petitions with arguments, which are to be taken, not from any worthinefs in ourselves, or in any other creature, but from Godd: and with our prayers to join praises, afcribing to God alone eternal fovereignty, omnipotency, and glorious excellency'; in regard whereof, as he is able and willing to help us, fo we by faith are emboldened to plead with him that he would", and d Dan. 9. 4, 7, 8, &c. And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confeffion, and faid, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments. O Lord, righteoufnefs belongeth unto thee, but unto us confufion of faces, as at this day. O Lord, to us belongeth confufion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, becaufe we have finned against thee. Verfe 9. To the Lord God belong mercies and forgiveneffefs, though we have rebelled against him, &c. Verfe 16-19. e Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by prayer and fupplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. f 1 Chron. 29. 10, 11, 12, 13. And David faid, Bleffed be thou, Lord God of Ifrael, our Father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power and the glory, and the victory, and the majefty: for all that is in the heaven and the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reigneft over all; and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand it is to make great and to give ftrength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee and praife thy glorious name. g Eph. 3. 20, 21. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we afk or think, according to the power that worketh in us: unto him be glory in the church by Chrift Jefus, throughout all ages world without end. Amen. Luke 11. 13. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more fhall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Pfal. 84. II. h Eph. 3. 12. In whom we have boldness and accefs with confidence by the faith of him. Heb. 10. 19, 20, 21, 22. Having therefore, brethren, boldnefs to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jefus, by a new quietly to rely upon him that he will fulfil our requests. And to teftify our defires and affurance, we say, Amen. and living way which he hath confecrated for us through the vail, that is to fay, his flesh; and having an high priest over the houfe of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full affurance of faith, having our hearts fprinkled from an evil confcience, and our bodies washed with pure water. i 1 John 5. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we afk any thing according to his will, he heareth us. Rom. 8. 32. He that fpared not his own Son, but de livered him up for us all, how fhall he not with him alfo freely give us all things? k I Cor. 14, 16. Elfe when thou shalt blefs with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned fay, Amen, at thy giving of thanks, feeing he understandeth not what thou fayeft? Rev. 22+ 20, 21. He which teftifieth these things, faith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even fo come, Lord Jefus. The grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift be with you all. Amen. THE SHORTER CATECHISM, RATIFIED AND ADOPTED BY THE SYNOD OF NEW-YORK AND PHILADELPHIA. Philadelphia: PRINTED IN THE YEAR 1806. THE Shorter Catechism*. Question 1. WHAT is the chief end of man? Anfwer. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him? A. The word of God, which is contained in the fcriptures of the Old and New Teftaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him, Q3. What do the fcriptures principally teach? The Shorter Catechifm is, fimply, an abridgment of the Larger; fo that the proof of both must be the fame. The reader, therefore, who defires to fee the scripture authorities for any doctrine taught in this catechifm, will turn to that doctrine in the Larger Catechifm, which may very easily be done, and there he will find the neceffary texts fully referred to, or inferted. It was judged unnecessary to print the very fame texts twice over. |