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002 - Questions 6-90 · Westminster Larger Catechism

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Speaker 1: Section two of Westminster Larger Catechism. This is a LibriVox recording.
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Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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Speaker 1: by Chris Engelsmann, Westminster Larger Catechism by the Westminster Assembly.
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Speaker 1: What man ought to believe concerning God? Question six? What
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Speaker 1: do the scriptures make known of God? The scriptures make
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Speaker 1: known what God is, that persons in the Godhead, his decrees,
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Speaker 1: and the execution of His decrees. Question seven? What is God? Answer?
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Speaker 1: God is a spirit in and of himself, infinite in being, glory,
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Speaker 1: blessedness and perfection, all sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere, present, almighty,
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Speaker 1: knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful, ungracious,
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Speaker 1: long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Question eight
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Speaker 1: Are there more Gods than one? Answer? There is but one,
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Speaker 1: only the Living and True God. Question nine? How many
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Speaker 1: persons are there in the Godhead? Answer? There be three
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Speaker 1: persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the
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Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. And these three are one true eternal God,
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Speaker 1: the same in substance, equal in power and glory, although
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Speaker 1: distinguished by their personal properties. Question ten, What are the
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Speaker 1: personal properties of the three persons in the Godhead? Answer?
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Speaker 1: It is proper to the Father to beget the Son,
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Speaker 1: and to the Son to be begotten of the Father,
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Speaker 1: and to the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father
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Speaker 1: and the Son from all eternity. Question eleven, how doth
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Speaker 1: it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghost are
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Speaker 1: God equal with the Father? Answer? The scriptures manifest that
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Speaker 1: the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with
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Speaker 1: the Father, ascribing unto them such names, attributes, works in
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Speaker 1: worship as are proper to God only. Question twelve, What
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Speaker 1: are the decrees of God? Answer? God's decrees are the wise,
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Speaker 1: free and holy acts of the counsel of His will,
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Speaker 1: whereby from all eternity he hath for his own glory,
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Speaker 1: unchangeably foreordained. Whatsoever comes to pass in time, especially concerning
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Speaker 1: angels and men? Question thirteen. What hath God especially decreed
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Speaker 1: concerning angels and men? Answer? God, by an eternal and
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Speaker 1: immutable decree, out of his mere love for the praise
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Speaker 1: of his glorious grace to be manifested in due time,
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Speaker 1: hath elected some angels to glory and in Christ, hath
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Speaker 1: chosen some men to eternal life and the means thereof,
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Speaker 1: and also according to his sovereign power and the unsearchable
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Speaker 1: counsel of his own will, whereby he extendeth or withhold
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Speaker 1: his favor as he pleaseth. Hath passed by and foreordained
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Speaker 1: the rest to dishonor and wrath to be for their
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Speaker 1: sin inflicted to the praise of the glory of His justice.
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Speaker 1: Question fourteen, How doth God execute his decrees? Answer? God
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Speaker 1: executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence,
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Speaker 1: according to his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable
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Speaker 1: counsel of his own will. Question fifteen, what is the
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Speaker 1: work of creation? Answer? The work of creation is that
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Speaker 1: wherein God did, in the beginning, by the word of
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Speaker 1: his power, make of nothing the world and all things
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Speaker 1: therein for himself, within the space of six days, and
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Speaker 1: all very good. Question sixteen How did God create angels? Answer?
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Speaker 1: God created all the angel's spirits, immortal, holy, excelling in knowledge,
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Speaker 1: mighty in power, to execute his commandments and to praise
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Speaker 1: his name, yet subject to change. Question seventeen, How did
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Speaker 1: God create man? After God had made all other creatures.
