Q. 6. What is the fecond Inftruction hence? A. The Beauty of Holinefs, which is the Image of God, and the Excellency of Man, Pfalm xvi. 3. But to the Saints that are in the Earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my Delight. Q. 7. What is the Third Inftruction from hence ? A. We have infinite Caufe to blefs God for Chrift, who repairs this loft Image in his People, Eph. iv. 23. And be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind. Q. 8. What is the Fourth Inftruction from hence ? A. That the Defpifers of Holinefs are the Defpifers of God; for Holiness is God's Image. Q. 9. What is the Fifth Inftruction from hence ? A. The Excellency of Sanctification, which defaces the Image of Satan, and draws the Image of God upon the Soul of Man. Queft. 1. Of Divine Providence. HAT are God's Works of Providence? W A. God's Works of Providence, are his juft, holy, wife, and powerful preferving and governing all his Creatures, and all their Actions. Q. How doth it appear there is a divine Providence? A. It appears by plain Scripture Teftimonies, Heb. i. 3. Upholding all Things by the Word of his Power, Col. i. 17. By him all Things confit, Luke xii. 6, 7. Are not five Sparrocus fold for two Farthings, and not one of them is forgotten, before God; but even the very Hairs of your Head are all numbered. Q. 2. How elfe is Providence evidenced? A. By Scripture Emblems, as Jacob's Ladder, Gen. xxviii. 12. 13. And he dreamed, and behold a Ladder fet upon the Earth, and the Top of it reached to Heaven; behold the Angels of God afcended and defcended on it: And Ezekiel's Wheels, Ezek. i. 20. Whitherfoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither was their Spirit to go, and the Wheels were lifted up over against them, for the Spirit of the living Creature was in the Wheels. Q. 3. What further Scripture Evidence is there? as Ifrael's Captivity, and Deliverance from Egypt and Babylon, Christ's Incarnation, the Rife and Ruin of the Four Monarchies, Dan. ii. 31. Thou, O King, farweft, and behold a great Image, whofe Brightness was excellent, food before thee, and the Form thereof was terrible, Dan. vii. 3. And four great Beafts came up from the Sea, diverfe, one from the other. Q4. What is its first Act about the Creatures. A. It fuftains, preferves, provides for them, Pfalm cxlv. 15, 16. The Eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou giveft them their Meat in due Seafon; thou openeft thine Hand, and fatisfieft the Defire of every living Thing, and defendeft them from Danger, Pfalm xxxvi. 6. Thy Righteoufness is like the great Mountains, thy Judgments are a great Deep, O Lord, thou preferveft Man and Bea.. Q5. What is the Second Act of Providence about the Creatures? A. It rules and governs the Creatures and their Actions, Pfalm lxvi. 7. He ruleth by his Power for ever, his Eyes behold the Nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Q. 6. How manifold is divine Providence ? A. It is common and general over all, or special and peculiar to fome Men, 1 Tim. iv, 10. Who is the Saviour of all Men, efpecially of thofe that believe. Q. 7. How is Providence exercised about finful Actions? A. In permitting them, Acts iv. 16. In restraining them. Pfalm lxxvi. io. Surely the Wrath of Man fhall praise thee, and the Remainder of Wrath halt thou refrain. And overruling them to good, Gen. I. zo. But as for you, ye thought Evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this Day, to fave much People alive. Q. 8. What are the Properties of Providence? A. It is (1) holy, Pfalm cxlv. 7. The Lord is righteous in all his Ways, and holy in all his Works. (2) Wife, Pfalm civ. 24. O Lord, how manifold are thy Works! in Wisdom haft thou made them all. (3) Powerful, Dan. iv. 35. And all the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing, and he doth according to his Will, in the Army of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth, and none can flay his Hand, or fay nnto bim, what doft thou? Q. 9. What is the First Instruction from it? A. That God's People are fafe amidst all their Enemies, and Dangers, 2 Chron. xvi. 9. For the Eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth, to fhew himself strong in the Behalf of them whofe Hearts are perfect towards him. Q. 10. What is the Second Inftruction? A. That Prayer is the best Expedient to Profperity, and Succefs of our lawful Affairs, Pfalm cxlv. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in Truth. Q. 11. What is the Third Inftruction from it? A. That God's People fhould reft quietly in the Care of his Providence for them in all their Straits, Matt. i. 26. Behold the Fowls of the Air, for they fow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into Barns; yet our heavenly Father feedeth them; are ye not much better than they? Q. 12. What is the last Inftruation from it? A. That it is no fmall Privilege to be adopted Children of God, and the Members of Christ, for all is ordered for their eternal Good, Eph. i. 22, 23. And hath put all Things under his Feet, and gave him to be head over all Things to the Church, which is his Body, the fulness of him, that filleth all in all. Quest. 12. Of the Covenant of Works. W HAT fpecial Art of Providence did tate 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. 1. What was God's Covenant with Adam before the Fall? A. It was to give Life and Happiness upon Condition of perfect perfonal Obedience, Gal. iii. 12. The Law is not of Faith; but the Man that doth them fall live in them. Q. 2. Was this Covenant made only with Adam, or with him and his Posterity? 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 Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin, and fo Death paffed upon all Men, for that all have finned, v. xiv. and 18. Nevertheless, Death reigned from Adam to Mofes, even over them that had not finned after the Similitude 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. Q3. Was Adam able to perform the Obedience required of him in that Covenant? A. Yes; for he was made upright, Ecclef. vii. 29. God made Man upright, but they have fought out themselves many Inventions. Q. 4. Had this Covenant any Mediator? A. No, Adam neither had, nor needed any Mediator for Satisfaction; because no Sin was in him; nor Interceffion, for he wanted nothing. Q5. Did this Covenant admit of no Repentance, nor accept any short Endeavours? A. No, it did not; but fentenceth and curfeth the Tranfgreffors of it, for the leaft 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 the Threatning fulfilled, of dying in the Day he eat, feeing he lived 930 years? A. He died fpiritually, that Day; and though the Sentence on his Body was refpited in Order to Pofterity, yet then his Body received the Death 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 defire to be under the Law. Do ye not hear the Law? for it is written, That Abraham had two Sons, the one by a Bond-maid, the other by a Free-woman. Q. 8. What is the fecond Inference? A. That A. That God is just in all the Punishments and Miferies that came upon Man, yea, Infants, that never finned after his Similitude, Rom. v. 14. Nevertheless Death reigned from Adam, to Mofes, even over them that had not finned after the Similitude of Adam's Tranfgreffion. Q. 9. What is the Third Inference? A. The glorious Privilege of Believers, who are under a better Covenant, establisht upon better Promises, Heb. viii. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministry, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant, which is establisht upon better Promifes. Q. 10. What is the laft Inference? A. That we should pity the Unregenerate, especially our own among them; and labour to plant them in the fecond Adam. Of the Fall of Man. Queft. 13. D wherein they were created? ID our first Parents continue in the Estate 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. I. How doth it appear that Man is fallen ? A. By the Scripture Hiftory, an Account of it 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, fhe 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 Prefence of the Lord God, amongst the Trees of the Garden. And the fad Experience we all have of it in our own felves. Rom. v. 12. Therefore as by one Man Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin, 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 |