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forth of my bowels, feeketh my life; how much more now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone, and let him curfe, for the Lord hath bidden him.

Q. 12. What is the last inftruction from God's decrees?

A. That we ought to be thankful to God for all the good, and patient under all the evils that befal us; Job ii. 10. Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and fhall we not receive evil?

Quest. 8.

WOW doth God execute his decrees?
A. God executeth his decrees in the works of

HOW

creation and providence.

Quest. 9.

W

Of the Creation.

HAT are the works of creation?

A. The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of fix days, and all very good.

Q. 1. What is it to create ?

A. To create, is to give a being to that which had no being; or to bring fomething out of nothing; Heb. xi. 3. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God; so that things which are seen were not made of things that do appear.

Q. 2. How did God create the world?

A. By his infinite power, executed in his word of command; Pfal. xxxiii. 6, 9. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth; for he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. Q3. What attributes of God fhine forth in the creation? A. The wisdom of God fhines forth gloriously, not only in their formation, but dependance one upon another; Pfal. civ. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: The earth is full of thy riches.

Q4. What may we learn from the creation?

A. That God perfectly knows all that is in the creature, be it never fo fecret; Pfal. xciv. 8, 9. Understand, O ye brutish among the people; and ye fools, when will ye be wife? He that planted the ear, fhall he not hear? He that formed the eye, fhall he not fee?

Q. 5. What is the fecond inftruction from the creation? A. That God is the rightful owner of us all, and may do what he will with us; Rom. ix. 20. Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God! fhall the thing formed fay

to him that formed it, why haft thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the fame lump to make one veffel to honour, and another to difhonour?

Q. 6. What is the third inftruction from the creation?

A. That God only is the proper object of worship; Jer. x. 11. Thus fhall he fay unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens, and the earth, even they fhall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.

Q. 7. What is the fourth instruction from hence?

A. That Chriftians fhould not fear the power of creatures, fince they derive their being and power from God; Ifa. liv. 16, 17. Behold, I have created the fmith that bloweth the coals in the fire, that bringeth forth an inftrument for his work; and I have created the wafter to destroy; no weapon that is formed against thee shall profper.

Q.8 What is the fifth inftruction from hence ?

A. That Atheism is a fin againft natural light and reason; Rom. i. 20. For the invisible 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; fo that they are without excufe.

Q.9. What is the fixth inftruction from hence?

A. That God's glory is the end of all being; Col. i. 16. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him.

Q. 10. What is the seventh inftruction from hence ?

A. That there is an unnatural rebellion in fin, fmiting at him that made and preferves our being; Ifa. i. 6. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

11. What is the eighth inftruction from hence?

A. That God can in a moment revive and fave the church when at the loweft ebb; Ifa. lxv. 18. Behold, I create Jerufalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

Q. 12. What is the laft inftruction from hence?

A. That it is eafy with God to revive a dejected foul; Ifa. Ivii. 19. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, faith the Lord; and I will heal him.

Queft. 1. T

H

Of Man's Creation.
OW did God create man?

A. God created man male and female,

after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.

Q. I. How did God create man?

A. God created man in his own image; Gen. i. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them.

Q. 2. What is meant by the image of God?

A. Not a refemblance of God in any bodily thape or figure, but in holiness; Eph. iv. 24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteoufness and true holinefs.

Q3. In what graces did man resemble God?

A. In fuch a knowledge of God himself, and the creatures, which made him happy; Col. iii. 10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him.

Q. 4. In what other graces did this image confist?

A. In righteoufnefs as well as holiness; Eph. iv. 24. Aud that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness,

Q. 5. What is the first inference from hence?

A. The deplorable mifery of the fall; Rom. v. 12. Wherefore as by one man in entered into the world, and death by fin, and fo death paffed upon all men, for that all have finned. Q. 6. What is the second inftruction from hence?

A. The beauty of holiness, which is the image of God, and the excellency of man; Pfalm xvi. 3. But to the faints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

Q7. What is the third inftruction from hence?

