Latest / The Westminster Confession of Faith / The Westminster Confession of Faith
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- 0:00Speaker 1: Chapter one of the Holy Scripture. One. Although the light
- 0:07Speaker 1: of nature and the works of creation and Providence do
- 0:11Speaker 1: so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God
- 0:17Speaker 1: as to leave men unexcusable, yet are they not sufficient
- 0:21Speaker 1: to give that knowledge of God and of His Will,
- 0:24Speaker 1: which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord,
- 0:30Speaker 1: at sundry times and in diverse manners, to reveal himself
- 0:34Speaker 1: and to declare that his will unto his Church, and afterwards,
- 0:38Speaker 1: for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and
- 0:41Speaker 1: for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church
- 0:46Speaker 1: against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of
- 0:49Speaker 1: Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly
- 0:53Speaker 1: unto writing, which makes the Holy Scripture to be most necessary.
- 0:58Speaker 1: Those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his
- 1:02Speaker 1: people being now ceased. Two under the name of Holy
- 1:08Speaker 1: Scripture or the Word of God written, are now contained
- 1:12Speaker 1: all the books of the Old and New Testament, which
- 1:15Speaker 1: are these of the Old Testament Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth,
- 1:27Speaker 1: First Samuel, Second Samuel, First Kings, Second Kings, First Chronicles,
- 1:34Speaker 1: Second Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther job Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the
- 1:43Speaker 1: Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Josiah, Joel Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahom,
- 1:59Speaker 1: Habit Cook, Zephaniah, Hagai, Zechariah, Malachi of the New Testament.
- 2:07Speaker 1: The Gospels according to Matthew Mark Luke John, the Acts
- 2:13Speaker 1: of the Apostles, Paul's Epistles two, the Romans, Corinthians one,
- 2:20Speaker 1: Corinthians two, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians one, Thessalonians two,
- 2:30Speaker 1: to Timothy, one to Timothy two to Titus, to Philammon,
- 2:36Speaker 1: the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Epistle of James, the
- 2:41Speaker 1: First and second Epistles of Peter, the First, second, and
- 2:45Speaker 1: third Epistles of John, the Epistle of Jude, the Revelation
- 2:50Speaker 1: of John, all which are given by inspiration of God
- 2:55Speaker 1: to be the rule of faith and life. Three the
- 3:00Speaker 1: books commonly called apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are
- 3:06Speaker 1: no part of the canon of the Scripture, and therefore
- 3:09Speaker 1: are of no authority in the Church of God, nor
- 3:12Speaker 1: to be any otherwise approved or made use of than
- 3:15Speaker 1: other human writings. Four. The authority of the Holy Scripture,
- 3:21Speaker 1: for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, depends
- 3:24Speaker 1: not upon the testimony of any man or church, but
- 3:28Speaker 1: wholly upon God, who is truth itself, the author thereof,
- 3:32Speaker 1: and therefore it is to be received because it is
- 3:36Speaker 1: the Word of God. Five. We may be moved and
- 3:41Speaker 1: induced by the testimony of the Church to an high
- 3:44Speaker 1: and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture and the heavenliness
- 3:49Speaker 1: of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty
- 3:52Speaker 1: of the style, the consent of all the parts, the
- 3:55Speaker 1: scope of the whole, which is to give all glory
- 3:58Speaker 1: to God, the full discus it makes of the only
- 4:01Speaker 1: way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and
- 4:07Speaker 1: the entire perfection. Thereof are arguments whereby it does abundantly
- 4:12Speaker 1: evidence itself to be the Word of God. Yet notwithstanding
- 4:18Speaker 1: our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and
- 4:24Speaker 1: divine authority thereof is from the inward work of the
- 4:28Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in
- 4:32Speaker 1: our hearts. Six. The whole counsel of God concerning all
- 4:40Speaker 1: things necessary for His own glory. Man's salvation, faith, and
- 4:45Speaker 1: life is either expressly set down in scripture, or by
- 4:50Speaker 1: good and necessary consequence, may be deduced from scripture, unto
- 4:55Speaker 1: which nothing at any time is to be added, whether
- 4:58Speaker 1: by new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of men. Nevertheless,
- 5:03Speaker 1: we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God
- 5:07Speaker 1: to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things
- 5:11Speaker 1: as are revealed in the Word, and that there are
- 5:15Speaker 1: some circumstances concerning the worship of God and government of
- 5:19Speaker 1: the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are
- 5:23Speaker 1: to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence,
- 5:28Speaker 1: according to the general rules of the Word, which are
- 5:31Speaker 1: always to be observed. Seven. All things in Scripture are
- 5:37Speaker 1: not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all.
- 5:42Speaker 1: Yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed,
- 5:46Speaker 1: and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened
- 5:52Speaker 1: in some place of scripture or other, that not only
- 5:55Speaker 1: the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of
- 5:59Speaker 1: the ordinary mind, means may attain unto a sufficient understanding
- 6:04Speaker 1: of them. Eight. The Old Testament in Hebrew, which was
- 6:09Speaker 1: the native language of the people of God of old,
- 6:13Speaker 1: and the New Testament in Greek, which at the time
- 6:16Speaker 1: of the writing of it was most generally known to
- 6:19Speaker 1: the nations, being immediately inspired by God and by His
- 6:24Speaker 1: singular care and providence kept pure in all ages, are
- 6:28Speaker 1: therefore authentical, so as in all controversies of religion, the
- 6:34Speaker 1: Church is finally to appeal unto them. But because these
- 6:39Speaker 1: original tongues are not known to all the people of God,
- 6:43Speaker 1: who have write unto and interest in the scriptures, and
- 6:46Speaker 1: are commanded in the fear of God to read and
- 6:48Speaker 1: search them, therefore they are to be translated into the
- 6:53Speaker 1: vulgar language of every nation unto which they come, that
- 6:57Speaker 1: the Word of God, dwelling plentifully in all they may
- 7:00Speaker 1: worship Him in an acceptable manner, and through patience and
- 7:04Speaker 1: comfort of the scriptures, may have hope. Nine. The infallible
- 7:11Speaker 1: rule of interpretation of scripture is the scripture itself, And
- 7:16Speaker 1: therefore when there is a question about the true and
- 7:20Speaker 1: full sense of any scripture which is not manifold but one,
- 7:25Speaker 1: it must be searched and known by other places that
- 7:30Speaker 1: speak more clearly. Ten. The supreme judge by which all
- 7:36Speaker 1: controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees
- 7:40Speaker 1: of counsels, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and
- 7:44Speaker 1: private spirits are to be examined. And in whose sentence
- 7:48Speaker 1: we are to rest. Can be no other but the
- 7:52Speaker 1: Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture Chapter two. Of God
- 7:59Speaker 1: and of the Holy Trinity one. There is but one, only,
- 8:05Speaker 1: living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection,
- 8:11Speaker 1: a most pure spirit, invisible, without body parts or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty,
- 8:24Speaker 1: most wise, most wholly, most free, most absolute, working all
- 8:31Speaker 1: things according to the counsel of his own immutable and
- 8:35Speaker 1: most righteous will for his own glory, most loving, gracious, merciful,
- 8:43Speaker 1: long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression
- 8:49Speaker 1: and sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek him,
- 8:55Speaker 1: and with all most just and terrible in his judgment,
- 9:00Speaker 1: hating all sin, and who will by no means clear
- 9:04Speaker 1: the guilty. Two. God has all life, glory, goodness, blessedness
- 9:14Speaker 1: in and of himself, and is alone in and unto himself,
- 9:18Speaker 1: all sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which
- 9:22Speaker 1: he has made, nor deriving any glory from them, but
- 9:27Speaker 1: only manifesting his own glory in by unto and upon them.
- 9:34Speaker 1: He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom,
- 9:39Speaker 1: through whom and to whom are all things, and has
- 9:44Speaker 1: most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them,
- 9:49Speaker 1: or upon them, whatsoever himself pleases. In his sight, all
- 9:55Speaker 1: things are open and manifest. His knowledge is infinite, infallible,
- 10:01Speaker 1: and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to
- 10:05Speaker 1: him contingent or uncertain. He is most holy in all
- 10:10Speaker 1: his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands.
- 10:16Speaker 1: To him is due from angels and men and every
- 10:20Speaker 1: other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience he is pleased
- 10:27Speaker 1: to require of them. Three. In the unity of the Godhead,
- 10:34Speaker 1: there be three persons of one substance, power and eternity,
- 10:40Speaker 1: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
- 10:47Speaker 1: The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding. The
- 10:53Speaker 1: Son is eternally begotten of the Father, the Holy Ghost
- 10:58Speaker 1: eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. Chapter three
- 11:05Speaker 1: of God's Eternal Decree. One God from all eternity did
- 11:13Speaker 1: by the most wise and holy counsel of his own
- 11:16Speaker 1: will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass. Yet,
- 11:22Speaker 1: so as thereby neither is God the author of sin,
- 11:26Speaker 1: nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures.
- 11:30Speaker 1: Nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away,
- 11:35Speaker 1: but rather established. Two. Although God knows whatsoever may or
- 11:43Speaker 1: can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet has
- 11:49Speaker 1: he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future,
- 11:54Speaker 1: or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions. Three.
- 12:01Speaker 1: By the decree of God for the manifestation of his glory,
- 12:06Speaker 1: some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and
- 12:12Speaker 1: others foreordained to everlasting death. Four. These angels and men,
- 12:20Speaker 1: thus predestinated and foreordained are particularly and unchangeably designed, and
- 12:27Speaker 1: their number so certain and definite that it cannot be
- 12:32Speaker 1: either increased or diminished. Five Those of mankind that are
- 12:38Speaker 1: predestinated unto life. God, before the foundation of the world
- 12:43Speaker 1: was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose and
- 12:49Speaker 1: the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, has
- 12:52Speaker 1: chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere
- 12:58Speaker 1: free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or
- 13:03Speaker 1: good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any
- 13:08Speaker 1: other thing in the creature, as conditions or causes moving
- 13:11Speaker 1: him thereunto and all to the praise of His glorious grace.
