THE HORTER CATECHISM

1 Q. 1 .What is the chief end of man?A. Man s chief end is to glorify God,a and to enjoy him Ps. 86:9. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship beforethee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. Isa. 60:21. Thy people also shall be allrighteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work ofmy hands, that I may be glorified. Rom. 11:36. For of him, and through him, and tohim, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 1 Cor. 6:20. For ye are boughtwith a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God Cor. 10:31. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to theglory of god . Rev. 4:11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour andpower: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were Ps. 16:5 11.

2 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup:thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have agoodly heritage. I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also in-struct me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me: because he is atmy right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth:my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thousuffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thypresence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. :15. Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whoseGod is the LORD. Isa. 12:2. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not beafraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become mysalvation.

3 Luke 2:10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bringyou good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Phil. 4:4. Rejoice in theLord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Rev. 21:3 4. And I heard a great voice out ofheaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of god is with men, and he will dwell withthem, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be theirGod. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no moredeath, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the formerthings are passed CATECHISMTHE SHORTER CATECHISM356Q. 2 .What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoyhim?A. The Word of god , which is contained in the Scriptures of theOld and New Testaments,c is the only rule to direct us how we mayglorify and enjoy Matt.

4 19:4 5. And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, thathe which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For thiscause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twainshall be one flesh? With Gen. 2:24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and hismother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Luke 24:27, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all thescriptures the things concerning And he said unto them, These are thewords which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled,which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, con-cerning me. 1 Cor. 2:13.. which things also we speak, not in the words whichman s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual thingswith spiritual.

5 1 Cor. 14:37. If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual,let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments ofthe Lord. 2 Pet. 1:20 21.. knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture isof any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will ofman: but holy men of god spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. 3:2,15 16.. that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holyprophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brotherPaul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in allhis epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to beunderstood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also theother scriptures, unto their own Deut.

6 4:2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neithershall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Ps. 19:7 11. The law of the LORD is perfect,converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. Thestatutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD ispure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: thejudgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are theythan gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great re-ward. Isa. 8:20. To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to thisword, it is because there is no light in them.

7 John 15:11. These things have I spokenunto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John20:30 31. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, whichare not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is theChrist, the Son of god ; and that believing ye might have life through his name. Acts17:11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received theword with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those thingswere so. 2 Tim. 3:15 17.. and that from a child thou hast known the holyQ. 2 THE SHORTER CATECHISM357Q. 3 .What do the Scriptures principally teach?A. The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe con-cerning God,e and what duty God requires of 4 .What is God?A. God is a Spirit,g infinite,h eternal,i and unchangeable,k in hisscriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is inChrist Jesus.

8 All scripture is given by inspiration of god , and is profitable for doctrine,for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of god maybe perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 1 John 1:4. And these thingswrite we unto you, that your joy may be Gen. 1:1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. John5:39. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are theywhich testify of me. John 20:31. But these are written, that ye might believe thatJesus is the Christ, the Son of god ; and that believing ye might have life through hisname. Rom. 10:17. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word ofGod. 2 Tim. 3:15.. and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures,which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Deut.

9 10:12 13. And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require ofthee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and toserve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the command-ments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?Josh. 1:8. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shaltmeditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that iswritten therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt havegood success. Ps. 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto mypath. Mic. 6:8. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?2 Tim. 3:16 17. All scripture is given by inspiration of god , and is profitable fordoctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man ofGod may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good Deut.

10 4:15 19. Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw nomanner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of themidst of the fire: lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the simili-tude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any beast that is onthe earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, the likeness of any thingthat creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath theearth: and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, andthe moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worshipthem, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations underthe whole heaven. Luke 24:39. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself:handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.