What Is God?
Answ. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Q. What doth the name of God properly signify?
A. A being of infinite perfection, Job xi, 7.
Qj What are we to believe concerning God?
A. That he is, what he is, and what he hath done.
Q. What religious principle must we first in order believe? A. That there is a God, Heb. xi. 6.
Q. What things teach us that there is a God?
A. Bolh scripture and reason, Mai. iii. 6.
Q. In what are all men taught that there is a God?
A. In the works of creation and providence.
Q. How doth creation-work prove that there must be a God? A. Because nothing can make itself;
and so there must be a God who hath made all things, Rom. i. 20.
Q. How do the works of providence prove that there must be a God? A. Because so many, so vast and
unruly things, could never be preserved and guided to one common end, if there were not a God to over-rule them.
Q. How doth our own being prove that there is a God?
A. The curious frame of our bodies, the noble powers of our souls -y our consciences daily accusing or excusing us, together with our inability to live, move, or do any thing of ourselves, clearly prove it, Psal. cxxxix. 16. &c.
Q. Can the works of nature now teach us what God is? B 3
18 O/God. Quest. 4.
A. They may teach us some things darkly concerning God, but nothing savingly, Acts xvii. 27. Rom. ii. 14, 15.
Q. What do the works of nature more darkly shew God to be: A. They shew that he is holy, just, wise,
good, eternal, &.c. Rom. i. 20, — 32.
Q/Who alone can teach us the saving knowledge of God?
A. Christ by his word and Spirit, Isa. xlviii. 17.
Q. What doth the scripture or word of Christ declare God to be? A. Light, love, and a spirit, 1 John i. 4.
Q. Why is God called light? A. Because of his
purity, knowledge, and being the Father of light.
Q. Why is God called love / A. Because in Christ all his other attributes are employed to exalt his love.
Q^ Why is God called a spirit? A. Because his
nature and attributes are spiritual, John iv. 24.
Q. What is a spirit? A. It is a living, thinking, and invisible substance, without any matter or bodily parts.
Q. If God.be a spirit, how are eyes, ears, arms, feet, face, fingers, mouth, lips, &c. ascribed to him in scripture? A. God, in condescension to our weakness, doth by these bodily members paint out some property in himself, the work of which someway resembleth the use of such members in man, Hos. xii. 13. and xi. 8.
Q. What is meant by eyes and ears, when ascribed to God? A. His knowledge, care, and pity, Psal. xxxiv. 17.
Q. What do face, nosep and nostrils mean, when ascribed to God? A. His knowledge, favour, or wrath,
Psal. xlviii. 8. and face also signifies his glory.
£). What is meant by mouth or lips, when ascribed to God? A. His truth, word, authority, or love.
Q. What is meant by arms, hands, and fingers, when ascribed to God? A. His power j and sometimes arms and hands signify his mercy and love, Deut. xxxiii. 27.
Q. What doth heart mean when ascribed to God?
A. His love, approbation, or purpose.
Q. What doth bosom, when ascribed to God, mean?
A. His love, care, and protection, Isa. xl. 11.
Q. What do feet when ascribed to God, mean?
A. His power and providential works, Hab. iii. 5.
Q. What is meant by God’s sitting? A. His authority and undisturbed happiness, Psal. xxix. 10.
Q. What is meant by his standing? A. His readiness to help his people, and destroy their enemies.
Q. What is meant by walking, running, riding, ox flying, when ascribed to God? A. The calm, speedy, or kind manner of his working, Psalm xviii. 9, 10.
Q. Are there any other spirits besides God?
A. Yes j angels and souls of men, Psal. civ. 4.
Q. How do these differ from God? A. These
are finite, created, and changeable spirits -, but God is an infinite, eternal, and unchangeable spirit, Psal. ciii.
Q. What is meant by the attributes of God?
A. The properties or perfections of his nature.
Q. Are all the properties of God the very same with his nature, and with one another? A. Yes; and so
one cannot be separated from another, as the divine nature is most simple and uncompounded, Exod. iii. 14., Q. Why then are they represented to us as different?
A. Because of their different respects to the creatures, and because we cannot take them up as they are in God.
Q. How may the attributes, of God be distinguished?
A. Into communicable, which may be some way resembled by creatures and incommunicable, which can no way be resembled by creatures.