- 13:19Speaker 1: As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He,
- 13:24Speaker 1: by the eternal and most free purpose of His will,
- 13:27Speaker 1: fore ordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore they who are elected,
- 13:34Speaker 1: being fallen in adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually
- 13:39Speaker 1: called unto faith. In Christ, by his spirit working in
- 13:43Speaker 1: due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His
- 13:50Speaker 1: power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed
- 13:57Speaker 1: by Christ effectually called justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved. But
- 14:04Speaker 1: the elect only. Seven the rest of mankind. God was
- 14:10Speaker 1: pleased according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will,
- 14:15Speaker 1: whereby he extends or withholds mercy as he pleases, for
- 14:19Speaker 1: the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures to
- 14:24Speaker 1: pass by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath
- 14:29Speaker 1: for their sin, to the praise of His glorious justice. Eight.
- 14:36Speaker 1: The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to
- 14:41Speaker 1: be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending
- 14:47Speaker 1: the will of God revealed in His word, and yielding
- 14:50Speaker 1: obedience thereunto, may from the certainty of their effectual vocation,
- 14:56Speaker 1: be assured of their eternal election. So shall the this
- 15:00Speaker 1: doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God,
- 15:06Speaker 1: and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that
- 15:13Speaker 1: sincerely obey. The Gospel Chapter four of Creation one, it
- 15:22Speaker 1: pleased God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost for the
- 15:26Speaker 1: manifestation of the glory of his eternal power, wisdom, and
- 15:31Speaker 1: goodness in the beginning to create or make of nothing
- 15:35Speaker 1: the world and all things therein, whether visible or invisible,
- 15:41Speaker 1: in the space of six days, and all very good.
- 15:45Speaker 1: Section two. After God had made all other creatures, he
- 15:49Speaker 1: created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls,
- 15:56Speaker 1: endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness after His own image,
- 16:03Speaker 1: having the law of God written in their hearts and
- 16:06Speaker 1: power to fulfill it, and yet under a possibility of transgressing,
- 16:12Speaker 1: being left to the liberty of their own will, which
- 16:16Speaker 1: was subject unto change. Beside this law written in their hearts,
- 16:21Speaker 1: they received a command not to eat of the tree
- 16:25Speaker 1: of the knowledge of good and evil, which while they kept,
- 16:29Speaker 1: they were happy in their communion with God and had
- 16:33Speaker 1: dominion over the creatures. Chapter five of Providence. One, God,
- 16:43Speaker 1: the great creator of all things, does uphold, direct, dispose,
- 16:49Speaker 1: and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest
- 16:56Speaker 1: even to the least, by his most wise and homely providence,
- 17:01Speaker 1: according to his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable
- 17:06Speaker 1: counsel of his own will, to the praise of the
- 17:10Speaker 1: glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy. Two.
- 17:17Speaker 1: Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God
- 17:22Speaker 1: the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly,
- 17:28Speaker 1: yet by the same providence he orders them to fall
- 17:32Speaker 1: out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily,
- 17:38Speaker 1: freely or contingently. Section three. God, in his ordinary providence,
- 17:45Speaker 1: makes use of means, yet is free to work without
- 17:49Speaker 1: above and against them at his pleasure. Section four. The
- 17:55Speaker 1: almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so
- 18:01Speaker 1: far manifests themselves in his providence that it extends itself
- 18:06Speaker 1: even to the first fall and all other sins of
- 18:10Speaker 1: angels and men, and that not by a bar permission,
- 18:15Speaker 1: but such as has joined with it a most wise
- 18:19Speaker 1: and powerful bounding and otherwise ordering and governing of them,
- 18:24Speaker 1: in a manifold dispensation to his own holy ends. Yet
- 18:30Speaker 1: so as the sinfulness thereof proceeds only from the creature,
- 18:35Speaker 1: and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous,
- 18:41Speaker 1: neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin. Five,
- 18:48Speaker 1: The most wise, righteous and gracious God does oftentimes leave
- 18:54Speaker 1: for a season his own children to manifold temptations and
- 19:00Speaker 1: the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for
- 19:04Speaker 1: their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden
- 19:08Speaker 1: strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they
- 19:13Speaker 1: may be humbled, and to raise them to a more
- 19:17Speaker 1: close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and
- 19:23Speaker 1: to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin,
- 19:29Speaker 1: and for sundry other just and holy ends. Six. As
- 19:36Speaker 1: for those wicked and ungodly men, whom God, as a
- 19:40Speaker 1: righteous judge for former sins, does blind and harden from them,
- 19:47Speaker 1: he not only withholds his grace whereby they might have
- 19:51Speaker 1: been enlightened in their understandings and wrought upon in their hearts,
- 19:55Speaker 1: but sometimes also withdraws the gifts which they had, and
- 20:00Speaker 1: exposes them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion
- 20:05Speaker 1: of sin, and withal gives them over to their own lusts,
- 20:11Speaker 1: the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan,
- 20:15Speaker 1: whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even
- 20:20Speaker 1: under those means which God uses for the softening of others. Seven.
- 20:28Speaker 1: As the providence of God does in general reach to
- 20:32Speaker 1: all creatures, so after a most special manner, it takes
- 20:37Speaker 1: care of his church and disposes all things to the
- 20:42Speaker 1: good thereof. And of Chapter five chapter six of the
- 20:50Speaker 1: Fall of Man, of sin and the punishment thereof. One,
- 20:57Speaker 1: our first parents, being seduced by the subtlety and temptations
- 21:02Speaker 1: of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin,
- 21:07Speaker 1: God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel,
- 21:11Speaker 1: to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory. Two.
- 21:17Speaker 1: By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and
- 21:21Speaker 1: communion with God, and so became dead in sin and
- 21:25Speaker 1: wholly defiled in all the parts and faculties of soul
- 21:30Speaker 1: and body. Three, they being the root of all mankind.
- 21:35Speaker 1: The guilt of this sin was imputed, and the same
- 21:38Speaker 1: death in sin and corrupted nature, conveyed to all their posterity,
- 21:44Speaker 1: descending from them by ordinary generation. Four. From this original corruption,
- 21:51Speaker 1: whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to
- 21:57Speaker 1: all good, and wholly inclined to all all evil, do
- 22:01Speaker 1: proceed all actual transgressions. Five. This corruption of nature during
- 22:08Speaker 1: this life does remain in those that are regenerated. And
- 22:13Speaker 1: although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both
- 22:18Speaker 1: itself and all the motions thereof are truly and properly sin. Six.
- 22:26Speaker 1: Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of
- 22:32Speaker 1: the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, does in
- 22:37Speaker 1: its own nature bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he
- 22:42Speaker 1: is bound over to the wrath of God and curse
- 22:45Speaker 1: of the Law, and so made subject to death with
- 22:50Speaker 1: all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal. Chapter seven of God's
- 22:59Speaker 1: Covenant with Man one. The distance between God and the
- 23:05Speaker 1: creature is so great that, although reasonable creatures do owe
- 23:09Speaker 1: obedience unto Him as their creator, yet they could never
- 23:14Speaker 1: have any fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward.
- 23:19Speaker 1: But by some voluntary condescension on God's part which he
- 23:24Speaker 1: has been pleased to express by way of covenant. Two.
- 23:29Speaker 1: The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works,
- 23:34Speaker 1: wherein life was promised to Adam and in him to
- 23:38Speaker 1: his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience. Section three. Man,
- 23:46Speaker 1: by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by
- 23:51Speaker 1: that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second,
- 23:55Speaker 1: commonly called the Covenant of Grace, wherein he freely offers
- 24:00Speaker 1: unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of
- 24:05Speaker 1: them faith in Him that they may be saved, and
- 24:10Speaker 1: promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto
- 24:14Speaker 1: eternal life his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and
- 24:19Speaker 1: able to believe. Four. This Covenant of Grace is frequently
- 24:26Speaker 1: set forth in scripture by the name of a Testament,
- 24:29Speaker 1: in reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Testator,
- 24:33Speaker 1: and to the everlasting inheritance with all things belonging to
- 24:37Speaker 1: it therein bequeathed. Five. This covenant was differently administered in
- 24:44Speaker 1: the time of the Law and in the time of
- 24:46Speaker 1: the Gospel. Under the Law, it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision,
- 24:54Speaker 1: the Paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to
- 24:59Speaker 1: the people of the Jews, all for signifying Christ to come,
- 25:03Speaker 1: which were for that time sufficient and efficacious through the
- 25:08Speaker 1: operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up the
- 25:12Speaker 1: elect in faith in the Promised Messiah, by whom they
- 25:16Speaker 1: had full remission of sins and eternal salvation, and is
- 25:21Speaker 1: called the Old Testament. Six under the Gospel, when Christ
- 25:28Speaker 1: the substance was exhibited. The ordinances in which this covenant
- 25:32Speaker 1: is dispensed are the preaching of the Word and the
- 25:35Speaker 1: administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, which,
- 25:40Speaker 1: though fewer in number and administered with more simplicity and
- 25:44Speaker 1: less outward glory, yet in them it is held forth
- 25:49Speaker 1: in more fullness, evidence and spiritual efficacy to all nations,
- 25:55Speaker 1: both Jews and Gentiles, and is called the New test
- 26:01Speaker 1: There are not therefore, two covenants of grace, differing in substance,
- 26:06Speaker 1: but one and the same, under various dispensations. Chapter eight
- 26:14Speaker 1: of Christ the Mediator. One It pleased God in his
- 26:20Speaker 1: eternal purpose to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his
- 26:24Speaker 1: only begotten son, to be the mediator between God and Man,
- 26:29Speaker 1: the Prophet, priest and King, the Head and Savior of
- 26:34Speaker 1: his Church, the heir of all things and judge of
- 26:38Speaker 1: the world, unto whom he did from all eternity give
- 26:43Speaker 1: a people to be His seed and to be by
- 26:46Speaker 1: him in time, redeemed, called justified, sanctified, and glorified. Two,
- 26:55Speaker 1: the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity,
- 26:59Speaker 1: being very and eternal God of one substance and equal
- 27:03Speaker 1: with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come,
- 27:08Speaker 1: take upon him man's nature, with all the essential properties
- 27:13Speaker 1: and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin, being conceived by
- 27:20Speaker 1: the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of
- 27:22Speaker 1: the Virgin Mary of her substance, so that two whole,
- 27:27Speaker 1: perfect and distinct natures, the Godhead and the Manhood, were
- 27:33Speaker 1: inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition or confusion.
