perfecute you, that ye may be the Children of yaur Father which

is in Heaven.

Q. 12. What is the Last Inference from God's goodness ? A. That Christians have great Encouragement to go to God for Pardon in Case of Sin, Pfalm cxxx. 4. But there is Forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared; and for Refuge in Dangers, Nahum i. 7. The Lord is good, a strong Hold in the Day of Trouble; be knoweth them that trust in him.

Quest. 1.

Of God's Truth.

HAT is the Truth of God?

WH

A. It is an essential Property of his Nature, whereby he is perfectly faithful in himself, and in all that he hath spoken, Deut. xxxii. 4. He is the Rock, his Work is perfect, for all his Ways are judgment; a God of Truth, and without Iniquity, just and right is be, Pfal. cxix. 142. Thy Righteousness is an everlasting Righteousness, and thy Law is the Truth.

Q. 2. What is the first Property of Divine Truth? A. The first Property of it is, That it is effential and necessary to God; He cannot lie, Tit. i. 2.

Q. 3. What is the Second Property of it?

A. the Second Property is, that it is everlasting, and abiding to all Generations, Pfalm c. 5. For the Lord is good, his Mercy is everlasting, and his Truth endureth to all Generations. Ifa. xxv. 1. O Lord, thou art my God, I will exalt thee - thy Counsels of old are Faithfulness and Truth.

Q. 4. What is the Third Property of Divine Truth?

A. The third Property is, that he is universally true in all his Words and Works. 1. In all his Words, John xvii. 17. Thy Word is Truth. 2. In all his Works, Pfalm xxv. All the Paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth, unto fuch

10.

as keep his Covenant.

Q. 5. What is the first Lesson from God's Truth to be learnt ?

A. That Truth and Sincerity of Heart is that which is most suitable, and pleasing to God, Pfalm li. 6. Behold, thou defirest Truth in the inward Parts.

Q. 6. What is the second Lesson from God's Truth?

A. That

A. That whatever God hath foretold, shall assuredly come to pass, and be fulfilled in his Time, Joth. xxiii. 14. Not one Thing hath failed of all the good Things which the Lora our God Spoke concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, ana not one Thing bath failed thereof.

Q. 7. What is the third Lesson from the Truth of God ? A. That a Promise from God is full Security to the Faith of his People, and they may look upon it as good as a Mercy in Hand, Heb. x. 23. For he is faithful that promised.

Q. 8. What is the fourth Lesson from God's Truth? A. That whatever God hath threatned in his Word against Sinners, shall surely come upon them, except they repent, Zech. i. 6. But my Word, and my Statutes, which I commanded my Servants, the Prophets, did they not take hold of your Fathers ? and they returned, and faid, Like as the Lord of Hosts thought to do unto us, according to our Ways, and accord-ing to our Doings, fo hath he dealt with us, Ezek. xii. 27, 28. The Word which I have spoken, shall be done, faith the Lord God.

Q. 9. What is the Fifth Lesson from God's Truth? A. That Falfhood in Words and Actions is contrary to God's Nature, and abhorred by him, John viii. 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil, and the Luft of your Father ye will do; he was a Murtherer from the Beginning, and abode not in the Truth, because there is no Truth in him; when he speaketh a Lie, be fpeaketh of his own; for he is a Liar, and the Father of it.

Q. 10. What is the Last Lesson from God's Truth?

A. The Day of Judgment will rightly and justly state every Man's Condition, Rom. ii. 2. But we are fure that the Judgment of God is according to Truth, against them which commit Such Things.

Quest. 5.

A

and true God.

Of One God.

RE there more Gods than one?
A. There is but one only, the living

Q. 1. How doth it appear that there is but one God?

A. It is evident from Scripture there is but one God, Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord, Jer. x. 10. But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King; and as Scripture reveals no more, fo Reason will allow no more.

Q. 2. Why will Reason allow no more but one God? A. Because God is the First Being, Revel. i. 11. Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Laft; and there can be but one First Being, and God is the most perfect, and excellent Being, Pfalm 1xxi. 19. Thy Righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hath done great Things: O God, who is like unto thee? And there can be but one most perfect and excellent Being.

