Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Q. Whereby Do you prove that our Righteousness mult be entirely perfect?

A. By Scripture Teftimony, Matt. xxii. 37. 38. Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind; this is the first and great Commandment.

Q. Whereby do you prove that our Righteofunes must be conformable in all it's Parts to the Law?

A. By that which St. Paul faith, Gal. iii. 10. Curfed is every one that continueth not in all Things which are written in all the Book of the Law to do them. Q. Why must it be fuch a Righteousness?

A. Becaufe the fudgment of God is according to Truth, Rom. ii. 2. And that will by no Means clear the Guilty, Exod. xxxiv.

Q. Is not this a fuftification by our Works?

A. No. Our beft Deeds in all this Life are imperfect, for there is no Man that finneth not, 1 Ķings viii. 46. James iii. 2. For in many Things we offend all, &c. And Jes. Ixiv. 6. And ye are faved, fays the Apostle, Eph. 2. Ye are delivered from Wrath, reconciled to God, and made Heirs of his Kingdom, how? by Grace through Faith: Grace, like a magnificent Sovereign, from the Riches of his own Bounty, and without any Refpect to human Worthinefs, confers the glorious Gift. Faith like an indigent Petitioner, with an empty Hand, and without any Pretence to perfonal defert, receives the heavenly Bleffing; and fo all Works whatever, are fet afide in this great Affair. Q: Does it not come partly of Chrifl's Righteousness, and partly of our own?

A. No; by Chrift's Righteoufnefs, without any Mixture of ours, Rom. iii. 28. Therefore we conclude, that a Man is justified by Faith, without the Deeds of the Law; and it is not Grace at all, if it is not all Grace. And Rom. xi. 6..

[ocr errors]

Q. But is it not through Chrift that we can merit by
Works?

A. No;

A. No; that we find no where; and Chrift has only mentioned. Salvation to fome, and faved them without their Works, Tit. iii. 5. Not by Works of Righteoufnefs which we have done, but according to his Mercy he faved us by the wafbing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft.

Q But doth not James fay otherwife, James i. 2. 14. What doth it Profit, my Brethren, though a Man fay he had Faith, and have not Works: Can Faith fave him?

A. The two Apostles by no Means contradict each other: Paul speaks about Juftification before God, and James, of juftifying our Faith before Man

The 63d Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. HOW is it that our good IVorks deferve nothing, fince God will reward them both in this Life,

[ocr errors]

and in the Life to come? A." That Reward is not given out of Merit, but "of Grace."

Q. Where do you read that God will Reward our Works?

A. Matt. v. 12. Great is your Reward in Heaven, 1 Cor. iii. 14. If any Man's Work abide which he hath built, thereupon he shall receive a Reward.

Q. How many Rewards are there?

A. Two-fold; one by Merits, and one by Grace, Rom. iv. 4, 5. Now to him that worketh, is the Reward not reckoned of Grace, but of Debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftified the ungad ly, his Faith is counted for Righteousness.

Q. But how can that be a Reward which God gives by Grace?

A. Because as when a Prefent is infured by Promife upon doing the Work to one, who is previously obliged to do it without any Reward; this encou

L3

rages

*rages the Workman, and fweetens his Labour. Even fo will Salvation be insured, and fhared out as a Reward of meer Grace, after we have done the Will of the Lord according to the Covenant of Grace. Gen. xv. 1. Fear not, Abraham, for I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great Reward. Rev. ii. 10. Be thou faithful unto Death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life.

The 64th Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

1

Q. BUT doth not this Doctrine make Men careless and prophane?

A. No. For it is impoffible that they, who are "planted in Chrift by a true Faith, fhould not bring "forth the Fruits of Thankfulness."