- 27:42Speaker 1: Which person is very God and very Man, yet one Christ,
- 27:48Speaker 1: the only mediator between God and Man. Three, the Lord Jesus,
- 27:55Speaker 1: in his human nature, thus united to the Divine, was
- 27:59Speaker 1: sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure, having
- 28:04Speaker 1: in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, in
- 28:08Speaker 1: whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell
- 28:12Speaker 1: to the end that being wholly harmless, undefiled, and full
- 28:17Speaker 1: of grace and truth, he might be thoroughly furnished to
- 28:22Speaker 1: execute the office of a mediator and surety, which office
- 28:28Speaker 1: he took not unto himself, but was thereunto called by
- 28:33Speaker 1: his Father, who put all power and judgment into his hand,
- 28:38Speaker 1: and gave him commandment to execute the same. Four This
- 28:45Speaker 1: office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake, which that
- 28:51Speaker 1: he might discharge he was made under the law, and
- 28:55Speaker 1: did perfectly fulfill it. Endured most grievous to mormans immediately
- 29:01Speaker 1: in his soul, and most painful sufferings in his body,
- 29:06Speaker 1: was crucified and died, was buried, and remained under the
- 29:11Speaker 1: power of death, yet saw no corruption. On the third
- 29:16Speaker 1: day he arose from the dead with the same body
- 29:20Speaker 1: in which he suffered, with which also he ascended into heaven,
- 29:25Speaker 1: and there sits at the right hand of his Father,
- 29:28Speaker 1: making intercession, and shall return to judge men and angels
- 29:33Speaker 1: at the end of the world. Five. The Lord Jesus,
- 29:38Speaker 1: by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he
- 29:44Speaker 1: through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, has
- 29:48Speaker 1: fully satisfied the justice of his Father and purchased not
- 29:53Speaker 1: only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the Kingdom of
- 29:58Speaker 1: Heaven for those those whom the Father has given unto him. Six.
- 30:05Speaker 1: Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by
- 30:09Speaker 1: Christ till after his incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and
- 30:16Speaker 1: benefits thereof were communicated unto the elect in all ages successively,
- 30:22Speaker 1: from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types,
- 30:27Speaker 1: and sacrifices, wherein He was revealed and signified to be
- 30:32Speaker 1: the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent's
- 30:35Speaker 1: head and the lamb slain, from the beginning of the world,
- 30:40Speaker 1: being yesterday and today the same and forever. Seven, Christ,
- 30:48Speaker 1: in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures,
- 30:52Speaker 1: by each nature doing that which is proper to itself.
- 30:56Speaker 1: Yet by reason of the unity of the person, that
- 31:01Speaker 1: which is proper to one nature is sometimes in scripture
- 31:05Speaker 1: attributed to the person denominated by the other nature. Eight.
- 31:11Speaker 1: To all those for whom Christ has purchased redemption, he
- 31:16Speaker 1: does certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same, making
- 31:23Speaker 1: intercession for them and revealing unto them in and by
- 31:28Speaker 1: the word the mysteries of salvation, effectually persuading them by
- 31:34Speaker 1: his spirit to believe and obey, and governing their hearts
- 31:39Speaker 1: by his word and spirit, overcoming all their enemies by
- 31:44Speaker 1: His almighty power and wisdom in such manner and ways
- 31:49Speaker 1: as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation.
- 31:57Speaker 1: Chapter nine of five Free will. One, God has endued
- 32:04Speaker 1: the will of man with that natural liberty that is
- 32:08Speaker 1: neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined
- 32:14Speaker 1: good or evil. Two Man, in his state of innocency,
- 32:20Speaker 1: had freedom and power to will and to do that
- 32:25Speaker 1: which was good and well pleasing to God, but yet
- 32:29Speaker 1: mutably so that he might fall from it. Three Man,
- 32:35Speaker 1: by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly
- 32:39Speaker 1: lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation.
- 32:45Speaker 1: So as a natural man, being altogether a verse from
- 32:49Speaker 1: that good and dead in sin, is not able by
- 32:54Speaker 1: his own strength to convert himself or to prepare himself
- 32:59Speaker 1: thereunto four. When God converts a sinner and translates him
- 33:06Speaker 1: into the state of grace, he frees him from his
- 33:10Speaker 1: natural bondage under sin and by his grace alone, enables
- 33:16Speaker 1: him freely to will and to do that which is
- 33:20Speaker 1: spiritually good. Yet so as that by reason of his
- 33:24Speaker 1: remaining corruption, he does not perfectly or only will that
- 33:30Speaker 1: which is good, but does also will that which is evil. Five,
- 33:37Speaker 1: the will of man is made perfectly and immutably free
- 33:42Speaker 1: to do good alone in the state of glory only.
- 33:48Speaker 1: Chapter ten of effectual calling one all those whom God
- 33:55Speaker 1: hath bedestinated unto life, and those only he is pleased
- 34:00Speaker 1: in his appointed time effectually to call by his word
- 34:05Speaker 1: and spirit out of that state of sin and death
- 34:09Speaker 1: in which they are by nature. Two grace and salvation
- 34:14Speaker 1: by Jesus Christ, enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to
- 34:21Speaker 1: understand the things of God, taking away their heart of
- 34:24Speaker 1: stone and giving unto them and heart of flesh, renewing
- 34:30Speaker 1: their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to
- 34:35Speaker 1: that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ.
- 34:41Speaker 1: Yet so as they come most freely, being made willing
- 34:46Speaker 1: by His grace. Two, This effectual call is of God's
- 34:53Speaker 1: free and special grace alone, not from anything at all
- 34:58Speaker 1: foreseen in man, who who is altogether passive therein until
- 35:03Speaker 1: being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit. He is
- 35:07Speaker 1: thereby enabled to answer this call and to embrace the
- 35:11Speaker 1: grace offered and conveyed in it. Three elect infants dying
- 35:19Speaker 1: in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit,
- 35:24Speaker 1: who works when and where and how he pleases. So
- 35:29Speaker 1: also are all other elect persons who are incapable of
- 35:33Speaker 1: being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word. Four
- 35:39Speaker 1: others not elected, Although they may be called by the
- 35:43Speaker 1: ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations
- 35:47Speaker 1: of the Spirit, yet they never truly come unto Christ,
- 35:52Speaker 1: and therefore cannot be saved. Much less can men not
- 35:57Speaker 1: professing the Christian religion be saved in an any other way. Whatsoever,
- 36:02Speaker 1: be they never so diligent to frame their lives according
- 36:05Speaker 1: to the light of nature and the laws of that
- 36:08Speaker 1: religion they do profess, and to assert and maintain that
- 36:13Speaker 1: they may is very pernicious and to be detested. And
- 36:19Speaker 1: of Chapter ten, Chapter eleven of justification. One those whom
- 36:29Speaker 1: God effectually calls He also freely justifies, not by infusing
- 36:35Speaker 1: righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by
- 36:40Speaker 1: accounting and accepting their persons as righteous, not for anything
- 36:46Speaker 1: wrought in them or done by them, but for Christ's
- 36:51Speaker 1: sake alone, nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing,
- 36:58Speaker 1: or any other evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness,
- 37:03Speaker 1: but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ. Unto them,
- 37:10Speaker 1: they receiving and resting on Him and his righteousness by faith,
- 37:15Speaker 1: which faith they have not of themselves. It is the
- 37:19Speaker 1: gift of God. Two. Faith, thus receiving and resting on
- 37:27Speaker 1: Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification.
- 37:34Speaker 1: Yet is it not alone in the person justified, but
- 37:38Speaker 1: is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is
- 37:44Speaker 1: no dead faith, but works by love. Three. Christ, by
- 37:51Speaker 1: his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of
- 37:56Speaker 1: all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper,
- 38:00Speaker 1: real and full satisfaction to his Father's justice in their behalf. Yet,
- 38:06Speaker 1: inasmuch as He was given by the Father for them,
- 38:10Speaker 1: and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, and
- 38:15Speaker 1: both freely not for anything in them, their justification is
- 38:21Speaker 1: only of free grace, that both the exact justice and
- 38:26Speaker 1: rich grace of God might be glorified. In the justification
- 38:31Speaker 1: of sinners. Four, God did from all eternity decree to
- 38:38Speaker 1: justify all the elect and Christ did, in the fullness
- 38:42Speaker 1: of time, die for their sins and rise again for
- 38:47Speaker 1: their justification. Nevertheless, they are not justified until the Holy
- 38:53Speaker 1: Spirit does, in due time actually apply Christ unto them.
- 39:01Speaker 1: God does continue to forgive the sins of those that
- 39:05Speaker 1: are justified, And although they can never fall from the
- 39:09Speaker 1: state of justification, yet they may by their sins fall
- 39:14Speaker 1: under God's fatherly displeasure and not have the light of
- 39:19Speaker 1: His countenance restored unto them until they humble themselves, confess
- 39:25Speaker 1: their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance. Six.
- 39:34Speaker 1: The justification of believers under the Old Testament was in
- 39:38Speaker 1: all these respects one and the same with the justification
- 39:43Speaker 1: of believers under the New Testament. Chapter twelve of adoption,
- 39:52Speaker 1: all those that are justified. God vouchsafes in and for
- 39:57Speaker 1: His only son Jesus Christ, to ma partakers of the
- 40:01Speaker 1: grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the
- 40:05Speaker 1: number and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children
- 40:09Speaker 1: of God, have His name put upon them, receive the
- 40:13Speaker 1: spirit of adoption, have access to the Throne of Grace
- 40:17Speaker 1: with boldness, are enabled to cry Abbah Father, are pitied, protected,
- 40:25Speaker 1: provided for, and chastened by Him as by a father,
- 40:30Speaker 1: yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption,
- 40:35Speaker 1: and inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation. Chapter
- 40:43Speaker 1: thirteen of Sanctification. One, They who are once effectually called
- 40:50Speaker 1: and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit
- 40:54Speaker 1: created in them, are further sanctified really and personally through
- 41:00Speaker 1: the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, by His word
- 41:05Speaker 1: and spirit dwelling in them. The dominion of the whole
- 41:09Speaker 1: body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof
- 41:14Speaker 1: are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more
- 41:18Speaker 1: and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces to
- 41:23Speaker 1: the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall
- 41:27Speaker 1: see the Lord. Two. This sanctification is throughout in the
- 41:34Speaker 1: whole man, yet imperfect. In this life, there abiding still
- 41:39Speaker 1: some remnants of corruption in every part. Whence arises a
- 41:43Speaker 1: continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the spirit
- 41:50Speaker 1: and the Spirit against the flesh. Three, in which war,
- 41:56Speaker 1: although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail.
