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A. That there is no coming near to God without a Mediator; for our God is a confuming fire.

Q. 8. What is the third inftruction from God's holiness? A. That holinefs is indifpenfibly neceffary, to all thofe which fhall dwell with him in heaven; Heb. xii. 14. And holinefs, without which no man fhall fee the Lord.

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

A. That the gospel is of ineftimable value, as it is the in ftrument of conveying the holiness of God to us; 2 Cor. iii. 18. But we all with open face, beholding as it were in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord: John xvii. 17. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.

Q. 10. What is the last inftruction from God's holiness?

A. That all the despisers of, and scoffers at, holiness, are defpifers of God; for holiness is the very nature of God; and in the creature it is his reprefented image.

Quest. 1.

Of God's Justice.

THAT is the justice of God?

WH

A. The juftice of God is the perfect rectitude and equity of his nature; whereby he is juft in himself, and in all his ways towards the creatures; Deut. xxxii. 4. He is the rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth, and without iniquity: just and right is he.

Q. 2. What is the first property of God's juftice?

A. That it infinitely excels all human juftice in the perfection of it. No creature can compare in justice with God; Job ix. 2. How shall man be just with God?

Q. 3. What is the fecond property of God's justice?

A. That he is univerfally righteous in all his administrations in the world; Pfal. cxlv. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

Q. 4. What was the greatest demonstration of the juftice of God, that ever was given to the world?

A. The greatest evidence that ever was given of the justice of God, was in his exacting full fatisfaction for our fins of Chrift; Rom. iii. 25, 26. Whom God hath set forth, to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righte oufness for the remiffion of fins that are paft, through the forbearance of God. To declare, I fay, at this time, his righteoufnefs, that he might be juft, and the juftifier of him which eVOL. VII. O

lieveth in Jefus, Rom. viii. 32. He fpared not his own fon, but delivered him up for us all.

Q5. What is the fecond difcovery of God's juftice? A. The fecond discovery of the juftice of God, is in the eternal punishment of fin in hell, upon all that do not repent, and come to Chrift by faith, in this world; Rom. ii. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

Q. 6. What is the third evidence of God's justice ?

A. The third evidence of the juftice of God, is in making good all the mercies he hath promised to believers, exactly to tittle; 1 John i. 9. If we confefs our fins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us from all unrighteoufnefs, 2 Tim. iv. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me at that day.

Q.7. What is the first inference from God's juftice?

A. That finners have no caufe to complain of God's judg ments, though they be never fo terrible or durable; Rom. ii. 5. But after thy hardness, and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyfelf wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

Q. 8. What is the fecond inference from God's juftice?

A. That without doubt there is a judgment to come in the next life, otherwise God would not have the glory of his justice; Ecclef. iii. 16, 17. I faw under the fun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteoufnefs, that iniquity was there; I faid in mine heart, God fhall judge the righteous, and the wicked.

Q.9. What is the third inference from God's juftice?

A. That penitent and believing finners need not doubt of the forgiveness of their fins; 1 John i. 9. If we confess our fins, he is faithful and juft to forgive us our fins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Q. 10. What is the last inference from it?

A. The laft inference is, that meeknefs and patience under afflictions, is our unqueflionable duty; and murmuring against God, is a great fin and evil; Lam. iii. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his fins?

Queft. 1.

W

Of God's Goodness.

Hat is the goodness of God?
4. It is an effential property of his nature,

whereby he is abfolutely and perfectly good in himself, and the fountain of all communicated goodness to the creature, Pfal. cxix. 68. Thou art good, and doft good, teach me thy ftatutes.

Q. 2. How doth the goodness of God differ from the mercy of God?

A, It differs in its objects; for mifery is the object of mercy; but goodness extends to the creatures that are happy, as well as miferable, as the angels; Pfal. cxlv. 9. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Q3. What is the first property of God's goodness?

A. That all his other attributes flow out of it as their fountain: the other acts of God are but the effluxes of his goodness; Exod. xxxiii. 19. And he said, I will make all my goodness pafs before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will fhew mercy unto whom I will fhew mercy. Exod. xxxiv. 6. And the Lord paffed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Q.4. What is the fecond property of the divine goodness? A. That it is fupreme, and perfect in itself, fo as the goodnefs of no creature is, or can be; Luke xviii. 19. None is good fave one, and that is God: And confequently above all additions from the creature; Pfal. xvi. 2. O my foul, thou haft faid unto the Lord, My goodness extendeth not unto thee.

Q5. What is the third property of God's goodness ?

A. That it is communicative with pleasure and delight to the creature: no mother draws out her breaft to an hungry child with more pleasure than God doth his goodness to the faints; Pfal. cxlv. 9. The Lord is good to all, and his tendermercies are over all his works.

