2. Things Good are the Objects of
the Will.

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3. Things Practical are the Objects of
our Active Power.

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Q. And what are our final Acts with respect
to those Objects? Are they not these three in ge-
neral, viz. Faith, Love, and Obedience ?
A. Yes. For

1. Faith or Divine Knowledge is the
Perfection of Man's Intellect.

2. Love or Holiness is the Perfection of

Mans Will.

3. Obedience or right Practice is the Perfection of his Active Power.1

Q. And do the Summaries aforesaid direct you to those Perfections?

A. Yes. The Objects and right Order of them to these Perfections. our Faith, Love, and Practice, are here prescribed to us, in order to these Ends; even to know, love, and practise them, as we ought. The Objects tell us what the Acts should be.

Q. But more particularly, Does not the Creed direct the Intellect to a right Belief or Knowledge?

A. Yes. For it shews us the main Objects and rightOrder of our Belief, even to believe

1. In God the Father, as the Creator of all things.

2. In God the Son, as the Redeemer of all Men.

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3. In God the Holy Ghost, as the Sanctifier or Regenerator of the Elect.

B 4

Q. Does

1

1

The Sum of the whole Catechism.

Q. Does not the Lord's Prayer direct the Will

to Divine Love or Holiness?

A. Yes. For it shews us the right Objects and Order of our Desires, even to defire and feek

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1. God's Glory, as the supremeand chiefest Good, and

2. The Good of Men, in a subordinate

Q. And does the Law direct our Life to a

true and obedient Practice?

A १४

A. Yes. For it shews us our Practical or Moral Duties in their Order,

1. In Acts of Piety, that more immediately relate to God;

2. In Acts of Honesty, that more immediately relate to Men.

Q. What is the last thing which the Catechism instructs you in?

A. It is the Doctrine of the two Christian Sacraments, viz. Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Q. What is the Conclusion or total Sum of these Premiffes?

A. They all conclude in this Description of our Catechism; viz. that 'tis an InstruCtion in the Baptismal or Christian Covenant; especially in the Christian Faith, Obedience, and Prayer; and in the two Christian Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Catech ft. Thus I have now shewn you the Applica Scope and Tenour of this excellent Catechism, and how admirably it conduceth to your Perfection and Happiness; even the right Ordering of our three Essential Faculties, the Understanding, Will, and the Executive or Active Power. For here we have a Summary or Special Rule for each; as before was observed to you. The Creed, to shew us what, and in what Order we must believe: The Lord's Prayer, to shew us what, and in what Order we must desire. And the Decalogue, to shew us what, and in what Order we must do, or act. And if -you order yourselves aright according to these Rules, in the Belief, Love, and Practice, of what you have here taught you, you will attain hereby the Ends that you are made for, even the glorifying and enjoying God, both here and hereafter.

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Catechist.

A

Fuller and more Particular

EXPLICATION

OF THIS

CATECHISM.

Aving already set before you the Analysis of this Catechism, together with a short Description and Explication of the Whole in general: I proceed, as I proposed, to the several Parts thereof, to confider them more particularly, as they follow in their Order.

CHAP. Ι.

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Of the Baptismal or Chriftian

A

Covenant.

Covenant is a mutual Contract betwixt two or more Parties, in behalf of one another. This is the common Nature of a Covenant in general. And there are two such Covenants, which the Scripture tells us of, that God hath graciously made with Man at divers Times; viz. the Covenant of Works, and the Covenant of Grace.

The

The Covenant of Works is that first and old Covenant, which GOD made with Adam, the first Man, in the time of his Innocency; and the Tenour of it was, that if Man finned, he should furely die; i, e. Temporally and Eternally. But on the contrary, if he perfectly obeyed God, in all that he commanded him, particularly in that Instance of not eating the forbidden Fruit, upon this Condition he should never see Death, but live in Happiness for ever. And forasmuch as God created him in his own Divine Image, he was able to perform that his covenanted Duty. But notwithstanding, through the Temptation of Satan, who in the Body of a Serpent first seduced Eve, and through her, him, he took and eat of that Fruit which God had positively forbidden him. And so, by that one Man, in that one Act of his, Sin entred into the World, and Death by Sin; and so Death passed upon all Men, for that all have finned. He and we in him, in whom we all were, fell from God and Happiness into a State of Sin and Misery. And if God had proceeded with us according to this first Covenant, none of the Sons of Men could ever have seen Salvation. For none could have fulfilled that pure and perfect Righteousness, which the Covenant of Works required, as the Condition of Life and Happiness.

But God in the midst of Judgment did remember Mercy; and though he sentenced his guilty Creature to a Temporal Death of Body, saying, Dust thou art, and to Duft thou shalt return; yet he did not confign him over to everlasting Death and Misery; but

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