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Speaker 1: He created man male and female form, the body of
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Speaker 1: the man of the dust of the ground, and the
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Speaker 1: woman of the rib of the man, and do them
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Speaker 1: with living, reasonable and immortal souls, made them after his
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Speaker 1: own image in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, having the law
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Speaker 1: of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfill it,
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Speaker 1: and dominion over the creatures, yet subject to fall. Question eighteen,
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Speaker 1: what are God's works of providence? Answer? God's works of
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Speaker 1: providence are His most holy, wise, and powerful, preserving and
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Speaker 1: governing all his creatures, ordering them and all their actions
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Speaker 1: to his own glory. Question nineteen, what is God's providence
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Speaker 1: towards the angels? Answer? God, by his providence permitted some
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Speaker 1: of the angels wilfully and irrecoverably to fall into sin
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Speaker 1: and damnation, limiting and ordering that and all their sins
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Speaker 1: to his own glory, and established the rest in holiness
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Speaker 1: and happiness, employing them all at his pleasure in the
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Speaker 1: administrations of his power, mercy, and justice. Question twenty, What
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Speaker 1: was the providence of God toward man in the estate
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Speaker 1: in which he was created? Answer? The providence of God
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Speaker 1: toward man in the estate in which he was created
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Speaker 1: was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it,
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Speaker 1: giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth,
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Speaker 1: putting the creatures under his dominion, and ordaining marriage for
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Speaker 1: his health, affording him communion with himself, instituting the Sabbath,
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Speaker 1: entering into a covenant of life with him upon condition
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Speaker 1: of perfect personal and perpetual obedience, of which the Tree
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Speaker 1: of Life was a pledge, and forbidding to eat of
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Speaker 1: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil upon
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Speaker 1: the pain of death. Question twenty one did man continue
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Speaker 1: in that estate wherein God at first created him? Answer
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Speaker 1: our first pearance. Being left to the freedom of their
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Speaker 1: own will, through the temptation of Satan, transgressed the commandment
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Speaker 1: of God and eating the forbidden fruit, and thereby fell
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Speaker 1: from the estate of innocency wherein they were created. Question
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Speaker 1: twenty two Did all mankind fall in that first transgression? Answer?
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Speaker 1: The covenant being made with Adam as a public person,
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Speaker 1: not for himself only, but for his posterity. All mankind
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Speaker 1: descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him and
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Speaker 1: fell with him in that first transgression. Question twenty three
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Speaker 1: into what estate did the fall bring mankind? Answer? The
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Speaker 1: fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.
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Speaker 1: Question twenty four What is sin? Answer? Sin is any
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Speaker 1: want of conformity unto or transgression of any law of
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Speaker 1: God given as a rule to the reasonable creature. Question
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Speaker 1: twenty five, wherein consisteth the sinfulness of that estate? Whereinto manfel?
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Speaker 1: Answer the sinfulness of that estate? Whereinto manfel consisteth in
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Speaker 1: the guilt of Adam's first sin, the want of that
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Speaker 1: righteousness wherein he was created, and the corruption of his nature,
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Speaker 1: whereby he is utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite unto
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Speaker 1: all all that is spiritually good and wholly inclined to
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Speaker 1: all evil, and that continually which is commonly called original sin,
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Speaker 1: and from which do precede all actual transgressions. Question twenty six,
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Speaker 1: How is original sin conveyed from our first parents unto
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Speaker 1: their posterity? Answer? Original sin is conveyed from our first
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Speaker 1: parents unto their posterity by natural generation, so as all
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Speaker 1: that proceed from them in that way are conceived and
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Speaker 1: born in sin. Question twenty seven What misery did the
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Speaker 1: Fall bring upon mankind? Answer? The fall brought upon mankind
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Speaker 1: the loss of communion with God. Is displazure and curse,
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Speaker 1: so as we are by nature children of wrath, bond
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Speaker 1: slaves to Satan, and justly liable to all punishments in
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Speaker 1: this world and that which is to come. Question twenty
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Speaker 1: eight What are the punishments of sin in this world? Answer?
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Speaker 1: The punishments of sin in this world are either inward
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Speaker 1: as blindness of mind, they reprobate sense, strong delusions, hardness
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Speaker 1: of heart, horror of conscience, and vile affections, or outward
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Speaker 1: as the curse of God upon the creatures for our
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Speaker 1: sakes and all other evils that befall us in our bodies, names, estates, relations,
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Speaker 1: and employments, together with death itself. Question twenty nine, what
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Speaker 1: are the punishments of sin in the world to come?
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Speaker 1: The punishments of sin in the world to come are
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Speaker 1: everlasting separation from the comfortable presence of God and most
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Speaker 1: grievous torments, and soul and body without intermission, and health,
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Speaker 1: fire forever. Question thirty doth God leave all mankind to
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Speaker 1: perish in the estate of sin and misery? Answer? God
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Speaker 1: doth not leave all men to perish in the estate
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Speaker 1: of sin and misery into which they felt by the
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Speaker 1: breach of the First Covenant, commonly called the Covenant of Works,
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Speaker 1: But of his mere love and mercy delivereth as he
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Speaker 1: left out of it, and bringeth them into an estate
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Speaker 1: of salvation by the Second Covenant, commonly call the Covenant
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Speaker 1: of Grace. Question thirty one with whom was the Covenant
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Speaker 1: of Grace made? Answer? The Covenant of Grace was made
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Speaker 1: with Christ as the second Dadam, and in him with
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Speaker 1: all the elect as his See question thirty two. How
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Speaker 1: is the grace of God manifested in the Second Covenant? Answer?