Q. Which are the communicable attributes of God?
A. Being, wisdom, power, holiness, justices, &c.
Q. Which are his incommunicable properties?
A. His independency, infinity, eternity, and unchangeableness, and his subsisting in three persons.
Q. What is proper independency? A. It 13 to
have in and of one’s self whatever is necessary for being, happiness, and work, Psalm cxv. 3. Exod, iii. 14.
Q. How do you prove that God is independent?
A. The scripture affirms, that he needs nothing from, nor can be profited by any creature, Acts xvii. 25.
Q. Do all other things depend on God in being and acts? A. Yes y and cannot do otherways, Rom. xi. 36.
Q. What is meant by God’s being infinite?
A. His being without bounds or limits, Job xi. 7.
Q. How do you prove that God is infinite?
A. Because he cannot by searching be found out to perfection, Job. xi. 7. 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16.
Q. Wherein is God infinite? A« In being, perfection, and presence, Exod. iii. 14. Psalm cxlvii. 5.
Q. How is God infinite in perfection?
A. The glory of his perfections can admit of no addition or increase, Job xxii. 2. xxxv. 6, 7.
Q. How may God be said to be infinite in presence? A. He is present in all his works; nay, the heaven of heavens cannot contain kimt 1 Kings viii. 27. Jer. xxiii. 24. Q. How may the presence of God be distinguished? A. Into his essential and operative presence. Q. Is God’s essential presence partly in heaven and partly in earth; or partly within and partly without the limits of creation? A. No; the whole being of
God is equally every where, Jer. xxiii. 23, 24.
Q. How may the operative presence of God be distinguished? A. Into his natural presence with all creatures, in preserving and governing them; his symbolical pre.^ence in the ordinances of his grace j his gracious presence with his saints on earth, by the indwelling and influence of his spirit j his glorious presence in heaven, as the blessed portion of angels and saints j and his vindictive presence in hell, by taking vengeance on devils and wicked men.
Q. Is there not, besides all these, a singular presence of God with the man Christ? A. Yes; the fulness of
the Godhead dwells in him bodily, Col. ii. 9. 2 Cor. v. 19. Q. How is God’s infinity terrible to the wicked? A. Their loss of him, as a portion, is unspeakable j and his treasures of wrath against them cannot be exhausted. Q. How is it sweet to believers? A. Because God is their boundless portion and joy. Q. What is meant by the eternity of God? A. His
being without beginning, end, or succession of duration.
Q. How do you prove that God is without beginning, or end? A. He is said to be from everlasting to everlasting God, Psalm xc. 2. 1 Tim. vi. 15. Jer. x. 10.
Q. How prove you that God is without succession of duration? A. Because one day is with him as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, 2 Pet. iii. 8, Q^How doth eternity differ from time? A. Time
can be measured by days and years, and one part of it follows another; but it is not so with eternity. Q. Is any besides God eternal?
A. Angels and souls of men have a sort of eternity, as they live for ever, Matth. x. 28. and xxv. 41.
Q^How doth their eternity differ from that of God?
A. Angels and souls of men have a beginning and succession of duration, which God hath not, Gen. i.
Q. How is the eternity of God terrible to the wicked?
A. It secures the eternal duration of their torments.
Q. How is eternity sweet to believers?
A. It secures his being their everlasting portion and joy.
Qj, What is meant by God’s being irnmutable or unchangeable? A. His being always the same, Mai. iii. 6.
Q. How prove you that God is unchangeable?
A. Himself says, I am the Lord,. change not.
Q^ Can nothing be added to, or taken from the glorious perfections of God? A. No -7 their glory cannot be diminished, because it is essential to God; nor can it be increased, because it is infinite, Psal. cii. 26, 27.
Q. Did not God change when he became a Creator, or when the Son of God became man? A. No the change only respected the creature, Rom. viii. 3. Heb. ii. 14.
Q. Were God’s power and will to create, or become man, the same from all eternity? A. Yes.
Q. If God change not, how is he said to repent?
A. His repenting means only a change of his work, but it means no change of his will, Gen. vi. 6, *7.
Q^ Why is the change of work called a repenting?
