Church Flashcards
(7 cards)
Q. 62. What is the visible church?
A. The visible church is a society made up of all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion,w and of their children.x
Q. 63. What are the special privileges of the visible church?
A. The visible church hath the privilege of being under God’s special care and government;y of being protected and preserved in all ages, notwithstanding the opposition of all enemies;z and of enjoying the communion of saints, the ordinary means of salvation,a and offers of grace by Christ to all the members of it in the ministry of the gospel, testifying, that whosoever believes in him shall be saved,b and excluding none that will come unto him.c
Q. 64. What is the invisible church?
A. The invisible church is the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ the head.d
Q. 65. What special benefits do the members of the invisible church enjoy by Christ?
A. The members of the invisible church by Christ enjoy union and communion with him in grace and glory.e
Q. 69. What is the communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ?
A. The communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is their partaking of the virtue of his mediation, in their justification,t adoption,v sanctification, and whatever else, in this life, manifests their union with him.w
Q. 82. What is the communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ?
A. The communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is in this life,w immediately after death,x and at last perfected at the resurrection and day of judgment.y
Q. 83. What is the communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy in this life?
A. The members of the invisible church have communicated to them in this life the first-fruits of glory with Christ, as they are members of him their head, and so in him are interested in that glory which he is fully possessed of;z and, as an earnest thereof, enjoy the sense of God’s love,a peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and hope of glory;b as, on the contrary, sense of God’s revenging wrath, horror of conscience, and a fearful expectation of judgment, are to the wicked the beginning of their torments which they shall endure after death.c
