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eternally, infallibly, and immutably, by one fingle act of his infinite understanding.

Queft. 14. What conception may we have of the difference betwixt the infinite knowledge and wisdom of God?

Anfw. By his infinite knowledge he comprehends all things in heaven and earth, by one intuitive glance of his infinite mind; and by his infinite wisdom, he directs all things to the proper ends for which he gave them their being.

Queft 15. How doth the wisdom of God appear in the work of creation?

Anfw. It appears in the excellent order, beauty, and harmony that is to be feen in all the parts of the creation; in the fubferviency of one thing to another; and the tendency of the whole, to manifeft the glory of God; and calculate alfo for the good of man as his peculiar favourite, Prov. xvi. 4. Rev. iv. 11. Pfal. cxv. 16.

Queft. 16. How does the wifdom of God appear in the works of providence?

Anfw. In adjusting the whole of his adminiftrations according to the plan laid in his infinite mind from eternity; or his moft judicious and regular putting his counfels into practice, Pfal. xxxiii. 10, 11. Queft, 17. How doth the wisdom of God fhine in the work of redemption ?

Anw. In making an honourable egrefs and vent for his mercy and love to finners of mankind, in the way of fatisfying his juftice to the full, by the obedience and death of the bleffed furety, Exod. xxxiv. 7. Queft. 18. What encouragement ought we to take from the wisdom of God?

Anfw. That he will make all things work together for our good; and that no plot can be fo deeply laid for our ruin, but his wifdom can easily frustrate and disappoint, Rom. viii. 28. Job v. 13.

Of God's POWER.

Queft, 1. What is the power of God?

Anfw. It is that effential perfection of his nature, whereby he can do whatfoever he pleafes, in heaven and earth, in the feas, and all deep places, Pfal. cxxxv. 6.

Queft. 2. What is the object of divine power, or whereunto doth it extend?

Anfw. To all things poffible, though limited, by his will, to these things only which he hath decreed to be done, Matth. xxvi. 53, 54.

Quest. 3. Is it any impeachment of God's omnipotence, that he cannot lye, cannot deny himself?

Anfw. By no means: for, on the contrary, God is therefore omnipotent, because it is impoffible for him to do evil, or depart from the infinite rectitude of his own will, i Sam. xv. 29.------The frength of Ifrael will not lye.

Queft. 4. Wherein doth God manifeft his infinite power?

Anfw. In creation, providence, and redemption. Quest. 5. How is the power of God manifested in creation ?

Anfw. In calling those things that be not, as though they were, without the affiftance and inftrumentality of any whosoever, Rom. iv. 17. Isa. xliv. 24.

Queft. 6. How is it manifefted in the conduct of providence?

Anfw. In upholding and preserving all his creatures from finking into their original nothing; and particularly in protecting and defending his church, in midft of all the dangers and enemies, with which it is furrounded, Heb. i. 3. Matth. xvi. 18.

Queft. 7. How is the power of God difplayed in the glorious work of redemption?

Anfw. By laying the chief corner-ftone thereof, in the union of the human nature unto the perfon

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of the Son of God; fupporting him under the inconceivable load of divine wrath, for our fins ; and fpoiling principalities and powers in that very nature which Satan had vanquished at first; hence is he called, the power of God, arm of the Lord, and the man of his right-hand, 1 Cor. i. 24. Ifa. liii.1. Pfal lxxx. 17.

Queft. 8. How is the power of God denied or abused by men?

Anfw. By limiting it as Ifrael did, Pfal. lxxviii. 19.; by trusting more to an arm of flesh, than to the arm of God, Jer. xvii. 5.; and by fearing the wrath of man more than the displeasure of God, Ifa. li. 12, 13.

Queft. 9. What improvement may faith make of the power of a promising God?

Anfw It can faften thereupon, for the performance of his gracious word; for refifting and conquering fia, Satan, and the world, saying, If God be for us, who can be against us? and for the practice of any commanded duty, however difficult, faying, I can do all things through Chrift which ftrengthneth me, Rom. iv. 20, 21. and viii. 31. Phil. iv. 13.