A. In allusion to the case of men, whose change of work shews a change of their will, Acts iii. 19.
Q. Can a creature be by nature unchangeable?
A. No j for as they have their being from the will of God, they may be changed as he seeth meet, Dan. iv. 35.
Q. Are not holy angels, and glorified saints, unchangeable? A. Yes j but they are so by the gracious will of God, not by nature, Heb. i. 14. Jude 1.
Q. How is God’s unchangeableness terrible to the wicked? A. It secures the full execution of all his
threatenings upon them, 1 Sam. xv. 28, 29.
Q^How is it sweet to believers f A. It secures
God’s resting in his love to them, fulfilling all his promises, and finishing the work of grace in them, Mai. iii. 6.
Q. Wherein is God independent, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable? A. In his being, wisdom, power,
holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Q^What is meant by the essence or being of God?
A. His very nature or Godhead, Exod. iii. 1.
Q»What is the highest perfection of being?
A. To depend on nothing, and have all other beings dependent on it, Exod. iii. 14. Dan. iv. 34, 35. Psa. cxv. 3.
Q. Is God happy only in himself, and all in all to himself and others? A. Yes he is God all-sufficient, Gen. xvii. 1. and every being is from him, Gen. i.
Q. Are they not then fools and brutish, who prefer created beings to God? A. Yes, Jer. ii. 13.
Q^ Doth not the very being of G<,d secure the accomplishment of all his promises? A. Yes, Exod. vi. 3.
Q^ Wherein doth the being of God differ from that of creatures? A. The being of God is independent,
infinite, eternal, and unchangeable •, but that of creatures is dependent, finite, created, and changeable.
Q^How may the wisdom of God be distinguished?
A. Into his omniscience, and wisdom strictly so called.
Q. What is the omniscience of God?
A. That essential attribute whereby he knows all things,
Q. How do you prove that God knows all things
A. Reason shews, and the scriptures expressly affirm it, John xxi. 11. 1 John iii. 20. Heb. iv. 13.
Q. Doth God learn any thing by experience, information, observation, or reasoning, as we do? A. No; he knows all things by the simple glance of his eye.
Qj, What is the object of the knowledge of God?
A. Himself, and all things possible, or real.
O. What doth God know of himself?
A. He knows his own nature, perfections, and decrees.
£). How prove you that? A. Because his understanding is infinite, Psal. cxlvii. 5. John xli. 17.
Qj What things doth God know?
A. All past, present, future, and possible thing-.
Q. How prove you that God knows all f»3St things?
A. Because he never forgets any thing, Amos viii. 7.
Q. How prove you that God knows all present things?
A. Because nothing can be hid from him, and he searches our very hearts, Heb. iv. 13. Rev. ii. 23.
Q. How prove you that God knows all things that are to come? A. Because known unto God are all his
works from the beginning of the world; and he hath often foretold the most accidental of them, Acts xv. 18.
Qj How prove you that God knows all possible things?
A. Because he knows his own power, and what it can do.
Qj Doth God know all things particularly, in all their properties, relations, circumstances, &c.? A. Yes.
£X What is the wisdom of God? A. His skill in
directing and ordering all things to proper ends.
Qj, Wherein doth wisdom and knowledge differ?
A. Knowledge views things in their natures, qualities, &C. but wisdom directs things to their proper ends.
Q. Wherein doth God’s wisdom appear? A. In
the works of creation, providence, and redemption.
Q^. How doth God’s wisdom appear in creation?
A. In his framing so many creatures, so fit for shewing forth his own glory, and promoting their own and one another’s good, Psal. civ. 24. Gen. i.
Qj How doth it appear in the work of providence?
A. In God’s directing all the motions of his creatures, however opposite, to one common end, his own glory, the good of his people, and of one another, Rom. viii. 28.
Q. In what of redemption is the wisdom of God displayed? A. In the contrivance, purchase, and application thereof.
Qj How is the wisdom of God displayed in the contrivance of redemption? A. In choosing a most fit Re deemer and ransom, and most suitable objects and means of receiving redemption, Psal. lxxxix. 19. 1 Cor. i. 24.
Q. How is Christ a most fit person to be our Redeemer?
A. He being the second person in the Godhead, the Son of God is most fit to be sent by the Father, and the Spirit, and make us the Sons of God, Gal. iv. 4, 5.
£X How is Christ’s righteousness a most fit ransom or price of redemption? A. It at once brings the highest glory to God, and the greatest good to men, Luke ii. 14.
