to Jesus,&c.
Of the Conclusion.
Hat doth the conclusion of the Lord's pray Quest 107.WWHat ⚫er teach us ?
A. The conchufion of the Lord'sprayer, which is, [For thine is the kingdom, and the power,and the glory, for ever and ever;
Amen.] teacheth us, to take our encouragement in prayer from God only; and in our prayers to praise him ; afcribing kingdom, power, and glory to him ; and in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, wefay, Amen.
Q. 1. Why is the conclusion joined to the particle For ?
A. To teach us, that therein are included arguments, or reasons to press God withal, and to prevail with him for audience.
Q. 2. But is it lawful to argue with God,and to urge him with reasons in prayer ?
A. It is notonlylawful, but expedient, yea, highly commendable ; as is seen in the saints prayers. In Moses's, Numb. xiv. 13. And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them.) Ver. 19. Pardon, I beseech thee, the niquityof this people, according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt, even until now.
In Joshua's, chap. vii. 3. And Joshua said, Alas !
O Lord God ; wherefore haftthou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us ? Would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan. Ver. 9. For the Canaanites, and all
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the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environus round, and cut of four name from the earth : And what wilt thou do unto thy great name ? In Asa's, 2 Chron. xiv. 11 .
AndAfa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power.
Help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on thee; and in thy name we go against this great multitude. O
Lord, thou art our God ; let no man prevail against thee.
In Jehofhaphat's, 2 Chron. xx. 6.
And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thouGodin heaven ? And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen ? And in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee ? AndHezekiah's, 2Kings xix. 15. AndHezekiahprayedbefore the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims ; thou art the God, even thou alone, ofallthekingdoms of the earth : Thou hast made heaven and earth. Ver. 19. Now, therefore, O Lord our God,
{ c.
Q.3. But towhatpurpose,canwethinktoprevailwithGod, by our arguments and importunities ?
A. They are not used, as though we would put God in remembrance of any thing, or would prevail with God to do that for us, which he is unwilling to give.
Q. 4. Why then ?
A. For our own profit, for the enlarging of our own hearts, for the exciting of our fervency, for the exertingoffaith, hope, zeal, charity, &c. in prayer ; and so to prepare ourselves for the mercy, that we may the more gratefully recei receive it, and the more fruitfully employ it.
Q. 5. Howmanyarguments are in this conclusion ?
A. Three.
Q. 6. From whence are they taken ?
A. From God'skingdom,from his power,and from his glory.
Q. 7. What kingdom is here meant ?
A. God's universal,essential, and absolute kingdom ; wherein may be, and is involved, his special kingdom over the church.
Q. 8. What are the arguments from hence ?
A. Because all that we can pray for in this prayer, is for the advancement and perfecting of this his kingdom, by the de struction of all persons and things that oppose it, and the completion of his dominion over all his subjects; therefore he would grant all these requests.
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Q.9. What is another ?
A. Because he being such an absolute Lord and sovereign, hasanundeniable right,and unquestionable authority, to give and grant all we ask, and to effectandbring to pass all we beg:
For all persons and things are his own, and at his disposal. Mat. xx. 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own?
Q. 10. What is meant by power ?
A. God's essential, infinite, irresistible power, whereby he can do what he pleases ; Psalm cxxxv. 6. Whatsoever the Lordpleafed &c.
Q. 11. What is the argument from hence ?
A. That we ask nothing from God,but what he can do with infinite ease, in despite of all the opposition that hell, earth, andheartcan make to the contrary; Philip. iii. ult. According to the working, &c. Eph . iii. 20. Now unto him that is able, c Q. 12. What is meantbyglory ?
A. Not his essential glory, which no man, or angel, can ever apprehend.
Q. 13. What glory then ?
A. His declared and acknowledged glory, even the accomplishment of all his decrees by his providence ; and then the love, the adoration,and the praises, the self-dedications of angels and saints, returned to him for the same.
Q. 14. What is the argument or motive from hence ?
A. That seeing the substance of every request does directly tend to, and will perfectly end in, this glory of God, when they are fully answered ; therefore he would gradually answer them while we are here, and perfectly at last, to the advancement of his glory now, and the completion of it then.
1 Chron . xxix. 11. "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, &c. Josh. vii. 9. Andwhatwilt thou do unto thy great name ? Ifa. xlii. 8. I am the Lord, that is my name, &c.
Ifa. xlviii. 11. For my own sake, even for my own sake, will Ido it, &c.
Q. 15. Why is Amen added ?
A. Because it is the usual conclusion of prayers and praises ; Psalm xli. 13. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, &c. Psalm
Ixxii. 19. And blessed be his glorious name for ever, &c.
12 Cor. xiii. ult. The grace of the Lord Jesus, and the love of God, &c. Rom. xvi. 20. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
2. 16. But what doth this word here signify ?
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A. It signifies, (1.) The reality and ardencyof ourdefiresto be granted in what we pray for ; Rev. xxii. 20. He whichtestifieth these things, faith, Surely I come quickly. Amen..
Even so come, Lord Jesus.
Q. 17. And what besides ?
A. Our trust and firm confidence that we shall be heard and answered in all these our requests; Rev. i. 7. Even so, Amen.
Rev. vii. 12. Saying, Amen.
Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, &c.
Q. 18. What are the inferences from hence ?
A. That we ought to use in prayer all such arguments, as may most and best affect our hearts towards God, excite our graces, and succeed with God.
Q. 19. What is another ?
A. That all we pray for must be in asubserviency to God's kingdom, and with adefire of his glory.
Q. 20. What is the next ?
A. That we must act according to our prayers ;do all we can for the advancement of God's kingdom, and the exaltation of his glory, as subjects and votaries thereto; Psalm cxvi. 16.
1Cor. x. 31 .
Q. 21. What may more be gathered hence ?
A. That as we ought to begin, so to continue, and conclude our prayers, in lowest a do rations of God, and acknowledgements of his glory and attributes.
Q. 22. What more doth this conclusion teach ?
A. That in prayer we must be fervent in our desires, and longing for what we pray, James v. 16.
Q. 23. Is there anything besides ?
A. That praying for things agreeable to God's will, we ought to be confident that we shall succeed in our requests, praying for the matter, and after the manner of this prayer ;
James i. 6, 8. Matth. xxi. 22.