should perish but that all should come to repentance Q. What duty towards God do you learn from theconsideration of his goodness and mercy A. The duty towards God that I learn from the consideration of his goodness and mercy is this that we ought to love God because he first loved us that we should praise him and give thanks unto him and be perswaded by his mercies to present our bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is our reasonable service Q. What duty towards man do you learn from the consideration of God's goodness and mercy A. The duty towards man which I learn from the consideration of God's goodness and mercy is this that we should be patient towards all men not rendring evil for evil to any man but do good to all even to them that hate us and to be merciful as our Father also is merciful and kind to the unthankful and to the evil and forgive one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us Q. In what especially is the kindness love and mercy of God manifested to us A. In this was manifested the love of God to us in that he sent his only begotten Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world that we might live through him Q. Doth the goodness and grace of God in the Gospel give security to Sinners or shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound A. God forbid for the goodness of God leadeth us to Repentance and the grace of God that bringeth salvation teacheth us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly rightcously and godlily in this present World Q. You said that God is most just and righteous what is meant thereby A. By God's being most just and righteous is meant that God the Judge of all the Earth will do right and render to every man according to his deeds that his ways are right and equal and his judgment is according to truth Q. What duty towards God do you learn from his justice and righteousness A. The Duty towards God that I learn from his justice and righteousness is this that seeing God without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work we ought to pass the time of our sojourning here in fear and I farther learn that when God's judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world should learn righteousness and acknowledge that God is just and righteous in all his works that he doth and that therefore we should not complain but be humbled and accept of the punishment of our iniquities and bear the indignation of the Lord because we have sinned against him Q. What duty towards man do yo learn from the justice and righteousness of God A. The duty towards man that I learn from the justice and righteousness of God is this to do no evil to my neighbour nor go beyond or defraud my brother in any matter the Lord being the avenger of all such but without having respect of persons to do justice and judgment which is more acceptable to the Lord than Sacrifice to render unto all their dues and to do to others as I would that they should do to me and lastly when I am reviled not to revile again when I suffer not to threaten but to commit my self as Christ did to him that judgeth righteously Q. You said that God is most true and faithful what is meant thereby A. By God's being most true and faithful is meant that God cannot lye nor deny himself that with him is no variableness nor shadow of turning but that he keepeth covenant and mercy to them that love him and keep his Commandments he will do and make good what he hath spoken nor shall any word fail of all that he hath promised Q. duty towards God do you learn from his being most true and faithful A. The duty towards God which I learn from his being most true and faithful is this that we draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of saith and call upon him in truth for he trieth the heart and hath pleasure in uprightness he requireth truth or sincerity in the inward parts and will give ear unto the prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips Q. What farther duty towards God do you learn from his truth and faithfulness A. I do farther learn from the truth and faithfulness of God that if we suffer according to the will of God we should commit the keeping of our souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator as being perswaded that he is able to keep that which we commit to him against that day and therefore will do it and that we should hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering he being saithful that promised and will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it and will establish us and keep us from evil Q. What duty towards man do you learn from God's being most true and faithful A. The duty towards man which I learn from God's being most true and faithful is this that putting away lying every man should speak truth with his neighbour from his heart and that in our mouth and spirit there should be no guile but in simplicity and godly sincerity we should have our conversation in the world For lying lips are an abomination to the Lord but they that deal truly and are upright in their way are his delight Q What is meant by this that God is All-knowing A. By God's being All-knowing is meant that he is perfect in knowledge and his understanding is infinite that he understands our thoughts a far off and is acquainted with all our ways and that there is not a word in our tongue but he knoweth it altogether neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Q. What do you learn from God's being most wise and All-knowing A. From God's being most wise and All-knowing I learn that I ought to serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord knoweth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts and his eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men to give to every one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings Q. What is meant by this that God is Allmighty A. By God's being Almighty is meant that he is the blessed and only Potentate
whom none is able to withstand that with him nothing is impossible nothing is too hard for him and that he doth whatsoever he pleaseth in heaven and in earth and no thought of his can be hindered Q. What do you learn from Gods being Almighty A. From God's being Almighty I learn that we ought above all to fear him and to tremble at his presence as also to submit our selves unto him to humble our selves under his mighty hand and to walk before him and be perfect that is in all things obedient on the contrary to take heed how we provoke him to jealousie who is stronger than we and that we harden not our selves against him Q. What do you farther learn from God's being Almighty A. From God's being Almighty I farther learn that we ought to trust in him and not be afraid what man can do unto us for if God be for us who can be against us that we be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and be fully perswaded that what God hath promised he is able also to perform Q What is meant by God's being Eternal A. By this that God is Eternal is meant that he is from everlasting to everlasting the beginning and the end which is and which was and which is to come that he is the same and his years have no end that he only hath immortality that is originally and from himself is uncorruptible unchangeable and liveth for ever and ever Q. What do you learn from God's being Eternal A. I learn from God's being Eternal that there is to be given unto him honour and glory for ever and ever that he is to be blessed from everlasting to everlasting and that we ought to trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Q. You said that God is every where present what is meant thereby A. By this that God is every where present is meant that he fills heaven and earth yea the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him that his greatness is unsearchable so that there is no flying from his presence nor can any hide himself in secret places that God shall not see him Q. What do you learn from God's being every where present A. From God's being every where present I learn that we are to pray every where lifting up holy hands God being nigh unto all them that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth and if we pray to our Father which is in secret he which seeth in secret will reward us openly Q. What do you farther learn from God's being every where present A. I from thence farther learn that we ought to walk before him in truth and with a perfect heart and do that which is good in his sight that it concernsus to keep his precepts for that all our ways are before him and the eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good