Q. How are the elect most suitable objects of redemption? A. They being not angels, but men, and these commonly the meanest or worst, the choice of them pours contempt on worldly greatness, and highly exalts God’s free grace, 1 Cor. i. 24, — 29. Rom. v. 21.
£). How is faith a most fit means of receiving redemption? A. It most highly exalts the free grace, and other attributes of God; most deeply humbles man, and yet best secures his happiness, Rom. iv. 16, — 20.
£h How is the wisdom of God evidenced in the purchase of redemption? A. Sin at once slays, and is slain
by Christ ‘, and God’s strict justice and free grace therein meet together, and exalt one another, Dan. ix. 24.
Q. How is the wisdom of God displayed in the application of redemption? A. As, by occasion of our sin and misery, we are made to give most glory to God, and receive most good to ourselves and are made glorious, in the way of debasing all our self-righteousness, wisdom, and strength, Rom. v. 20, 21. Eph. ii. 1, — 8.
Qj Wherein doth the knowledge and wisdom of God differ from that of creatures? A. The knowledge
and wisdom of God are independent, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable; but that of creatures is dependent, finite, created, and changeable.
Q. How are the knowledge and wisdom of God sweet to believers? A. As God knows all their concerns, and will make all things work for their good, Rom. viii. 28.
Q. How are they terrible to the wicked? A. As
none of their sins can be hid from God’s sight, and as he makes all things work for their ruin, Deut. xxviii. 59.
Q. What is the power of God? A. That attribute by which he can do all things, Gen. xvii. 1.
Q. Can God repent, lie, or do any thing sinful?
A. No; for to be capable of such things would evidence -imperfection and weakness, 1 Sam. xv. 29.
Q. Could God’s power do more than ever he will do?
A. Yes*, nothing is too hard for him, Jer. xxxii. 17.
Qj Wherein is the power of God manifested?
A In creation, providence, and redemption.
Q. How doth God’s power appear in creation?
A. In his bringing so many powerful creatures out of nothing, in so quick and easy a manner, by a word.
Q. How doth it appear in common providence?
A. In his upholding all things, and ordering all their motions, Heb. i. 3. Psalm cxxxvi. cvii. &c.
Q. How doth God’s power appear in his special providence? A. In his working so many miracles for, and protecting his church amidst so many dangers and enemies, and at last making her to triumph over them all.
Q, In what of redemption-work is the power of God manifested? A. In the constitution of Christ’s person j in his sufferings, resurrection, and coming to judgment j and in calling, justifying, adopting, sanctifying his people, &c.
Q. How is God’s power manifested in the constitution of Christ’s person? A. In so closely uniting his two
natures, though in themselves at an infinite distance from one another, 1 Tim. iii. 16. Isa. vii. 14. and ix. 6.
Q^ How is it manifested in the sufferings of Christ?
A. In laying such a load of wrath on him, supporting him under it, and making him victorious over it, and all his enemies, Isa. liii. 11, 12. Psalm xxii. and ex.
Q. How is it manifested in Christ’s resurrection?
A. God thereby broke open the prison of death, and exalted him to glory in name of his elect seed, Is. liii. 8.
Q. How will it appear in Christ’s judging the world?
A. In his raising the dead, sisting men and devils at his bar, driving all his enemies at once to hell, and perfecting the happiness of his people, Matth. xxv. Rev. xx.
Q. How doth God’s power appear in calling and converting sinners? A. In turning them from enmity to love, from filth to holiness, from darkness to light, from death to life, by the word of his grace, Acts xxvi. 18.
Q. How doth God’s power appear in our justification?
A. In his ready and full forgiveness of so many and great offences, Numb. xiv. 17, — 20. Psalm xxv. 11.
Q. How doth it appear in our sanctification i
A. In keeping alive weak grace in the midst of so many corruptions and temptations, and making it at last victorious over them all,. 1 Pet. i. 5. Rom. vii. 14, — 25.
Q, What are some of the more open displays of the power of God in favour of his church? A. Israel’s
deliverance from Egypt, and entrance into Canaan the destruction of the Assyrian army, Chaldean, Syrian, and Roman empires; the overthrow of Pagan idolatry, destruction of Antichrist, &c. Exod. xii. Josh. i. — xii.