- 42:01Speaker 1: Yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying
- 42:05Speaker 1: Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part does overcome, and so
- 42:11Speaker 1: the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear
- 42:16Speaker 1: of God. Chapter fourteen of Saving Faith. One. The grace
- 42:25Speaker 1: of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to
- 42:29Speaker 1: the saving of their souls, is the work of the
- 42:32Speaker 1: Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought
- 42:36Speaker 1: by the ministry of the Word, by which also and
- 42:40Speaker 1: by the administration of the sacraments and prayer, it is
- 42:43Speaker 1: increased and strengthened. Two. By this faith, a Christian believes
- 42:51Speaker 1: to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for
- 42:55Speaker 1: the authority of God himself speaking therein, and acts differently
- 43:00Speaker 1: upon that which each particular passage thereof contains. Yielding obedience
- 43:06Speaker 1: to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the
- 43:11Speaker 1: promises of God for this life and that which is
- 43:14Speaker 1: to come. But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving,
- 43:21Speaker 1: and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life.
- 43:29Speaker 1: By virtue of the covenant of grace, Three. This faith
- 43:35Speaker 1: is different in degrees weak or strong, may often in
- 43:39Speaker 1: many ways assailed and weakened, but gets the victory growing
- 43:44Speaker 1: up in many to the attainment of a full assurance
- 43:47Speaker 1: through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of
- 43:51Speaker 1: our faith. Chapter fifteen of repentance unto Life. One, Repentance
- 44:01Speaker 1: unto life is an evangelical grace, the doctrine whereof is
- 44:06Speaker 1: to be preached by every minister of the Gospel, as
- 44:09Speaker 1: well as that of faith in Christ. Two. By it
- 44:14Speaker 1: a sinner out of the sight and sense not only
- 44:17Speaker 1: of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness
- 44:21Speaker 1: of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and
- 44:25Speaker 1: righteous law of God, and upon the apprehension of His
- 44:29Speaker 1: mercy in Christ, to such as are penitent, so grieves
- 44:33Speaker 1: for and hates his sins, as to turn from them
- 44:38Speaker 1: all unto God, purposing and endeavoring to walk with Him
- 44:43Speaker 1: in all the ways of His commandments. Three. Although repentance
- 44:50Speaker 1: is not to be rested in as any satisfaction for sin,
- 44:54Speaker 1: or any cause of the pardon thereof which is the
- 44:57Speaker 1: act of God's free grace in Christ, yet it is
- 45:01Speaker 1: of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect
- 45:05Speaker 1: pardon without it. Four, As there is no sin so
- 45:11Speaker 1: small but it deserves damnation. So there is no sin
- 45:15Speaker 1: so great that it can bring damnation upon those who
- 45:19Speaker 1: truly repent. Five. Men ought not to content themselves with
- 45:26Speaker 1: a general repentance. But it is every man's duty to
- 45:30Speaker 1: endeavor to repent of his particular sins. Particularly six, as
- 45:37Speaker 1: every man is bound to make private confession of his
- 45:41Speaker 1: sins to God, praying for the pardon thereof, upon which
- 45:47Speaker 1: and the forsaking of them, he shall find mercy. So
- 45:50Speaker 1: he that scandalizeth his brother or the Church of Christ,
- 45:55Speaker 1: ought to be willing by a private or public confession
- 46:00Speaker 1: and sorrow for his sin, to declare his repentance to
- 46:04Speaker 1: those that are offended, who are thereupon to be reconciled
- 46:09Speaker 1: to Him and in love to receive him. And of
- 46:14Speaker 1: Chapter fifteen. Chapter sixteen of good works. One, good works
- 46:22Speaker 1: are only such as God has commanded in his Holy Word,
- 46:26Speaker 1: and not such as without the warrant thereof, are devised
- 46:30Speaker 1: by men out of blind zeal or upon any pretense
- 46:34Speaker 1: of good intention. Two. These good works done in obedience
- 46:40Speaker 1: to God's commandments are the fruits and evidences of a
- 46:45Speaker 1: true and lively faith. And by them believers manifest their thankfulness,
- 46:51Speaker 1: strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of
- 46:56Speaker 1: the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversary, and glorify God,
- 47:02Speaker 1: whose workmanship they are created in Christ Jesus. Thereunto that,
- 47:08Speaker 1: having their fruit, unto holiness, they may have the end
- 47:12Speaker 1: eternal life. Three. Their ability to do good works is
- 47:18Speaker 1: not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit
- 47:21Speaker 1: of Christ, and that they may be enabled thereunto beside
- 47:26Speaker 1: the graces they have already received, there is required an
- 47:30Speaker 1: actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in
- 47:34Speaker 1: them to will and to do of His good pleasure.
- 47:39Speaker 1: Yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if
- 47:43Speaker 1: they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon
- 47:47Speaker 1: a special motion of the spirit. But they ought to
- 47:50Speaker 1: be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that
- 47:54Speaker 1: is in them. Four, They who in their obedience attain
- 47:59Speaker 1: to the greatest height which is possibly in this life,
- 48:04Speaker 1: are so far from being able to supe arrogate and
- 48:07Speaker 1: to do more than God requires, as that they fall
- 48:11Speaker 1: short of much which in duty they are bound to do. Five,
- 48:17Speaker 1: We cannot, by our best works, merit pardon of sin
- 48:21Speaker 1: or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason
- 48:25Speaker 1: of the great disproportion that is between them and the
- 48:28Speaker 1: glory to come, and the infinite distance that is between
- 48:32Speaker 1: us and God, whom by them we can neither profit
- 48:36Speaker 1: nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins. But
- 48:41Speaker 1: when we have done all we can, we have done
- 48:44Speaker 1: but our duty and are unprofitable servants. And because as
- 48:49Speaker 1: they are good, they proceed from His spirit, and as
- 48:53Speaker 1: they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed
- 48:56Speaker 1: with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure
- 49:01Speaker 1: the severity of God's judgment. Six. Notwithstanding the persons of
- 49:08Speaker 1: believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are
- 49:13Speaker 1: accepted in Him, not as though they were in this
- 49:16Speaker 1: life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God's sight, but that He,
- 49:22Speaker 1: looking upon them in his son, is pleased to accept
- 49:26Speaker 1: and reward that which is sincere although accompanied with many
- 49:31Speaker 1: weaknesses and imperfections. Seven works done by unregenerate men, Although
- 49:39Speaker 1: for the matter of them, they may be things which
- 49:42Speaker 1: God commands and of good use, both to themselves and others. Yet,
- 49:48Speaker 1: because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith,
- 49:52Speaker 1: nor are done in a right manner according to the Word,
- 49:56Speaker 1: nor to a right end the glory of God, they
- 49:59Speaker 1: are therefore sinful and cannot please God or make a
- 50:04Speaker 1: man meet to receive grace from God. And yet their
- 50:08Speaker 1: neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.
- 50:16Speaker 1: Chapter seventeen of the Perseverance of the Saints. One, they
- 50:23Speaker 1: whom God has accepted in his beloved, effectually called and
- 50:27Speaker 1: sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall
- 50:32Speaker 1: away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere
- 50:37Speaker 1: therein to the end and be eternally saved. Two. This
- 50:43Speaker 1: perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will,
- 50:48Speaker 1: but upon the immutability of the decree of election flowing
- 50:53Speaker 1: from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father,
- 50:57Speaker 1: upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ,
- 51:02Speaker 1: the abiding of the Spirit and of the Seed of
- 51:05Speaker 1: God within them, and the nature of the covenant of
- 51:09Speaker 1: grace from all which arises also the certainty and infallibility thereof. Three. Nevertheless,
- 51:19Speaker 1: they may through the temptations of Satan and of the world,
- 51:23Speaker 1: the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect
- 51:27Speaker 1: of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins,
- 51:32Speaker 1: and for a time continue therein, whereby they incur God's
- 51:38Speaker 1: displeasure and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to be deprived
- 51:43Speaker 1: of some measure of their graces and comforts, have their
- 51:47Speaker 1: hearts hardened and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others,
- 51:53Speaker 1: and bring temporal judgments upon themselves. Chapter eighteen of Assurance
- 52:03Speaker 1: of Grace and Salvation. One. Although hypocrites and other unregenerate
- 52:10Speaker 1: men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal
- 52:15Speaker 1: presumptions of being in the favor of God and a
- 52:18Speaker 1: state of salvation, which hope of theirs shall perish, Yet
- 52:23Speaker 1: such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love
- 52:27Speaker 1: Him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience
- 52:33Speaker 1: before Him, may in this life be certainly assured that
- 52:38Speaker 1: they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice
- 52:41Speaker 1: in the hope of the glory of God, which hope
- 52:44Speaker 1: shall never make them ashamed. Two. This certainty is not
- 52:50Speaker 1: a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope,
- 52:57Speaker 1: but an infallible assurance of faith, founded upon the divine
- 53:02Speaker 1: truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of
- 53:06Speaker 1: those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony
- 53:11Speaker 1: of the spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that
- 53:14Speaker 1: we are the children of God, which spirit is the
- 53:18Speaker 1: earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the
- 53:22Speaker 1: day of redemption. Three. This infallible assurance does not so
- 53:29Speaker 1: belong to the essence of faith, but that a true
- 53:32Speaker 1: believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before
- 53:37Speaker 1: he be partaker of it. Yet, being enabled by the
- 53:41Speaker 1: Spirit to know the things which are freely given him
- 53:44Speaker 1: of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right
- 53:49Speaker 1: use of ordinary means attained thereunto. And therefore it is
- 53:54Speaker 1: the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make
- 53:58Speaker 1: his calling, and sure that thereby his heart may be
- 54:03Speaker 1: enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in
- 54:07Speaker 1: love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness
- 54:12Speaker 1: in the duties of obedience. The proper fruits of this assurance,
- 54:17Speaker 1: so far is it from inclining men to looseness. Four
- 54:24Speaker 1: true believers may have the assurance of their salvation diverse ways, shaken, diminished,
- 54:31Speaker 1: and intermitted, as by negligence in preserving of it, by
- 54:37Speaker 1: falling into some special sin which wounds the conscience and
- 54:41Speaker 1: grieves the spirit, by some sudden or vehement temptation, by
- 54:46Speaker 1: God's withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even
- 54:51Speaker 1: such as fear him to walk in darkness and to
- 54:55Speaker 1: have no light. Yet are they never so utterly destitute
- 54:59Speaker 1: of that seed of God and life of faith, that
- 55:04Speaker 1: love of Christ, and the brethren, that sincerity of heart
- 55:09Speaker 1: and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation
- 55:13Speaker 1: of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived,
- 55:18Speaker 1: and by the which in the meantime they are supported
- 55:22Speaker 1: from utter despair. Chapter nineteen of the Law of God.
