The Sincere MILK of the Word, FOR THE Children Of Barmuda.
IN A Short and Plain CATECHISM.
By Mr.
Sampson Bond,
late Minister on that Island.
Psal. XXXIV. 11.
Come ye Children, Hearken unto me, I will teach you the Fear of the Lord.
Que.
WHat is GOD?
Answ.
GOD is a Spi
•••
having his Being of Himself.
Q.
What are the Properties of Go
•
Being?
A.
Infinite,
Holiness, Power, Wisdom and Goodness.
Q.
How many God's be there?
A
There is but One true God, in three Persons: the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Q.
How had man and all other Creatures their Being?
A.
By the power of God they were all created and m
•
de.
Q.
How are they all preserved & kept?
A.
By the Providence of God in whom all live, move & have their Being.
Q.
Wherein doth man's true Blessedness consist?
A.
Not in worldly pleasures, prof or honors; but in Serving and E
•
joying this God for Ever.
Q
Who was the first man God made
A.
Adam was first formed by Go
•
of the Dust of the Ground.
Q
In what Estate did God create man?
A
God created man in his own Image.
Q
Wherein doth the Image of God consist?
A
In Knowledge, Righteousness
〈◊〉
true Holiness.
Q
Did man continue in that Estate?
A
No, he fell from that Estate b
•
transgressing God's Law.
Q
How did Adam transgress God's Law?
A
By eating the forbidden fruit.
Q
Did all mankind sin in Adam?
A
In Adam all sinned; he being the Root of all mankind.
Q
What Punishment is due for man's Sin?
A
All temporal & eternal miseries.
Q
Is there no way for man to escape this Punishment?
A
Yes, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son, that whosoever. Believeth in him, should not perish, b
•
t have everlasting Life.
Q
Who is that only Begotten Son of God?
A
Jesus Christ who was born of the
Virgin Mary.
Q
What manner of Person was Jesus Christ?
A
He was God and Man,
both in one Person.
Q
How came Christ to be man's Savior?
A
By taking on him man's nature,
and being made a curse for us, that he might redeem us from the curse of the Law.
Q
How was Christ made a curse for us?
A
By suffering the pains of Death in his Body,
being crucified; and enduring the wrath of God on his Soul.
Q
How does Christ execute the Office of a Redeemer?
A
By being a Prophet, a Priest and a King over his Church.
Q
Why was Christ a Priest?
A
To purchase Righteousness and Life Eternal for his Church.
Q
Why was Christ a Prophet?
A
To reveal the way to Life Eternal unto his Church.
Q
Why was Christ a King?
A
That by his Power he might govern and preserve his Church, unto the Possession of Life Eternal.
Q
Shall all mankind then be Saved?
A
No, only such as Believe on the Lord Jesus shall be saved.
Q
What is it to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?
A
To receive Jesus Christ for our Lord and Savior,
trusting only to him for Salvation.
Q
Is it in man's power to believe?
A.
No;
FAITH is the Gift of God.
Q.
How is Faith obtained?
A.
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
Q.
What is the Word of God?
A.
The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.
Q.
Is the Word alone sufficient to beget Faith?
A.
No; not without the inward workings of the Spirit.
Q.
What are those workings of the Spirit?
A.
The Spirit inwardly teacheth us to know the truth, and inclines us to embrace and believe the same.
Q.
Is nothing else required to Salvation but Faith?
A.
Saving Faith is always accompanied with true Repentance.
Q.
What is true Repentance?
A.
A Godly Sorrow for Sin, with an hatred of it, endeavoring to walk soberly, righteously and godly in all the ways of New Obedience.
Q.
What is the Rule of our New Obedience?
A.
The perfect Law of God contained in the Ten Commandments.
Q.
Where are those Commandments laid down?
A.
In the Twentieth Chapter of
Exodus.
Q
What is the Sum of the Ten Commandments?
A.
To love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our Souls, with all our strength,
with all our mind; and our Neighbor as ourselves.
Q
Is any man able perfectly to keep the Commandments?
A.
No;
We all break them daily in thought, word, and deed.
Q.
Who then shall be saved?
A.
Such as believing in Christ, daily repent of their sin, and endeavor with their whole hearts to keep the Commandments.
Q.
What means must be used for getting and increasing grace to keep the Commandments?
A.
We must Diligently attend upon God in his Ordinances.
Q.
What Ordinances are those?
A.
The Word, Sacraments and Prayer.
Q.
What Diligence is required about the Word?
A.
Diligent hearing, reading and meditating of the same.
Q.
What are the Sacraments?
A.
They are outward Signs, where
•
y Christ and his Benefits are signified and sealed.
Q.
How many are there?
A.
Two, Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Q.
What is the outward Sign of Baptism?
A.
Washing with Water, in the Name of the Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost.
Q.
What is the thing signified?
A.
Remission of Sins by Christ's Blood,
and Sanctification by his Spirit.
Q.
What are the Outward Signs of
•
he Lord's Supper?
A.
Bread and Wine, which being Broken, Given and Poured forth;
the Believer must take, eat and drink.
Q.
What do these signify?
A.
The Body and Blood of Christ, or the spiritual growth and nourish
•
ent of Believers.
Q.
What is Prayer?
A.
Prayer is the making known of
〈◊〉
Requests to God in the Name of
•••…
ist, with confession of our sins,
〈◊〉
. Thanksgiving for his mercies.
Q.
What pattern have we to pray by?
A.
The Lord's Prayer Contained
in the VIth of
Matthew,
IX, X, XI, XII, and XIIIth. Verses.
Q
Shall men die?
A.
It is appointed to all men once to die.
Q
What follows Death?
A.
After Death comes Judgment.
Q.
By whom shall men be Judged?
A.
We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Q.
How can the Dead be Judged?
A.
There shall be a Resurrection of the Dead, both of the Just and Unjust.
Q.
How will Christ Judge men?
A.
In Righteousness according to their Deeds.
Q.
What shall be the Judgment of the Wicked?
A.
The Wicked shall be punished with Everlasting Fire.
Q.
What shall become of the Righteous?
A.
The Righteous shall enter in
••
Life Eternal.
FINIS.
Boston,
Printed by
B. Green,
&
J. Al
••…
.
1699.