Q. How is the power of God sweet to believers
A. As it is easy with God to perform all his promise’, and supply all their wants, Gen. xvii. 1. and xviii. 14.
Q. How is it terrible to the wicked? A. As it is to be glorified in their everlasting destruction, 2 Thess. i. 9.
Q^ What is the holiness of God? A. It is the purity of his nature, whereby he delights in whatever is pure and holy, and abhors every thing sinful, Hab. i, ] 3.
Q^ What peculiar honour doth God put upon his holiness? A. He swears by it j he calls every thing per-
talning to him by its name; and he counts it the beauty and glory of his other perfections, Psalm lxxxix. 35.
Q. What things pertaining to God are called holy?
A. His name, work, word, covenant, promise, dwelling-place, angels, people, and service, Psalm cxi. 9. &c.
Q. How is God’s holiness the beauty of his other perfections? A. As thereby they are all pure, glorious, and lovely, Exod. xv. 11. Psalm xxvii. 4.
Q. Can any creature behold the full brightness of this beauty of God’s holiness? A. No: Isa. vi. 2.
Q. Wherein does the holiness of God appear?
A. In creation, providence, and redemption.
Q. How did it appear in creation? A. In God’s
■enduing all reasonable creatures with perfect holiness.
Q. How doth it appear in providence? A. In God’s giving holy laws, and strong encouragements to keep them -, and in his severely punishing angels and men for sin.
Q. How doth God’s holiness appear in redemption?
A. In his setting up Christ as a perfect pattern of holiness j in his making vile sinners holy by conversion and sanctification: and especially in his smiting, and hiding his face from his own Son, when bearing our iniquities.
Qj In what manner doth God hate sin? A. With
a boundless hatred, as a thing most abominable to him.
Q. How then is God in scripture said to bid men sin, and to harden them in it? A. The meaning only is, that he permits, and punishes men by sin, 2 Sam. xvi. 10.
Q. If God hate sin so much, how can he permit it?
A. His permission doth not in the least effect or encourage sin •, nor would he have permitted it, but to display his holiness by occasion thereof, especially in punishing it upon Christ, and saving men from it through him.
Q. How doth the power and holiness of God differ from that of creatures i A. The power and holiness
of God are independent, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable j but the power and holiness of creatures are dependent, finite, created, and changeable.
Qj How is God’s holiness sweet to believers?
A. It secures the complete destruction of sin, and perfection of grace in them, 2 Cor. iii. 18. Lev. xx. 7, 8.
Qj, How is it terrible to the wicked? A. It secure-? God’s most fierce indignation against them for ever.
Q. What is the justice of God? A. It is that attri-Quest. 4. Of God’s Justice. 27
bute of his nature, whereby he is disposed to give himself and all creatures their proper due, Deut. xxxii. 4.
Q. What doth God render to himself as his own due I
A. He makes his own glory his chief end and motive, and his will his rule in all his works, Prov. xvi. 4.
Q. What is the common justice or due that God renders to all creatures? A. His governing them according to their natures, and the law he hath given them, Psalm cxlviii.
Q. How may God’s special justice, which respects r- sonable creatures, be distinguished?
A. Into his legislative and distributive justice.
Q. What do you mean by legislative justice?
A. The giving to rational creatures holy and good hws, suited to their natures, powers, and circumstance
Q. Is it just to require obedience to the:i laws from creatures whom sin has disabled for it? A. Yes
for such have lost their power to obey by their own fault j and so God must not lose his due, Gen. iii. Rom. iii;
Qj What is the distributive justice of God? A. It
is his rendering to rational creatures the due wages of their works, 2 Thess. i. 6, 7. Rom. ii. 5,-12.
Q. How is distributive justice usually distinguished ?.
A. Into remunerative and vindictive justice?
Q. What is God’s remunerative or rewarding justice?
A. That which gives rewards for keeping his law.
Q. What is God’s vindictive or revenging justice?
A. That which renders punishment for breaking his law, Psal. xi. 6, 7. Mai. iii. 5. Rev. ii. 23.
Q. According to what law doth God distribute justice to men I A. According to the law of works, and
the law of faith, Rom. iii, 26, 27.
