(With love.) What are we to receive with faith and love? (The word of God.)

EXPLANATIONS.

Attend thereunto, Apply the mind to know and understand its truths.

Diligence, Anxious and persevering industry.

Preparation, Having the mind and affections put in a proper frame beforehand.

Prayer, Requesting that God would enable us to understand, believe, and obey it.

Receive it, Accept of its conditions and promises as made

to us.

Faith, A firm belief, that all that which it reveals is truth and the word of God

Love, With grateful affection, because of our interest in its truths and promises, and the kindness of God its author.

Lay it up in our hearts, Search out these truths, commit them to memory, and meditate upon them. Practise it in our lives, Do all that which they require of us in our particular stations, and intercourse with the world.

PARAPHRASE FORMED.

That the word may become effectual to salvation, we must [apply the mind to know and understand its truths,] with [anxious and persevering industry,] [hav. ing the mind and affections put in a proper frame before hand,] and [requesting that God would enable us to understand, believe, and obey it,] [accept of its conditions and promises as made to us,] with [a firm belief, that all that which it reveals is truth and the word of God,] and [with grateful affection, because of our interest in its truths and promises, and the kindness of Ged its auhor,] [search out these truths, commit them to memory, and meditate upon them,] and [do all that which they require of us in our particular stations, and intercourse with the world.

DOCTRINES SEPARATED AND PROVED.

403. The word of God must be attended to, and under. stood.-Acts viii. 30. Understandest thou what thou readest.

404. The word of God must be attended to with dili gence.-Acts xvii. 11. And searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.

405. The word of God must be attended to with preparation.-James i. 21. Lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

406. The word of God must be attended to in the exercise of prayer.—Psal. cxix. 18. Open thou mine 'eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

407. The word of God must be received with faith. 1 Thess. ii. 13. For this cause also thank we God, without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth,) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

408. The word of God must be received with love. Psal. cxix. 97. O how love I thy law !

409. The word of God must be meditated upon.-Col. iii. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all

wisdom.

410. The word of God must be laid up in the heart.Deut. xi. 18. Ye shall lay up these my words in your heart, and in your soul.

411. The truths of the word must be reduced to practice in our lives. James i. 22. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

91.

Q. 91. How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?

A. The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but

only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them.

EXERCISE.

What become effectual means of salvation? Of what do the sacraments become effectual means? What is it in the sacraments which does not render them effectual to salvation? (It is not any virtue in them.) Virtue in what? What is it in the person administering the sacraments which does not render them effectual? (It is not any virtue in the person who administers them.) Virtue in whom? What does this virtue in the sacraments, or in the person who administers them, not do? (It does not rende them effectual.) What does render the sacraments effectual? (The blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit.) Whose blessing renders the sacraments effectual? What does the blessing of Christ do? (It renders the sacraments effectual.) Whose working renders the sacraments effectual? (The Spirit's.) Whose Spirit renders the sacraments effectual? (Christ's Spirit.) What does the working of the Spirit do? (Renders the sacraments effectual.) What renders the sacrements effectual besides the working of the Spirit o Christ? (The blessing of Christ.) In whom do the bless ing and Spirit of Christ make the sacraments effectual to salvation? (In those who by faith receive them) By what should the sacraments be received? (By faith.) What should be received by faith? (The sacraments.) Of what are the sacraments an effectual mean to those who receive them by faith?

How many things are here stated, by which the sacraments are not rendered effectual? (Two.) What is the first thing here stated, by which the sacraments are not made effectual? (Virtue in themselves.) What is the second? (Virtue in the person administering them.) How many things are here stated as rendering the sacraments 6.tual means of salvation? (Two.) What is the first thing here stated as rendering the sacra

ments effectual? (The blessing of Christ.) What is e second? (The working of Christ's Spirit.)

EXPLANATIONS.

The sacraments, Those ordinances in which we bind ourselves by an oath to be the Lord's.

Virtue in them, Moral excellence, power, or efficacy, which they possess in their own nature.

Him that doth administer them, The person who performs the ceremony, or dispenses the elements used in the

sacraments.

The working of his Spirit, Effects produced on the understanding and heart by the Holy Spirit.

Receive them, Are the subjects of baptism, or who partake of the Lord's supper.

PARAPHRASE FORMED:

[Those ordinances in which we bind ourselves by an oath to be the Lord's,] become effectual means of salvation, not from any [moral excellence, power, or efficacy, which they possess in their own nature,] or in [the person who performs the ceremony, or dispenses the elements used in the sacraments ;] but only by the blessing of Christ, and the [effects produced on the understanding and heart by the Holy Spirit] in them that by faith [are the subjects of baptism, or who partake of the Lord's supper.]

DOCTRINES SEPARATED AND PROVED.

412. The sacraments possess no virtue in themselves. Acts viii. 13, 23. Simon himself believed also, and was baptised. But Peter said unto him-I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

413. The sacraments are not rendered effectual by e virtue in the person administering them.1 Cor. iii, Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

414. The Sacraments are rendered effectual by the blessing of Christ.-Matt. iii. 11. He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

415. The sacraments are made effectual by the operation of the Spirit of God.-John vi. 63. It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.

416. The sacraments become effectual to those only who receive them by faith.-Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved.

92.

Q. 92. What is a sacrament ?

A. A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.

EXERCISE.

What is a sacrament here said to be? What kind of an ordinance is a sacrament here said to be? What is here said to be an holy ordinance? By whom were the sacraments instituted? What did Christ do? What were instituted by Christ? What are represented in the sacraments? (Christ and the benefits of the new covenant.) In what are Christ and the benefits of the new covenant represented? (In the sacraments.) By what are Christ and the benefits of the new covenant represented in the sacraments? (By sensible signs.) By what kind of signs are Christ and the benefits of the new covenant represented in the sacraments? (By sensible signs.) What is done in the sacraments by sensible signs? (Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied.) What are represented, sealed, and applied in the sacraments? (Christ and the benefits of the new covenant.) To whom are Christ and the benefits of the new covenant represented, sealed, and applied? (To believers.)

How many things are represented, sealed, and applied in the sacraments? (Two.) What is the first thing here said to be represented, sealed, and applied in the sacraments? (Christ himself.) What is the se