Q. 10. What is the last inference ?

A. That no man hath any cause or reason to boast of the goodness of his nature, fince the best were by nature under the same sin and misery as the worst; Eph ii. 3. Among whom also, we all had our conversation in times past, in the lufts of our flesh, fulfillng the defires of the flesh, and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath even as others.

Quest. 17.

and misery.

Quest. 18.

INTO

Of Original Sin.

NTO what estate did the fall bring mankind?
A. The fall brought mankind into an estate of fin

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HEREIN consists the finfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?

A. The finfulness of that estate whereinte man fell, confifts in the gult of Adam's first fin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original fin, together with all actual tranfgreffions which proceed from it,

Q. 1. How many forts of fin are all men under ?

A. All men are guilty before God of two forts of fin; of original, and of actual; Pfal. li. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in fin did my mother conceive me. Ecclef. vii. 20. For there is not a just man upon earth, that doth good, and finneth not.

Q. 2. How can we be guilty of Adam's first sin ?

A. We are guilty of it, because Adam finned not only as a single, but also as a public person, and representative of all mankind: Rom. v. 15, 16, 17. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift: for if through the offence of one, many be dead; much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many: And not as it was by one that finned, so is the gift; for the judgment was by one to condemnation.

Q. 3. How elfe came we under his guilt ?

A. We are guilty of his fin by generation; for we were in his loins, as treason stains the blood of the posterity, or parents leprosy the children; Pfalm li. 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in fin did my mother conceive me.

Q. 4. Wherein doth it consist?

A. It confifts in two things. First, In our averfion and enmity to that which is good; Rom. vii. 18. In me, that is, in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing. Secondly, In proneness to that which is evil; Rom. vii. 14. But I am carnal, fold under fin.

Q. 5. Is this corruption of nature in all men ?

A. Yes; in all mere men, and women, none exempted; Rom. iii. 10. and 23. As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one, for all have finned, and come short of the glory of God.

Q. 6. In what part of our nature doth this fin abide ?

A. It abides in the whole man, in every part of man, both foul and body; Gen. vi. 5. God faw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. I Theff. v. 23. Now the God of peace fanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit, and foul, and body, be preferved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jefus

Chrift.

Q. 7. How is the body infected by it?

A. In the readiness of the bodily members to further fin, and its temptations in the soul; Rom. iii. 13, 14, 15. Their throat is an open fepulchre, with their tongues they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of curfing and bitternefs, their feet are swift to shed blood.

Q. 8. What learn we from original fin?

A. To bear patiently the miseries we fee on our children, and their death also without murmuring; 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 second instruction ?

A. It teaches us humility, and should be matter of confeffion and

humiliation, when we fin actually; Pfal. li. 5.

Behold I was shapen

in iniquity, and in fin did my mother conceive me.

Q. 10. What is the third instruction ?

A. It should provoke parents to use their utmost diligence for the

converfion of their children who draw fin from them.

Q. 11. What is the last instruction?

A. It teaches us the neceffity of regeneration, and should provoke

us greatly to defire it.

Of Man's Misery.

the misery of that estate whereinto man

Quest. 19.

WHAT is the mifery

A. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under bis wrath and curse; and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of bell for ever.

Q.1. What communion had God with man before the fall? A. Man then enjoyed the gracious presence and favour of God with him, which was better than life.

Q. 2. How doth it appear this was lost by the fall?

A. It appears by scripture-teftimony, that Adam loft it as to himfelf; Gen. iii. 8. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the prefence of the Lord God, among the trees of the garden. And we in him; Eph. ii, 12. At that time ye were without Chrift, being aliens from the common wealth of Ifrael, and strangers from the covenants of promife, having no hope, and without (vod in the world, Q. 3. Was this the only mifery that came by the fall?

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A. No; man did not only lose communion with God, but fell under his wrath and curse; Eph. ii. 3. And were by nature children of wrath, even as others.

Q. 4. Doth the wrath and curse of God then lie on all men ? A. It lies on all the unregenerate in the world, 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: But believers are delivered from it by Christ; I Theff. i. 10. Even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Q. 5. How are the miseries of man by the fall divided?

A. They are divided into the miseries of this world, and of the world to come.

Q.6. What are the miseries that come on them in this world? A. The miferies of life, as fickness, pain, poverty on the body; ✓ fear, trouble, forrow on the mind, and at last death itself; Rom. vi. ult. The wages of sin is death.