Q. What is the due of a sinner, according to the law or covenant of works? A. The eternal wrath of God.
Q. What is his due according to the law of faith, or covenant of grace? A. Eternal life through Christ.
Q. Can God pardon sin without satisfaction to his justice? A. No; for God cannot but hate sin with an infinite hatred j and as ruler of the world, must punish what disturbs it: and if he could have pardoned sin without a satisfaction, he would not have exposed his only beloved Son, as our surety, to his most fierce wrath, PsaL xi. 6, 7. Rom. viii. 32. Isa. liii. 10. Zech. xiii. 7.
Q. Wherein doth God’s rewarding justice appear I
A. In rewarding men’s external obedience with temporal rewards, and believer’s gracious obedience with gracious rewards; and in rewarding Christ’s righteousness with his own exaltation, and his people’s salvation, Isa. liii. 10.
Q^ Wherein doth God’s revenging justice appear?
A. In the punishments of sinners here and hereafter and especially in laying upon Christ all the wrath due to an elect world, Isa. liii. 4, 5, 6, 11. Rom. viii. 32.
Q. How is the justice of God sweet to believers? *A. It secures to them, however unworthy, all the blessings which Christ hath purchased from them, 1 Johni. 9.
O. How is it terrible to the wicked?
A. It binds God to pursue them v.ith his everlasting wrath, Psal. xi. 5, 7.
Q. What is the goodness of God? A. It is that
attribute whereby he is good in himself, and the giver of all good, Psal. cxix. 68. and lxxxvi. 5, — 15. Is. lxiii. 7.
Q. How is the goodness of God usually distinguished?
A. Into his absolute and relative goodness.
Q. Wherein do these differ? A. His absolute
goodness is an essential property in himself, and is the fountain j but his relative goodness is that kindness which flows out from that fountain upon his creatures.
Qj How is God’s relative goodness distinguished $’
A. Into his common goodness, which he exerciseth towards all his creatures good and bad, and his special goodness, which he exerciseth towards his elect only, Ps. cxlv.
Q. What are some branches of God’s common goodness? A. The exercise of his long-suffering patience towards sinful men, his giving them the offers of salvation and space to repent of their sin, with corn, wine, oil, fruitful seasons, and other temporal blessings, Rom. ii. 4.
Q^ What are the branches of God’s special goodness?
A. Saving grace, and eternal glory, Psal. xxiv. 11.
Q. What are the properties of God’s special goodness?
A. It is unspeakably great, sweet, satisfying, seasonable, unchangeable, and everlasting, Psal. xxxi. 19.
Q. Where is this goodness laid up for the elect?
A. In Christ, in whom all fulness dwells, Col. i. 19.
Qj, How is it brought near to us sinners?
A. In the promise and offer of the gospel, Isa. lv. 7.
Q. How doth it all become our own? A. By our
receiving Christ, in whom it is laid up, 1 Cor. iii. 22.
Q What are the fruits and effects of our receiving it?
A. Wonder, joy, delight, satisfaction, self-abasement, and love to God, Christ, and the souls of men.
Q. From what fountain doth this special goodness flow?
A. From God’s love, grace, and mercy in Christ.
Qj. Wherein do love, grace, and mercy differ ?.
A. They are much the same ‘, only love views the elect as creatures; grace views them as unworthy and mercyviews them as in misery.
£) What are the different actings of God’s love towards the elect? A. Chusing, blessing, and delighting
in them, Eph. i. 4. Zeph. iii. 17.
Q Wherein doth God’s absolute goodness appear?
A. In creation, providence, and redemption.
O. How doth the goodness of God appear in creation?
A. In hisjmaking all things very good, Gen i. 31.
Q. How doth it appear in the works of providence?
A. In God’s preserving, and making plentiful provision for his creatures, Psalm cxlv. 9, 16. and civ. and cvii.
Q. How doth it appear in redemption work ?.
A. In the gracious contrivance and execution of it.
Q. How doth God’s goodness appear in the contrivance of redemption? A. In his so early, freely, and kindly,
remembering elect sinners, and laying their help upon one mighty to save, Psal. cxxxvi. 2 3. Eph. i. 3, — 11.
Q. How doth God’s goodness appear in the execution of redemption? A. In sending his Son to assume
our nature, and pay our debt *, and in bestowing all his purchased blessings upon us, John iii; 14; — 17.
