Of one God,
An Expofition of the Affembly's Catechism.
The word which Ihave ſpoken, ſhall bedone, faith the Lord God.
Q. 9. What is the fifth leſſon fromGod's truth?
A. That falſehood, inwords andactions, is contrary toGod's nature, and abhorred by him ; John viii. 44. Ye are ofyour father the devil, andthe lufts of yourfather ye will do; he was amurderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, becauſe there is no truth in him ; when he ſpeaketh a lie, he ſpeaketh of his own ; for he is a liar, and the father ofit.
Q. 10. What is the laſt leſſonfromGod's truth ?
A. Thedayof judgment willrightlyand juſtly ſtate every man's condition; Rom. ii. 2. But we are ſure that the judgment ofGod is according to truth, againstthemwhich commitſuch things.
OfoneGod.
RE there more Gods than one ?
God? A Queſt. 5 .
A. There is but one only, the livingandtrue Q. 1. How doth itappear that there isbut oneGod ?
A. It is evident from ſcripture there is but one God; Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord ourGod is one Lord.
Jer. x. 10. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: and as fcripture reveals no more, ſo reaſon will allow no more.
Q. 2. Why will reaſon allow no more but oneGod ?
A. BecauſeGod is the firſtbeing ; Rev. i. 11
Saying, I amAlpha and Omega, the firſt and the last ; and there can be but one firſt being, andGodis the most perfect, and excellent being ; Pfal. lxxi. 19. Thy righteouſneſs, alſo, O God, is very high, who hath done great things : OGod, who is like untothee? Andthere can be but one moſt perfect and excellentbeing.
Q. 3. But doth not the ſcripturesſay, in 1 Cor. viii. 5. that there are gods many, and lordsmany?
A. Yes ; there are many intitle, andmany inopinion, but one only intruth ; Jer. x. 10. But the Lord is the true God, he isthe livingGod, and an everlafting King.
Q. 4. Why is hecalledthe true God ?
A. Todistinguiſhhimfrom the idols and falſe gods of the heathens ; 1 Thef. i. 9. Howyeturned toGod from idols, to ſerve the livingand trueGod.
Acts xiv. 15. We preach untoyou, that ye ſhould turn fromthefevanitiesunto the living
An Expofition of the Affembly's Catechism,
God, which made heaven and earth, and the ſea, and all things that are therein.
Q. 5. Why is he calledthe livingGod?
A. Becauſe all life, natural, ſpiritual, and eternal, is in him, and from him only.
First, Natural life ; Acts xvii. 28.
For inhim we live, and move, andhave ourbeing.
Secondly, Spiritual life ; Eph. ii. 1. You hath he quickened, who were dead in treſpaſſes and fins.
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. Ifbut one God, then all his children ſhould be ofone heart, having one and the fame Father ; Eph. iv. 5, 6. One
Lord, one faith, one baptifm, one God and Father of all, who is aboveall, andthrough all, and in youall.
Q. 7. What is the ſecondinference from hence ?
A. That it is idolatry to perform worship to anyotherbut God only; Pfal. lxxxvi. 9, 10. All nations whom thou haft made, ſhall come andworship before thee, O Lord, and ſhall glorifythyname, forthou art great, and doſt wondrousthings, thou art God alone.
Q. 8. What is thethird inference from it ?
A. That our fupreme love is due toGod only, andit is very fiaful to place it on anyother ; Deut. vi. 4, 5. Hear, OIfrael, The Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy Godwith all thyheart, and with allthy foul, and withallthymight.
Q. 9. What is the fourth inference from God's unity?
A. ThatGod onlymust havethe reliance and dependence of our souls ; Jer. xvii. 5, 7. Thus faith the Lord, curſed be theman that truſteth in man, that maketh fleſh his arm, and whoſe heart departeth from the Lord.
Bleſſed is the man that truſteth in theLord, 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 goſpel, which diſcovers the only trueGod 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 godsmany, and lords many; but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are allthings, and we in him ; and one Lord, Jeſus Chriſt, by whom are all things, andwebyhim.
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechifm.
Ofthree Perfons in theGodhead.
HOWmany perſonsare there inthegodhead?
Queſt. 6.
A. There are three persons in thegodhead, theFather, the Son,andthe holy Ghost, and these three are one
God, thefame infubſtance, equal in power andglory.