- 55:31Speaker 1: One God gave to Adam a law as a covenant
- 55:35Speaker 1: of works, by which he bound him and all his
- 55:38Speaker 1: posterity to personal, entire, exact and perpetual obedience, promised life
- 55:45Speaker 1: upon the fulfilling and threatened death upon the breach of it,
- 55:50Speaker 1: and endued him with power and ability to keep it. Two.
- 55:56Speaker 1: This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect
- 56:01Speaker 1: rule of righteousness, and as such was delivered by God
- 56:06Speaker 1: upon Mount Sinai in ten commandments and written in two tables,
- 56:12Speaker 1: the first four commandments containing our duty towards God and
- 56:16Speaker 1: the other six our duty to man. Three. Besides this law,
- 56:22Speaker 1: commonly called moral God was pleased to give to the
- 56:26Speaker 1: people of Israel as a church under age ceremonial laws,
- 56:31Speaker 1: containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ His graces, actions, sufferings,
- 56:41Speaker 1: and benefits, and partly holding forth diverse instructions of moral duties,
- 56:48Speaker 1: all which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the New Testament.
- 56:55Speaker 1: Four to them, also as a body politic, he gave
- 57:00Speaker 1: beyave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state
- 57:04Speaker 1: of that people, not obliging under any now further than
- 57:09Speaker 1: the general equity thereof may require. Five. The moral law
- 57:15Speaker 1: does forever bind all as well justified persons as others
- 57:20Speaker 1: to the obedience thereof, and that not only in regard
- 57:24Speaker 1: of the matter contained in it, but also in respect
- 57:27Speaker 1: of the authority of God, the creator who gave it.
- 57:31Speaker 1: Neither does Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve but
- 57:36Speaker 1: much strengthen this obligation. Six. Although true believers be not
- 57:44Speaker 1: under the Law as a covenant of works, to be
- 57:46Speaker 1: thereby justified or condemned, yet is it of great use
- 57:51Speaker 1: to them as well as to others, in that as
- 57:55Speaker 1: a rule of life, informing them of the will of
- 57:57Speaker 1: God and their duty, it directs and binds them to
- 58:02Speaker 1: walk accordingly, discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts,
- 58:08Speaker 1: and lives. So as examining themselves thereby they may come
- 58:14Speaker 1: to further conviction of humiliation for and hatred against sin,
- 58:20Speaker 1: together with a clearer sight of the need they have
- 58:24Speaker 1: of Christ and the perfection of His obedience. It is
- 58:30Speaker 1: likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions,
- 58:35Speaker 1: in that it forbids sin, and the threatenings of it
- 58:39Speaker 1: serve to show what even their sins deserve, and what
- 58:43Speaker 1: afflictions in this life they may expect for them. Although
- 58:48Speaker 1: freed from the curse thereof threatened in the Law, the
- 58:52Speaker 1: promises of it in like manner show them God's approbation
- 58:57Speaker 1: of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the
- 59:01Speaker 1: performance thereof. Although not as due to them by the
- 59:06Speaker 1: Law as a covenant of works, so as a man's
- 59:10Speaker 1: doing good and refraining from evil, because the law encourages
- 59:16Speaker 1: to the one and deters from the other, is no
- 59:19Speaker 1: evidence of his being under the law and not under grace. Seven.
- 59:26Speaker 1: Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to
- 59:31Speaker 1: the grace of the Gospel. But do sweetly comply with it,
- 59:36Speaker 1: the spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of
- 59:40Speaker 1: man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will
- 59:44Speaker 1: of God revealed in the Law requires to be done.
- 59:51Speaker 1: Chapter twenty of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience. One.
- 59:58Speaker 1: The liberty which Christ has purchased for believers under the
- 1:00:02Speaker 1: Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin
- 1:00:06Speaker 1: and condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law,
- 1:00:10Speaker 1: and in their being delivered from this present evil world,
- 1:00:14Speaker 1: bondage to Satan and dominion of sin, from the evil
- 1:00:18Speaker 1: of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave,
- 1:00:22Speaker 1: and everlasting damnation, as also in their free access to
- 1:00:27Speaker 1: God and their yielding obedience unto Him, not out of
- 1:00:31Speaker 1: slavish fear, but a childlike love and willing mind, all
- 1:00:36Speaker 1: which were common also to believers under the Law. But
- 1:00:40Speaker 1: under the New Testament, the liberty of Christians is further
- 1:00:43Speaker 1: enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial
- 1:00:46Speaker 1: law to which the Jewish Church was subjected, and in
- 1:00:51Speaker 1: greater boldness of access to the Throne of Grace, and
- 1:00:55Speaker 1: in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God than
- 1:00:59Speaker 1: believers under the Law did ordinarily partake of. Two. God
- 1:01:05Speaker 1: alone is lord of the conscience, and has left it
- 1:01:09Speaker 1: free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are
- 1:01:13Speaker 1: in anything contrary to His word, or beside it, if
- 1:01:17Speaker 1: matters of faith or worship, So that to believe such doctrines,
- 1:01:23Speaker 1: or to obey such commands out of conscience is to
- 1:01:26Speaker 1: betray true liberty of conscience, and the requiring of an
- 1:01:30Speaker 1: implicit faith and an absolute and blind obedience is to
- 1:01:35Speaker 1: destroy liberty of conscience and reason. Also three, they who,
- 1:01:42Speaker 1: upon pretense of Christian liberty, do practice any sin or
- 1:01:46Speaker 1: cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty,
- 1:01:51Speaker 1: which is that, being delivered out of the hands of
- 1:01:54Speaker 1: our enemies, we might serve the Lord without fear, in
- 1:01:57Speaker 1: holiness and righteousness before for Him all the days of
- 1:02:01Speaker 1: our life. Four. And because the powers which God has
- 1:02:07Speaker 1: ordained and the liberty which Christ has purchased, are not
- 1:02:11Speaker 1: intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and
- 1:02:16Speaker 1: preserve one another. They who, upon pretense of Christian liberty,
- 1:02:21Speaker 1: shall oppose any lawful power or the lawful exercise of it,
- 1:02:26Speaker 1: whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resists the ordinance of God.
- 1:02:32Speaker 1: And for their publishing of such opinions or maintaining of
- 1:02:36Speaker 1: such practices as our contrary to the light of nature
- 1:02:39Speaker 1: or to the known principles of Christianity, whether concerning faith, worship,
- 1:02:44Speaker 1: or conversation, or to the power of Godliness, or such
- 1:02:49Speaker 1: erroneous opinions or practices, as either in their own nature
- 1:02:54Speaker 1: or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are
- 1:02:57Speaker 1: destructive to the external peace and order which Christ has
- 1:03:00Speaker 1: established in the Church. They may lawfully be called to
- 1:03:04Speaker 1: account and proceeded against by the censures of the Church
- 1:03:09Speaker 1: and by the power of the civil magistrate. End of
- 1:03:14Speaker 1: Chapter twenty Chapter twenty one of Religious Worship and the
- 1:03:20Speaker 1: Sabbath Day one. The light of nature shows that there
- 1:03:24Speaker 1: is a God who has lordship and sovereignty over all
- 1:03:29Speaker 1: is good and does good unto all, and is therefore
- 1:03:34Speaker 1: to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and
- 1:03:39Speaker 1: served with all the heart, and with all the soul,
- 1:03:43Speaker 1: and with all the might. But the acceptable way of
- 1:03:46Speaker 1: worshiping the True God is instituted by himself, and so
- 1:03:51Speaker 1: limited by his own revealed will, that He may not
- 1:03:54Speaker 1: be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men,
- 1:03:59Speaker 1: or the the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation,
- 1:04:04Speaker 1: or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.