Q.7 What are the miseries after this life?

A. The pains and torments of hell for ever; Pfal. ix. 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell.

Q8. What are the torments of hell?

A. Pain of lofs, and pain of sense; Matth. xxv. 41. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.

Q. 9. What learn you from hence ?

A. The woful state of the unconverted; miferable here, and miferable to eternity.

Q. 10. What else learn we hence ?

A. The great falvation believers have by Chrift from all this misery; Heb. ii. 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great falvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.

Of the Salvation of God's Eleft, and of the Covenant of Grace.
ID God leave all
mankind to perish in the estate of
fin and misery ?

Quest. 20.

D

A. God having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, élected fome to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of fin and mifery; and to bring them into an estate of falvation by a Redeemer.

Q. 1. Are fome persons chosen to falvation and others left ? A. Yes: God hath chosen some to falvation, and paffed by others; as the Scriptures speak; See Rom. viii. 30. Moreover, whom he did predeftinate, them he also called. And Jude 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, &c.

Q. 2. Did God chuse some, because he foresaw they would be better than others?

A. No: God's choice was not on foreseen works, but merely of

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his grace, and good pleasure of his will; Eph. i. 5, 6. Having predeftinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace.

Q.3. Is this election of God made in time, and that according as men ufe their free-will, or from eternity?

A. Election is an eternal act of God before the world was, and depends not on man's using his free-will; as appears from Eph. i. 4. According as he hath chofen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love.

Q. 4. Shall all that are elected be called and saved ? A. Yes, the scripture is full and plain for it; Acts xiii. 48. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Rom. viii. 30. Moreover, whom he did predeftinate, them he also called, &c.

Q. 5. By whom are the elect saved?

A. By Christ, the only Redeemer; Titus iii. 4, 5, 6. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he faved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Q. 6. Is there no other way of falvation but by Christ ? A. No; no other way is revealed in scripture; Acts iv. 12. Neither is there falvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Q. 7. What learn you from God's election ?

A. What cause we have to admire free-grace in our choice, who were no better than others; Eph. ii. 3. And were by nature children of wrath even as others.

Q. 8. What is the second instruction?

A. It teaches us humility; we made not ourselves to differ, but the free-grace of God made the difference; 1 Cor. iv. 7. For who maketh thee to differ from another ?

Q.9. What is the third instruction ?

4. It teaches us diligence to make our election fure to ourselves, by our calling; 2 Pet. i. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give di ligence to make your calling and election fure.

Q.ro. What is the fourth instruction?

A. It is matter of comfort to God's elect, amidst all dangers in the world; 2 Tim. ii. 19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.

Quest. i.

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Of the Covenant of Grace.

HAT is the covenant of grace ?

A. It is a new compact, or agreement, made with finners, out of mere grace, wherein God promiseth to be our God, and that we shall be his people, and to give everlasting life to all that believe in Christ; Jer. xxxi. 33. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Ifrael, after those days, faith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Q. 2. How doth this covenant differ from the covenant of works? A. They differ inany ways; but principally in three things. First, The covenant of works had no Mediator; the covenant of grace hath a Mediator; Heb. xii. 24. And to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant. Secondly, In the former, no place was found for repentance; în the fecond, God admits it; Heb. viii. 10. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Ifrael, after those days, faith the Lord, I will put iny laws in their minds, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people; ver. 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their fins will I remember no more. Thirdly, In their condition, the former requires exact obedience; the latter faith and fincere obedience; Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be faved.

Q.3. May a finner that hath no worthiness at all of his own, be taken into the covenant of grace ?

A. Yes, he may; Ifa. xliii. 25. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy tranfgreffions for mine own fake, and will not remember thy fins. This covenant is not of works, but of grace, Rom. xi. 6. And if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work.

Q. 4. Is this covenant changeable, or an unchangeable covenant? A. No, it is not changeable, but everlasting and unchangeable for ever; Ifa. liv. 10. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee.

Q. 5. What are the principal things bestowed in this covenant? A. God himself, and in and with him pardon and salvation; Jer. xxxi. 33. I will be their God, and they thall be my people. Q. 6. Can no fin be forgiven out of this covenant ?

A. No, God pardons none out of this covenant; John iii. 18.

But he that believeth not is condemned already.

Q. 7. What is the first instruction hence ?

A. Humbled and believing sinners have fingular supports from this