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Speaker 1: The grace of God is manifested in the Second Covenant
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Speaker 1: in that He freely provided an offereth to sinners, a
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Speaker 1: mediator and life and salvation by him, and requiring faith
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Speaker 1: as the condition to interest them in Him, promiseth and
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Speaker 1: giveth His Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work
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Speaker 1: in them that faith with all other saving graces, and
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Speaker 1: to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence
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Speaker 1: of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God,
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Speaker 1: and as the way which He hath appointed them to salvation.
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Speaker 1: Question thirty three. Was the Covenant of Grace always administered
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Speaker 1: after one in the same manner? Answer? The Covenant of
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Speaker 1: grace was not always administered after the same manner, but
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Speaker 1: the administrations of it under the Old Testament were different
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Speaker 1: from those under the New. Question thirty four, how was
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Speaker 1: the Covenant of Grace administered under the Old Testament? Answer?
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Speaker 1: The Covenant of Grace was administered under the Old Testament
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Speaker 1: by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the Passover, and other types
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Speaker 1: and ordinances which did all for signify Christ then to come,
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Speaker 1: and were for that time sufficient to build up the
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Speaker 1: elect in faith in the Promised Messiah, by whom they
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Speaker 1: then had full remission of sin and eternal salvation. Question
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Speaker 1: thirty five, how is the Covenant of Grace administered under
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Speaker 1: the New Testament? Answer? Under the New Testament, when Christ
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Speaker 1: the Substance was exhibited, the same Covenant of grace was
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Speaker 1: and still is to be administered in the preaching of
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Speaker 1: the Word and the administration of the sacraments of baptism
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Speaker 1: and the Lord's Supper, in which grace and salvation are
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Speaker 1: held forth in more fullness, evidence and efficacy to all nations.
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Speaker 1: Question thirty six, Who is the mediator of the Covenant
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Speaker 1: of Grace? Answer? The only mediator of the Covenant of
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Speaker 1: grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal
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Speaker 1: son of God of one substance and equal with the
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Speaker 1: Father in the fullness of time, became man, and so
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Speaker 1: was and continues to be God and Man in two
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Speaker 1: entire distinct natures and one person forever. Question thirty seven,
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Speaker 1: How did Christ, being the son of God, become man? Answer? Christ,
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Speaker 1: the Son of God, became man by taking to himself
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Speaker 1: a true body and a reasonable soul, being conceived by
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Speaker 1: the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of
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Speaker 1: the Virgin Mary, of her substance, and born of her,
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Speaker 1: yet without sin. Question thirty eight why was it requisite
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Speaker 1: that the mediator should be God? Answer? It was requisite
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Speaker 1: that the mediator should be God, that he might sustain
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Speaker 1: and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite
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Speaker 1: wrath of God and the power of death. Give worth
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Speaker 1: and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience and intercession, and to
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Speaker 1: satisfy God's justice, procure his favor, purchase a peculiar people,
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Speaker 1: give His spirit to them, conquer all their enemies, and
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Speaker 1: bring them to everlasting salvation. Question thirty nine, why was
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Speaker 1: it requisite that the mediator should be Man? Answer? It
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Speaker 1: was requisite that the mediator should be man, that he
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Speaker 1: might advance our nature, perform obedience to the law, suffer,
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Speaker 1: and make intercession for us in our nature, have a
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Speaker 1: foul feeling of our infirmities, that we might receive the
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Speaker 1: adoption of sons, and have comfort and access with boldness
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Speaker 1: unto the throne of grace. Question forty Why was it
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Speaker 1: requisite that the mediator should be God and Man in
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Speaker 1: one person? Answer? It was requisite that the mediator who
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Speaker 1: was to reconcile God and man, should himself be both
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Speaker 1: God and Man, and this in one person, that the
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Speaker 1: proper works of each nature might be accepted of God
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Speaker 1: for us, and relied on by us as the works
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Speaker 1: of the whole person. Question forty one. Why was our
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Speaker 1: mediator called Jesus? Our mediator was called Jesus because he
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Speaker 1: saveth his people from their sins. Question forty two Why
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Speaker 1: was our mediator called Christ? Answer? Our mediator was called
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Speaker 1: Christ because he was anointed with the Holy Ghost above measure,
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Speaker 1: and so set apart and fully furnished with all authority
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Speaker 1: and ability to execute the offices of prophet, priest and
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Speaker 1: king of his church in the estate both of his
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Speaker 1: humiliation and exaltation. Question forty three. How does Christ execute
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Speaker 1: the office of a prophet? Answer? Christ executeth the office
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Speaker 1: of a prophet in his revealing to the Church in
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Speaker 1: all ages, by his spirit and word, in divers ways
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Speaker 1: of administration the whole will of God, in all things
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Speaker 1: concerning their edification and salvation. Question forty four, How does
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Speaker 1: Christ execute the office of a priest? Answer? Christ executeth
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Speaker 1: the office of a priest and his once offering himself
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Speaker 1: a sacrifice without spot to God to be a reconciliation
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Speaker 1: for the sins of the people, and in making continual
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Speaker 1: intercessions for them. Question forty five, How does Christ execute
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Speaker 1: the office of a king? Answer? Christ executeth the office
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Speaker 1: of a king, and calling out of the world a
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Speaker 1: people to himself, and giving them officers, laws and censures
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Speaker 1: by which He visibly governs them, in bestowing saving grace
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Speaker 1: upon His elect rewarding their obedience and correcting them for
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Speaker 1: their sins, preserving and supporting them under all their temptations
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Speaker 1: and sufferings, restraining and overcoming all their enemies, and powerfully
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Speaker 1: ordering all things for His own glory and their good.