Q. 1. Whatmean youby the word, godhead ?
A. It is the nature, effence, orbeing ofGod, as the apostle ſpeaks, Acts xvi 29. Foraſmuch then as we are the off-fpring ofGod, we ought not to think that the godhead is like unto gold, or filver, or stone, graven by art, and man's device.
Q. 2. What isa perſon inthe godhead ?
A. It is the godhead diftinguiſhed by perſonal properties; eachperſonhaving his distinct perſonal properties ; Heb. i. 3.
Whobeing the brightneſs of his glory, and the expreſs image ofhis perſon, upholding all things by the wordofhis power.
Q.3. How doth itappearthere are three perſons, and no more ?
A. First, From Chriſt's baptifm ; Mat. iii, 16, 17. And Jeſus, whenhe was baptized, went up ſtraightway out ofthe water, and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he faw the Spirit ofGod deſcending, like a dove, and lighting upon him ; and lo, a voice fromheaven,ſaying, This is mybeloved
Son, in whom I am well pleaſed.
Q. 4. How elſe,inthe ſecondplace, doth it appear ?
A. From the inſtitution ofour baptifm ; Mat. xxviii. 19.
Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations,baptizing them in the name oftheFather, ofthe Son, and ofthe holy Ghoſt.
Q.5. What is the thirdprooffrom ſcripture ?
A. From the apoftolicalbenediction ; 2 Cor. xiii. 14. The grace of our Lord Jesus Chriſt, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the holyGhost, be with you all, Amen:
Where threedistinct bleſſings are wiſhed from thethree divine perſons in the godhead, grace from Chriſt, love from the Father, and communion with the Spirit.
Q. 6. What farther evidence is there ofit in fcripture?
A. From plain, poſitive aſſertions ofthe fcripture, afferting, First, A trinity of perſons.
Secondly, A unity of effence; 1 John v. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,andtheholy Ghost, and theſe three are one.
Q. 7. What is the firſt inſtruction from the trinity ?
A. That the doctrine of the goſpel concerning Chrift, is fullyconfirmed and ratified bythree witneſſes from heaven,
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechism.
who are aboveall exceptions ; 1 John v. 7. For there are three thatbear record inheaven, the Father, the Word, and the holyGhoft.
Q. 8. What is the ſecond inſtruction from the trinity ?
A. Hence we learn the true order and manner ofworshipping God, in the Son ; John xvi. 23. Whatſoever ye ſhall afk the Father in myname,he ſhall give it you. And by the Spirit ; Eph. vi. 18. Praying always, with allprayer and ſupplication in the Spirit .
Q9 . What is the third inſtruction from the trinity?
A. That the covenant ofgrace conveys a rich portion to believers, in making over all three perſons to them ; Jer. xxxi. 33. But this ſhallbe the covenant that I willmake with thehouſe of Ifrael after thoſe days, faith the Lord; Iwill put my law into their inward parts, and write it in their hearts and Iwillbe theirGod, and they ſhall be my people.
Q. 10 What is the fourth inſtruction from the trinity ?
A. That as it is the duty ofall the faints to give distinct glory to the three perſons in the Godhead ; ſo it will be a ſpecial part of their bleſſedneſs inheaven, to contemplate the diſtinct benefits received from them all; Rev. i. 5. And from Jeſus Chrift, who is the faithful witneſs, and the firſt begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings ofthe earth ; unto him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood.
OfGod's Decrees.
Hat are the decrees ofGod ?
Queft . 7. WhatA. The decrees ofGod arehis eternalpurpofe, according to the counsel ofhis will, wherebyfor his own glory hehathforeordained whatsoever comes to pafs.
Q. 1. What things are decreed ofGod ?
A. Allthings whatsoevercome to paſs, even the ſmalleſt ; Eph. i. 11. In whomalſo we have obtained an inheritance, being predeftinated according to the purpoſe of him who worketh all things after the counſel ofhis own will.
Q. 2. What is the end ofGod's decrees ?
A. The glory of his own name; Eph. i. 11, 12. Who worketh all things according to the counſel of his own will, that we should be tothe praiſe ofhis glory, who firſt trusted in Chrift.
Q. 3. But there are ſome evil things done in theworld ; Dothey fall underGod's decree ?
A. Though Goddoth neither approve them, nor neceffitate
VOL. VII,
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An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechifm. mento commit them, yet he doth permit and fufferthem tobe done, and will turn them to his own glory; Acts iv. 27, 28.
