Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

him to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.

Q.1. What was God's covenant with Adam before the fall?

A. It was to give life and happiness upon condition of perfect perfopal obedience; Gal. iii. 12. The law is not of faith; but the man that doth them, fhall live in them.

Q. 2. Was this covenant made only with Adam, or with him and his pofterity?

A. It was made with him, and all his natural pofterity, defcending in the ordinary way of generation from him; Rom. v. 12. Wherefore as by one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin, and fo death paffed upon all men, for that all have finned. Ver. 14, and 18. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Mofes, even over them that had not finned after the fimilitude of Adam's tranfgreffion, who is the figure of him that was to come: Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even fo by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto juftification of life.

Q. 3. Was Adam able to perform the obedience required of him in that covenant?

A. Yes; for he was made upright; Eccl. vii. 29. God made man upright; but they have fought out many inventions. Q. 4. Had this covenant any Mediator?

A. No; he neither had, nor needed any Mediator for fatisfaction, because no fin was in him; nor interceffion, for he wanted nothing.

Q5. Did this covenant admit of no repentance, nor ac2 cept any fhort endeavours ?

A. No, it did not; but fentenceth and curseth the tranfgreffors of it, for the least breach; Gal. iii. 10. Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Q. 6. How was this threatening fulfilled, of dying the day he eat, feeing he lived 930 years?

A. He died spiritually that day; and though the fentence on his body was refpited in order to pofterity, yet then his body received the death's wound, of which afterward he died.

Q. 7. What is the first inference from Adam's covenant? A. Miferable are all they that grow on the natural root of the first Adam: Gal. iv. 21, 22. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two fons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman.

Q. 8. What is the fecond inference?

[ocr errors]

A. That God is just in all the punishments and miferies that come upon man; yea, infants that never finned after his fimilitude; Rom. v. 14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Mofes, even over them that had not finned after the fimilitude of Adam's tranfgreffion.

Q. 9. What is the third inference?

A. The glorious privilege of believers, who are under a better covenant, established upon better promifes; Heb. viii. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much alfo he is the Mediator of a better covenant, which is established upon better promises.

Q. 10. What is the laft inference?

A. That we should pity the unregenerate, efpecially our own among them; and labour to plant them in the fecond Adam:

Quest. 13.

D

Of the Fall of Man.

ID our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?

A. Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the eftate wherein they were created, by finning against God.

Q. 1. How doth it appear that man is fallen?

A. By the fcripture hiftory: An account of it is in Gen, iii. 6, 7. And when the woman faw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be defired to make one wife, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave alfo unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they fewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons; and they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God, amongst the trees of the garden. And the fad experience we all have of it in ourselves; Rom. v. 12. There fore as by one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin, and fo death paffed upon all men, for that all have finned. Q. 2 How could man fall, fince he was made upright? A Though he was upright, yet his will was mutable; and by abufing that liberty he fell; Ecclef. vii. 29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright, but they have fought out many inventions.

VOL. VII.

૨.૧ ૧

Q. 3. How did God leave him to abuse the freedom of his will?

A. Not by inclining him to abuse it; but by with-holding that further grace which he was no way obliged to continue to

him.

Q. 4. Did the will of man lofe its liberty to good, by the fall? A. Yes, it did, and is so wounded, that it cannot, without thy preventing and regenerating grace, put forth one spiritual and faving act; Eph. ii. 8, 9, 10. For by grace are ye faved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, leaft any man fhould boaft; for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, &c.

Q. 5. What was the aggravation of Adam's fin? A. It was aggravated in his being a public innocent person, fo newly placed in a state of happiness and liberty.

Q. 6. What is the firft inference from the fall?

A. That the best creature left to himself, cannot be long fafe; as the angels, and Adam; Pfal. xlix. 12. Nevertheless, man being in honour abideth not; he is like the beafts that perish.

Q. 7. What is the fecond inference?

A. That fince man could not be his own keeper, he can be much lefs his own faviour; 2 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we are fufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our fufficiency is of God.

Q. 8 What is the third inference?

A. That it is impoffible for the covenant of works to justify any one; Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his fight; Rom. viii. 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak, through the flesh; God fending his own Son, in the likeness of finful flesh, and for fin condemned fin in the flesh.