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Speaker 1: And also in taking vengeance on the rest who know
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Speaker 1: not God be not the Gospel. Question forty six, what
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Speaker 1: was the estate of Christ's humiliation? Answer? The estate of
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Speaker 1: Christ's humiliation was that low condition, wherein he, for our sakes,
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Speaker 1: emptying himself of his glory, took upon him the form
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Speaker 1: of a servant in his conception and birth, life, death,
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Speaker 1: and after his death until his resurrection. Question forty seven,
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Speaker 1: how did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth? Answer?
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Speaker 1: Christ humbled himself in his conception and birth in that
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Speaker 1: being from all eternity the son of God, in the
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Speaker 1: bosom of the Father. He was pleased in the fullness
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Speaker 1: of time to become the son of Man, made of
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Speaker 1: a woman of low estate, and to be born of
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Speaker 1: her with divers circumstances of more than ordinary abasement. Question
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Speaker 1: forty eight how did Christ humble himself in his life? Answer?
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Speaker 1: Christ humbled himself in his life by subjecting himself to
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Speaker 1: the law, which he fulfilled, and by conflicting with the
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Speaker 1: indignities of the world, temptations of Satan, and infirmities in
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Speaker 1: his flesh, whether common to the nature of man or
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Speaker 1: particularly accompanying that his low condition. Question forty nine, how
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Speaker 1: did Christ humble himself in his death? Answer? Christ humbled
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Speaker 1: himself in his death in that, having been betrayed by Judas,
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Speaker 1: forsaken by his disciples, scorned and rejected by the world,
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Speaker 1: condemned by Pilate, and tormented by his persecutors, Having also
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Speaker 1: conflicted with the terrors of death and the powers of darkness,
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Speaker 1: felt and borne the weight of God's wrath, he laid
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Speaker 1: down his life in offering for sin, enduring the painful, shameful,
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Speaker 1: and cursed death of the Cross. Question fifty wherein consisted
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Speaker 1: Christ's humiliation after his death? Answer? Christ's humiliation after his
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Speaker 1: death consisted in his being buried and continuing in the
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Speaker 1: state of the dead and under the power of death
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Speaker 1: till the third day, which hath been otherwise expressed in
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Speaker 1: these words, he descended into hell. Question fifty one, What
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Speaker 1: was the estate of Christ's exaltation? Answer? The estate of
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Speaker 1: Christ's exaltation comprehendeth his resurrection, ascension sitting at the right
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Speaker 1: hand of the Father, and his coming again to judge
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Speaker 1: the world. Question fifty two, how was Christ exalted in
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Speaker 1: his resurrection? Answer? Christ was exalted in his resurrection in that,
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Speaker 1: not having seen corruption in death, of which it was
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Speaker 1: not possible for him to be held, and having the
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Speaker 1: very same body in which he suffered, with the essential
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Speaker 1: properties thereof, but without mortality and other common infirmities belonging
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Speaker 1: to this life. Really united to his soul, he rose
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Speaker 1: again from the dead the third day by his own power,
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Speaker 1: whereby he declared himself to be the Son of God,
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Speaker 1: to have satisfied divine justice, to have vanquished death and
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Speaker 1: him that had the power of it, and to be
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Speaker 1: lord of quick end debt, all of which he did
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Speaker 1: as a public person the head of his church, for
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Speaker 1: the justification, quickening in grace, support against enemies, and to
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Speaker 1: assure them of their resurrection from the dead at the
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Speaker 1: last day. Question fifty three, How was Christ exulted in
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Speaker 1: his ascension? Answer? Christ was exalted in his ascension in that,
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Speaker 1: having after his resurrection, often appeared unto and conversed with
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Speaker 1: his apostles, speaking to them of the things pertaining to
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Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God, and giving them commission to preach
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Speaker 1: the Gospel to all nations. Forty days after his resurrection, he,
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Speaker 1: in our nature and as our Head, triumphing over his enemies,
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Speaker 1: visibly went up into the highest heavens, there to receive
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Speaker 1: gifts for men to raise up our affections thither and
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Speaker 1: to prepare a place for us where himself is, and
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Speaker 1: shall continue till his second coming at the end of
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Speaker 1: the world. Question fifty four, how is Christ exts in
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Speaker 1: his sitting at the right hand of God? Answer? Christ
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Speaker 1: is exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God,
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Speaker 1: in that as God Man, he is advanced to the
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Speaker 1: highest favor with God the Father, with all fullness of joy, glory,
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Speaker 1: and power over all things in heaven and earth, And
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Speaker 1: doth gather and defend his church and subdue their enemies.
