Questions & Answers

#WLC183 For whom are we to pray? We are to pray for the whole church of Christ upon earth; for magistrates, and ministers; for ourselves, our brethren, yea, our enemies; and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter;...
#GC183 What else is there here for us? That we observe the order constituted in the Church, to hear the Word of God, to engage in public prayers and in the sacraments, and that we do not contravene the spiritual order among the faithful.
#WLC184 For what things are we to pray? We are to pray for all things tending to the glory of God, the welfare of the church, our own or others good; but not for anything that is unlawful.
#GC184 And does the figure give us any further benefit? Yes, indeed. It should lead us to the truth, namely, that being true members of Christ, we should cease from our own works, and put ourselves under His government.
#WLC185 How are we to pray? We are to pray with an awful apprehension of the majesty of God, and deep sense of our own unworthiness, necessities, and sins; with penitent, thankful, and enlarged hearts; with understanding, faith,...
#GC185 Let us come to the second table? It begins, "Honour thy father and thy mother."
#WLC186 What rule hath God given for our direction in the duty of prayer? The whole word of God is of use to direct us in the duty of prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which our Savior Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord’s pr...
#GC186 What do you mean by "honour" That children be humble and obedient toward their parents, doing them honour and reverence, helping them and being at their command, as they are bound.
#WLC187 How is the Lord’s prayer to be used? The Lord’s prayer is not only for direction, as a pattern, according to which we are to make other prayers; but may also be used as a prayer, so that it be done with understanding, faith, reverence, a...
#GC187 Proceed further? God adds a promise to the commandment, "That thy days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord thy God will give thee."
#WLC188 Of how many parts doth the Lord’s prayer consist? The Lord’s prayer consists of three parts; a preface, petitions, and a conclusion.
#GC188 What does that mean? That God will give long life to those who honour their father and mother as they ought.
#WLC189 What doth the preface of the Lord’s prayer teach us? The preface of the Lord’s prayer (contained in these words, Our Father which art in heaven,) teacheth us, when we pray, to draw near to God with confidence of his fatherly goodness, and our interest t...
#GC189 Seeing this life is full of misery, why does God promise man as a favour that he will live long? However miserable it may be, life on earth is a blessing from God to the faithful, if only for this reason, that in it God testifies to His fatherly love in supporting them in it.
#WLC190 What do we pray for in the first petition? In the first petition (which is, Hallowed be thy name,) acknowledging the utter inability and indisposition that is in ourselves and all men to honor God aright, pray, that God would by his grace enab...
#GC190 Does it follow conversely, that the man who dies prematurely is cursed of God? By no means. Rather does it sometimes happen that the Lord withdraws from this world more quickly those whom He loves most.
#WLC191 What do we pray for in the second petition? In the second petition (which is, Thy kingdom come,) acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan, we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be dest...
#GC191 In so doing, how does He fulfill His promise? All that God promises us in earthly blessings, we must receive under this condition, viz. that it is expedient for our spiritual salvation. For it would be poor indeed if that did not precedence.
#WLC192 What do we pray for in the third petition? In the third petition (which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,) acknowledging, that by nature we and all men are not only utterly unable and unwilling to know and do the will of God,...
#GC192 What of those who are rebellious against their father and mother? Not only will God punish them at the last judgment, but here also God will exercise judgment on their bodies, it may be by letting them die before their time, or ignominiously, or in some other way.
#WLC193 What do we pray for in the fourth petition? In the fourth petition (which is, Give us this day our daily bread,) acknowledging, that in Adam, and by our own sin, we have forfeited our right to all the outward blessings of this life, and deserve...
#GC193 Does He not speak expressly of the land of Canaan in this promise? Yes, so far as the children of Israel are concerned, but the term ought to have a more general meaning for us. For seeing that the earth is the Lord's, whatever be the country we inhabit, He assigns i...
#WLC194 What do we pray for in the fifth petition? In the fifth petition (which is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,) acknowledging, that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the j...
#GC194 Is that all there is to the commandment? Though father and mother only are mentioned, nevertheless all superiors are intended, as the reason is the same.
#WLC195 What do we pray for in the sixth petition? In the sixth petition (which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,) acknowledging, that the most wise, righteous, and gracious God, for divers holy and just ends, may so order...
#GC195 What is the reason? That God has given them pre-eminence; for there is no authority whether of parents, or princes, or of any others who are over us, but what God has ordained (Rom 13:1).
#WLC196 What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s prayer teach us? The conclusion of the Lord’s prayer (which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.), teaches us to enforce our petitions with arguments, which are to be taken, not f...
#GC196 Repeat the sixth commandment? Thou shalt not kill.
#GC197 Does it forbid nothing but murder? Yes, indeed. For seeing it is God who speaks, He gives us law not only for outward deeds, but primarily for the affections of our heart.
#GC198 You mean then that there is some kind of inward murder which God forbids to us? I do: hatred and rancour, and desire to do evil to our neighbor.

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