the word of God, by their majefty" and purity"; by the confent of all the parts', and the fcope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God"; by their light and power to convince and convert finners, to comfort and build up believers unto falvation': But the Spirit of God bearing witness by and with the fcriptures in the heart of man, fo fay I now again, If any man preach any other gofpel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accurfed. See alfo 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17. glfa. 66. 1. Thus faith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footftool: where is the houfe that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my reft? See alfo Amos 9. 2. 3, 4. Pfal. 77. h Pfal. 12. 6. The words of the Lord are pure words: as filver tried in a furnace of earth, purified feven times. Pfal. 119. 140. Thy word is very pure. i Ads 10. 42. To him gave all the prophets witnefs, that through his name whofo ever believeth in him fhall receive remiffion of fins. Acts 26. 22. Having therefore pb tained help of God, I continue until this day, witneffing both to small and great, faying, none other things than thofe which the prophets and Mofes did fay fhould come. k Rom. 3. 19. Now we 1 Ads 18. 23. For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, fhewing by the fcriptures, that Jefus was Chrift. Heb. 4. 12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and harper than any two-edged fworld, piercing even to the dividing alunder of foul and fpirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a difcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth. Pfal. 19. 7, 8, 9. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the foul: the teftimony of the Lord is fure, making wife the fimple. is alone able fully to perfuade it that they are the very word of God". Q. 5. What do the fcriptures principally teach? A. The fcriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man". WHAT MAN OUGHT TO BELIEVE Q. 6. What do the scriptures make known of God? A. The fcriptures make known what God is“, the perfons in the Godhead", his decrees, and the execution of his decrees". Q.7. What is God? A. God is a Spirit', in and of hinfelf infinite in being', glory', bleffednefs", and perfection; all-fufficient, eternal", unchangeable", incomprehenfible, every where prefent, almighty", t Exod. 3. 14. And God faid unto Mofes, I AM THAT I AM: And he faid, Thus alt thou fay unto the children of Ifracl, I AM hath fent me unto you. Job II. 7, 8, 9. Canft thou by fearching find out God? canft thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven, what canft thou do? deeper than hell, what canft thou know? the measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the fea. v Acts 7. 2. The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mefopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran. w 1 Tim 6. 15. Which in his time he thall fhew, who is the bleffed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. x Mat. 5. 48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. y Gen. 17. I. And when Abraham was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abraham, and faid unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. z Pfal. 90. 2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth, and the world: even from everlafting to everlasting, thou art God. a Mal. 3. 6. For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye tons of Jacob are not confumed. With James 1. 17. b 1 Kings 8. 27. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven, and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much lefs this houfe which I have builded? c Pfalm 139. 1, 2, 7. O Lord thou haft fearched me, and known me: Thou knowe my down-fitting and my up rifing, thou understandeft my thought afar off, &c. Whither fhall I go from thy Spirit? or whither fhall I flee from thy prefence? &c. d Rev. 4. 8. And the four beafts had each of them fix wings about him, and they were full of eyes within; and they reft not day and night, faying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. knowing all things, moft wife, most holy", moft juft", most merciful and gracious, longfuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth'. Q. 8. Are there more Gods than one ? A. There is but one, only, the living and true Godk Q.9. How many perfons are there in the Godhead? A. There be three perfons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft; and these three are one true, eternal God, 'the fame in subftance, equal in power and glory; although diftinguished by their personal properties'. Q. 10. What are the perfonal properties of the three perfons in the Godhead? e Heb. 4. 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifeft in his fight; but all things are naked, and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. And Pfalm 147 5: f Rom. 16. 27. To God only wife be glory through Jefus Chrift, for ever. Amen. g Ifa. 6. 3. And one cried unto another, and faid, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hofts, the whole earth is full of his glory. Rev. 15. 4. Who fhall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy. h Deut. 32. 4. He is the rock, his work is perfect for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth, and without iniquity, juft and right is he. i Exod. 34. 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, k Deut. 6. 4. Hear O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord. 1 Cor. 8. 4. There is none other God but one. And verfe 6. Jer. 10. 19. But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King. 11 John 5. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft; and thefe three are one. Mat. 3. 16, 17. and 28. 19. 2 Cor. 13. 14 John 10. 30. A. It is proper to the Father to beget the Son", and to the Son to be begotten of the Father", and to the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son, from all eternity. Q. 11. How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghoft are God equal with the Father? A. The fcriptures manifest that the Son and the Holy Ghoft are God equal with the Father, afcribing unto them fuch names", attributes, m Heb. 1. 5, 6. For unto which of the angels faid he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he fhall be to me a Son. John 1. 14. n And the Word was made flefh, and dwelt amongst us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. o John 15. 26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will fend unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he fhall teftify of me. Gal. 4.6. And becaufe ye are fons, God hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. p Jer. 23. 6. And this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord (or Jehovah) our righteoufnels. John 5. 20. And we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jefus Chrift. This is the true God, and eternal life. Pfal. 45. 6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. Acts 5. 3, 4. But Peter faid, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie unto the Holy Ghoft? Thou haft not lied unto men, but unto God. q John 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Ifa. 9. 6. For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government fhall be upon his fhoulder, and his name fhall be called Wonderful, Counfellor, The mighty God, The everlafting Father, The Prince of Peace. John 2. 24, 25. But Jefus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men; and needed not that any should teftify of man; for he knew what was in man. I Cor. 2 IO, II. But God hath revealed them unto by his Spirit; for the Spirit fearcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a us |