love, 1 John iv. 8. 16. (3.) That God is a Spirit, John iv. 24. Q. 10. Why is God said to be light? A. Because of his infinite purity and omniscience, Hab. i. 13. Heb. iv. 13; and because he is the fountain and father of all light, whether material, natural, gracious, or glorious, James i. 17. Q. 11. Why is God said to be love? members of the body bear some faint resemblance: thus, when eyes and ears are ascribed to God, they signify his omniscience; hands are designed to denote his power; and his face, the manifestation of his favour: and in this light, other metaphors of like nature, when applied to God, ought to be explained. A. It is absolutely unlawful and idolatrous; condemned in Q. 15. Is it lawful to form any A. Because, according to the external image of God with the manifestation he has made of hand, or any internal imaginary himself in Christ, love is the idea of him in the fancy? reigning excellency of his nature, which gives a dye or tincture to all his other perfections, the second commandment, and in their egress, or exercise other scriptures, Deut. iv. 12. about the salvation of mankind 15. Rom. i. 23. Man cannot form sinners, John iii. 16. 1 John iv. an imaginary idea of his own soul 8, 9, 10. or spirit, far less of him who is the Father of spirits. Q. 12. Why is he said to be [a Spirit]? A. Because he is necessarily and essentially a living intelligent substance; incorruptible, incorporeal, without flesh, or bones, or bodily parts, Luke χείν. 39. Q. 13. How far doth God transcend all created spirits? A. He is as infinitely above the being of all created spirits, as he is above the conception of all intelligent creatures: Job xxxvii. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out." 23. Q. 16. What may we learn from God's being a Spirit? A. To worship him in spirit and in truth, John iv. 24. Q. 17. What is it to worship him in spirit and in truth? A. It is to worship him, from a real and saving knowledge of what he is in Christ to lost sinners of mankind, John xvii. 3. Q. 18. Is it possible for man to attain the real and saving knowledge of God? A. Although neither men nor angels can have a comprehenQ. 14. Since God is a most sive knowledge of God, Job xi. simple and pure Spirit, why are 7, 8, 9; yet, besides the speculabodily parts, such as eyes, ears, tive and merely rational knowhands, face, and the like, ascrib-ledge of him, which men have, ed unto him in scripture? and may have much of, by the A. Such figurative expres- light of nature, a saving and sasions ought not to be understood tisfying knowledge of him is atin their literal sense, but accord- tainable, and is promised in the ing to the true scope and intent word, Jer. xxiv. 7. "I will give of them; which is to set forth them a heart to know me, that some acts and perfections of the I am the Lord." And John vi. divine nature, whereunto these 45. "It is written in the pro phets, They shall be all taught of God." Q. 19. Wherein consists the saving knowledge of God? A. It is like the white stone and new name, which no man knows but he that receives it, Rev. ii. 17; and he that attains it, cannot make language of it, but silently admires what he cannot comprehend: only, there is no saving knowledge of God, but in and through Christ the Saviour, 2 Cor. iv. 6. Q. 20. What is the language of the soul that sees God, and knows him savingly in Christ? should not be eternal, and that which is infinite and eternal, should not be unchangeable, and so of the rest? A. All perfections whatsoever being inseparable from God, they must also be inseparable from one another; for though we, through weakness, must think and speak of them separately, yet all of them taken togather, are, properly speaking, but the one infinite perfection of the divine nature, which cannot be separated therefrom, without granting that God is not infinitely perfect, which would be the height of blasphe tions of God called his attributes? A. It is like that of Moses, Exod. xv. 11. "Who is like un-my to suppose. to thee, O Lord;-who is like Q. 24. Why are the perfecunto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" Or that of the Psalmist, Psal. xlviii. 14. "This God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death." Q. 21. What are the rays of divine glory in the face of Jesus Christ, whereby we come to know God savingly? A. They are the attributes and perfections of his nature, whereby he is pleased to manifest himself; such as, that he is [infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.] Q. 22. Are these attributes of God, distinct things from God himself, or the divine essence? A. By no means: for, whatever is in God, is God himself; and therefore the infinity of all perfection, is. inseparable from the divine essence. A. Because they are attributed or ascribed unto him, as the essential properties of his nature, 1 Chron. xxix. 11. Q. 25. How are the attributes of God commonly divided? A. Into incommunicable and communicable. Q. 26. What are the incommunicable attributes of God, mentioned in the answer? A. His infinity, eternity, and unchangeableness. Q. 27. Why called incommunicable? A. Because there is not the least resemblance of them to be found among the creatures. Q. 23. What are the attributes that are called communicable? A. They are being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. Q. 29. Why called communicable? Q. 23. Are the divine attri- A. Because there is some butes separable from one ano- faint resemblance or similitude ther, so as that which is infinite of them to be found among the creatures, namely, angels and infinitely, eternally, and unsaints; hence they are proposed changeably; he is infinite, eter in scripture for our imitation, Psal. xi. 6. "The righteous Lord loveth righteousness."-1 Pet. i. 16. "Be ye holy, for I am holy." nal, and unchangeable in his wisdom, and so on of the rest, which would be blasphemy to affirm of any creature: hence it is said, Matt. xix. 17. "There Q.30. Can these communica-is none good but one, that is ble attributes be ascribed to any God." None infinitely, eternally, creature, as they are in God? and unchangeably good, but he A. No: for they are in God, only. Of God's Infinity. Q. 1. What is it for God to be stances, with every one of which [infinite]? A. It is to be absolutely with out all bounds or limits in his being and perfections, Job xi. 7, 8, 9. Q. 2. What does the infinity of God imply in it? A. His incomprehensibleness, immensity, and omnipresence. Q.3. What is it for God to be incomprehensible? A. It is infinitely to transcend the most enlarged capacity of men or angels, as to his being and perfections, Psal. cxlv. 3. Job xxxvi. 