Q. Having seen what God is in his Nature and Attributes proceed we to the Works of God Tell me then who made the World and preserveth all things therein A. God the Lord alone made heaven the heaven of heavens with all their host the earth and all things that are therein the seas and all that is therein and he preserveth them all Q. What learn you from God's creating and preserving the World and all things therein A. I learn that God the Lord is worthy to receive glory and honour and power for that he hath created all things and through his pleasure they are and were created and because he preserveth man and beast and the whole earth is full of the goodness of the Lord our mouth should speak the praise of the Lord and all slesh bless his holy name for ever and ever Seeing that of him and through him are all things to him be glory for ever and ever Q Who governs the World and all things therein A. God that made the World and all things therein is Lord of heaven and earth he hath prepared his throne in the heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all he doth whatsoever he pleaseth both in heaven and in earth and worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will Q. What learn you from God's governing the World and all things therein A. From God's governing the World and all things therein I learn that therefore the Earth should rejoice for justice and judgment are the habitation or establishment of his throne and mercy and truth shall go before his face and that from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof God's name is to be praised for who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high and humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in earth Q. What do you farther learn from God's governing the world and all things therein A. I do farther learn from thence that we should say whatsoever befalleth us with Eli it is the Lord that is the Lord hath appointed or permitted it let him do what seemeth him good and with Christ not my will but thine be done and with Job whether the Lord giveth or taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord Q. What do you yet farther learn from God's governing the World and all things therein A. I do yet farther learn from thence that we should commit our way and work unto the Lord and in all our ways acknowledge him who then will direct our paths that we should trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe and cast all our care and burthen upon him who careth for us and will sustein us Q. How did God create man A. God made man upright and created him in his own image Q. Wherein doth God's image in man consist A. God's image in man doth consist in knowledge righteousness and true holiness and in the dominion which God made him to have over the works of his hands Q. Did our first parents Adam and Eve continue in that good estate wherein they were created A. No they fell from it by sinning against God in that they did eat of the tree whereof God commanded that they should not eat Q. What then followed upon Adam's Transgression A. By that one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned for the wages of sin is death Q. Did God leave man to perish in this miserable condition or did he in love and pity to us provide a way and means for us to be saved from sin and death A. So God loved the
of Godliness but denying the power thereof from such I say we must turn away that so we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Q. Having spoken of the three chief outward means for the begetting and encrease of grace and holiness what are those four last things as they are commonly called which being duly considered would excite and engage us to a serious minding of Holiness A. The four last things which being duly considered would excite and engage us to a serious minding of Holiness are Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell Q. What doth the Scripture tell us of Death A. The Scripture tells us that it is appointed unto men once to die and that our life is even as a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Q. What should the shortness and uncertainty of our life here engage us to A. The shortness and uncertainty of our life here should engage us so to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Q. What is that wisdom which we are to apply our hearts unto A. The fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding Q. What doth the Scripture tell us of the Judgment to come A. The Scripture tells us that God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained even by Jesus Christ who is ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead and we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the thing done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Q. What shall immediately precede the general Judgment A. The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Q. What should the serious consideration of the last judgment engage us to A. The serious consideration of the last Judgment should engage us to fear God and keep his commandments for God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ Q. Seeing then that God who knoweth the secrets of the heart will bring every work into judgment and judg the secrets of men by Jesus Christ what must we do that we may not be condemned with the world at the day of judgment Psal. 44. 21. 1 Cor. 11. 32. A. That we may not be condemned with the world at the day of judgment let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord and let every man prove his own work for every man shall bear his own burthen and shall give account of himself to God Q. But seeing the Heart is deceitful above all things is it not needful to pray unto God that we may not be deceived in searching our ways and proving our own works Jer. 17. 9. A. Surely it is meet for us to say unto God That which I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more for who can understand his errors Cleanse thou me from my secret faults Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Q. Forasmuch as the Heavens and the Elements and the Earth shall be dissolved when the day of the Lord shall come what doth the consideration hereof engage us to A. Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness giving diligence that we may be found of God in peace without spot and blameless Q. Who are those that are secured from being condemned with the world and may have boldness in the day of Judgment A. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not aster the flesh but after the spirit and such may have boldness in the day of judgment because as Christ was so are they in this world for hereby know we that we are in him if we keep his word and walk even as he walked Q. What doth the Scripture tell us of Heaven A. The Scripture tells us of Heaven That it is a place of Rest and comfort and joy even of fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore and that there is reserved for the Saints an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away Q. Can you give me a particular description of the Heavenly state A. Now are we the sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and then shall we ever be with the Lord who will also change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself Q. Who are thosethat shall not inherit the kingdom of God or Heaven A. We know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God and particularly neither fornicators nor idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners nor such like shall inherit the kingdom of God Q. Then you are throughly convinced that it is necessary that we become new creatures that so we may enter into the kingdom of Heaven A. Verily except we be born again except we be converted and become as little children we cannot see nor in any wise enter into the kingdom of Heaven Q. How then should every one live and behave himself that hopes to see God and his kingdom A. Every one that hath this hope in him should purifie even as God is pure or endeavour to be as like him in holiness as he can and walk worthy of God who hath called him to his kingdom and glory Q. What are they further engaged to do who believe and look for the heavenly kingdom and inheritance A. They are further engaged to have their conversation in heaven and to set their affections on things above and not on things on the earth Q. What is the fruit of the consideration of the glorious Rewardin heaven as to active obedience and doing the will of God A. The consideration of the glorious reward in heaven encourageth us to be stedfast and unmoveable always to abound in the work of the