Of GOD'S HOLINESS.

Queft. 1. What is the holiness of God?

Anfw. It is that effential rectitude or integrity of his nature, whereby he infinitely delights in his own purity, and in every thing agreeable to his will; and hath a perfect hatred and abhorrence of every thing contrary thereunto, Hab. i. 12, 13. Jer. xliv. 4.

Queft. 2. Is God neceffarily holy?

Anfw. Holinefs is as neceffary to him as his being; he is as neceffarily holy, as he is neceffarily God; and as neceffarily without fin, as with-out change, Lev. xix. 2. Rev. xv. 4.

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Quest. 3.

Quest. 3. What peculiar honour doth God put upon his own holiness?

Anfw. He fingles it out as the attribute to fwear by, for the accomplishment of his promifes and threatnings, Pfalm lxxxix. 35. Once have I fworn by my holiness, that I will not lye unto David. Amos iv. 2. The Lord God hath fworn by his holiness-----that he will take you away with hooks.

Queft. 4. Are finite creatures able to behold the brightness of God's holiness?

Anw No: for when the angels themselves view his infinite holiness, as manifested in Chrift, they are reprefented as vailing their faces with their wings, Ifa. vi. 2.

Quelt. 5. How are finners of mankind made partakers of his holiness?

Anfw. By regenerating grace, and fpiritual ingraftment into a fecond Adam; by faith's improvement of the great and precious promises; and by beholding the glory of this attribute, as it fhines in the perfon and fufferings of the fon of God prefented to our view in the glafs of the gospel-revelation, John xv. 5. 2 Pet. i. 4. 2 Cor. iii. 18.

Quest. 6. Doth every thing pertaining to God, bear a ftamp and imprefs of his holiness?

Anfw. Yes; he is holy in all his works, Pfal. cxlv. 17.; his word is holy, Rom. i. 2.; his covenant or promife is holy, Pfal. cv. 42.; his fabbath is holy, Ifa. lviii. 13.; his people are holy, chap. Ixii. 12.; his miniftring fpirits are the holy angels, Rev. xiv. 10.; and the place where he dwells, is the high and holy place, Ifa. lvii. 15.

Queft. 7. Wherein did the holiness of God appear in the creation of man?

Anfw. In making him upright, after his own image; and writing a law upon his heart, which was the tranfcript of his holiness, Eccl. vii. 29.. Gen. i. 26, 27. Rom. vii. 12.

Quest. 8.

Queft. 8. How hath God difcovered his holiness in his providential conduct ?

Anfw. In not fparing the angels who finned; and in the visible and remarkable judgments, which he has inflicted upon notorious offenders in this life, 2 Pet. ii. 4, 5, 6.

Quest. 9. Vhat was the highest display of God's holiness, and deteftation of fin?

Anfw His hiding his face from his own beloved fon, as bearing our iniquity, Matth. xxvii. 46. Queft. 10. What is the greateft oppofite of the holiness of God?

Anfw. Sin; therefore called that abominable thing which God hates, Jer. xliv. 4.

Queft. 11. How doth God hate fin?

Anfw. He hates it neceffarily, and with a perfect hatred, Pfalm v. 4, 5, 6.

Queft. 12. Since God thus hates fin, how doth his permiffion thereof confift with his holiness?

Anfw. It fully confifts therewith, in regard his permission of fin hath no influence upon the commiffion thereof, which entirely flows from the free will of the finner, Jam. i. 13, 14. Befides, God thereby takes occafion to give a brighter display of his holiness and deteftation of fin, than though A dam had continued in innocency, when he fpared not his own fon, but gave him unto death on account of it, Rom. viii. 32.

Queft. 13. What improvement ought we to make of the holiness of God?

Anfw. To give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness; to proclaim the glory thereof; and to study holiness in all manner of converfation, Pfal. Xxx. 4. Exod. xv. 11. 1 Pet. i. 15.

Queft. 14. How may we know if we have fuitable impreffions of God's holiness?

Anfw If we ftand in awe to offend him, and have an habitual defire after more conformity unto him, Gen. xxxix. 9. 1 John iii. 3.

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