- 1:04:10Speaker 1: Two religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son,
- 1:04:15Speaker 1: and Holy Ghost, and to Him alone, not to angels, saints,
- 1:04:20Speaker 1: or any other creature, and since the fall, not without
- 1:04:24Speaker 1: a mediator, nor in the mediation of any other, but
- 1:04:28Speaker 1: of Christ alone. Three Prayer, with thanksgiving being one special
- 1:04:35Speaker 1: part of religious worship, is by God required of all men,
- 1:04:41Speaker 1: and that it may be accepted. It is to be
- 1:04:43Speaker 1: made in the name of the Son, by the help
- 1:04:46Speaker 1: of his Spirit, according to His will, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love,
- 1:04:55Speaker 1: and perseverance, and if vocal in a known tongue. Four
- 1:05:03Speaker 1: Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for
- 1:05:06Speaker 1: all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter,
- 1:05:11Speaker 1: but not for the dead, nor for those of whom
- 1:05:14Speaker 1: it may be known that they have sinned the sin
- 1:05:17Speaker 1: unto death. Five. The reading of the scriptures with godly fear,
- 1:05:24Speaker 1: the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word in
- 1:05:27Speaker 1: obedience unto God, with understanding, faith and reverence, singing of
- 1:05:33Speaker 1: psalms with grace in the heart, as also the due
- 1:05:36Speaker 1: administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ,
- 1:05:41Speaker 1: are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God,
- 1:05:47Speaker 1: beside religious oaths, vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasions,
- 1:05:54Speaker 1: which are in their several times and seasons to be
- 1:05:58Speaker 1: used in an holy and reliefeous manner. Six. Neither prayer
- 1:06:05Speaker 1: nor any other part of religious worship is now under
- 1:06:08Speaker 1: the Gospel, either tied unto or made more acceptable by
- 1:06:13Speaker 1: any place in which it is performed or towards which
- 1:06:16Speaker 1: it is directed. But God is to be worshiped everywhere
- 1:06:20Speaker 1: in spirit and truth, as in private families daily and
- 1:06:26Speaker 1: in secret, each one by himself, so more solemnly in
- 1:06:30Speaker 1: the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to
- 1:06:34Speaker 1: be neglected or forsaken, when God, by his word or
- 1:06:38Speaker 1: providence calls thereunto seven. As it is the law of
- 1:06:44Speaker 1: nature that in general a due proportion of time be
- 1:06:48Speaker 1: set apart for the worship of God. So in his word,
- 1:06:52Speaker 1: by a positive, moral and perpetual commandment binding all men
- 1:06:57Speaker 1: in all ages, as particularly appointed one day in seven
- 1:07:03Speaker 1: for a sabbath to be kept holy unto Him, which
- 1:07:07Speaker 1: from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of
- 1:07:09Speaker 1: Christ was the last day of the week, and from
- 1:07:14Speaker 1: the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day
- 1:07:17Speaker 1: of the week, which in scripture is called the Lord's Day,
- 1:07:22Speaker 1: and is to be continued to the end of the
- 1:07:23Speaker 1: world as the Christian Sabbath. Eight. This sabbath is to
- 1:07:29Speaker 1: be kept wholly unto the Lord, when men, after ad
- 1:07:33Speaker 1: preparing of their hearts and ordering of their common affairs beforehand,
- 1:07:38Speaker 1: do not only observe and holy rest all the day
- 1:07:41Speaker 1: from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly
- 1:07:45Speaker 1: employments and recreations, but also are taken up the whole
- 1:07:49Speaker 1: time in the public and private exercises of His worship,
- 1:07:53Speaker 1: and in the duties of necessity and mercy. Chapter twenty
- 1:07:58Speaker 1: two of lawful oaths and vows. One. A lawful oath
- 1:08:06Speaker 1: is part of religious worship, wherein, upon just occasion, the
- 1:08:11Speaker 1: person swearing solemnly calls God to witness what he asserts
- 1:08:15Speaker 1: or promises, and to judge him according to the truth
- 1:08:19Speaker 1: or falsehood of what he swears. Two. The name of
- 1:08:24Speaker 1: God only is that by which men ought to swear,
- 1:08:28Speaker 1: and therein it is to be used with all holy
- 1:08:30Speaker 1: fear and reverence. Therefore, to swear vainly or rashly by
- 1:08:36Speaker 1: that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at all
- 1:08:40Speaker 1: by any other thing, is sinful and to be abhorred. Yet,
- 1:08:46Speaker 1: as in matters of weight and moment, an oath is
- 1:08:49Speaker 1: warranted by the word of God under the New Testament
- 1:08:52Speaker 1: as well as under the Old. So a lawful oath,
- 1:08:56Speaker 1: being imposed by lawful authority in such matters, ought to
- 1:09:00Speaker 1: be taken. Three. Whosoever takes an oath ought duly to
- 1:09:06Speaker 1: consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein
- 1:09:11Speaker 1: to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is
- 1:09:15Speaker 1: the truth. Neither may any man bind himself by oath
- 1:09:19Speaker 1: to anything but what is good and just, and what
- 1:09:22Speaker 1: he believes so to be, and what he is able
- 1:09:25Speaker 1: and resolved to perform. Yet it is a sin to
- 1:09:29Speaker 1: refuse an oath touching anything that is good and just
- 1:09:33Speaker 1: being imposed by lawful authority. Four. An oath is to
- 1:09:39Speaker 1: be taken in the plain and common sense of the words,
- 1:09:43Speaker 1: without equivocation or mental reservation. It cannot oblige to sin,
- 1:09:49Speaker 1: but in anything not sinful being taken, it binds to performance,
- 1:09:54Speaker 1: although to a man's own hurt, not is it to
- 1:09:58Speaker 1: be violated, although made to heretics or infidels. Five. A
- 1:10:05Speaker 1: vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath,
- 1:10:09Speaker 1: and ought to be made with the like religious care,
- 1:10:12Speaker 1: and to be performed with the like faithfulness. Six. It
- 1:10:19Speaker 1: is not to be made to any creature, but to
- 1:10:22Speaker 1: God alone, and that it may be accepted. It is
- 1:10:26Speaker 1: to be made voluntarily out of faith and conscience of duty,
- 1:10:31Speaker 1: in way of thankfulness for mercy received or for the
- 1:10:35Speaker 1: obtaining of what we want, whereby we more strictly bind
- 1:10:40Speaker 1: ourselves to necessary duties or to other things, so far
- 1:10:45Speaker 1: and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto seven,
- 1:10:51Speaker 1: no man may vow to do anything forbidden in the
- 1:10:55Speaker 1: word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein
- 1:10:58Speaker 1: commanded or which is not in his own power and
- 1:11:02Speaker 1: for the performance whereof he has no promise of ability
- 1:11:06Speaker 1: from God. In which respects, popish monastical vows of perpetual
- 1:11:13Speaker 1: single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience are so far
- 1:11:20Speaker 1: from being degrees of higher perfection that they are superstitious
- 1:11:24Speaker 1: and sinful snares in which no Christian may entangle himself.
- 1:11:30Speaker 1: Chapter twenty three of the Civil Magistrate. One, God, the
- 1:11:37Speaker 1: Supreme Lord and King of all the world, has ordained
- 1:11:42Speaker 1: civil magistrates to be under him over the people for
- 1:11:46Speaker 1: his own glory and the public good, and to this
- 1:11:51Speaker 1: end has armed them with the power of the sword,
- 1:11:56Speaker 1: for the defense and encouragement of them that are good,
- 1:12:00Speaker 1: and for the punishment of evildoers. Two. It is lawful
- 1:12:06Speaker 1: for Christians to accept and execute the office of a
- 1:12:10Speaker 1: magistrate when called thereunto in the managing whereof as they ought,
- 1:12:15Speaker 1: especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace according to the
- 1:12:21Speaker 1: wholesome laws of each commonwealth. So for that end they
- 1:12:26Speaker 1: may lawfully now under the New Testament, wage war upon
- 1:12:31Speaker 1: just and necessary occasion. Three. Civil magistrates may not assume
- 1:12:38Speaker 1: to themselves, the administration of the Word and sacraments, or
- 1:12:43Speaker 1: the power of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.
- 1:12:46Speaker 1: Yet he has authority, and it is his duty to
- 1:12:50Speaker 1: take order that unity and peace be preserved in the Church,
- 1:12:55Speaker 1: that the Truth of God be kept pure and entire,
- 1:12:59Speaker 1: that all blasphemies and heresies be suppressed, all corruptions and
- 1:13:05Speaker 1: abuses in worship and discipline prevented or reformed, and all
- 1:13:11Speaker 1: the ordainances of God duly settled, administrated and observed for
- 1:13:17Speaker 1: the better affecting whereof He has power to call synods,
- 1:13:22Speaker 1: to be present at them, and to provide that whatsoever
- 1:13:26Speaker 1: is transacted in them be according to the mind of God. Four.
- 1:13:34Speaker 1: It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates,
- 1:13:38Speaker 1: to honour their persons, to pay them tribute or other dues,
- 1:13:43Speaker 1: to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to
- 1:13:48Speaker 1: their authority for conscience sake. Infidelity or difference in religion
- 1:13:53Speaker 1: does not make void the magistrate's just and legal authority,
- 1:13:59Speaker 1: nor free the people from their due obedience to them,
- 1:14:03Speaker 1: from which ecclesiastical persons are not exempted. Much less has
- 1:14:09Speaker 1: the pope any power and jurisdiction over them. In their
- 1:14:13Speaker 1: dominions or over any of their people, and least of all,
- 1:14:18Speaker 1: to deprive them of their dominions or lives, if he
- 1:14:23Speaker 1: shall judge them to be heretics, or upon any other
- 1:14:28Speaker 1: pretense whatsoever. Chapter twenty four of Marriage and Divorce. One
- 1:14:38Speaker 1: Marriage is to be between one man and one woman.
- 1:14:43Speaker 1: Neither is it lawful for any man to have more
- 1:14:45Speaker 1: than one wife, nor for any woman to have more
- 1:14:48Speaker 1: than one husband at the same time. Two. Marriage was
- 1:14:54Speaker 1: ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, for
- 1:14:59Speaker 1: the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of
- 1:15:03Speaker 1: the Church with an holy seed, and for preventing of uncleanness.
- 1:15:10Speaker 1: Three It is lawful for all sorts of people to
- 1:15:14Speaker 1: marry who are able, with judgment to give their consent.
- 1:15:18Speaker 1: Yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only
- 1:15:21Speaker 1: in the Lord. And therefore such as profess the true
- 1:15:24Speaker 1: Reformed religion should not marry with infidels, papists, or other idolators.
- 1:15:31Speaker 1: Neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked by
- 1:15:35Speaker 1: marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life,
- 1:15:40Speaker 1: or maintain damnable heresies. Four. Marriage ought not to be
- 1:15:47Speaker 1: within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden by the word.
- 1:15:53Speaker 1: Nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by
- 1:15:57Speaker 1: any law of man or consent of parties, so as
- 1:16:00Speaker 1: those persons may live together as man and wife. The
- 1:16:04Speaker 1: man may not marry any of his wife's kindred nearer
- 1:16:08Speaker 1: in blood than he may of his own, nor the
- 1:16:12Speaker 1: woman of her husband's kindred nearer in blood than of
- 1:16:16Speaker 1: her own. Five. Adultery or fornication committed after the contract
- 1:16:23Speaker 1: being detected before marriage gives just occasion to the innocent
- 1:16:28Speaker 1: party to dissolve that contract. In the case of adultery
- 1:16:33Speaker 1: after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to
- 1:16:36Speaker 1: sue out a divorce, and after the divorce to marry another,
- 1:16:41Speaker 1: as if the offending party were dead. Six. Although the
- 1:16:47Speaker 1: corruption of man be such as is apt to study
- 1:16:51Speaker 1: arguments unduly to put asunder those whom God has joined
- 1:16:54Speaker 1: together in marriage, Yet nothing but adultery or such wilful
- 1:16:59Speaker 1: desire version as can no way be remedied by the
- 1:17:02Speaker 1: church or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the
- 1:17:07Speaker 1: bond of marriage. Wherein a public and orderly course of
- 1:17:12Speaker 1: proceeding is to be observed, and the persons concerned in it,
- 1:17:16Speaker 1: not left to their own wills and discretion in their
- 1:17:20Speaker 1: own case. Chapter twenty five of the Church. One, the
- 1:17:28Speaker 1: Catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the
- 1:17:33Speaker 1: whole number of the elect that have been, or or
- 1:17:37Speaker 1: shall be gathered into one under Christ, the head thereof,
- 1:17:42Speaker 1: and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of Him
- 1:17:46Speaker 1: that fills all in awe. Two. The visible Church, which
- 1:17:53Speaker 1: is also Catholic or universal under the Gospel, not confined
- 1:17:57Speaker 1: to one nation as before under the law, consists of
- 1:18:01Speaker 1: all those throughout the world that profess the true religion
- 1:18:05Speaker 1: and of their children, and is the Kingdom of the
- 1:18:09Speaker 1: Lord Jesus Christ, the House and family of God, out
- 1:18:14Speaker 1: of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation. Three.