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Speaker 1: Furnisheth his ministers and people with gifts and graces, and
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Speaker 1: maketh intercession for them. Question fifty five How doth Christ
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Speaker 1: make intercession? Answer? Christ maketh intercession by his appearing in
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Speaker 1: our nature continually before the Father in Heaven, in the
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Speaker 1: merit of his obedience and a sacrifice on earth, declaring
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Speaker 1: his will to have it applied to all believers, answering
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Speaker 1: all accusations against them, and procuring for them quiet of conscience,
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Speaker 1: notwithstanding daily failings, access with boldness to the Throne of grace,
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Speaker 1: and acceptance of their persons and services. Question fifty six
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Speaker 1: how is Christ to be exalted in his comfort again
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Speaker 1: to judge the world. Answer. Christ is to be exalted
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Speaker 1: in his coming again to judge the world in that
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Speaker 1: He who was unjustly judged and condemned by wicked men,
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Speaker 1: shall come again at the last day in great power
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Speaker 1: and in the full manifestation of his own glory and
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Speaker 1: of his fathers, with all his holy angels, with a shout,
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Speaker 1: with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet
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Speaker 1: of God, to judge the world in righteousness. Question fifty
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Speaker 1: seven What benefits hath Christ procured by his mediation? Answer? Christ,
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Speaker 1: by his mediation, hath procured redemption with all other benefits
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Speaker 1: of the Covenant of grace. Question fifty eight, How do
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Speaker 1: we come to be made partakers of the benefits which
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Speaker 1: Christ hath procured? Answer? We are made partakers of the
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Speaker 1: benefits which Christ hath procured by the application of them
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Speaker 1: unto us, which is the work especially of God the
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Speaker 1: Holy Ghost. Question fifty nine, Who are made otakers of
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Speaker 1: redemption through Christ? Answer? Redemption is certainly applied and effectually
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Speaker 1: communicated to all those for whom Christ has purchased it,
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Speaker 1: who are, in time by the Holy Ghost enabled to
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Speaker 1: believe in Christ according to the gospel. Question sixty Can
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Speaker 1: they who have never heard the Gospel and so know
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Speaker 1: not Jesus Christ nor believe in him, be saved by
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Speaker 1: their living according to the light of nature? Answer? They
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Speaker 1: who having never heard the Gospel, know not Jesus Christ
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Speaker 1: and believe not in him, cannot be saved. Be they
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Speaker 1: never so diligent to frame their lives according to the
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Speaker 1: light of nature or the laws of that religion which
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Speaker 1: they profess. Neither is there salvation in any other but
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Speaker 1: in Christ alone, who is the savior only of his
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Speaker 1: body the Church. Question sixty one, are all they saved
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Speaker 1: to hear the Gospel and live in the church? Answer?
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Speaker 1: All that hear the Gospel and live in the Visible
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Speaker 1: Church are not saved. But they only who are true
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Speaker 1: members of the Church invisible. Question sixty two, What is
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Speaker 1: the Visible Church? Answer? The Visible Church is a society
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Speaker 1: made up of all such as in all ages and
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Speaker 1: places of the world, who profess the true religion, and
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Speaker 1: of their children. Question sixty three, What are the special
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Speaker 1: privileges of the Visible Church? Answer? The Visible Church hath
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Speaker 1: the privilege of being under God's special care and government,
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Speaker 1: of being protected and preserved in all ages, notwithstanding the
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Speaker 1: opposition of all enemies, and of enjoying the communion of saints,
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Speaker 1: the ordinary means of salvation and offers of grace by
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Speaker 1: Christ to all the members of it in the ministry
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Speaker 1: of the Gospel, testifying that whosoever believes in Him shall
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Speaker 1: be saved, and excluding none that will come unto Him.
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Speaker 1: Question sixty four, what is the invisible Church? Answer? The
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Speaker 1: invisible Church is the whole number of the elect that
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Speaker 1: have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under
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Speaker 1: Christ the head. Question sixty five What special benefits do
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Speaker 1: the members of the invisible Church enjoy by Christ? Answer?
