Imatges de pàgina
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good, and defire the eternal enjoyment of him as their chief portion. Pfal. lxxiii. 25, 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee,' or in comparison with thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever."

Q3. What is it to glorify God?

A. 1. Negatively to glorify God, is not to give any additional glory to God; it is not to make God more glo. rious than he is; for God is incapable of receiving the leaft addition to his effential glory, he being eternally and infinitely perfect and glorious. Matth. v. 48. Your fa ther which is in heaven is perfect.' Pfal. xvi. z. Thou art my Lord my goodnefs extendeth not unto thee.'

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2. Affirmatively to glorify God, is to manifest God's glory; not only paffively, as all creatures do which have neither religion nor reafon; but alfo actively men glorify God, when the defign of their life and actions is the glory and honor of God. 1 Peter, ii. 9. "That ye fhould fhew forth the praifes of him who hath called you,' &c. 1. When inwardly they have the highest eftimation of him, the greatcft confidence in him, and the strongest af fections to him, this is glorifying of God, in fpirit. 1 Cor. vi. 20. Glorify God in your fpirit, which is God's.' When outwardly they acknowledge God according to the revelations he hath made of himself, when with their lips they fhew forth God's praife. Pfal. 1. 23. He, that of fereth praife, glorifieth me.' When they fincerely endeavor, in their actions, the exalting of God's name, the promotion of the intereft of his kingdom in the world, and to yield that worship and obedience to him, which he hath prescribed in his word. Pfal. xxxiv. 3, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.' Rev. xiv. 7. Fear God, and give glory to him; and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the fea, and the fountains of waters.'

Q.4 What is it to enjoy God?

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A To enjoy God, is to acquiefce or reft in God as the chief good, with complacency and delight. Pfal. cxvi. 7. • Return unto thy reft, O my foul.'

Q5. How is God enjoyed here?

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A. 1. God is enjoyed here, when people do fettle themfelves upon, and cleave to the Lord by faith. Joshua xxiii. 8. But cleave unto the Lord your God' 2. When they taste the Lord's goodness, and delight themselves in the gracious prefence and fenfible manifeftations of God's special love unto them. Pfal. xxxiv. 8. O taste and fee that the Lord is good.' Rom. v. 5. Because the love of God is fhed abroad in your hearts by the Holy Ghost.' Q. 6. How will God be enjoyed by his people hereafter? A. God will be enjoyed hereafter by his people, when they fhall be admitted into his glorious prefence, have an immediate fight of his face, and full fenfe of his love in heaven, and there fully and eternally acquiefce and reft in him with perfect and inconceivable delight and joy. 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Now we fee through a glafs darkly, but then face to face.' Heb. iv. 9 There remaineth there. fore a reft to the people of God.' Pfal. xvi. 11. In thy prefence there is fulness of joy, at thy right hand are pleafures forevermore.'

Q. Why is the glorifying of God, and the enjoying of God, joined together as one chief end of man?

A. Because God hath infeparably joined them together, fo that men cannot truly defign and feek the one without the other: they, which enjoy God most in his houfe on earth, do moft glorify and enjoy him. Pfal. lxxxiv. 4. Bleffed are they that dwell in thy houfe; they will be still praising thee.' And when God fhall be most fully enjoyed by the faints in heaven, he will be most highly glorified. 2 Theff. i. 10. He fhall come to be glorified in his faints.'

Q. 8. Why ought men chiefly to defign the glorifying of God, in all their actions?

A. 1. Because God hath made them, and made them for this end; and given them a foul capable of doing it, beyond irrational creatures. Pfal. c. 3. • Know ye that the Lord he is God; it is he that made us, and not we ourfelves.' Prov. xvi.. 4. • The Lord made all things for himself.' Pfal. ciii. 1. Blefs the Lord, O my foul; and all that is within me, blefs his holy name.' 2. Because God doth preferve them, and makes provifion for them, that they might glorify him.' Pfal. lxvi. 8, 9.

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our God, O ye people, which holdeth our foul in life.* Pfal. xcv. 6, 7. "O come, let us worship before the Lord, for we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.' 3. Because God hath redeemed them, and bought them with the price of his Son's blood, that they may glo.. rify him.' I Cor. vi. 19, 20. 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.' 4. Because he hath given them his word to direct, his fpirit to affift, and promifeth his kingdom to encourage them to glorify him. Pfal. cxlvii. 19, 20. He fheweth his word unto Jacob, his ftatutes and judgments unto Ifrael. He hath not dealt fo with any nation. Praife ye the Lord.' Rom. viii. 26. Likewife the Spirit helpeth our infirmities.' James ii. 5. Heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promifed to them that love him.'_

Q.9. Why ought men chiefly to defire and feek the enjoyment of God forever?