Q. Is not mercy or goodness, as employed in redemption, God’^ darling attribute? A. Yes; for G d oftener asc bes mercy to himself than any other-attribute; all the divine persons, perfections, operations, arid reia<* tions. and all the servants of God, are emph yed in promoting the work of mercy j and’ the greates. price was laic out in shewing mercy, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.
Q How is God’s goodness terrible to Impenitent sinners? A. Their contempt of it heaps up for them wrath agai.-sst the day of wrath, Rom. ii. 4, 5. Heb. ii. .3..
Q. How is it sweet to -believers? A. Because
they shall be for ever filled and satisfied with its ravishing pleasures, Psal. xvii 11 Jer, xxxi. 12.
C 3
Q* Is it not very encouraging to such as desire to believe? A. Yes j for it runs to meet such with mercy and kindness, Luke xv. 17, 20. Jer. xxxi. IS, — 20.
Q. What is the truth of God?
A. It is that perfection -whereby he cannot but hate all deceit and falsehood, Deut. xxxii. 4.
Q. How may the truth of God be distinguished?
A. Into his sincerity and his faithfulness.
Q. What is the sincerity or uprightness of God?
A. His speaking and acting as he thinks and designs.
Q. How is God sincere when he offers his eternal life to such as are in his decree appointed to wrath?
A. He is really willing to give salvation to all men to whom it is offered, if they would receive it: and his decree no way necessitates them to refuse it, John v. 40.
O. How can he be sincere in offering reprobates a salvation which was never purchased for them?
A. The purchased salvation, and price thereof in itself, are equally applicable to every gospel hearer: and therefore believe the gospel promise and offer who will, he shall be saved, John iii. 16. Mark xvi. ]5, 16.
£). What is the veracity and faithfulness of God?
A. That whereby he cannot but do as he hath said.
£). Wherein is God’s faithfulness manifested?
A. In the exact accomplishment of all his promises, prophecies, and threatenings, Josh, xxiii. 14. Zech. i. 6.
(£. Did not God’s word fail of accomplishment, when Saul came not down to Keilah, and Nineveh was not destroyed in forty days, as he had said? A. No j for God’s word bore no more than, that if David staid at Keilah, Saul should come down $ and if Nineveh did not repent, it should be destroyed, 1 Sam. xxiii. Jonah iii.
Q. Do not unbelievers make God a liar, in stopping the fulfilment of the gospel promises: A. They indeed
call him a liar, and refuse the benefit of the promise to themselves j but their unbelief cannot make the faith of God of none effect, Rom. iv. 4. ix. and 6.
Q. Wherein is God’s faithfulness most brightly manifested? A. In his fulfilling the most improbable promises and threatenings, though long suspended.
Q. What was the most improbable promise? “A. That of Christ’s coming to die for us, Gen. iii. 15.
Q. What made this promise appear difficult?
A. It was astonishing that God should stoop so low *, it required great power to unite our nature to his -y and infinite provocation had been given to cause him refuse such kindness, Jer, xxxiii. 22.
Q. What appeared the most improbable threatening?
A. The threatening of God’s wrath upon Christ as our surety, Zech. xiii. 7. Dan. ix. 24. Isa. liii.
Q. What made this threatening appear difficult?
A. God’s infinite love to Christ his beloved Son.
Q. How doth the accomplishment of such promises or threatenings, after being long suspended, shew the faithfulness of God? A. As it shews that God cannot forget his word or change his mind, Mai. i. 6.
Q. When will God’s truth (as well as his other perfections’) be most openly manifested? A. In the day of judgment, 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16. 2 Thess, i. 6 — 10.
Q. How will God’s truth be then manifested?
A. In his rendering rewards and punishments exactly according to his promises and threatenings, Rom. ii. 16.
Q. Wherein do God’s justice, goodness, and truth differ from that justice, goodness, and truth which are in creatures?
A. God’s justice, goodness, and truth, are independent3 infinite, eternal, and unchangeable j but these of creatures are dependent, finite, created, and changeable.
Q. How is God’s truth sweet to believers?
A. It secures God’s fulfilling of all promises to them,
Q. How is it terrible to the wicked? A. It secures God’s execution of all his threatenings upon them.
Q. How doth faith improve all the attributes of God?
A. It takes his wisdom for its guide; his power for its strength? his holiness for its pattern; his justice for its advocate; his goodness for its portion; his truth for its security j and all to be its plea before God, and the ground of its expectation of grace and giory.