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Speaker 1: The members of the Invisible Church of Christ enjoy union
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Speaker 1: and communion with Him in grace and glory. Question sixty six,
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Speaker 1: what is that union which the elects have with Christ? Answer?
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Speaker 1: The union which the elect have with Christ is the
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Speaker 1: work of God's grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically,
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Speaker 1: yet really and inseparably joined to Christ as their head
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Speaker 1: and husband, which is done in their effectual calling. Question
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Speaker 1: sixty seven what is effectual calling? Answer? Effectual calling is
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Speaker 1: the work of God's almighty power and grace, whereby, out
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Speaker 1: of his free and special love to his elect and
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Speaker 1: from nothing in them moving him there unto he doth,
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Speaker 1: in his accepted time invite and draw them to Jesus Christ,
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Speaker 1: by his word and spirit, savingly enlightening their minds, renewing
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Speaker 1: and powerfully determining their wills, so as they, although in
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Speaker 1: themselves dead and sin, are hereby made willing and able
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Speaker 1: freely to answer His call and to accept and embrace
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Speaker 1: the grace offered and conveyed Therein question sixty eight, are
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Speaker 1: the elect only effectually called? Answer all the elect, and
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Speaker 1: they only are effectually called, although others may be and
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Speaker 1: often are outwardly called by the ministry of the Word,
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Speaker 1: and have some common operations of the spirit, Who, for
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Speaker 1: their wilful neglect and contempt of the grace offered to them,
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Speaker 1: being justly left in their unbelief, do never truly come
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Speaker 1: to Jesus Christ. Question sixty nine, What is the communion
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Speaker 1: in grace which the members of the invisible Church have
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Speaker 1: with Christ? Answer? The communion in grace which the members
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Speaker 1: of the invisible Church have with Christ is their partaking
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Speaker 1: of the virtue of His mediation in their justification, adoption, sanctification,
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Speaker 1: and whatever else In this life manifest their union with Him.
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Speaker 1: Question seventy what is justification? Answer? Justification is an act
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Speaker 1: of God's free grace unto sinners, in which He pardoneth
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Speaker 1: all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in
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Speaker 1: his sight, not for anything wrought in them or done
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Speaker 1: by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full
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Speaker 1: satisfaction of Christ by God, imputed to them and received
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Speaker 1: by faith alone. Question seventy one, how is justification and
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Speaker 1: act of God's free grace? Answer? Although Christ, by his
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Speaker 1: obedience and death did make a proper, real and full
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Speaker 1: satisfaction to God's justice in the behalf of them that
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Speaker 1: are justified. Yet inasmuch as God accepteth the satisfaction from
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Speaker 1: a surety which He might have demanded of them, and
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Speaker 1: did provide this surety his only son, imputing his righteousness
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Speaker 1: to them, and requiring nothing of them for their justification,
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Speaker 1: but faith, which also is His gift, their justification to
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Speaker 1: them is of free grace. Question seventy two, what is
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Speaker 1: justifying faith? Answer? Justifying faith is a saving grace wrought
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Speaker 1: in the heart of a sinner by the spirit and
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Speaker 1: word of God, whereby he being convinced of his sin
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Speaker 1: and misery, and of the disability in himself and all
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Speaker 1: other creatures, to recover him out of his lost condition.
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Speaker 1: Not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of
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Speaker 1: the Gospel, but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his
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Speaker 1: righteousness therein health forth for pardon of sin, and for
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Speaker 1: the accepting an accounting of his person righteous in the
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Speaker 1: sight of God for salvation. Question seventy three, How doth
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Speaker 1: faith justify a sinner in the sight of God? Answer?
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Speaker 1: Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not
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Speaker 1: because of those other graces which do always accompany it,
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Speaker 1: or of good works that are the fruits of it,
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Speaker 1: nor as if the grace of faith or any actor
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Speaker 1: of were imputed to him for his justification, but only
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Speaker 1: as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and
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Speaker 1: applieth Christ and his righteousness. Question seventy four, What is adoption? Answer?
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Speaker 1: Adoption is an act of the free grace of God
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Speaker 1: in and for his only son, Jesus Christ, whereby all
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Speaker 1: those that are justified are received into the number of
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Speaker 1: his children, have His name put upon them, the spirit
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Speaker 1: of his Son given to them, are under his fatherly
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Speaker 1: care and dispensations admitted to all the liberties and privileges
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Speaker 1: of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises,
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Speaker 1: and fellow heirs with Christ and Bory. Question seventy five
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Speaker 1: what is sanctification? Answer? Sanctification is a work of God's grace,
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Speaker 1: whereby they whom God hath before the foundation of the
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Speaker 1: world chosen to be holy, are in time, through the
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Speaker 1: powerful operation of His Spirit, applying the death and resurrection
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Speaker 1: of christo them renewed in their whole man after the
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Speaker 1: image of God, having the seeds of repentance unto life
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Speaker 1: and all other saving graces put into their hearts, and
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Speaker 1: those graces so stirred up, increased and strengthened, as that
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Speaker 1: they more and more die into sin and rise unto
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Speaker 1: newness of life. Question seventy six, what is repentance unto life? Answer?
