Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

a prefence and fupport of the Spirit of God, as keeps them from finking into utter defpair v.

Q. 82. What is the communion in glory, which the members of the invifible church have with Chrift?

A. The communion in glory, which the members of the invifible church have with Chrift, is in this lifew, immediately after death x, and at laft perfected at the refurrection and day of judgmenty.

it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, faying, Open to me, my fifter, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. v. 3. I have put off my coat, how fhall I put it on? I have wash ed my feet, how fhall I defile them? v. 6. I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my foul failed when he fpake: I fought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. Pfal. li. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness: that the bones which thou hast broken, may rejoice. v. 12. Reftore unto me the joy of thy falvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit. Pfal. xxxi. 22. For I faid in my hafte, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardft the voice of my fupplications, when I cried unto thee. Pfal. xxii. 1. My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? why art thou fo far from helping me, and from the words of my roar ing?

1 John iii. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin; for his feed remaineth in him: and he cannot fin, because he is born of God. Job xiii. 15. Though he flay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Pfal. lxxiii. 15. If I fay, I will fpeak

Q. 83.

thus: behold, I fhould offend against the generation of thy children. v. 23. Nevertheless, I am continually with thee: thou haft holden me by my right hand. Ifa. liv. 7. For a fmall moment have I forfaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. v. 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will 1 have mercy on thee, faith the Lord thy redeemer. v. 9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have fworn that the waters of Noah fhould no more go over the earth; fo have I fworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. v. 10. For the mountains fhall depart, and the hills fhall be removed, but my kindness fhall not depart from thee, neither fhall the covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

82. w 2 Cor. iii. 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glafs, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

× Luke xxiii. 43. And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, To day fhalt thou be with me in paradife.

y 1 Theff. iv. 17. Then we who are alive, and remain, fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds,

Q. 83. What is the communion in glory with Chrift which the members of the invifible church enjoy in this life?

A. The members of the invifible church have communicated to them, in this life, the first-fruits of glory with Christ, as they are members of him their head, and fo in him are interested in that glory which he is fully poffeffed of z; and, as an earnest thereof, enjoy the sense of God's lovea, peace of confcience, joy in the Holy Ghoft, and hope of gloryb: as, on the contrary, fenfe of God's revenging wrath, horror of confcience, and a fearful expectation of judgment, are to the wicked the beginning of the torments, which they fhall endure after death c.

Q84. Shall all men die.

A. Death being threatened as the wages of find, it is appointed unto all men once to diee: for that all have finned f. Q.85.

to meet the Lord in the air: and fo
hall we ever be with the Lord.
83. z Eph. ii. 5. Even when we
were dead in fins, hath quickened us
together with Chrift, (by grace ye
are faved.) v. 6. And hath raifed us
up together, and made us fit toge-
ther in heavenly places, in Chrit
Jetus.

. Rom. v. 5. And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is thed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghot which is given unto us. Compared with 2 Cor. i. 22. Who alo hath fealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Rom. v. 1. Therefore being juftified by faith, we have peace with God, thro' our Lord Jefus Chrift. V. 2. By whom alfo we have accefs by faith into this grace wherein we ftand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Rom. xiv. 17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace,

and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Gen. iv. 13. And Cain faid unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Mat. xxvii. 4. Saying, I have finned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they faid, What is that to us? fee thou to that. Heb. x. 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which fhall devour the adverfaries. Rom. ii. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every foul of man that doth evil, of the Jew firft, and also of the Gentile. Mark ix. 44. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

84. d Rom. vi. 23. For the wages of fin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

e Heb. ix. 27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment,

ƒ Rom. v. 12. Wherefore, as by one man fin entered into the world,

and

Q. 85. Death being the wages of fin, why are not the righteous delivered from death, feeing all their fins are forgiven in Chrift?

A. The righteous fhall be delivered from death itself at the last day, and even in death are delivered from the sting and curfe of itg, fo that, although they die, yet it is out of) God's love b, to free them perfectly from fin and misery i, and to make them capable of further communion with Chrift in glory, which they then enter upon k.

Q. 86. What is the communion in glory with Chrift which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death.

A. The communion in glory with Chrift, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is in that their fouls are then made perfect in holiness, and received

and death by fin; and fo death paffed upon all men, for that all have finned.

85.8 1 Cor. xv. 26. The last enemy that shall be destroyed, is death. v. 55. O death, where is thy fting? O grave where is thy victory? v. 56. The fting of death is fin, and the ftrength of fin is the law. v. 57. But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Heb ii. 15. And deliver them who through fear of death, were all their life-time fubject to bondage.