Q. 6. In what acts hath God first manifefted his goodness? A. He hath manifefted it in the creation and government of the world; Pfal. civ. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wifdom haft thou made them all.

Q7. What was the principal work in which God hath manifefted his goodness to men?

A. The principal manifestation of God's goodness, was in the work of redemption by Chrift; Rom. v. 8. God commended. his love towards us, in that while we were yet finners, Chrift died for us. 1 John iv. 9. In this was manifested the love of

God towards us, because that God hath fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

Q. 8. But are not the judgments of God on the wicked, and his afflictions on the faints, impeachments of his goodness. A. No; it is the property of goodness, to hate and punish evil in the impenitent, Exod. xxxiv. 7. Keeping mercy for thoufands, forgiving iniquity, and tranfgreffion, and fin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, &c. And the afflictions of the faints flow from his goodness, and end in their true and eternal good; Heb. xii. 6. For whom the Lord loveth, he chaftneth, and fcourgeth every fon whom he receiveth, Pfal. cxix. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy ftatutes.

Q9. What may we infer from the goodness of God?

A. The first thing is, that fin hath made our natures bafe, and difingenuous, in that we take no notice of his goodness; Ifa. i. 3. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but ifrael doth not know, my people doth not confider; and anfwer not the defign of it; Rom. ii. 4. Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance,

Q. to. What is the second inference from the goodness of God?

A. That therefore God is the fittest object of our delight, and love, and of our truft and confidence. (1.) Of our delight and love; Pfal. cxvi. 1. I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice, and my fupplications. (2.) Of our truft and confidence; Pfal. xxxiv. 8. O tafte and fee that the Lord is good; bleffed is the man that trufteth in him.

Q. 11. What is the third inference from God's goodness? A That Chriftians fhould imitate God in his goodness, in charity to our enemies; Matth. v. 44, 45. But I fay unto you, love your enemies, blefs them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which defpitefully ufe you, and perfecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.

Q. 12. What is the laft inference from God's goodness ?

A. That Chriftians have great encouragement to go to God for pardon in cafe of fin; Pfal. cxxx. 4. But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayeft be feared; and for refuge in dangers. The Lord is good, a ftrong hold in the day of trouble; he knoweth them that truft in him, Nahum i. 7. Of God's Truth.

Queft 1.

Hat is the truth of God?

WH

A. It is an effential property of his na

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ture, whereby he is perfectly faithful in himfelf, and in all
that he hath spoken; Deut. xxxii. 4. He is the rock, his
word is perfect, for all his ways are judgment; a God of truth,
and without iniquity, juft and right is he, Pfal. cxix. 142.
Thy righteoufness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law
is the truth.

Q. 2. What is the firft property of Divine truth?

A. The first property of it, is, That it is effential and necef-
fary to God; He cannot lie, Titus i. 2.

Q. 3. What is the fecond property of it?

A. The fecond property is, That it is everlasting, and abid-
ing to all generations; Pfal. c. 5. For the Lord is good, his
mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generati-
ons. Ifa. xxv. 1. O Lord, thou art my God, I will exalt
thee-
-thy counfels of old are faithfulness and truth.
Q4. What is the third property of Divine truth?

--

A. The third property is, that he is universally true in all
his words and works. (1.) In all his words; John xvii. 17.
Thy word is truth. (2.) In all his works; Pfal. xxv. 10. All the
paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto fuch as keep his

Covenant.

Q. 5. What is the first lesson from God's truth to be learnt?
A. That truth and fincerity of heart is that which is moft
fuitable, and pleafing to God; Pfal. li. 6. Behold thou defireft
truth in the inward parts.

Q. 6. What is the second leffon from God's truth?

A. That whatever God hath foretold, fhall affuredly come
to pass, and be fulfilled in his time; Josh. xxiii. 14. Not one
thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord our
God fpake, concerning you; all are come to pass unto you,
and not one thing hath failed thereof.

Q. 7. What is the third lesson from the truth of God?

A. That a promise from God is full security to the faith of
his people, and they may look upon it as good as a mercy in
hand; Heb. x. 23. For he is faithful that promised.

Q. 8. What is the fourth leffon from God's truth? ·
A. That whatever God hath threatned in his word against
finners, fhall furely come upon them, except they repent;
Zech. i. 6. But my word, and my ftatutes, which I command-
ed my fervants the prophets, did they not take hold of your
fathers and they returned and faid, like as the Lord of hofts
thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according
to our doings, fo hath he dealt with us. Ezek. xii. 27, 28.

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