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Speaker 1: Repentance unto life is a saving grace wrought in the
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Speaker 1: heart of a sinner by the spirit and word of God,
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Speaker 1: whereby out of the sight and sense not only of
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Speaker 1: the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of
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Speaker 1: his sins, and upon the apprehension of God's mercy in Christ,
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Speaker 1: to such as are penitent. He so grevees for and
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Speaker 1: hates his sins, as that he turns from them all
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Speaker 1: to God, purposing and endeavoring constantly to walk with Him
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Speaker 1: in all the ways of new obedience. Question seventy seven,
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Speaker 1: wherein do justification and sanctification differ? Answer? Although sanctification be
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Speaker 1: inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ in that God,
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Speaker 1: in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ. In sanctification, his
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Speaker 1: spirit infuseth grace and enableth to the exercise thereof. In
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Speaker 1: the former, sin is pardoned. In the other it is subdued.
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Speaker 1: The one doth equally free all believers from the revenging
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Speaker 1: wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that
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Speaker 1: they never fall into condemnation. The other is neither equal
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Speaker 1: in all, nor in this life, perfect in any but
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Speaker 1: growing up to perfection. Question seventy eight. Whence ariseth the
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Speaker 1: imperfection of sanctification in believers? Answer? The imperfection of sanctification
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Speaker 1: in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in
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Speaker 1: every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the
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Speaker 1: flesh against the Spirit, whereby they are often foiled with
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Speaker 1: temptations and fall into many sins, are hindered in all
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Speaker 1: their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and
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Speaker 1: defiled in the sight of God. Question seventy nine. May
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Speaker 1: not true believers, by reason of their imperfections and the
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Speaker 1: many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away
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Speaker 1: from the state of grace? Answer? True believers, by reason
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Speaker 1: of the unchangeable love of God and His decree and
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Speaker 1: covenant to give them perseverance, their insuperable union with Christ,
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Speaker 1: his continual intercession for them, and the spear and seed
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Speaker 1: of God abiding in them, can neither totally nor finally
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Speaker 1: fall away from the state of grace, but are kept
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Speaker 1: by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Question eighty,
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Speaker 1: can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in
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Speaker 1: the estate of grace and that they shall persevere therein
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Speaker 1: unto salvation? Answer, such as truly believe in Christ and
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Speaker 1: endeavor to walk in all good conscience before Him may
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Speaker 1: without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of
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Speaker 1: God's promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern
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Speaker 1: in themselves those graces to which the promises of life
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Speaker 1: are made and bearing witness with their spirits that they
31:08
Speaker 1: are the children of God, be infallibly assured that they
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Speaker 1: are in the estate of grace and shall persevere therein
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Speaker 1: unto salvation. Question eighty one, Are all true believers at
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Speaker 1: all times assured of their present being in the estate
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Speaker 1: of grace and that they shall be saved? Answer? Assurance
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Speaker 1: of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith,
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Speaker 1: true believers may wait long before they obtain it, and
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Speaker 1: after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and are
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Speaker 1: intermitted through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions. Yet are
31:42
Speaker 1: they never left without such a presence in support of
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Speaker 1: the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into
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Speaker 1: utter despair? Question eighty two, what is the communion in
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Speaker 1: glory which the members of the Invisible Church have with Christ? Answer?
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Speaker 1: The communion in glory which the members of the Invisible
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Speaker 1: Church have with Christ is in this life, immediately after death,
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Speaker 1: and at last perfected at the resurrection and day of Judgment.
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Speaker 1: Question eighty three, What is the communion in glory with
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Speaker 1: Christ which the members of the Invisible Church enjoy in
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Speaker 1: this life? Answer? The members of the invisible Church have
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Speaker 1: communicated to them in this life the first fruits of
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Speaker 1: glory with Christ. As they are members of Him their head,
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Speaker 1: and so in Him are interested in that glory which
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Speaker 1: he is fully possessed of, and as in earnest thereof
32:34
Speaker 1: enjoy the sense of God's love, peace of conscience, joy
32:37
Speaker 1: in the Holy Ghost, and hope of glory. As on
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Speaker 1: the contrary, sense of God's revenging. Wrath, horror of conscience,
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Speaker 1: and a fearful expectation of judgment are to the wicked
32:46
Speaker 1: the beginning of their torments which they shall endure after death.