- 1:18:21Speaker 1: Unto this Catholic visible Church, Christ has given the ministry,
- 1:18:26Speaker 1: oracles and ordinances of God for the gathering and perfecting
- 1:18:31Speaker 1: of the saints in this life to the end of
- 1:18:33Speaker 1: the world, and does, by his own presence and spirit,
- 1:18:38Speaker 1: according to his promise, make them effectual. Thereunto four, this
- 1:18:45Speaker 1: Catholic Church has been sometimes more sometimes less visible, and
- 1:18:50Speaker 1: particular churches which are members thereof are more or less
- 1:18:55Speaker 1: pure according as the doctrine of the Gospel as taught
- 1:18:58Speaker 1: and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or
- 1:19:04Speaker 1: less purely in them. Five, The purest churches under heaven
- 1:19:11Speaker 1: are subject both to mixture and error, and some have
- 1:19:15Speaker 1: so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ but
- 1:19:20Speaker 1: synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there shall be always a church
- 1:19:25Speaker 1: on earth to worship God according to his will. Six.
- 1:19:31Speaker 1: There is no other head of the Church but the
- 1:19:33Speaker 1: Lord Jesus Christ, nor can the Pope of Rome in
- 1:19:38Speaker 1: any sense be head thereof. But is that anti Christ,
- 1:19:42Speaker 1: that man of sin and son of perdition, that exalts
- 1:19:46Speaker 1: himself in the Church against Christ and all that is
- 1:19:50Speaker 1: called God. End of Chapter twenty five. Chapter twenty six
- 1:19:58Speaker 1: of the Communion of Saints, Section one. All saints that
- 1:20:04Speaker 1: are united to Jesus Christ their head, by his spirit
- 1:20:08Speaker 1: and by faith, have fellowship with Him in his grace, sufferings, death,
- 1:20:15Speaker 1: resurrection and glory, and being united to one another in love.
- 1:20:21Speaker 1: They have communion in each other's gifts and graces, and
- 1:20:27Speaker 1: are obliged to the performance of such duties public and private,
- 1:20:32Speaker 1: as do conduce to their mutual good both in the
- 1:20:36Speaker 1: inward and outward man. Two. Saints by profession are bound
- 1:20:44Speaker 1: to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship
- 1:20:48Speaker 1: of God, and in performing such other spiritual services as
- 1:20:53Speaker 1: tend to their mutual edification, as also in relieving each
- 1:20:58Speaker 1: other in outwarday things, according to their several abilities and necessities,
- 1:21:04Speaker 1: which communion, as God offers, opportunity is to be extended
- 1:21:09Speaker 1: unto all those who in every place call upon the
- 1:21:13Speaker 1: name of the Lord Jesus. S Three. This communion which
- 1:21:18Speaker 1: the saints have with Christ does not make them in
- 1:21:22Speaker 1: any wise partakers of the substance of His Godhead, or
- 1:21:27Speaker 1: to be equal with Christ in any respect, either of
- 1:21:31Speaker 1: which to affirm is impious and blasphemous. Nor does their
- 1:21:37Speaker 1: communion one with another as saints, take away or infringe
- 1:21:42Speaker 1: the title or propriety which each man has in his
- 1:21:46Speaker 1: goods and possessions. Chapter twenty seven of the Sacraments. One.
- 1:21:55Speaker 1: Sacraments are wholly signs and seals of the Covenant of Grace,
- 1:22:00Speaker 1: immediately instituted by God to represent Christ and his benefits,
- 1:22:06Speaker 1: and to confirm our interest in Him, as also to
- 1:22:11Speaker 1: put a visible difference between those that belong unto the
- 1:22:15Speaker 1: Church and the rest of the world, and solemnly to
- 1:22:19Speaker 1: engage them to the service of God in Christ according
- 1:22:23Speaker 1: to his word. Two. There is in every sacrament a
- 1:22:30Speaker 1: spiritual relation or sacramental union between the sign and the
- 1:22:35Speaker 1: thing signified, whence it comes to pass that the names
- 1:22:39Speaker 1: and effects of the one are attributed to the other. Three.
- 1:22:46Speaker 1: The grace which is exhibited in or by the sacraments
- 1:22:50Speaker 1: rightly used, is not conferred by any power in them.
- 1:22:55Speaker 1: Neither does the efficacy of a sacrament depend upon the
- 1:23:00Speaker 1: piety or intention of him that does administer it, but
- 1:23:05Speaker 1: upon the work of the Spirit and the word of institution,
- 1:23:09Speaker 1: which contains, together with a precept authorizing the use thereof
- 1:23:14Speaker 1: a promise of benefit to worthy receivers. Section four. There
- 1:23:19Speaker 1: are only two sacraments ordained by Christ, our Lord in
- 1:23:23Speaker 1: the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism and the Supper
- 1:23:28Speaker 1: of the Lord, neither of which may be dispensed by
- 1:23:31Speaker 1: any but by a minister of the Word lawfully ordained.
- 1:23:35Speaker 1: Section five. The sacraments of the Old Testament, in regard
- 1:23:40Speaker 1: to the spiritual things thereby signified and exhibited, were for
- 1:23:45Speaker 1: substance the same with those of the New Chapter twenty
- 1:23:51Speaker 1: eight of Baptism. One. Baptism is a sacrament of the
- 1:23:57Speaker 1: New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the
- 1:24:01Speaker 1: solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church,
- 1:24:06Speaker 1: but also to be unto him a sign and seal
- 1:24:09Speaker 1: of the covenant of grace, of his engrafting into Christ,
- 1:24:13Speaker 1: of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving
- 1:24:17Speaker 1: up unto God through Jesus Christ, to walk in the
- 1:24:21Speaker 1: newness of life, which sacrament is by Christ's own appointment,
- 1:24:27Speaker 1: to be continued in his church until the end of
- 1:24:30Speaker 1: the world. Two. The outward element to be used in
- 1:24:36Speaker 1: this sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be
- 1:24:40Speaker 1: baptized in the name of the Father and of the
- 1:24:43Speaker 1: Son and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of
- 1:24:46Speaker 1: the Gospel lawfully called thereunto. Three. Dipping of the person
- 1:24:51Speaker 1: into the water is not necessary, but baptism is rightly
- 1:24:55Speaker 1: administered by pouring or sprinkling water upon the person. Four.
- 1:25:01Speaker 1: Not only those that do actually profess faith in and
- 1:25:04Speaker 1: obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or
- 1:25:08Speaker 1: both believing parents are to be baptized. Five. Although it
- 1:25:15Speaker 1: is a great sin, to contemn or neglect this ordinance.
- 1:25:20Speaker 1: Yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it,
- 1:25:26Speaker 1: as that no person can be regenerated or saved without it,
- 1:25:31Speaker 1: or that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated. Six.
- 1:25:37Speaker 1: The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment
- 1:25:42Speaker 1: of time wherein it is administered. Yet notwithstanding, by the
- 1:25:47Speaker 1: right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not
- 1:25:51Speaker 1: only offered, but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy
- 1:25:55Speaker 1: Ghost to such whether of age or infants, as that
- 1:25:59Speaker 1: great belongs unto according to the Council of God's own
- 1:26:03Speaker 1: will in his appointed time. Seven, the sacrament of baptism
- 1:26:09Speaker 1: is but once to be administered unto any person. Chapter
- 1:26:14Speaker 1: twenty nine of The Lord's Supper one, our Lord Jesus,
- 1:26:22Speaker 1: in the night wherein he was betrayed, instituted the sacrament
- 1:26:26Speaker 1: of his body and blood, called the Lord's Supper, to
- 1:26:29Speaker 1: be observed in his church unto the end of the world,
- 1:26:32Speaker 1: for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of himself in
- 1:26:36Speaker 1: his death, the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers,
- 1:26:41Speaker 1: their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, their further engagement
- 1:26:46Speaker 1: in and two all duties which they owe unto Him,
- 1:26:50Speaker 1: and to be a bond and pledge of their communion
- 1:26:54Speaker 1: with Him and with each other as members of his
- 1:26:57Speaker 1: mystical body. Two. In this sacrament, Christ is not offered
- 1:27:03Speaker 1: up to his father, nor any real sacrifice made at
- 1:27:07Speaker 1: all for remission of sins of the quick or dead,
- 1:27:11Speaker 1: but only a commemoration of that one offering up of
- 1:27:14Speaker 1: himself by himself upon the cross once for all, and
- 1:27:19Speaker 1: a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for
- 1:27:24Speaker 1: the same. So that the popish sacrifice of the Mass,
- 1:27:29Speaker 1: as they call it, is most abominably injurious to Christ's
- 1:27:33Speaker 1: one only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for all the sins
- 1:27:38Speaker 1: of his elect Three. The Lord Jesus has in this
- 1:27:43Speaker 1: ordinance appointed his ministers to declare his word of institution
- 1:27:48Speaker 1: to the people to pray and bless the elements of
- 1:27:51Speaker 1: bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from
- 1:27:55Speaker 1: a common to an holy use, and to take and
- 1:27:59Speaker 1: break the bread, to take the cup, and they, communicating
- 1:28:02Speaker 1: also themselves, to give both to the communicants, but to
- 1:28:07Speaker 1: none who are not then present in the congregation, four
- 1:28:12Speaker 1: private masses, or receiving this sacrament by a priest or
- 1:28:17Speaker 1: any other alone. As likewise, the denial of the cup
- 1:28:21Speaker 1: to the people worshiping the elements, the lifting them up
- 1:28:25Speaker 1: or carrying them about for adoration, and the reserving them
- 1:28:29Speaker 1: for any pretended religious use, are all contrary to the
- 1:28:33Speaker 1: nature of this sacrament and to the institution of Christ. Five.