26. Q. 4. What is the immensity of God? A. As it includes his omnipresence, it is that perfection of his nature, whereby he is every where present with all and every one of his creatures; and infinitely exceeds all their limits and boundaries, 1 Kings viii. 27. Q. 5. What is the difference betwixt the omnipresence and immensity of God? he is intimately present; whereas his immensity extends infinitely beyond the boundaries of all created substance, 2 Chron. vi. 8. Q. 6. Is God every where present only as to his knowledge and power? A. He is every where present also as to his essence or being, as is evident from Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. Q. 7. How may this be evinced also from reason? A. Reason teaches us that no creature can subsist by itself, without the presence of God to uphold it in its being and operation: Acts xvii. 28. "In him we live, and move, and have our being." Q. 8. How is God present with the church here on earth? A. He is present, with the church visible, by the ordinances and symbols of his institution, Exod. xx. 24; and with the church invisible, or believers, by the inhabitation and operation of his Holy Spirit, Ezek. xxxvi. 27. Q. 9. How is he present in A. The omnipresence of God is included in his immensity, and though not inseparable therefrom, yet may be conceived as heaven? having a respect to created sub A. By the most bright and immediate displays of his glory; | damned in their being, that they all the inhabitants of the upper may lie under the strokes of his sanctuary seeing him as he is, vindictive wrath for evermore, and enjoying him without inter- Psal. xc. 11. Matt. xxv. 46. ruption for ever, 1 John iii. 2. Psal. xvi. 11. Q. 10. How is he present in hell? A. In a way of tremendous power and justice, upholding the Q. 11. What may we learn from God's omnipresence? A. That no affliction or temptation can befal the saints without his knowledge and sympathy, Isa. xliii. 2. Of God's Eternity. Q. 1. What is the difference A. From Psalm xc. 4. "A betwixt time and eternity? thousand years are in thy sight A. Time hath a continual suc-but as yesterday when it is past:" cession, the former time passeth away, and another succeeds; but eternity is an infinite immutable duration. Q. 2. What is it for God to be [eternal]? A. It is that perfection of his nature, whereby he continually exists, without all beginning, end, or succession of time. Q. 3. How do you prove that God is without beginning? and 2 Pet. iii. 8. “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." He doth not only always remain in being, but is always the same in that being, Ps. cii. 27. Q. 6. What is the difference betwixt God's eternity, and the eternity of angels and the souls of men? A. God's eternity is essential, absolute, and independent, without beginning, as well as without end; but the eternity of angels and the souls of men, is quite of another nature; for, as they had a beginning, so their duration admits of a succession, as long as time lasts: and though they shall never have an end, A. From Psal. xc. 2. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God;" that is, since thou didst exist before the mountains were brought forth, or before the beginning of time, thou art abso-yet this eternity of theirs, is not lutely eternal. Q. 4. How do you prove that God is without end? A. From Psalm cii. 12. 27. "Thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever, and thy years shall have no end;" for that which had no beginning of duration, can never have an end of it, but must always necessarily exist. Q. 5. How do you prove that he is without succession of time? necessary and essential to their nature, but flows from the will and power of God; who, if he pleased, could bring them to an end, as well as he gave them a beginning. Q. 7. What use should the wicked make of God's eternity? A. It should be matter of the greatest terror to them while they continue in their wickedness; for, in this case God will be their eternal foe, and will punish them with everlasting destruction, 2 Thess. i. 9. Q. 8. What use should the godly, or believers in Christ, make of it? matter of unspeakable comfort; because their God, being the eternal God, he will therefore be the strength of their heart, and their portion for ever, Psal. A. They should improve it as lxxiii. 26. Of God's Unchangeableness. Q. 1. What do you under- reign grace, and not to their own stand by God's being [unchangeable]? A. His most perfect constancy, whereby he is infinitely free of any actual or possible change, but is always the same. Q. 2. How is God's unchangeableness proved from scripture? A. From Mal. iii. 6. "I am the Lord, I change not ;" and James i. 17.—"The Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Q. 3. How may it be proved from reason? A. Reason teaches, that if God did change, it behoved either to be to the better, or to the worse; neither of which is consistent with his absolute perfection, Matt. v. 48. Q. 4. Can any creature be unchangeable in its nature? A. No because every creature depends upon God for being and operation, Acts xvii. 28. Q. 5. Are not holy angels, and glorified saints, unchangeable? natures, Rom. vi. 23. Q. 6. Did creation make any change in God? A. It made a change in the creature, from nothing to being; but none in God, because his will and power to create were the same from eternity. Q. 7. How is God unchangeable, when he is sometimes said in scripture to repent, as in Gen. vi. 6. Jonah iii. 10? A. When, in these or the like places, he is said to repent, it imports only an alteration of his way, or outward conduct, according to his infallible foresight, but no change of his mind or will, Job xxiii. 13. Q. 8. What may we learn from God's unchangeableness? A. That he will accomplish his promise, Mic. vii. 20; rest in his love, Zeph. iii. 17; and finish the good work which he hath begun in the soul, Phil. i. 6. Q. 9. Wherein is God infinite, eternal, and unchangeable? A. They are in a state of un- A. [In his being, wisdom, changeable happiness, Eph. i. power, holiness, justice, good10; but this is owing to sove-ness, and truth.] Of God's Being. 1 Q. 1. What is understood by | A. It is the glorious and God's [being]? transcendent nature of God, A. It is what is usually called whereby he is what he is, infihis essence. nitely blessed in himself, and Q. 2. What is the divine es- comprehended by none but himsence? self. C |