Pastor's Corner — Providence Presbyterian Church

The Morning Devotional: WCF 23.3 (Part Two)

The Morning Devotional for August 10, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 23.3 (Part Two)

III. Civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of the Word and sacraments; or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven; or, in the least, interfere in matters of faith. Yet, as nursing fathers, it is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the church of our common Lord, without giving the preference to any denomination of Christians above the rest, in such a manner that all ecclesiastical persons whatever shall enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging every part of their sacred functions, without violence or danger.

The Morning Devotional: WCF 23.3 (Part One)

The Morning Devotional for August 9, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 23.3 (Part One)

III. Civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of the Word and sacraments; or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven; or, in the least, interfere in matters of faith. Yet, as nursing fathers, it is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the church of our common Lord, without giving the preference to any denomination of Christians above the rest, in such a manner that all ecclesiastical persons whatever shall enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging every part of their sacred functions, without violence or danger.

The Morning Devotional: WCF 23.2

The Morning Devotional for August 8, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 23.2

II. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate when called thereunto;a in the managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth,b so, for that end, they may lawfully, now under the New Testament, wage war upon just and necessary occasion.c

The Morning Devotional: WCF 23.1

The Morning Devotional for August 7, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 23.1

I. God, the Supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates to be under him, over the people, for his own glory and the public good, and to this end hath armed them with the power of the sword, for the defense and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evil-doers.a

The Morning Devotional: WCF 22.7

The Morning Devotional for August 1, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 22.7

VII. No man may vow to do anything forbidden in the Word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not in his own power, and for the performance whereof he hath no promise or ability from God.a In which respect, Popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself.b

devotional, confessions, Westminster ConfessionWilliam HillAugust 1, 2023vows, oaths, Acts 23, Hebrews 13

The Morning Devotional: WCF 22.6

The Morning Devotional for July 31, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 22.6

VI. It is not to be made to any creature, but to God alone:a and that it may be accepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of faith and conscience of duty, in way of thankfulness for mercy received, or for the obtaining of what we want; whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties, or to other things, so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto.b

devotional, confessions, Westminster ConfessionWilliam HillJuly 31, 2023oaths, vows, Psalm 116, Deuteronomy 23

The Morning Devotional: WCF 22.5

The Morning Devotional for July 28, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 22.5

V. A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with the like faithfulness.a

devotional, confessions, Westminster ConfessionWilliam HillJuly 28, 2023vows, oaths, Numbers 30

The Morning Devotional: WCF 22.4

The Morning Devotional for July 27, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 22.4

IV. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation.a It cannot oblige to sin; but in anything not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man’s own hurt:b nor is it to be violated, although made to heretics or infidels.c

devotional, confessions, Westminster ConfessionWilliam HillJuly 27, 2023oaths, vows, Jeremiah 4, Psalm 24, Psalm 15, Joshua 9

The Morning Devotional: WCF 22.3

The Morning Devotional for July 26, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 22.3

III. Whosoever taketh an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth.a Neither may any man bind himself by oath to anything but what is good and just, and what he believeth so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform.b Yet it is a sin to refuse an oath touching anything that is good and just, being imposed by lawful authority.c

confessions, devotional, Westminster ConfessionWilliam HillJuly 26, 2023oaths, vows, Exodus 20, Ecclesiastes 5

The Morning Devotional: WCF 22.2

The Morning Devotional for July 25, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 22.2

II. The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence;a therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred.b Yet as, in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the Word of God, under the New Testament, as well as under the Old,c so a lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters ought to be taken.d

devotional, confessions, Westminster ConfessionWilliam HillJuly 25, 2023vows, oaths, Deuteronomy 6, Exodus 20, James 5

The Morning Devotional: WCF 22.1

The Morning Devotional for July 24, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 22.1

I. A lawful oath is a part of religious worship,a wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth; and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he sweareth.b

devotional, confessions, Westminster ConfessionWilliam HillJuly 24, 2023oaths, vows, Deuteronomy 10, Exodus 20

The Morning Devotional: WCF 21.8 (Part Two)

The Morning Devotional for July 21, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 21.8
Part Two

VIII. This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts, about their worldly employments and recreations;a but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.b

The Pastor’s Corner

The blog of Pastor William F. Hill, Jr.