ADVERTISEMENT TO THE THIRD EDITION. TH HE words of the Shorter Catechism, being advised with the greatest judgement and with a peculiar view, both for establishing fcripture truth, and likewise for refuting contrary errors, they are therefore, in this edition particularly taken notice of: and to diftinguish them, they are inclosed within crotchets, that the reader may the more easily discern how they are explained in this treatife. As the Confeffion of Faith, and Larger Catechifm, are granted to be the best interpreters of the Shorter, the latter is carefully explained by the former; and several of the following questions and answers, framed from thefe ftandards, as will eafily appear by the quotations taken from them, and the references made unto them on the margin. In this edition, almost every answer is confirmed by the fcriptures; many are added, where they were formerly wanting, and severals exchanged for thofe that are thought more appofite.-In the former impreffions, the fcripture-proofs were moftly fubjoined to the end of the answer; but now, each scripture is immediately annexed to that part of the answer it is defigned to confirm, that it may be confulted with greater certainty, and lefs trouble, by those who incline to bring every pofition, here advanced, to the unerring rule and standard of the word. Some of the longer anfwers are divided into two or more, for fake of the memory and fome additional questions are interfperfed, through the whole, for illuftration. A fhort Index is likewife annexed, of the moft material things in both parts, I have employed my spare time for several months, in studying to make this edition as correct and useful to the public as I could; and now I leave it in the hands of the God of truth, that he may use it for the purposes of his own glory, in edifying the body of Christ, till they all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the flature of the fulness of Chrift. GLASGOW, I JAMES FISHER. N. B. By confulting the first edition of this explication of the Catechifm, we find the following note prefixed by the Author: "It is effayed to bring forth the truths of "GOD, contained in this EXCELLENT COMPOSURE, more "fully than has been attempted, in any one of the explica"tory Catechifms hitherto published; and, at the fame "time as compendioufly as the fubject would allow." SHORTER CATECHISM EXPLAINED. QUEST, I WHAT is the chief end of man? 21. What is meant by man' [chief end]? A. That which ought to be man's chief ain and defign; and that which we fhould feek after as bis chief happiness. 22. What ought to be man's chief aim and defign? A. The glory of God: 1 Chron. xvi. 28 29. Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people,-give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name! 2. 3. What should he feck after as his chief happiness ? A The enjoyment of God:-- The defire of our foul is to thy name, and the remembrance of thee, lfa. xxvi. 8. 24. What connection is there, betwixt the glorifying God, and the enjoying of him? A. They are connected by rich and fovereign grace, pers fuading and enabling the finner to embrace Jefus Chrift as the only way to God and glory: Eph. ii. 8. By grace are ye faved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. John xiv. 6. - I, fays Christ, am the way;no man cometh unto the Father, but by me, 2. 5. Doth the chief end exclude fubordinate ends? A. No: for, in aiming principally at the glory of God, men may use the fupports of natural life for refrething their bodies, 1 Cor x. 31 and be diligent in their particular callings, that they may provide for themfelves and their families, Theff. iv, 11, 12 1 Tim. v. 8. 26. Why ought the glory of God to be the chief end and defign of man? A. Because it is God's chief end in man's creation, prefervation, redemption, and regeneration: Prov, xvi. 4 The Lord hath made all things for himself; and therefore it ought PART I. to be man's chief end likewife-Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your fpirit, which are God's, 1 Cor. iv, 19, 2c, 2.7 How manifold is the glory of God? 4. Twofold; his effential and declarative glory. 28. What is God's effential glory! 4. It is what he is abfolutely in himfelf, Exod. iii. 14. I AM THAT I AM. 29. What is his declarative glory? A. His fhewing, or making known his glory to, in, and by his creatures, lfa. xliv. 23. 2 Theff. i, 10. 10. Can any creature whatfoever add any thing to God's effential glory? 4. No: for his effential glory is infinite, eternal, and un. changeable, Job xxxv. 7. Q. 11. Do not the heavens and the earth, and all inferior creatures, glorify God? 4. Yes; in a paffive way all his works praife him; Pfal, xix. 1, and cxlv. 10. 2. 12. How ought man to [glorify] God? A. Man being endued with a reasonable foul, ought to glorify God in an active way, Pfal lxiii. 4. by declaring his praife, Pfal ciii, 1, 2, and effaying to give him the glory due to his name, Pfalm xcvi 7. 213.1 How was man to glorify Godin a state of innocence ? A. By a perfect, perfonal, and perpetual obedience to his law, Gen, i. 27.; and by giving him the glory of all his works, chap. ii. 19. 214. Has man answered his chief end? A. No: for, all have finned and come short of the glory of God, Rom. iii. 23. Q. 15. Has God then loft his end in making man? A. No: for, God will glorify his juftice and power upon fome, and his grace and mercy upon others of Adam's family, Rom. ix. 22. 23. Q. 16. Was ever God glorified by a perfect obedience fince Adam's fall? A. Never, until CHRIST, the fecond Adam, appeared as a new-covenant head, Ifa. xlii. 21. and xlix, 3. Q. 17. How did Chrift, the fecond Adam, glorify God, as our furety and reprefentative on earth? A. By finishing the work the Father gave him to do, John xvii. 4. Q18. What was the work the Father gave him to do? A. It was to affume a holy human nature, Luke i. 35.; to yield a perfect finlefs obedience to the whole law, Mat. iii. 15.; and to give a complete fatisfaction to justice, for man's fin, by his meritorious fuffering and death, Luke ixiv. 26. Q: 19. How does Chrift glorify God in heaven? A. By appearing in the prefence of God for us, Heb. ix. 24 and applying, by the power of his Spirit, that redemption which he purchafed by the price of his blood on earth, Tit, iii. 5, 6. Q2c. When is it that a finner begins uprightly to aim at the glory of God? 4. When through a faith of God's operation, he believes in Chrift: Acts viii. 37, 39.-The eunuch answered and faid, I believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God. And he went on his way rejoicing. 21. Can no man glorify God acceptably, unless he firft believe in Chrift? A. No: for without faith it is impoffible to please him, Heb. xi. 6.; and whatfoever is not of faith is fin, Ro. xiv.23. Q22. How is it that faith in Chrift glorifies God? A. As it fets its feal to the record of God, John iii. 33. and unites us to Christ, from whom only our fruit is found, Hof. xiv. 8. Q23 is not God glorified by the good works of believers? A. Yes: Herein (lays Chrift) is my father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, John xv. 8. 224 What are these fruits brought forth by believers whereby God is glorified? A. They may be fummed up in faith working by love, Gal. v. 6.; or, their aiming, in the ftrength of Chrift, at univerfal obedience to the law, as the rule of duty, Phil. iv. 13. I can do all things through Ghrift which ftrengtheneth me. 2.25.Howfhould we glorify God in eating and drinking? A. By taking a right to the fupports of natural life, through the fecond Adam, the heir of all things, who has purchased a covenant right to temporal, as well as fpiritual, mercies, for his people, 1 Cor. iii. 21,-23. and thankfully acknowledging God for the fame, 1 Tim. iv. 4, 5. 2. 26. How mult we glorify God in our religious worhip, and other acts of obedience? 4. By doing all that we do in the name of the Lord Jefus, Col. iii. 17.; worthipping God in the Spirit, rejoicing |