003. QUESTION 92. What is a sacrament? ANSWER: A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Chri...
QUESTION 92. What is a sacrament? ANSWER: A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.
QUESTION 93. What are the sacraments of the New Testament? ANSWER: The sacraments of the New Testament are, baptism and the Lord’s supper.
QUESTION 94. What is baptism? ANSWER: Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace and our engagement to be the Lord’s.
QUESTION 95. To whom is baptism to be administered? ANSWER: Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him: but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptised.
QUESTION 96. What is the Lord’s Supper? ANSWER: The Lord’s supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ’s appointments his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace.
QUESTION 97. What is required to the worthy receiving of the Lord’s supper? ANSWER: It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord’s supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.
QUESTION 98. What is prayer? ANSWER: Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.
QUESTION 99. What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer? ANSWER: The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction, is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord’s Prayer.
QUESTION 100.
What doth the preface of the Lord’s prayer teach us? ANSWER: The preface of the Lord’s prayer which is, “Our Father which art in heaven,” teacheth us, to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a Father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.
QUESTION 101.
What do we pray for in the first petition? ANSWER: In the first petition, (which is, Hallowed be thy name,) we pray, That God would enable us, and others, to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself known and that he would dispose all things to his own glory.
QUESTION 102.
What do we pray for in the second petition? ANSWER: In the second petition, which is, “Thy kingdom come,” we pray, That Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.
QUESTION 103.
What do we pray for in the third petition? ANSWER: In the third petition, which is, “thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven,” we pray, that God, by his grace, would make us both able and willing to know, obey, and submit to his will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.
QUESTION 104.
What do we pray for in the fourth petition? ANSWER: In the fourth petition, which is, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we pray, That of God’s free gift, we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with them.
QUESTION 105.
What do we pray for in the fifth petition? ANSWER: In the fifth petition, which is, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” we pray, That God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because, by his grace, we are enabled, from the heart, to forgive others.
QUESTION 106.
What do we pray for in the sixth petition? ANSWER: In the sixth petition, (which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,) we pray, That God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.
QUESTION 107.
What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer teach us? ANSWER: The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen,” teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to him. And, in testimony of our desire and assurance to be heard, we say, AMEN.
HISTORICAL NOTES