What Doth God Require of Us, That We May Escape His Wrath and Curse Due to Us for Sin?

Atfsw. To escape the wrath and curse of
God due to us for sin, God requireth of us
faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life,
with the diligent use of all the outward
means whereby Christ communicateth to us
the benefits of redemption.

O Why are faith, repentance, &c. required of us?

A Not to atone for our sin, or be the condition of our eternal happiness; but to be the means of receiving and improving the salvation which Christ hath obtained for us.

O. How can our salvation be wholly of grace, when these things are required of us in order to our enjoyment of it? A. Because though the law demand these things

as our duty, yet Christ hath purchased, and, in the gospel, promiseth and bestows them as free privileges upon us.

Q. Why doth God require those things from us, when he knows we cannot perform them? A. To shew us

our duty, convince us of our weakness, and chiefly to excite us to embrace his gracious promise, that we may receive them from Christ as our free privilege, Gal. iv. 24»

Q. Why is faith placed first of the things requiredofus?.

A Because till we have faith, we can neither repent, nor rightly attend on Christ’s ordinances, Rom. xiv. 23.

O. How prove you that faith must be before repentance A. Christ says, They shall lock on me whom they have pierced, and shall mourn: and till we by faith -see God’s love, we can never love him, nor turn from sin to him, Zech.xii. 10. Gal. v. 6. Ezek. xvi. 62, 63* Bb 3

Q. Is there not a fear of God’s wrath, and turning from gross sins, and erroneous notions, that may go before faith in Christ? A. Yes j which is ordinarily called legal repentance Acts ii. 37. and xvi. 30.

Qj Why is it called legal repentance? A. Because the law as a covenant is the great mean of it, and it is found in many while they are under that law, Rom. vii. 9.

Q. How is faith in Jesus Christ necessary to our escaping God’s wrath and curse?

A. It alone receives Christ, the only Saviour from sin and wrath, and all his salvation.

Q. How is repentance unto life connected with our escaping God’s wrath and curse? A. We therein

improve salvation as an excitement to holiness and Christ saves u$fror?iy not in our sins, Luke i. 74, 75.

O. Why is the diligent use of Christ’s ordinances necessary to our escaping God’s wrath and curse?

A. Because in these ordinances salvation is offered and communicated to us; and by them faith and repentance are begotten and strengthened, Rom. x. 17. Prov. viii. 34.

Q. In what manner must these ordinances be used?

A. They are to be used diligently, Acts xvi. 14.

Q. Why should we use Christ’s external ordinances diligently? A. Because our eternal salvation is so connected with the right use of them, Isa. lv. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7.

Q. Can we rightly use Christ’s outward ordinances before our conversion? A. By no means, Prov. xv. 8.

Q. Why should we then attend them before conversion?

A. That we may there wait till Christ, who is often present iii them, say to our souls, Live, Ezek. xvi. 6, 8.

Q. Hath God promised, that if graceless persons, with natural seriousness, wait upon his ordinances, he will give them saving grace? A. No *, however, he ordinarily,

if not always, gives grace to such •, and we may hope he will give ;t to us likewise, Prov. viii. 17, 32, 33, 34.

Q. What is the danger of men’s neglecting this diligent use of God’s ordinances?

A. Such study to place themselves without the reach of God’s mercy; and though their salvation is possible, yet not probable, Prov. viii. 34.

Q. Doth Christ bestow saving grace on diligent attend- «rs of his ordinances for their work’s sake?

A. Noj but to put honour vpon his own ordinances*

O. What doth Christ communicate, or make over to sinners, by these ordinances? A. All the benefits of

redemption j such as regeneration, justification, adoption and sanctification, an happy death, and eternal glory.