him with righteousness and true holiness, that he might rightly acknowledge God as his Creator, that he might love him with all his heart, and live happily with him for ever to his glory. 7. Q. From whence then arises the depravity of human nature? A. From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve;" hence our nature depraved, that all of us are conceived and born in sin. 8. Q. Are we really so corrupt that we are incapable of doing good, but are prone to evil? A. Certainly,P unless we be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.9 God, in righteousness and true holiness, created he him. Gen. i. 27. Eph. iv. 24. n By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Rom. v. 12. As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Rom. v. 19. Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression. Rom. v. 14. • Behold I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Ps. li. 5. What is man that he should be clean and he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Job xv. 14. P Yea, also, the heart, of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live. Eccles. ix. 3. Estranged from the womb they go astray as soon as they be born. Ps. lviii. 3. For there is no difference: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Rom. iii. 22, 23. Jer. xvii. 9. Vide Rom. vii. 22, 15, 19, 21. Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified, in the 9. Q. Then does not God act unjustly to man, since he demands from him in the law what he is unable to perform? A. By no means. For God had made man such, that he was perfectly able to perform these things, but he, by the advice of the devil, and his own wilfulness, deprived himself and all his posterity of these divine gifts.t 10. Q. Does God then permit this disobedience of man to go unpunished? A. By no means. He is fearfully wrath with us both on account of our indwelling sins," as well as those which we ourselves commit; and with a name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. vi. 11. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his. Rom. viii. 9. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. That ye put off the old man, which is corrupt, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness. Eph. iv. 22, 24. The law of the spirit of life in Christ hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom. viii. 2. In the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness created he him. Gen. i. 27. Eph. iv. 24. • The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. 2 Cor. xi. 3. That old serpent called the devil and Satan. Rev. xii. 9. By one man sin came into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Rom. v. 12. u By the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Rom. v. 18. We are all by nature the children of wrath. Eph. ii. 3. Jer. iii. 25. ▾ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Rom. i. 18. most righteous judgment visits them with tem poral and eternal punishments; y as he himself pronounces : "Cursed is every one that will not observe to do all the things that are written in this book." Deut. xxvii. 11. Q. Is not God then merciful? A. He is indeed merciful, but he is also just ; a wherefore his justice demands that whatsover is committed against his supreme majesty shall be atoned for by the greatest, that is, eternal punishments both of soul and body.b We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth, against them who commit such things. Rom. ii. 2. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. Isa. lvii. 21. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. Ps. ix. 17. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment. Matt. xxv. 46. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. Ps. ciii. 8. a According to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I am the Lord. Ezek. vii. 27. A just God and a Saviour. Isa. xlv. 21. b It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gos pel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power. 2 Thess. i. 6, 7—9. PART II. ON MAN'S ABSOLUTION. 12. Q. Since then, by the just judgment of God, we are liable both to temporal and eternal punishments, is there no means or way remaining whereby we may be delivered from these punishments, and be reconciled to God? A. God will have his justice satisfied, wherefore it is necessary that we render satisfaction either by ourselves or by another. 13. Q. Are we able to make that satisfaction by means of ourselves? A. By no means. Nay, rather, we are increasing our debt every day.b 14. Q. Is there any creature in heaven or earth, who is only a creature, able to make satisfaction for us? a I will not justify the wicked. Exod. xxiii. 7. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. 2 Thess. i. 6. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezek. xviii. 4. I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I am the Lord. Ezek. vii. 27. b If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand. Ps. cxxx. 3 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Gal. v. 17. There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. Eccles. vii. 20. A. There is none. For first, God will not punish in any other creature, that sin which man committed. And further, that which is but a mere creature is unable to endure the wrath of God against sin, and deliver others from it.d 15. Q. What kind of mediator, then, and deliverer must we seek for? A. Such a one as is very man,e and perfectly just,f and yet in power above all creatures, that is, who also is very God. 16. Q. Why is it necessary that he be very man, and perfectly just too? e Behold all souls are mine; as the soul of the father so also the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sinneth it shall die. Ezek. xviii. 4. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Gen. iii. 17. The soul that sinneth it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. Ezek. xviii. 20. d Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. Nah. i. 6. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? Ps. cxxx. 3. e For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 1 Cor. xv. 21. But took on him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. Phil. ii. 7. f For such an High-Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Heb. vii. 26. And this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness. Jer. xxiii. 6. My righteous servant shall justify many. Isa. liii 11. |