For of a truth, against thy holy child Jeſus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Ifrael are gatheredtogether, for todowhatſoeverthyhand, and thy counſel determined before tobe done.
Q. 4. Who are the objects ofGod's ſpecial decrees ?
A.Angels andmen are the objects ofGod's ſpecialdecrees ; 1 Tim. v. 21. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jefus
Chrift, and the elect angels, that thouobfervetheſethings, &c.
Rom . viii. 33. Who shall lay anything to the charge ofGod's elect?
Q.5 . What is the firſt property of God's decrees ?
A. That they are most wife acts ofGod, laid in the depth of wisdom and counſel ; Rom.xi. 33. O the depth ofthe riches both ofthe wisdom and knowledge ofGod! How unſearchable are his judgments, and his ways are paft finding out !
Q. 6. What is the ſecond property ofGod's decrees ?
A. The decrees ofGod are most free, all flowing from the mere pleaſure of his will ; Rom. ix. 18. Therefore hath he
•mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth .
Q. 7. What is the thirdproperty ofGod's decrees ?
A. They are moſt firm and ſtable ; 2Tim. ii. 19. Nevertheless, the foundation ofGod ſtandeth ſure ; having this ſeal,
The Lord knoweth them that are his, Zech . vi . 1 .
Q. 8. What is the fourth property ofGod's decrees ?
A They are eternal, and before all time ; Acts xv. 18 .
Known untoGod are all his works, from the beginning of the world.
Q9. What is the fifth property ofGod's decrees ?
A. They are moſt pure, and altogether unſpotted of fin; 1 John i. 5. This is the meſſage which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, That God is light, and in him is no darkness at all .
Q. 10. What is the firſt inſtruction from God's decrees ?
A. That we ought to aſcribe nothingto chance, but to the appointment or providence of God ; Prov. xvi. 33.
The lot is caft into the lap; but the whole difpofing thereof is of the Lord.
Q. 11. What is the ſecond inſtruction from God's decrees ?
A. That God's hand is to be acknowledged in the greatest afflictions that befal us ; 2 Sam xvi. 11. And David faid to Abiſhai, and to allhis fervants, behold, my fon, which came
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechism.
forth of my bowels, ſeeketh my life; how much more now may this Benjamite do it ? Let him alone, and let him curſe, for the Lord hath bidden him .
Q. 12. What is the laſt inſtruction fromGod's decrees ?
A. That we ought to be thankful to God for all the good, and patient under allthe evils that befal us ; Job ii. 10. Shall we receive good at the hand ofGod, and ſhall we not receive evil?
Queſt. 8. H OW doth God execute his decrees ?
A. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.
Queſt. 9 .W Of the Creation.
HAT are the works of creation?
A. The work ofcreation is, God's making all things ofnothing, by the word ofhis power, in thespace offix days, and all very good.
Q. 1. What is it to create ?
A. To create, is to give a being to that which had nobeing ; or to bring ſomething out of nothing ; Heb. xi. 3. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framedby the word ofGod ; ſo thatthings which are ſeen were notmade ofthings that do appear.
Q. 2. How did God create the world ?
A. By his infinite power, executed inhis word ofcommand; Pfal. xxxiii . 6, 9. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host ofthem by the breath of his mouth ; forhe ſpake, and it was done; he commanded, and it ſtood faft.
Q. 3. What attributes ofGod ſhine forth in the creation ?
A. The wisdom ofGod ſhines forth gloriously, not onlyin their formation, but dependance one upon another ; Pfal. civ.
24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wiſdom haft thou madethem all : The earth is full ofthy riches .
Q. 4. What maywe learn from the creation ?
A. ThatGod perfectly knows all that is in the creature, be it never ſo ſecret ; Pfal. xciv. 8, 9. Understand, O ye brutish among thepeople; andye fools, when will ye be wife ? He that planted the ear, ſhallhe not hear ? Hethat formed the eye, ſhall he not fee ?
Q. 5. What is the ſecond inſtruction from the creation?
A. That God is the rightful owner of us all, and may do whathe will with us ; Rom. ix. 20. Nay but, Oman, who artthouthat replieſt againstGod! ſhall the thingformed ſay
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