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Speaker 1: Question eighty four shall all men die? Answer? Death being
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Speaker 1: threatened as the wages of sin, it is a points
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Speaker 1: down to all men once to die, for that all
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Speaker 1: have sinned. Question eighty five death being the wages of sin,
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Speaker 1: why are not the righteous delivered from death? Seeing all
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Speaker 1: their sins are forgiven in Christ? Answer? The righteous shall
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Speaker 1: be delivered from death itself at the last day, and
33:18
Speaker 1: even in death are delivered from the sting and curse
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Speaker 1: of it, So that although they die, yet it is
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Speaker 1: out of God's love to free them perfectly from sin
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Speaker 1: and misery, and to make them capable of further communion
33:30
Speaker 1: with Christ in glory, which they then enter upon. Question
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Speaker 1: eighty six, What is the communion in glory with Christ
33:38
Speaker 1: which the members of the Invisible Church and joy immediately
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Speaker 1: after death? Answer? The communion in glory with Christ which
33:46
Speaker 1: the members of the Invisible Church and enjoy immediately after death,
33:50
Speaker 1: is in that their souls are then made perfect in
33:52
Speaker 1: holiness and receive into the highest heavens, where they behold
33:56
Speaker 1: the face of God and light and glory, waiting for
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Speaker 1: the full redayemption of their bodies, which even in death
34:02
Speaker 1: continue united to Christ and rest in their graves as
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Speaker 1: in their beds, till out the last day they be
34:08
Speaker 1: again united to their souls, whereas the souls of the
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Speaker 1: wicked are at their death cast into hell, or they
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Speaker 1: remain in torments and utter darkness, and their bodies kept
34:17
Speaker 1: in their graves as in their prisons, till the resurrection
34:20
Speaker 1: and judgment of the Great Day. Question eighty seven, What
34:25
Speaker 1: are we to believe concerning the resurrection? Answer? We are
34:30
Speaker 1: to believe that at the last Day there shall be
34:32
Speaker 1: a general resurrection of the dead, built up the just
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Speaker 1: and unjust. When they that are then found alive shall
34:37
Speaker 1: in a moment be changed, and the self same bodies
34:40
Speaker 1: of the dead, which were laid in the grave, being
34:42
Speaker 1: then again united to their souls forever shall be raised
34:45
Speaker 1: up by the power of Christ. The bodies of the just,
34:48
Speaker 1: by the spirit of Christ, and by virtue of His
34:50
Speaker 1: resurrection as their head, shall be raised in power, spiritual, incorruptible,
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Speaker 1: and made light to His glorious body. And the bodies
34:58
Speaker 1: of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonor by
35:00
Speaker 1: Him as an offended judge. Question eighty eight, What shall
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Speaker 1: immediately follow after the resurrection? Immediately after the resurrection shall
35:11
Speaker 1: follow the general and final judgment of angels and men,
35:14
Speaker 1: the day and hour whereof no man knoweth, that all
35:17
Speaker 1: may watch and pray, and be ever ready for the
35:19
Speaker 1: coming of the Lord. Question eighty nine, What shall be
35:24
Speaker 1: done to the wicked at the day of judgment? Answer?
35:28
Speaker 1: At the day of judgment, the wicked shall be set
35:30
Speaker 1: on Christ's left hand, and upon clear evidence and full
35:33
Speaker 1: conviction of their own consciences, shall have the fearful but
35:37
Speaker 1: just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them, and thereupon shall
35:40
Speaker 1: be cast out from the favorable presence of God and
35:43
Speaker 1: the glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all His
35:46
Speaker 1: holy angels into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments,
35:49
Speaker 1: both of body and soul, with the devil and his
35:51
Speaker 1: angels forever. Question ninety, what shall be done to the
35:56
Speaker 1: righteous at the day of Judgment? At the day of Judgment,
36:00
Speaker 1: the righteous, being caught up to Christ and the clouds
36:02
Speaker 1: shall be set on his right hand, and there openly
36:04
Speaker 1: acknowledged and acquitted, shall join with Him in the judging
36:08
Speaker 1: of reprobate angels and men, and shall be received into Heaven,
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Speaker 1: where they shall be fully and forever freed from all
36:14
Speaker 1: sin and misery, filled with inconceivable joys, made perfectly holy
36:18
Speaker 1: and happy, both in body and soul, in the company
36:21
Speaker 1: of innumerable saints and holy angels, but especially in the
36:25
Speaker 1: immediate vision and fruition of God, the Father of our Lord,
36:28
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit to all eternity.
36:32
Speaker 1: And this is the perfect and full communion which the
36:35
Speaker 1: members of the Invisible Church shall enjoy with Christ in
36:37
Speaker 1: glory at the resurrection and day of Judgment. End of
36:43
Speaker 1: Section two.