Page images
PDF
EPUB

Anfw. In remembring us in our low estate; laying our help on his own Son, the mighty one; and in fetting him up as a new-covenant head from everlafting,Pfal. cxxxvi. 23. and lxxxix. 19. Prov. viii. 23. Queft. 14. How doth it appear in the execution of our redemption?

Anfw. In fending his Son to affume our nature, and therein to fulfil all righteoufnefs for us; and on the foundation of that righteousness, giving us his holy Spirit, peace, pardon, and every good thing, from a cup of cold water to a feat with him in his throne, John iii. 16. and xiv. 16. Pfal. lxxxiv. 11. Rom. viii. 32.

Queft. 15. What are the ftreams in which the Special goodness of God doth flow out?

Anfw. In the ftreams of love, grace, and mercy, according to his name, Exod. xxxiv. 6.------The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, etc.

Quest. 16. What is the difference betwixt the love, grace, and mercy of God?

Anfw. They are much the fame, only love confiders the finner fimply as God's creature; grace views him as ill-deferving; and mercy, through a fatisfaction, refpects him as in mifery.

Quest. 17. Who are the objects of God's Special goodness?

Anfw. His chofen ones, Pfal. cvi. 4, 5.---0 visit me with thy falvation, that I may fee the GOOD OF

THY CHOSEN.

Queft. 18. Can this Special goodness of God be expreffed in words?

Anfw. No for, eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. ii. 9. And, Pfal. xxxi. 19. O! how great is thy goodness which thou haft laid up for them that fear thee!

Queft. 19. Where is this goodness of God laid up?
PART I.
An/w. It

E

Anfw. It is laid up in Christ, who hath received the gifts of God's goodness for men, Pfal. lxviii. 18.; and in whom it hath pleafed him that all fulness fhould dwell, Col. i. 19.; and who, therefore, is fet up to be bleffings for ever, Pfal. xxi. 6. Margin.

Queft 20. How is this goodness laid out and brought near to us?

Anfw. It is laid out in the exceeding great and precious promises, and brought near in the full, free, and unhampered offer of the gospel, 2 Pet. i. 4. Mark xvi. 15.

Queft. 21. How are we favingly interested in all this goodness?

Anfw. By faith, receiving and refting upon Christ alone for falvation, as he is freely offered in the gofpel, John i. 12. 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23.

Queft. 22. What are the properties of this goodness? Anfw. It is feasonable goodness, Heb. iv. 16.; it is foul-fatisfying, Pfalm cvii. 9; and it is immutable and everlasting, Pfalm lii. 1.

Queft. 23. What improvement ought we to make of the goodness of God?

Anfw. We ought to praise the Lord for his goodnefs, and for his wonderful works to the children of men; to rejoice in his goodness; to be influenced to repentance from the confideration thereof; and to imitate God therein, Pfalm cvii. 8. 2 Chron. vi. 41. Rom. ii. 4. Heb. xiii, 16.

Of GOD'S TRUTH.

Queft. 1. What is the truth of God?

Anfw. It is that effential perfection of his nature, whereby he cannot but fulfil and accomplish whatever he hath spoken; or do as he has faid, Numb. xxiii. 19. Micah vii. 20. Tit. i. 2.

Quest. 2. What is it that this perfection of God has a fpecial relation unto ?

Anfw. To the revelation of his will in his word:

hence

hence the whole fcripture is infallible truth; one jot, or one tittle, fhall in no ways pass therefrom, till all be fulfilled, Matth. v. 18. For, the word of the Lord endureth for ever, 1 Pet. i. 25.

Queft. 3. What is God's truth, as refpecting his word, commonly called?

Anf. His faithfulness or veracity, Heb. x. 23. --He is faithful that promifed.

Quest. 4. To what is the truth and faithfulness of God opposed?

Anfw. To all change of mind, and to all lying and diffimulation, Job xxiii. 13. He is of one mind, and who can turn him? Heb. vi. 18.- -It is impoffible for God to lye.

Quest. 5. Can there be any inconfiftency in his words? Anfw. No: for truth always hangs with itself, and he keepeth truth for ever, Psalm cxlvi. 6.

Queft. 6. Can he poffibly forget what he has faid? Anfw. No furely for, he will be ever mindful of his covenant, Pfalm cxi. 5.

Queft. 7. Wherein is the truth and faithfulness of God manifefted?

Afw. In the exact accomplishment of his promises, and certain execution of his threatenings, Jofh. xxiii. 14. Zech. i. 6.

Queft. 8. How do we give God the honour of his truth and faithfulness?

Anfw. By faith, which fets to the feal that God is true, and judges him faithful who hath promised, John iii. 33. Heb. xi. 11.

Queft. 9. By what fin is this attribute of God most dishonoured?

Antw. By the fin of unbelief, which makes God a liar, because it believes not the record that God gave of his Son, 1 John v. 10.

Quelt. 10. What record doth God give of his Son? Anfw. This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son, 1 John v. 11. Queft. 11.

E 2

Queft. 11. To whom is this record given?

Anfw. To all the hearers of the gospel, as a ground of faith, Mark xvi. 15. Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, Acts ii. 39. The promife is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call.

Queft. 12. How doth it appear, that this record is given, as a ground of faith, to all the hearers of the gospel?

Anfw. If it were not fo, it were impoffible that unbelievers, under the gospel, could make God a liar; for, if they have no concern in this record, and are not bound to believe it with application to themselves, their rejecting of it could not be their fin; because, where no law is, there is no tranfgreffion, Rom. iv. 15.

Queft. 13. If the record, or promife of a God of truth, be made to every one of the hearers of the gofpel, is not God in that cafe, obliged to fulfil it to every one ?

Anfw. By no means: because the unbeliever rejects the promise, and will have no benefit by it, Pfalm lxxxi. 10,---13.

Queft. 14. By what example, in fcripture, may this be illuftrated?

Anfw. By the example of the promise of Canaan, made indefinitely to all Ifrael who came out of Egypt, Exod. vi. 6, 8.; yet many of them could not enter in because of unbelief, Heb. iii. 19.: even fo, the promise of eternal life is made to all the hearers of the gofpel; yet many of them come short of it, because the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it, Heb. iv. I, 2.

Queft. 15. What then is the deplorable cafe of unbelievers under the gospel? Anfw. They

Anfw. They are condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on them, John iii. 18, 36. Queft. 16. What improvement ought we to make of the truth and faithfulness of God?

Anfw. We ought to choose the way of truth, walk in it, and bear witness for it before the world; to praise God for his truth, and truft him on his word, without ftaggering at the promise through unbelief, Pfal. cxix. 30. 3 John ver. 4. Heb. x. 23. Pfal. cxxxviii. 2. Rom. iv. 20.

5. QUEST. Are there more Gods than one ?

ANSW. There is but one only, the living and true God.

Queft. 1. How doth it appear from Scripture, that there is but one true God?

Anfw. From Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord, Chap. xxxii. 39. Isa. xlv. 22. and several other fcriptures.

Queft. 2. How doth reafon demonftrate this truth, that there is but one God?

Anf. Reafon fays, that there is but one first caufé and ultimate end of all things; and that there cannot be two or moe, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable beings.

Queft. 3. How may the unity of the divine effence be proved from his omnipotence?

Anfw. Because he could not be omnipotent, if any other could oppofe or refift him, Job ix. 12. Quelt. 4. How may it be proved from his govern ment of the world?

Anfw. There could not be an uniform governing of all things in the world, to one certain end, if the infinitely wife governor, who is at the helm, were not one only.

E 3

Quek. 5.

« PreviousContinue »