An Essay towards an Easy, Plain, Practical, and Extensive Explication of the Assembly's Shorter Catechism

The following Catechism was the first publication of the venerable Author. It has undergone seven or eight editions, and has had a wide circulation in Britain, Ireland, and the United States. It has been admired for the plain and familiar terms in which the questions are proposed; the concise, and comprehensive manner wherein the answers are framed; together with the vast variety of useful matter, for informing the judgment and regulating the practice.

JL O manifest the importance, fulness, and order of that system of divinity laid down in the Assembly’s Shorter ‘Vatechism, it is observab’”, that it contains,

I. The Great END of all Religion, Quest. 1.

II. The unerring STANDARD of it, Quest. 2.

III. The SUM and principal PARTS of it4 Q. 3. which are three, (1.) The Doctrinal part, Q. 4. 38. (2.) The Practical part, 39,-81. (3.) The Application of both conjunctly, 82, — 107.

First, The DOCTRINAL part, which describes what we are to believe concerning God and man.

1st) Concerning GOD; wherein view, — (1.) The perfections of his nature, 4, 5. — (2.) The persons in his essence, 6 — (3.) The purposes of his will, 7. — (4.) The productions of his power, 8 in £1.] The work of creation, 9. [2.] The work of providence, 11.

2d, Concerning MAN; in (1.) His state of innocency; which consisted in his [1.] Likeness to God, 10. £2.] Covenant alliance with God, 12. — (2.) His fallen state, in [1.] Its sinful cause, 13.; where we have the nature of sin in general, 14* and the particular sin by which man fell, 15. [2. J Its extent over all mankind by that sin, 16. [3.] Its fearful ingredients, 17. of sinfulness, 18. and misery, 19. — ~; (3.) His state of salvation; in which is representedp [1. J Its causes and means, the electing and covenanting love of God the Father, 20. — the redeeming GRACE of th€ Son, manifested in his incarnation, 21, 22. offices of prophet, priest, and king, 23, to 26. and states of humiliation and exaltation, 27, 28.j-*-and the afi/il/wg

WORK of the Holy Ghost, 29, 30. [2.] The blessings thereof; as union to Christ in effectual calling, JO, 31.

JUSTIFICATION, ADOPTION, S AN CTIFlCATlON, and

their attendant comforts, 32, to 36.; an happy death, 37.; and complete and everlating glory, 38.

Second, The PRACTICAL part; which represents OUr DUTY is (1. j Its NATURE, 39. (2.) ItS RULE,.

40,41. (3.) its substance, 4-2 — (4.) The reasons of and obligations to it, 43. 44. — (5.) its particular parts and branches, viz. — [i] duty to God; with respect to the nature and object of worship, command 1st, Q^. 45. — 48. the ordinances of worship, command 2d, Q 49, — 52.; manner of worship, command Sd, Q. 5l<, — 56.; and times of worship, eonv mand 4/^,0^57, — 62 — [2. J duty to man; respecting our own and our neighbour’s relations, command 5th, 0^63,-66; liee, command 6th, Q. 67, 68. 69.; Chastity command 7th, t. 70, 71, 72.; civil property, command 8th, Q. 73, 74, 75.; reputation, command 9th, Q. 76, 77, 78.; contentment and charitableness, command 10th, Q. 79, SO, 81.

Third, The APPLICATION; serving (1.) For Condition of our weakness, and of the number, aggravations and desert of our sins, (^. 82, 83, 84. (2.) For direction, how to receive and improve the redemption prepared for us in Christ, Q. 85.; by faith, Q. 86.; by repentance unto life,, £). 87.; by a diligent use of God’s instituted means of salvation, 88.; especially, [I.] His word, Q. 89, 90. [2.] Sacraments; whose iffi acy, nature, number, and different forms of baptism, and Lord’s supper, and the proper subjects of which3 are represented, Q. 91, — 97. 3.] Prayer, the nature, and rule of which, particularly the Lord’s prayer in its preface, petitions, relative to God’s glry and our happiness, and its conclusion, are explained, Q. 98) — 107,

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