A. 1. Becaufe God is the chief good, and in the enjoy-. ment of God doth confift man's chiefeft happiness. Matth. xix. 17. There is none good but one, that is God.' Pfal. iv. 6. 7. There be many that fay, Who will fhew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance Thou haft put gladnefs in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.' Becaufe God is but imperfectly and inconftantly enjoyed here, and men cannot be perfectly happy until they come to the eternal enjoyment of God in heaven. 1 Cor. xiii. 9.

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We know in part but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part fhall be done away.' Philip iii. 12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that 1 may apprehend that for which alfo I am apprehended.' Pfal. xvi. II. In thy prefence there is fulness of joy.'

II. Queft. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?

Anfw. 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.

Q. Why is the word contained in the fcriptures of the old aml new teflaments, called the word of God?

A. Because it was not from the invention of the men which wrote the fcriptures, but from the immediate infpiration of the fpirit of God who endited them. 2 Tim. iii. 16. All fcripture is given by infpiration of God.'

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Pet. i. 21. Prophecy of the fcripture came not by the will of man; but holy men of God fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.'

2. 2. How do you prove the word in the fcriptures to be the word of God.

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A. 1. Because of the majesty of the fcriptures. God is frequently brought in fpeaking to and by the prophets; and his majefty fet forth in fuch high expreffions as are not to be found in any human writings. Ifa. lvii. 15. Thus faith the high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity, whofe name is holy; I dwell in the high and holy place. Tim. vi. 15, 16. Who is the bleffed and only potentate, the king of kings, and lord of lords; who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.' 2. The style and way of the fcriptures is with fuch majesty, as is not in other writings; duties are therein prefcribed, which none but God can require; fins are therein condemned, which none but God can prohibit; threatnings of punishments are therein denounced, which none but God can inflict; promifes of fuch rewards are therein made, which none but God can beftow; and all in fuch a majestic way, as doth evidence God to be the author of this book of the fcriptures.

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2. Because of the holiness and purity of the fcriptures, Rom. i. 2. Which God had promifed afore by his prophets in the holy fcriptures.' Pfal. xii 6. The words of the Lord are pure words, as filver tried in a furnace of earth, and purified feven times.' The fcriptures are holy from the beginning of them unto the end; they do not favor at all of any thing that is earthly and impure; especially the laws of the word are holy, commanding every thing that is holy, and forbidding every thing that is impure and unholy; whence it is evident that the fcriptures are the word of the holy God, and that the holy men which wrote them were actuated herein by the Holy Ghost. 3. Because of the confent and harmony of the fcrip

tures. In the feriptures there is a confent between the old teftament and the new; a confent between the types and figures under the law, and the things typified and prefigur. ed under the gofpel; between the prophecies of the fcrip. tures, and the fulfilling of thofe prophecies. There is in the feriptures a harmony or agreement of precepts, and a har. mony or agreement of hiftories, and a harmony or agreement of defign; wherefore, fince the fcriptures were writ ten by so many several men, in fo many feveral ages, and different places, and yet agreeing fo well in their writings, that no irreconcilable difference is to be found in them, it is evident that they were all actuated by the fame spirit of God; and therefore that the fcriptures are the word of God.

4. Because of the high mysteries which are revealed in the fcriptures; we read in the fcriptures, of the trinity of perfons in the Godhead, the incarnation of the fon of God, the mystical union of Chrift and his members; these and fuch like mysteries were beyond the reach of the most wife and learned men to invent, much more beyond the reach of unlearned fishermen, by whom they were revealed; whence it is evident that they fpake not their own words, but what they were taught by the immediate infpiration of the fpirit.

5. Because of the antiquity of the fcriptures; they were written in part before any other writings of men and they contain a history of the most ancient things, namely, the creation of the old world, the flood, and the like. Such ancient things are there revealed which none but God knew, and therefore God muft needs be the author of them.

6. Because of the power and efficacy of the fcriptures. 1. The fcriptures are powerful to convince, and awaken, and wound the confcience. Heb. iv. 12. The word of God is quick and powerful, fharper than a two edged fword.' 2. The fcriptures are powerful to convert › and change the heart, Pfal. xix. 7. .The law of the Lordis perfect converting the foul. 3. They are powerful to quicken men out of fpiritual death and deadness. Ifa. v. 3. Hear, and your foul fhall live. Pfal. exix 50. Thy word hath quickened me.' 4. They are powerful to rejoice and comfort under the deepest diftreffes. Plak nix. 8.

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