evil, and providing them means of fubfiftence, Heb. i. 3. Pfalm cxix. 91. Pfalm. cxlv. 15, 16.

Q. Would not the creatures continue in their beings without God's upholding of them?

A. No, they would fink into nothing again without it; and, in this refpect, providence is as a continued creation, Acts xvii. 28.

Q. Could not fuch creatures as the angels live and fubfift without God's providence? A. No, no more than a fly, or any fuch creature. Q. How duth God Govern all his creatures and their actions?

A. By directing them to their proper ends according to their natures, producing events by them according to his pleafure, and overruling all their actions to his own glory, Pfalm cxlvii. 15, 16. Prov. xvi. 9, 33.

Q. Doth not God fometimes make his creatures act contrary to their natural cour fe ani force?

A. Yes, when he pleafeth to act miraculously, as in dividing of the waters, caufing iron to fwim, reftraining the force of fire, the fury of lions, &c.

Q. Doth the providence of God extend to all the actions of

men?

A. Yes, to them all, whether they be good or bad, natural, moral or cafual, Acts xvii. 28. John xv. 5. Exod. xxi. 12, 13.

Q. What hand bath divine providence about finful actions?

A. He hath a holy hand, in permitting them, limiting and reftraining them, and directing them to holy and wife ends beyond the intentions of the actors, Acts xiv. 16. Pfalm lxxvi. 10 Ifa. x. 5, 6,.7.

Q. How doth God permit men to fall into fin?

A. He in his juft judgment leaves them, or gives them up to their own hearts lufts, and the inftigations of Satan, Pfalm lxxxi. II, 12.

Q. Why doth God permit fin, when he can hinder it?

A. In this he acts as a holy and juft judge; when men refufe his calls, and defpife light and love, he juftly punisheth them by leaving them to themselves. And yet he is pleafed to temper juftice with much mercy and wifdom; for hereby he fhews men what evil is in their hearts for their conviction and humiliation, and how wonderfully he can turn about the

worst things to his own glory, and the good of his church, 2 Chron. xxxii. 31. Neh ix. 28.

Q. Can you illuftrate this by any infances from scripture? A. Yes; it is evident, not only in the betraying and crucifying of Chrift mentioned before upon the feventh question, but alfo in the felling of Jofeph into Egypt: the actors meant it for evil, but God turned it about for great good, Gen. 1. 20. Q. Who are thefe about whom the providence of God is most efpecially concerned?

A. The church, and all who are true believers; when others have only God's common and general providence to look to, these have his fpecial and fatherly providence to depend upon, feeing he hath promised to make all things work together for their good, Rom. viii. 28.

Q. What are the properties of God's providential acts?

A. There are three mentioned in the answer; 1. They are moft Holy, without fpot or blemish. 2. Moft Wife, without miflake or error. 3. Moft Powerful, they cannot be stopt or refifted, Pfalm cxlv. 17. Rom. xi. 33. Dan. iv. 35.

Q. If God doth govern the world fo wifely, why doth be let his people be afflicted, and his enemies profper in the world?

A. God's wifdom is hereby glorified: for thefe difpenfations, however crooked they feem to us, are wifely ordered to carry on the falvation of his people, and deftruction of his

enemies.

Q. Are there not many who practically deny God's providence?

A. Yes; fuch as thefe who do not confult with God in their undertakings, nor feek his bleffing thereupon; and thefe who afcribe their fuccefs more to fecond caufes then unto God; and thefe who are impatient under afflictions, distrust God in their ftraits, or betake themselves to unlawful shifts to obtain what they want.

Q. What regard ought we to fhew to the providence of God?

A. We ought by prayer to interest providence in all our affairs, and depend upon its care: we ought feriously to obferve its steps, and humbly fubmit to its determinations.

QOught we not to put a remark on all the gracious fleps of God's providence towards us?

A. Yes.

Q. What are these we ought especially to remark?

A. Such as the care of providence in preferving us in the

womb and from the womb; watching over us in our helpless infancy; ordering our lot to fall in a land of gofpel light, and not among infidels; allowing us religious education, and good examples; giving us wakening ordinances and difpenfations for our converfion to God; preferving our lives fo long amidst fo many dangerous difeafes and accidents; and keeping us from many fnares and temptations to fin.

QUESTION XII.