Q. Why fo?

A. Because Juftification and Sanctification are infeparable, Rom. vi. 1, 2. What shall we fay then? Shall we continue in Sin, that Grace may abound? God forbid. How fhall we that are dead to Sin, live any longer therein? And command us to perfect Holiness in the Fear of God, 2 Cor. vii. 1. And what is faid of Impiety, is alfo not true, for the Scripture calls them, Who turn the Grace of God into Lafcivioufnefs, ungodly Men, Jud. ver. 4. Teaching us that we should live foberly, righteously, and godly in this World, Tit. ii. 12. it is impoffible for them who are united with Chrift, to live ungodly, John xv. 5. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much Fruit. This is the invariable, and the moft effectual Method of adorning our Profeffion, and magnifying it's divine Author, Tit. iii. 8.

Q. What do you infer from hence?

And

A. That our Catechift has perfectly answered his Intention, in fhewing the Excellency and Neceffity of Faith, whereby we can only be juftified and comforted; and firmly refuted all the Arguments that

can

can be used in Favour of Self-Works, and in this hath made Truth to triumph over Untruth,

Q. What other Inference may be drawn?

A. That we ought to be exceeding humble, far from Vanity or vain boasting, which are excluded by the Law of Faith, Rom. iii. 27. But feeing off from our own Works and Capacity, believing in Christ, for whose righteoufnefs we get only Pardon of all our Sins, and Peace with God, Rom. v. 1. And without Faith in Chrift, our Perfons are abominable, our State is damnable, and how can any of our Works be acceptable?

Of the SACRAMENTS.

The 65th Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. S INCE then it is by Faith alone that we have Q: SINC a Part in Jefus Christ, and all his Benefits, whence doth this Faith proceed?

66

"A. From the Holy Ghoft, who produces it in our Hearts by the preaching of the Holy Gospel, "and confirms it by the Ufe of the Sacraments.' Q. What is the Root or Caufe of Faith?

[ocr errors]

A. Not the Power of Man's Will, but God alone, Eph. ii. 8. For by Grace ye are faved through Faith, and thatnot of yourselves, it is the Gift of God?

Q. Who is the particular Difpencer of it?

A. The Holy Ghoft, by Virtue of his Office, according to the divine Oeconomy, Gal. v. 22. But the Fruit of the Spirit is Joy, Long-Suffering, Gentlenefs, Goodness, Faith. And I Cor. xii. 3. No Man can fay, that Jefus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost; and Verfe 9. To another Faith by the fame Spirit.

Q. How doth the Spirit of God ordinarily produce Faith?

A. By

A. By the preaching of the Word he ordinarily begets it; Efpecially of the Holy Gospel, Rom. x. 17. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Q. Is Faith produced meerly by preaching the Gospel of Fefus Chrift?

A. No. But God himself, by the effectual working of his mighty Power and bleffed Spirit, produces it in the human Soul. He fhews us the all-fufficient Fullness of Chrift. He brings us by ardent Longings to Chrift. He implants us into Chrift, and makes us Partakers of his Merits. 2 Thef. i. 11. Wherefore alfo we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good Pleafure of his Goodness, and the Work of Faith with Power. Q. Is it fufficient that this Faith is once wrought up in us by the Holy Ghost?

A. No; but we must conftantly pray to be ftrengthened and confirmed in it; because of it's weakness in the Beginning, and that it is fubject to waver thro' Temptations. Mark ix. 24. And fraightway the Father of the Child cried out and faid with Tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. Luke xvii. 5. And the Apostles faid unto the Lord, Increase our Faith? Q. Wherein confifts the Confirmation of Faith?

[ocr errors]

A. In an Illumination of our Understanding by the Spirit, in the manifold Sweetness and fenfible Experience of Grace, and all tender Love of Chrift; when we may ufe the Language of the Spouse, My Beloved is mine, and I am his; trufting on the precious Promises of the Gospel, Heb. x. 23. Giving unto the Soul fometimes the Foretaftes of Heaven upon Earth, 1 Pet. i. 8. Tafting that the Lord is gracious,

Pet. . 3. In a Word, this Affurance is a sweet Support in all the Troubles and Afflictions on this Side the Grave. Let the affured Soul be caft into what Condition the Lord pleafes, let him be upon a Bed of Sicknefs, this gives his Soul a Support and

Comfort,

« ZurückWeiter »