In thy prefence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Q9. What may all men, good and bad, learn from it?

A. All men may learn three things from the eternity of God: First, That their life is a thing of nought compared with God; Pfal. xxxix. 5. Mine age is as nothing before thee. Secondly, That fins, or duties, long fince committed, or performed, are all present before God. Thirdly, That God can never want opportunity to do his work, and carry on his defigns in the world. All time is in the hand of the eternal God; Rev. xii. 12. The devil is come down unto you, hav ing great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Quest. I

Of God's Unchangeableness.

WHA

HAT fcriptures plainly affert this attribute? A. Exod. iii. 14. And God faid unto Mofes, I AM that I AM. Dan. vi. 16. For he is the living God, and stedfaft for ever; James i. 17. With whom is no variablenefs, neither fhadow of turning.

Q2. Whence doth God's immutability flow?

A. The immutability of God flows from the perfection of his nature, to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be taken away. If any thing could be added to make him better than he is; or if any thing could be taken away, to make him lefs good than he is, then he were not the chiefeft good, and, confequently, not God.

Q3. By what other argument prove you his immutability? A. I prove it from the eternity of God. If God be eternal, he must be immutable: for if he change by addition of something to him he had not before, then there is fomething in God which he had not from eternity: And if he change by di minution, then there was fomething in God from eternity, which now is not; but from everlasting to everlasting he is the fame God, and therefore changeth not.

Q. 4. But it is faid, God repents, and repentance is a change: How then is he unchangeable, and yet repents?

A. In thofe phrafes God fpeaks to us, as we must speak of, and to him; not properly, but after the manner of men; and it only notes a change in his outward providence, not in his

nature.

Q. 5. But how could God become man, and yet no change made on him?

A. There is a twofold change; one active, made by God, that we allow He made a change upon our nature by uniting

it to Chrift; but a paffive change made upon God, we deny. The nature of man was made more excellent, but the divine nature was fill the fame.

Q. 6. What is the first instruction from God's immutability? A. That those that are most unchangeable in holiness, are moft like God: Let him that is holy be holy ftill.

Q. 7. What is the fecond inftruction hence?

A. That the happiness of God's people is firm and fure, being ftill upon the word of an unchangeable God; Mal, iii, 6. For I am the Lord; I change not therefore ye fons of Jacob are not confumed, Heb. vi. 18.

Q. 8. What is the third instruction from this attribute?

A. That the hopes of all wicked men are vain, being built upon a prefumption, that God will not deal with them as he hath threatened he will do.

Q.9. What is the last instruction from God's immutability? A. That Chriftians may take as much encouragement now from the nature, word, and providence of God, as the faints in any former generation did, or might do; for he is the fame now he was then.

Quest. 1.

Of God's Wisdom.

[OW manifold is the wisdom of God?

A. There is a perfonal and effential wisdom of God; the perfonal wifdom is the Son of God; 1 Cor. i. 24. Chrift, the power of God, and the wisdom of God; Col. ii. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The effential wisdom of God is the effence of God; of which this question fpeaks.

Q. 2. What is the effential wisdom of God?

A. The effential wifdom of God is his moft exact and perfect knowledge of himself and all his creatures, and his ordering and difpofing them in the most convenient manner, to the glory of his own name; Eph. i. 11. According to the purpofe of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Q. 3. What is the first property of God's wisdom?

A. The firft property is, he is only wife; Rom. xvi. 27. To God, only wife, be glory: And whatsoever wisdom is in angels, or men, is ali derived and borrowed from God, but his from none; Ifa. xl. 14. With whom took he counfel? and who inftructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and fhewed to him the way of understanding?

Q4. What is the fecond property of God's wisdom?

A. The second property is, that he is incomprehenfible in his wisdom; Rom. xi. 33, 34. O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, &c.

Q.5. What is the third property of the wifdom of God? A. The third property is, that God is perfectly wife, which no creatures, no, not the very angels in heaven are; Job iv. 18. And his angels he chargeth with folly.

Q.6. What is the most glorious and eminent difcovery of the wifdom of God?

A. The most glorious display of the wisdom of God, was in the work of our redemption by Jefus Chrift; Col. ii. 3. In whom are hid all the treafures of wifdom and knowledge; I Cor. i. 24. Chrift the wisdom of God.

Q.7. What is the first instruction from God's wisdom?

A. The firft inftruction is, that God is a fit object of our truft, dependance, and refignation; Ifa. xxx. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you; for the Lord is a God of judgment; bleffed are all they that wait for him.