A. We have infinite caufe to blefs God for Chrift, who repairs this loft image in his people; Eph. iv. 23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

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

A. That the defpifers of holiness are the defpifers of God; for holiness is God's image.

Q. 9. What is the fifth inftruction from hence?

A. The excellency of fanctification, which defaces the image of Satan, and draws the image of God upon the foul of

man.

Of Divine Providence.

Quest. II.

W

HAT are God's works of providence?
A. God's works of providence, are his

moft holy, wife, and powerful preferving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

Q. How doth it appear that there is a divine providence? A. It appears by plain fcripture teftimonies; Heb. i. 3. Upholding all things by the word of his power. Col. i. 17. By him all things confift. Luke xii. 6, 7. Are not five fparrows fold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God; but even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Q. 2. How elfe is providence evinced?

A. By fcripture emblems; as Jacob's ladder, Gen. xxviii. 12, 13. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder fet upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; behold the angels of God afcended and defcended on it: And Ezekiel's wheels, Ezek. i. 20. Whitherfoever the fpirit was to go, they went, thither was their fpirit to go, and the wheels were lifted up over against them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Q. 3. What farther fcripture evidence is there?

A. The fure accomplishment of fcripture predictions; as Ifrael's captivity, and deliverance from Egypt and Babylon; Chrift's incarnation; the rise and ruin of the four monarchies ; Dan. ii. 31. Thou, O king, fawest, and, behold, a great image, whofe brightnefs was excellent, ftood before thee, and the form thereof was terrible. Dan. vii. 3. And four great beasts came up from the fea, diverse one from the other.

Q. 4. What is its first act about the creatures?

A. It fuftains, preferves, provides for them; Pfalm cxlv. 15, 16. The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season; thou openest thine hand, and fatisfieft the defire of every living thing, and defendest them from danger. Pfalm xxxvi. 6. Thy righteoufnefs is like the great mountains, thy judgments are a great deep; O Lord, thou preferveft man and beaft.

Q5. What is the second act of providence about the crea

tures

A. It rules and governs the creatures and their actions; Pfalm lxvi. 7. He ruleth by his power for ever, his eyes behold the nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves.

Q. 6. How manifold is divine providence?

A. It is common and general over all, or special and peculiar to fome men; 1 Tim. iv. 10. Who is the Saviour of all men, especially of thofe that believe.

Q. 7. How is providence exercised about finful actions ?

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A. In permitting them; Acts iv. 16. In reftraining them; Pfalm lxxvi. 10. Surely the wrath of man fhall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath fhalt thou reflrain. And overruling them to good; Gen. 1. 20. But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to fave much people alive.

Q. 8. What are the properties of providence ?

A. It is (1.) Holy; Pfalm clv. 17. The Lord is righteous, in all his ways, and holy in all his works. (2.) Wife; Pfal. civ. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wifdom. haft thou made them all. (3.) Powerful; Dan. iv. 35. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doth according to his will, in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doft thou?

Q9. What is the first inftruction from it?

A. That God's people are fafe amidst all their enemies and dangers; 2. Chron. xvi. 9. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to fhew himself strong in the behalf of them whose hearts are perfect towards him.

Q. 10. What is the second inftruction?

A. That prayer is the beft expedient to profperity and fuccess of our lawful affairs; Pfalm cxlv. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Q. 11. What is the third instruction from it?

A. That God's people fhould reft quietly in the care of his providence for them in all their ftraits; Matth. vi. 26. Behold the fowls of the air, for they fow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet our heavenly Father feedeth them are not ye much better than they?

Q. 12. What is the last instruction from it?

A. That it is no fmall privilege to be adopted children of God, and the members of Chrift; for all is ordered for their eternal good; Eph. i. 22, 23. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Of the Covenant of Works.

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HAT fpecial act of providence did God exercise towards man, in the estate where

A. When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect abedience, forbidding

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