31. Q. What has our LORD CHRIST "made us" unto GOD? He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and His FATHER."-Rev. i. 6. 32. Q. How shall we be made “kings ?" A. "He is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS," and we, His Church, are ONE WITH HIM. And to us He says: "I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as My FATHER hath appointed unto Me.” "And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of GOD and the LAMB shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him ;"" and they shall reign for ever and ever." 1 Tim. vi. 15.-Rev. xix. 16. xxii. 5.—St. Luke xxii. 29. xii. 32. 33. Q. How does God lead His children to His everlasting Kingdom? A. Through suffering. For as our SAVIOUR suffered, and died, before He was exalted to glory, so also 66 we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of GOD;" and we believe, that "if we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him." "To him that overcometh," saith the SON OF GOD, 'made perfect through suffering," "will I grant to SIT WITH ME ON MY THRONE; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father on His throne." Rev. iii. 21. xxi. 7.—Heb. ii. 10.-1 Peter i. 11. 2 Tim. ii. 12.-Rom. viii. 17.-Acts xiv. 22. 34. Q. You said that our LORD CHRIST hath made us Kings and Priests to his Father; how shall we be made "priests ?" A. As the priests in the Temple offered sacrifices to GOD, so also His redeemed children, here on earth, are called "to offer unto GOD SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES, acceptable unto Him by JESUS CHRIST;" and in heaven, they shall "show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into His marvellous light," "and they shall serve Him day and night in His temple." 1 Peter ii. 5. 9.-Rom. xii. 1.—Heb. x. 20.—Rev. vii. 15.-St. John xvi. 26. 27. 35. Q. What are the "spiritual sacrifices" which the Christian is called to offer to GoD, here upon earth? A. He is to make himself over to God. The Christian believes" that he was bought with a price," and that he "was redeemed with the precious blood of CHRIST;" that therefore "he is not his own," "but that whether he live or die, he is the Lord's." 1 Pet. i. 8.-1 Cor. vi. 19. 20. 36. Q. What follows? The Christian, offers himself to GoD, as being consecrated to Him; he offers to Him his Body, to be 66 the TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST, which he has of GOD; he offers to GOD the SPIRIT of his MIND, to "be RENEWED in knowledge, after THE IMAGE of HIM that created him; and he offers to Him his SOUL, to be freed from the bondage of sin, and to be MADE HEIR OF ETERNAL LIFE." "By HIм, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to GoD continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."-Rom. xiv. 7. 8. —Eph. iv 23. Col. iii. 10.-Heb. xiii. 15. 37. Q. This being the case, what remains for us to do, while we are upon earth? A. "Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run WITH PATIENCE the race that is set before us, LOOKING UNTO JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH; who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is SET DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD." For our conversation is IN HEAVEN; from whence also we look for the SAVIOUR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST."-Heb. xii. 1. 2.-Phil. iii. 20. 38. Q. How does our Church bid us dwell on our SAVIOUR going up into Heaven? A. In these words: "Grant we beseech Thee, ALMIGHTY GOD, that like as we do believe Thy only-begotten Son our LORD JESUS CHRIST to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with Him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the HOLY GHOST, one God, world without end. Amen." Collect for Ascension Day. Comp. Gen. xxii. 2. 6. 9. with, St. John xix. 17. St. Luke xxiii. 26. 33. Numb. xxi. 8. 9. with, St. John iii. 14. 15. xix. 37. Jonah i. 17. ii. 1-10. with St. Matt. xii. 39. 40. 2 Kings ii. 11. Ps. lxviii. 18. with, St. Matt. xvii. 3. Acts i. 9. 10. Eph. iv. 8-10. ARTICLE VII. FROM THENCE HE SHALL COME TO JUdge THE QUICK AND THE DEAD." 1. Q. What do you profess to believe in the seventh Article of our Faith? A. That JESUS CHRIST, who is gone up into heaven, "shall come from thence, to judge the quick and the dead." 2. Q. What do you mean by the “quick ?” A. The "living." 3. Q. Why do you believe that CHRIST shall come again upon earth? A. First, the SAVIOUR Himself said that HE should come again. "The Son of MAN SHALL COME in the glory of His FATHER with His holy ANGELS." "In My Father's house there are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN, and receive you unto Myself."-St. Matt. xvi. 28. xxiv. 30. xxvi. 64.-St. Mark xiii. 16.-St. Luke xxi. 27.-St. John xiv. 3. Secondly, The ANGELS sent from GOD, told the Apostles who were looking stedfastly towards heaven as He went up that HE SHALL SO COME in like manner as they had seen Him go into heaven."—Acts i. 11. iii. 20. Thirdly, The HOLY APOSTLES who had heard from the SAVIOUR'S mouth, and from the Angels, that He shall come again, declare it also thus: 66 'Behold, HE COMETH with clouds; and every eye shall see Him. "-Rev. i. 7. St. John vi. 39. xi. 24. xii. 48.-Jude 6.-St. Matt. xii. 36.-2 Peter ii. 9. iii. 7.—1 John iv. 17. 5. Q. "to look into his con What is a "judgment ?" A. To "judge" a man, is duct, and to give him what he deserves ;" and his "judgment" is, the reward which he receives for his conduct. 6. Q. Why is the last day called, "the Day of Judgment ?" A. Because on that day" ALL MEN SHALL BE JUDGED. 'For it is appointed unto all men once to die, and AFTER DEATH FOLLOWS JUDGMENT;" when "GOD who is the Judge of the whole earth," shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing; whether it be good or whether it be evil."Heb. ix. 27. xii. 23.-Eccles. xii. 14. 7. Q. For what reason shall men be judged? A. In order that they may be REWARDED ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS; for GOD is a just Judge, and " He will judge every one after his ways." |