Ifa. lvii. 1. The righteous perifheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none confidering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come. v. 2. He fhall enter into peace, they fhall reft in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. 2 Kings xxii, 20. Behold, therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be ga

thered into thy grave in peace, and thine eyes fhall not fee all the evil which I will bring upon this place.

i Rev. xiv. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, faith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Eph. v. 27. That he might prefent it to himfelf a glorious church, not having fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing, but that it should be holy, and without blemish.

Luke xxiii. 43. And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, To day fhalt thou be with me in paradife. Phil. i. 23. For I am in a

rait betwixt two, having a defire to depart, and to be with Chrift; which is far better.

86. 1 Heb. xii. 23. To the general affembly and church of the firstborn which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to

the

ceived into the highest heavens m, where they behold the face of God in light and glory n; waiting for the full redemption of their bodies o, which even in death continue united to Christ p, and rest in their graves as in their beds q, till at the laft day they be again united to their fouls r. Whereas the fouls of the wicked are at their death caft into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darknefs; and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prifons, until the resurrection and judgment of the great day.

the fpirits of juft men made perfect.

m 2 Cor. v. 1. For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building of God, an houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. v. 6. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilft we are at home in the body, we are abfent from the Lord. v. 8. We are confident, I fay, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be prefent with the Lord. Phil. i, 23. For I am in a ftrait betwixt two, having a defire to depart, and to be with Chrift; which is far better. Compared with Acts iii. 21. Whom the heaven must receive, until the times of reftitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, fince the world began. And with Eph. iy. 10. He that defcended, is the fame alfo that afcended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.

I John iii. 2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we fhall be: but we know, that when' he fhall appear we shall be like him; for we fhall fee him as he is. 1 Cor. xiii.

12.

For now we fee through a glafs, darkly; but then face to face: Now I know in part; but then fhall I know even as alfo I am known.

Q. 87. What

. Rom. viii. 23. And not only they, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we our felves groan within our felves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Pfal. xvi. 9. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also fhall reft in hope.

p 1 Theff. iv. 14. For if we believe that Jefus died, and rose again, even fo them alfo who fleep in Jefus will God bring with him.

q Ifa. 57. 2. He fhall enter into peace: they fhall reft in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

r Job xix. 26. And though after my fkin, worms deftroy this body, yet in my flefh fhall I fee God: v. 27. Whom I fhall fee for myself, and mine eyes fhall behold, and not another; though my reins be confumed within me.

Luke xvi. 23. And in hell he lift

up his eyes, being in torments, and feeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bofom. v. 24. And he cried and faid, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and fend Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Acts i. 25. That he may take part of this miniftry and apostleship, from which Judas by tranfgreffion

fell,

on?

[ocr errors]

Q. 87. What are we to believe concerning the refurrecti

A. We are to believe, that at the last day there shall be a general refurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust t: when they that are then found alive fhall in a moment be changed; and the felf-fame bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their fouls for ever, fhall be raised up by the power of Chrift v. The bodies of the juft, by the Spirit of Christ, and by virtue of his refurrection as their head fhall be raised in power, fpiritual, incorruptible, and made like to his glorious body w: and the

fell, that he might go to his own place. Jude 6. And the angels who kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. v. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner giving them felves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are fet forth for an example, fuffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

87. Acts xxiv. 15. And have hope towards God, which they themselves alfo allow, that there fhall be a refurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

VI Cor. xv. 51. Behold, I fhew you a mystery; We fhall not all fleep, but we thall all be changed. v. 52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump (for the trumpet fhall found) and the dead fhall be raised incorruptible, and we fhall be changed. v. 53. For this corruptible muft put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Theff. iv. 15. For this we fay unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord,

bodies

fhall not prevent them who are afleep. v. 16. For the Lord himself fhall defcend from heaven with a fhout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Chrift fhall rife firft: v. 17. Then we who are alive, and remain, fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and fo fhall we ever be with the Lord. John v. 28. Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves fhall hear his voice, v. 29. And fhall come forth, they that have done good, unto the refurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the refurrection of damnati

on.

w I Cor. xv. 21 For fince by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrection of the dead. v. 22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ fhall all be made alive. v. 23. But every man in his own order: Chrift the first-fruits, afterwards they that are Chrift's, at his coming. v. 42. So alfo is the refurrection of the dead. It is fown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption: v. 43. It is fown in difhonour, it is raised in glory: it is fown in weakness, it is rai

fed

« AnteriorContinuar »