What Special act of Providence did God exercife
toward Man in the Eftate wherein he was created?
A. When God had created Man, he entered into a
Covenant of Life with him, upon Condition of perfect
Obedience: Forbidding him to eat of the Tree of
-Knowledge of Good and Evil, upon Pain of Death.

Q. What did God with man after he had created him?
A. He entered into a covenant with him.

Q. What do you mean by a covenant?

A. A mutual paction or agreement betwixt two parties. Q. How many covenants hath God entered into with man? A. Two, to wit, the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace.

Q. Which of these two covenants did God make with Adam at fift?

A. It was the covenant of works, which in the answer is čalled a Covenant of Life.

Q. Why is it called both a Covenant of Works, and a Govenant of Life?

A. It is called a covenant of works, from the condition of it; and a covenant of life, from the promise or reward

of it.

Q. How doth it appear that God and Adam did really en

ter into covenant?

A. From this, that God required Adam to obey his will promifing him life if he fhould do it, and threatning death to him if he did not. And doubtless Adam, who was made after the image of God, confented to this his Creator's will when first intimated to him.

Q. Had this covenant a condition in it?
E

A. Yes, to wit, Works, or obedience to the will of God. Q. What do you mean by the condition of a covenant?

A. A fpecial article or term, upon the fulfilling of which the promised bleffings of the covenant only are to be bestowed. Q. What fort of obedience did this covenant require as the condition of it?

A. Perfect obedience to the whole will of God.

Q. When may obedience be reckoned perfect?

A. It is fo when a man continues in doing all things commanded by God, without any defect in matter or manner, principle or ends.

Q. Was there no grace in the covenant of works?

A. Yes, there was much grace in God's condefcending to enter into covenant with his own creature, and promifing him great rewards to encourage him to obedience, when he was abfolutely obliged to it by his creation, though nothing had been promised at all.

Q. What was the reward promifed in this covenant før man's obedience?

A. Life. Q. What fort of life was it?

A. A threefold life, natural, fpiritual and eternal. The natural and fpiritual life, given to man at his creation, was to be continued with him; and in due time he was to be tranflated to eternal life in heaven, without dying.

Q. What account can you give of the nature of that threefold life?

A. The natural life confifts in the union of foul and body; the fpiritual life in the union of the foul with God; the eternal life in the happiness of the whole man in the immediate vifion and fruition of God in heaven for ever.

Q. Was this covenant made with Aam for himself alone? A. No; it was made with him, not only for himself, but in the name of all his pofterity.

Q Had Adam fufficiency of ftrength and grace given him at first, to perform the condition of this covenant?

A. Yes. Q Did not this covenant require obedience to the whole moral law? A. Yes.

Q. Where was that law written?

In the hearts of our first parents.

Q. Was there not fomething else that God required of them as a prefent trial of their obedience?

A. Yes, namely, That they should not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Q. Why did God deny them that one tree?

A. To try their fubjection and obedience to their fovereign Lord, of whom they held all comforts; and to teach them that their chief happiness did not lie in the enjoyment of temporal things, but of God's favour; and that they ought to prefer his will and pleasure to all the delights of fense.

Q. Had that tree any virtue in it to make men knowing and wife?

A. No, it had none, though Satan deluded them with this temptation.

Q. Why then was it called the tree of knowledge of good and evil?

A, It was fo called, to affure them, that, if they did eat of it, they should know to their fad experience, both what good they would forfeit, and what evil they would bring upon shempfelves and their pofterity.

Q. What good were they to forfeit and lofe?

A. Both the image and favour of God.

Q. What evil were they to feel?

A. The wrath and curfe of God.

Q. Was this penalty plainly intimated to them, on the Covenant was made with them?

A. Yes; for God faid, In the day thou eat ift theroef, the fhalt furely die.

QWhat fort of death dii God threaten them with?

A. A threefold death, anfwerable to the life promited; t wit, death temporal, fpiritual and eternal.

Q. What account can' you give of the nature of that throt fold death?

A. Temporal or natural death confiff's in the feparation of the foul from the body; Spiritual death in the feparation of the foul from God, and the lofs of his image; Eternal death lies in the feparation of both foul and body from the comfortable prefence of God for ever.

Q. Did Adam lie naturally that very day he ate this fruit?
A. No; for he lived till he was 930 years old.

Q. How then was the threatring of God accomplished?
A. On the day he did eat, he died fpiritually, and became
Hable to temporal and eternal death.