Q. 9. What is the last inference?

A. What caufe have we to blefs God for Chrift, who re.. covered us when the fall left us helplefs? Rom. v. 6. For when we were yet without ftrength, in due time Chrift died for the ungodly.

Queft. 14.

Of Sin.

Hat is fin?

W Hay

A. Sin is any want of conformity unto,

or tranfgreffion of the law of God.

Q. What is meant by the law ?

A. The commands and rules flowing from God's fovereignty,

[ocr errors]

whereby his will is manifefted, and the creature bound to obedience.

Q. 2. Where is this law written?

A. It is written either in the heart; Rom. ii. 15. Which fhews the work of the law written in their hearts, (which we call the law of nature); or in the Bible, which we call the written moral law.

Q3. What conformity is due to this law of God?

A. A twofold conformity is due to it: First, Internal, in our hearts. Secondly, External, in our lives; and the want of either is fin; 1 John iii. 4. Whofoever committeth fin, tranfgreffeth alfo the law; for fin is the tranfgreffion of the law. Q4. How doth it appear that the want of internal conformity is fin?

A. Because the law requires it; Mark xii. 30. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy ftrength; for this is the first commandment: And condemns the want of it? Rom. vii. 7. What shall we fay then? Is the law fin? God forbid! nay, I had not known fin but by the law; for I had not known luft, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Q5. Is nothing a fin but what is against God's law?

A. No, nothing can be a fin but what God hath either exprefly, or by consequence forbidden in his word.

Q. 6. Wherein lies the evil of tranfgreffing God's law?

A. The evil of fin principally lies in the offence and wrong done to God, whofe fovereignty it labours to shake off, and despises his will; Pfal. li. 4. Against thee, thee only have I -finned, and done this evil in thy fight.

Q. 7. What further evil is in fin?

A. It highly wrongs the finner's foul, by defacing, defiling, and damning it; Prov. viii. 36. But he that finneth against me, wrongeth his own foul: all they that hate me, love death. Q. 8. Wherein is the evil of fin manifefted?

A. It is manifefted in the death of Chrift, the terrors of confcience, and torments of hell.

9. What course must the finner take to recover himself out of his mifery?

A. Repentance towards God, faith towards Chrift, and both evidenced by new obedience; Acts xx. 21. Testifying both to the Jews, and alfo to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift.

Qre. What may we infer from hence?

A. That we have infinite caufe to blefs God for Chrift's fatisfaction of the law for our fins.

Queft. 15.

Of the Tree of Knowledge.

WH

Hat was the fin whereby our firft parents fell from the eftate wherein they were created! A. The fin whereby our first parents fell from the eftate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. Q. 1. Why was this tree called the tree of knowledge?

A. Not from any natural efficacy it had to give knowledge, but the knowledge he fhould have by eating, or not eating, was experimental knowledge. i. e. Knowledge to his forrow. Q. 2 Why did God forbid him this tree?

Se

A. First, For the discovery of his dominion over man. condly, For the trial of his subjection and obedience. Thirdly, For the aggravation of his fin, if he should eat.

Q3. What evil was there in eating of it?

A. There was a twofold evil, the evil of fin, and the evil of punishment, both very great.

[ocr errors]

Q4. What was the evil of fin?

[ocr errors]

A. A threefold evil of fin. First, Against God, called difobedience'; Rom. v. 19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made finners. Secondly, Against himself, soul, body, and estate. Thirdly, Against his pofterity; Rom. v. 12. Wherefore as by one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin; and fo death paffed upon all men, for that all have finned.

Q. 5. What was the evil of punishment?

[ocr errors]

A. First, Lofs of God's image. Secondly, Horror of confcience. Thirdly, Sorrow on the female fex. Fourthly, Curfe on the creature. Fifthly, Expulfion from paradife. Sixthly, Death both of body and foul.

Q. 6. What is the first inftruction from it?

A. To take heed of fmall beginnings of temptations, and to refift it in the first motions; James iii. 5. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth.

Q.7. What is the fecond inference?

4

A. Not to hold a parly with the tempter; fee 2 Cor. xi. 3. But I fear left by any means, as the fepent beguiled Eve, through his fubtilty, fo your minds fhould be corrupted from the fimplicity that is in Chrift.

Q. 8. What is the third inference?

A. That Satan's policy lies much in the choice of his tempting inftruments; as Eve and Peter, &c.

« AnteriorContinuar »