Queft. 5. How do you prove that he is without fucceffion of time ?

Anfw. From Pfalm xc. 4. A thousand years are in thy fight but as yesterday, when it is paft; and, 2 Pet. iii. 8. One day is with the Lord as a thoufand years, and a thousand years as one day. He doth not only always remain in being, but is always the fame in that being, Pfalm cii. 27.

Queft. 6. What is the difference betwixt God's eternity, and the eternity of angels, and the fouls of men?

Anfw. God's eternity is effential, abfolute, and independent, without beginning, as well as without end; but the eternity of angels, and the fouls of men, is quite of another nature; for, as they had a beginning, fo their duration admits of a fucceffion, as long as time lafts; and though they fhall never have an end, yet this eternity of theirs is not ne ceffary and effential 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.

Quest. 7. What ufe may be made of God's eternity? Anfw. It may be matter of terror to the wicked, continuing in their fin; for God will be their eternal foe, and will punish them with everlasting deftruction. But it may be matter of unspeakable comfort to believers in Chrift; for he will be the ftrength of their hearts, and their portion for ever, 2 Theff. i. 9 Pfalm lxxiii. 26.

Of GOD'S UNCHANGEABLENESS.

Queft. 1. What is God's unchangeableness? An/w. It is his most perfect conftancy, whereby he is infinitely free of any actual or poffible change, but is always the fame.

Quest. 2. How is God's unchangeableness proved from Scripture? Anjw. From

Anfw. 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.

Queft. 3. How may it be proved from reafon?

Anfw. Reafon teaches, that if God did change, it behoved either to be to the better, or to the worfe; neither of which is confiftent with his abfolute perfection, Matth. v. 48.

Queft. 4. Can any creature be unchangeable in its

nature ?

:

Anfw. No because every creature depends upon God for being and operation.

Queft. 5. Are not holy angels, and glorified faints, unchangeable?

Anfw. They are in a state of unchangeable happiness, but this is owing to fovereign grace, and

not to their own natures.

Queft. 6. Did creation make any change in God?

Anfw. It made a change in the creature, from nothing to being, but none in God, becaufe his will and power to create, were the fame from eternity. Queft. 7. How is God unchangeable, when he is fometimes faid in fcripture to repent, as in Gen. vi. 6 Jonah iii. 10.?

Anfw. When in thefe, or the like places, he is faid to repent, it imports only an alteration of his way, or outward conduct, according to his infallible forefight, but no change of his mind or will, Job xxiii. 13. Queft. 8. What may we learn from God's unchangeableness?

Anfw. That he will accomplish his promise, rest in his love, and finish the good work which he hath begun in the foul, Micah vii. 20. Zeph. iii. 17. Phil. i. 6.

Queft. 9. Wherein is God infinite, eternal, and unchangeable?

Anfw. In his being, wifdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

of

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Of GOD'S BEING.

Queft. 1. What is underfood by God's being?
Anfw. It is what is ufually called his effence.
Quest. 2. What is the divine effence?

Enfw. It is the glorious and tranfcendent nature of God, whereby he is what he is, infinitely bleffed in himself, and comprehended by none but himself. Queft. 3. What is the highest perfection of Being? Arfw. That to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be taken, and is independent on all things elfe, Job xxxv. 6, 7, 8.

Queft. 4. Can being in itfelf, or being in a proper and firict fenfe, be attributed to any,but to God only ? Anfw. No: for though the heavens and the earth, angels and men, have a being, yet there is no infinite, eternal, and unchangeable being, but God only. It is God alone that can fay, I AM, Exod. iii. 14. Queft. 5. What is the import of that name, I AM?

Anfw. It is of the fame import with the name JEHOVAH ; as if he had faid, I am being itfelf, the author and fountain of all beings, in heaven or earth. Queft. 6. What are all other beings in comparison with the being of God?

Anf. All other beings are but created, contingent, and fhadowy beings, if compared with his who spoke them into being, Pfalm xxxiii. 6, 9.

Queft. 7. What fays God concerning thefe that are taken up with created beings, without ever reflecting upon the fupreme, infinite, and eternal being?

Anfw. That they are brutish among the people; fools, deftitute of wisdom; more brutish than the ox that knoweth his owner, Pfal. xciv. 8. Ifa. i. 3.

Queft. 8. Are not all created beings, with their perfections, originally in God, and from him?

Anfw. Yes; as is evident from the unanswerable reafoning of the spirit God, Pfal. xciv. 9, 10. He that planted the ear, shall not he hear? He that formed

formed the eye, fhall not he fee ?---He that teacheth man knowledge, fhall not be know?

Queft. 9. What may we learn from God's being? Anfw. That as he gave being to all the creatures, fo he will give being to all his promifes in their full accomplishment, Exod. vi. 3.

of GOD'S WISDOM.

Queft. 1. Is not omnifcience, or infinite knowledge and understanding, infeparably connected with infinite wifdom?

Anfw. Yes: For the Lord is a God of knowledge, by him actions are weighed, 1 Sam. ii. 3.

Queft. 2. What is God's omnifcience?

Anfw. It is that perfection of his nature, whereby he knows all things most perfectly in himself, by one eternal act, Acts xv. 18.

Queft. 3. How do you prove from fcripture, that he knows all things ?

Anfw. From 1 John iii. 20.----God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

Queft. 4. How doth God's omniscience appear from reafon?

Anfw. He who made all things cannot but know and comprehend his own workmanship, Pfal. xciv.9. Quest. 5. How doth it appear that he hath a perfect knowledge of intelligent creatures ?

Anfw. If he did not perfectly know them and their actions, he could not be their fupreme gover. nor and judge, Heb iv. 13.

Queft. 6. What is the object of the divine knowledge or omniscience?

Anfw. God himself, and all other things whatsoever, Matth. xi. 27. John xxi. 17.

Queft. 7. What doth God know or understand of himself?

Anfw. His own nature, perfections, decrees, and operations.

Quest. 8.

Queft. 8. How is it evident, that God has a most perfect knowledge of himself, and his own glorious excellencies?

Anfw. Because otherwise his understanding would not be infinite, as it is afferted to be, Pfalm cxlvii. 5. in regard all other objects, besides himself, are but finite.

Queft. 9. Hath God a certain and determinate knowledge of contingent actions, or of things casual and accidental as to us?

Anfw. Yes: for future events, which depend upon the freedom of man's will, or. upon fecond causes, as to the manner of their production, are exprefly foretold in fcripture, and therefore known unto God; fuch as, Jofeph's preferment, and Israel's oppreffion in Egypt; Ahab's death, though by an arrow shot at a venture; Cafar's decree, that all the world fhould be taxed, bringing about Christ's birth at Bethlehem; and many other inftances.

Queft. 10. How doth God know things that are only poffible?

Anfw He knows them in his power, which could easily bring them to pass, if he had fo decreed. Queft. 11. How doth he know things that are future, or all these things that come to pass in time? Anfu. He knows them not only in his power, as able to effect them, but in his will, as determining the being of them.

Queft. 12. Is God's knowledge of things general, or particular?

Anfw. It is a particular knowledge of every individual creature, and of every circumstance about it. Pfalm cxxxix. 2. Matth. x. 29, 30.

Queft. 13. Is there any fucceffion in his knowledge, or doth he know one thing before another?

Anfw. As there is no fucceffion in his effence, fo there is none in his knowledge: he knows all things

eternally,