Q. 8. What is the fecond inftruction from hence?

A. The fecond inftruction is, that it is a dangerous arrogancy in the creature, either to prescribe unto God, and direct his Maker; Job xxi. 22. Shall any teach God knowledge, feeing he judgeth thofe that are high? Or to quarrel with his providences, as not fo fit and convenient as they fhould be; Job xl. 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty inftruct him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Q.9. What is the third instruction from it?

A. That the people of God have much reason to quiet, and encourage themfelves, when crafty and fubtil enemies furround them; for the foolishness of God is wifer than men, x Cor. i. 25.

Q.10. What is the fourth inftruction from God's wisdom? A. The fourth inftruction is, that the true way to wisdom, is to be fenfible of your own folly; 1 Cor. iii. 18. If any man among you feemeth to be wife in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wife. And to apply ourselves by prayer to God the foundation of it, Jam. i. 5. If any man lack wif dom, let him afk it of God.

Q. 11. What is the laft inftruction from God's wifdom? A. That the ftudy of Chrift, and of the fcriptures, is to be preferred to all other ftudies in the world; Col. ii. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. . And

the fcriptures contain all that wisdom which is for our falvation; 1 Cor. ii. 17. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained, before the world, unto our glory.

Of God's Power.

Quest. 1. What is the power of God?

A. An effential property of his nature, whereby he can do all things that he pleases to have done; Jer. xxxii. 17. Ah Lord God, behold, thou haft made the heavens and the earth by thy great power, and ftretched-out arm; and there is nothing too hard for thee.

Q. 2. What evidences have we before our eyes of the almighty power of God?

1

A. It appears in the creation of the world; Rom. i. 20. For the invifible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly feen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. And its fuftentation; Heb. i. 3. Who upholdeth all things by the word of his power. Q.3. Did God's power ever act its utmost?

A. No; he can do more than ever he did, or ever will do; Matth. iii. 9. God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham, Matth. xxvi. 53.

Q.4 Are there not fome things which God cannot do?

A. Yes, there are; but they are fuch things as are inconfiftent with his truth and holiness; Tit i. 2.--which God, that cannot lie; 2 Tim. ii. 13. He cannot deny himself.

Q.5. What is the first thing inferred from God's power? A. That all the creatures neceffarily depend on him for. what ability they have; and without the permiffion of the supreme power they can do us no hurt; John xix. 11. Thou couldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above.

Q. 6. What is the fecond inference from hence?

A. That the difficulties which lie in the way of the promises, need be no ftumbling-blocks to our faith; Rom. iv. 20, 21. He staggered not at the promises through unbelief, being fully perfuaded, that what he had promised he was able also to perform.

Q7. What is the third inferénce from this attribute?

A. The faints need not be scared at the greatness of their fufferings; their God can carry them through; Dan. iii. 17. Our God, whom we ferve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace.

Q. 8. What is the fourth inference?

1

A. That the falvation of God's people is certain, whatever their dangers be, being kept by this mighty power; 1 Pet. i. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto falvati

9. What is the laft inference hence?

A. That the ftate of the damned is unconceivably mife. rable; their punishment proceeding from the glory of the Almighty; 2 Theff. i. 9. Who fhall be punished with everLafting deftruction, from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power.

Queft. 1.

H

Of God's Holiness.

O W manifold is the holiness of God?

A. The holinefs of God is twofold; communicable, or incommunicable; of his communicable holiness the apostle speaks, Heb. xii. 10. But he, for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holinefs. Of his incommunicable holiness that fcripture fpeaks, 1 Sam. ii. 2. There is none holy as the Lord.

Q. 2. What is the effential and incommunicable holiness of God?

A. It is the infinite purity of his nature, whereby he delights in his own holiness, and the refemblance of it in his creatures, and hates all impurity; Hab. i. 13. Thou art of purer éyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.

Q.3. What is the first property of God's holiness?

A. He is effentially holy: Holinefs is not a feparable quality in God, as it is in angels and men; but his being and his holilinefs are one thing.

Q4. What is the fecond property of God's holiness ?

A. God is effentially holy, the author and fountain of all .communicated holiness; Lev. xx. 8. I am the Lord which fanctifieth you.

Q. 5. What is the third property?

A. That the holiness of God is the perfect rule and pattern of holiness to all creatures; 1 Pet. i. 16. Be ye holy, for I am holy.

Q. 6. What is the first instruction?

A. That the holieft of men have caufe to be afhamed and humbled, when they come before God; Ifa. vi. 3, 5. And one cried unto another, faying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. Then faid I, Woe me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips,

is

&c.

Q7. What is the fecond inftruction from God's holiness?