- 1:28:40Speaker 1: The outward elements in this sacrament, duly set apart to
- 1:28:44Speaker 1: the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation to Him
- 1:28:48Speaker 1: crucified as that truly yet sacramentally only. They are sometimes
- 1:28:54Speaker 1: called by the name of the things they represent, to wit,
- 1:28:57Speaker 1: the body and blood of Christ. Albeit in substance and
- 1:29:01Speaker 1: nature they still remain truly and only bread and wine
- 1:29:06Speaker 1: as they were before. Six. That doctrine which maintains a
- 1:29:12Speaker 1: change of the substance of bread and wine into the
- 1:29:15Speaker 1: substance of Christ's body and blood, commonly called transsubstantiation by
- 1:29:21Speaker 1: consecration of a priest or by any other way, is repugnant,
- 1:29:27Speaker 1: not to scripture alone, but even to common sense and reason,
- 1:29:32Speaker 1: overthrows the nature of the sacrament, and has been and
- 1:29:36Speaker 1: is the cause of manifold superstitions. Yes of gross idolatries. Seven,
- 1:29:44Speaker 1: worthy receivers outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this sacrament,
- 1:29:50Speaker 1: do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet
- 1:29:55Speaker 1: not carnally and corporeally, but spiritually received and feed upon
- 1:30:01Speaker 1: Christ crucified and all benefits of His death, the body
- 1:30:05Speaker 1: and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally
- 1:30:10Speaker 1: in with or under the bread and wine, yet as
- 1:30:14Speaker 1: really but spiritually present to the faith of believers in
- 1:30:17Speaker 1: that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses. Eight.
- 1:30:25Speaker 1: Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward elements in
- 1:30:29Speaker 1: this sacrament, yet they receive not the thing signified thereby,
- 1:30:34Speaker 1: but by their unworthy coming thereunto, are guilty of the
- 1:30:38Speaker 1: body and blood of the Lord, to their own damnation. Wherefore,
- 1:30:43Speaker 1: all ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to
- 1:30:47Speaker 1: enjoy communion with Him, so are they unworthy of the
- 1:30:50Speaker 1: Lord's table, and cannot, without great sin against Christ, while
- 1:30:54Speaker 1: they remain such partake of these holy mysteries, or be
- 1:30:58Speaker 1: admitted thereunto Chapter thirty of Church Censures. One. The Lord
- 1:31:07Speaker 1: Jesus as King and head of his Church has therein
- 1:31:11Speaker 1: appointed a government in the hand of church officers, distinct
- 1:31:15Speaker 1: from the civil magistrate. Two. To these officers, the keys
- 1:31:21Speaker 1: of the Kingdom of Heaven are committed by virtue, whereof
- 1:31:25Speaker 1: they have power, respectively, to retain and remit sins, to
- 1:31:29Speaker 1: shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the word
- 1:31:34Speaker 1: and censures, and to open it unto penitent sinners by
- 1:31:39Speaker 1: the ministry of the Gospel, and by absolution from censures,
- 1:31:43Speaker 1: as occasions shall require. Three, Church censures are necessary for
- 1:31:50Speaker 1: the reclaiming and gaining of offending brothers, for deterring of
- 1:31:55Speaker 1: others from the like offenses, for purging out of that
- 1:31:59Speaker 1: leaven which might infect the whole lump, for vindicating the
- 1:32:03Speaker 1: honor of Christ and the holy profession of the Gospel,
- 1:32:06Speaker 1: and for preventing the wrath of God which might justly
- 1:32:10Speaker 1: fall upon the Church, if they should suffer His covenant
- 1:32:13Speaker 1: and the seals thereof to be profaned by notorious and
- 1:32:17Speaker 1: obstinate offenders. Four. For the better attaining of these ends,
- 1:32:23Speaker 1: the officers of the Church are to proceed by admonition
- 1:32:27Speaker 1: suspension from the sacrament of the Lord's Supper for a season,
- 1:32:31Speaker 1: and by excommunication from the Church according to the nature
- 1:32:35Speaker 1: of the crime and demerit of the person. End of
- 1:32:39Speaker 1: Chapter thirty Chapter thirty one of Synods and Councils. One.
- 1:32:48Speaker 1: For the better government and further edification of the Church,
- 1:32:53Speaker 1: there ought to be such assemblies as are commonly called
- 1:32:57Speaker 1: synods or councils. Two, as magistrates may lawfully call a
- 1:33:03Speaker 1: senate of ministers and other fit persons to consult and
- 1:33:07Speaker 1: advise with about matters of religion. So if magistrates be
- 1:33:11Speaker 1: open enemies to the Church, the ministers of Christ of
- 1:33:15Speaker 1: themselves by virtue of their office, or they with other
- 1:33:18Speaker 1: fit persons upon delegation from their churches, may meet together
- 1:33:23Speaker 1: in such assemblies. Three. It belongs to synods and councils
- 1:33:30Speaker 1: ministerially to determine controversies of faith and cases of conscience,
- 1:33:37Speaker 1: to set down rules and directions for the better ordering
- 1:33:41Speaker 1: of the public worship of God and government of His Church,
- 1:33:45Speaker 1: to receive complaints in cases of maladministration, and authoritatively to
- 1:33:51Speaker 1: determine the same which decrees and determinations, if consonant to
- 1:33:57Speaker 1: the Word of God, are to be received with the
- 1:34:00Speaker 1: reverence and submission, not only for their agreement with the word,
- 1:34:05Speaker 1: but also for the power, whereby they are made as
- 1:34:08Speaker 1: being an ordinance of God, appointed thereunto in his word. Four.
- 1:34:14Speaker 1: All synods or councils since the Apostles times, whether general
- 1:34:19Speaker 1: or particular, may err, and many have aired. Therefore, they
- 1:34:24Speaker 1: are not to be made the rule of faith or practice,
- 1:34:28Speaker 1: but to be used as a help in both. Four
- 1:34:33Speaker 1: Synods and counsels are to handle or conclude nothing but
- 1:34:38Speaker 1: that which is ecclesiastical, and are not to intermeddle with
- 1:34:42Speaker 1: civil affairs which concern the commonwealth, unless by way of
- 1:34:46Speaker 1: humble petition in cases extraordinary, or by way of advice
- 1:34:51Speaker 1: for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by
- 1:34:56Speaker 1: the civil magistrate. Chapter thirty two of the State of
- 1:35:03Speaker 1: Men after Death and of the Resurrection of the Dead. One.
- 1:35:09Speaker 1: The bodies of men after death return to dust and
- 1:35:13Speaker 1: see corruption. But their souls, which neither die nor sleep,
- 1:35:18Speaker 1: having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God, who gave them.
- 1:35:23Speaker 1: The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness,
- 1:35:27Speaker 1: are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the
- 1:35:31Speaker 1: face of God in light and glory, waiting for the
- 1:35:35Speaker 1: full redemption of their bodies. And the souls of the
- 1:35:38Speaker 1: wicked are cast into Hell, where they remain in torments
- 1:35:42Speaker 1: and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the Great Day.
- 1:35:47Speaker 1: Beside these two places for souls separated from their bodies,
- 1:35:52Speaker 1: the scripture acknowledges none. Two. At the last Day, such
- 1:35:59Speaker 1: as are found alive shall not die, but be changed,
- 1:36:03Speaker 1: And all the dead shall be raised up with the
- 1:36:07Speaker 1: self same bodies, and none other, although with different qualities,
- 1:36:12Speaker 1: which shall be united again to their souls forever. Three
- 1:36:17Speaker 1: the bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ,
- 1:36:21Speaker 1: be raised to dishonor the bodies of the just by
- 1:36:25Speaker 1: His spirit unto honor, and be made conformable to his
- 1:36:29Speaker 1: own glorious body. Chapter thirty three of the Last Judgment. One,
- 1:36:39Speaker 1: God has appointed a day wherein He will judge the
- 1:36:43Speaker 1: world in righteousness, by Jesus Christ, to whom all power
- 1:36:48Speaker 1: and judgment is given of the Father. In which day,
- 1:36:53Speaker 1: not only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise
- 1:36:58Speaker 1: all persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before
- 1:37:01Speaker 1: the Tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words,
- 1:37:05Speaker 1: and deeds, and to receive according to what they have
- 1:37:09Speaker 1: done in the body, whether good or evil. Two. The
- 1:37:14Speaker 1: end of God's appointing this day is for the manifestation
- 1:37:20Speaker 1: of the glory of His mercy in the eternal salvation
- 1:37:23Speaker 1: of the elect, and of his justice in the damnation
- 1:37:26Speaker 1: of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient. For then
- 1:37:31Speaker 1: shall the righteous go into everlasting life and receive that
- 1:37:35Speaker 1: fullness of joy and refreshing which shall come from the
- 1:37:39Speaker 1: presence of the Lord. But the wicked, who know not
- 1:37:42Speaker 1: God and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, shall
- 1:37:47Speaker 1: be cast into eternal torments and be punished with everlasting
- 1:37:51Speaker 1: destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the
- 1:37:55Speaker 1: glory of his power. Three, as Christ would have to
- 1:38:00Speaker 1: be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment,
- 1:38:04Speaker 1: both to deter all men from sin and for the
- 1:38:08Speaker 1: greater consolation of the godly in their adversity, so will
- 1:38:12Speaker 1: He have that day unknown to men, that they may
- 1:38:16Speaker 1: shake off all carnal security and be always watchful, because
- 1:38:21Speaker 1: they know not at what hour the Lord will come,
- 1:38:25Speaker 1: and may be ever prepared to say, Come, Lord Jesus,
- 1:38:29Speaker 1: come quickly Amen. End of Chapter thirty three. End of
- 1:38:36Speaker 1: the Westminster Confession of Faith by Westminster Divines