Q. 3. But doth not the Scripture say in 1 Cor. viii. 5. That there are Gods many, and Lords many?

A. Yes, there are many in Title, and many in Opinion; but one only in Truth, Jer. x. 10. But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King.

Q. 4. Why is he called the true God?

A. To distinguish him from the Idols and false Gods of the Heathens. i Thef. i. 9. How ye turned to God from Idols, to ferve the living andtrue God, Acts xiv. 15. We preach unto you, that ye should turn from these Vanities unto the living Ged, which made Heaven and Earth, and the Sea, and all Things that are therein.

Q. 5. Why is he called the living God?

A. Because all Life, natural, spiritual, and eternal, is in him, and from him only. First, Natural Life, Acts xvii. 28. For in him we live, and move, and have our being. Secondly, Spiritual Life, Eph. ii. 1. You hath be quickened, who were dead in Trespasses and Sins. Thirdly, Eternal Life in Glory, Col. iii. 4. When Christ who is our Life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in Glory.

Q. 6. What is the first Instruction from hence?

A. If but One God, then all his Children should be of one Heart, having one and the fame Father, Eph. iv. 5, 6. One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Q. 7. What is the second Inference from hence?

A. That

A. That it is Idolatry to perform Worship to any other but God only, Pfalm lxxxvi. 9, 10. All Nations whom thou haft made, shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy Name, for thou art great, and doest wondrous Things, thou art God alone.

Q. 8. What is the Third Inference from it?

A That our fupream Love is due to God only, and it's very finful to place it on any other, Deut. vi. 4, 5. Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Might.

Q. 9. What is the Fourth Inference from God's Unity? A. That God only must have the Reliance and Dependence of our Souls, Jer. xvii. 5, 7. Thus faith the Lord, curfed be the Man that trusteth in Man, that maketh Flesh his Arm, and whose Heart departeth from the Lord. Blessed is the Man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose Hope the Lord is.

Q. 10. What is the last Inference from it?

A. That we have great Cause to be thankful for the Gofpel, which discovers the only true God to us, and that we are not as the Heathens, worshipping many and false Gods. 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. For though there be that are called Gods, whether in Heaven, or in Earth, as there be Gods many, and Lords many; but to us there is but one God, the Father of whom are all Things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all Things, and we by him.

Queft. 6.

Of three Persons in the Godhead.

OW many Persons are there in the God

Head

A. There are three Persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one God, the fame in Substance, equal in Power and Glory.

Q. 1. What mean you by the Word Godhead?

A. It is the Nature, Effence, or Being of God, as the Apostle speaks, Acts xvii. 29. Forafmuch then as we are the Offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like minto Gold, or Silver, or Stone, graven by Art, and Man's

Device.

Q. 2. What is a Person in the Godhead?

A. It is the Godhead distinguished by personal Properties; each Perfon having his distinct personal Properties, Heb. i. 3. Who being the Brightness of his glory, and the express Image of his Person, upholding all Things by the Word of bis Power.

Q. 3. How doth it appear there are three Persons, and no more?

A. First, From Christ's Baptifm, Matt. iii. 16, 17. And Jesus when he was baptized, went up ftraitway out of the Water, and lo, the Heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God defcending like a Dove, and lighting upon him, and lo a Voice from Heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed.

Q. 4. How else, in the second Place, doth it appear? A. From the Institution of our Baptifm, Matt. xxviii. 19. Go je therefore, teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Q. 5. What is the third Proof from Scripture? A. From the Apoftolical Benediction, 2 Cor. xiii. 14. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost, all, Amen. Where three distinct Blessings are wisht, from the three divine Persons in the Godhead; Grace from Christ, Love from the Father, and Communion with the Spirit.

be with you

Q.7. What farther Evidence is there of it in the Scripture? A. From plain, positive Afertions of the Scripture, afferting, First, A Trinity of Persons. Secondly, An Unity of Effence, 1 Joh. v. 7. For there are Three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these Three are One.

Q. 7. What is the first Instruction from the Trinity?

A. That the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ, is fully confirmed and ratified by three Witnesses from Heaven, who are above all Exceptions, 1 Joh. v. 7. For there are Three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost.

Q. 8. What is the second Instruction from the Trinity? A. Hence we learn the true Order and Manner of worshipping God in the Son, Joh. xvi. 23. Whatsoever ye shall

ask