only withheld that further grace, which he was no way obliged to give, for preventing his will from yielding to the temptation; and was pleased, according to his wife and holy counfel, to permit this abuse, having purposed to order it to his own glory, Rom. xi. 32.

Queft. 25. At whofe door then must the fall be laid?

Anfw. At man's own door, who willingly yielded to the temptation of the devil, James i. 14. Quest. 26. What was the devil's agency in the fall of man?

Anfw. He entered into a ferpent, and therein, by feducing words, enticed the woman to take and eat the forbidden fruit, and fhe gave to her hufband, and he did eat likewife, Gen. iii. 5, 6.

Quest. 27. Why did Satan make use of a ferpent, as his inftrument to feduce the woman?

Anfw. Because the ferpent was more fubtil than any beaft of the field, and fo the most fit tool, of any other, to ferve his fubtil and murdering defigns, Gen. i. 1. John viii. 48,

Queft. 28. Why was not Eve afraid to entertain converfe with the ferpent, as being acted by fome evil Spirit?

Anfw. It is fuppofed, that Adam and Eve knew nothing as yet of the fall of the angels and fin not having, as yet entered into this lower world, they were not afraid of hurt from any of the good creatures of God.

Queft. 29. Why was there no confirmatory claufe annexed to the covenant of works, to fecure man's ftanding in the state wherein he was created?

Anfw. Because it fo pleafed God: and, no doubt, infinite wisdom had another'fcene to open, through the occafion of man's fall, by his breaking the firft

Covenant.

Queft, 30. What was that scene?

Anfw. A

Anfw. A scene of redeeming love and grace, which will be matter of Hallelujahs, or praises to the Lord God and the Lamb for ever and ever.

Queft. 31. Was then the covenant of works a scaffold erected for carrying on a more glorious fabric? Anfw. Yes it was; for God had faid, and pur pofed from eternity, that mercy fhould be built up for ever, Pfalm lxxxix. 2.

Quest. 32. What improvement ought we to make of this doctrine of the fall of Adam ?

Anfav. To be perfuaded that the best of creatures, if left to themfelves, cannot be in fafety one moment, Pfal. xlix. 12.: that fince man could not be his own keeper, much less can he be his own faviour, 2 Cor. iii. 5.: to fee how dangerous it is to parley with fin and Satan and how much we need an intereft in the second Adam, to get the lofs we fuftained by the first repaired with advantage; for he has restored that which he took not away, Pfalm Ixix. 4.

14. QUEST. What is fin?

ANSW. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or tranfgreffion of the law of God. Queft. 1. How was man's apoftacy from God brought about?

Anfw. By finning against God.

Queft. 2. How doth it appear that there is fuch a thing as fin in the world?

Anfw. The God of truth declares that all have finned; the broken law cries for vengeance against tranfgreffors, and by it is the knowledge of fin; confcience, God's deputy in every man's bofom, tells him he is guilty; the reign of death, and the groans of the creatures round about us, do all bear teftimony, that there is fuch a thing as fin in the world.

Quest. 3.

Queft. 3. Is there any fin without a law? Anw. No for where there is no law, there is no tranfgreffion, Rom. iv. 15.

Queft. 4. Of whofe law is fin a tranfgreffion?
Anfw. Of the law of God.

Queft. 5. What underfland you by the law of God? Anfw. All the precepts, or commandments, God hath given unto man, as the rule of his obedience. Queft. 6. Where is this law of God to be found? Anfw. There was a bright and fair copy of it written upon the heart of man in innocency, but that being, in a great meafure, loft by the fall, God has written again to us the great things of his law in the fcriptures of truth, Pfalm cxlvii. 19, 20.

Queft. 7. Are all the laws of God, mentioned in Jcripture, of binding force now under the New Tef

tament?

Anfw. No the Ceremonial law, which was a fhadow of good things to come, is now abrogated upon the coming of Chrift in the flesh; and many of the Judicial laws, in fo far as they had a particular relation to the ftate of the Jewish nation, are laid afide; but the Moral law is perpetually binding on all mankind, in all ages and periods of the world.

Queft. 8. Doth God require a perfect conformity to this law?

Anfw. Yes: for there is a curfe pronounced against every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them, Gal. iii. 10.

Queft. 9. Why is the nature of fin expressed by a want of conformity to the law?

Anfw. To let us know that our very natures, fince the fall, are finful; and that we are now quite deftitute of that original righteousness and holinefs, which we had at our creation; and that every fwerving from the holy law, particularly in

respect

respect of omiffion, is fin, as well as doing what it forbids, Jer. vii. 23, 24 Gen. vi. 5. Ifa. xliii. 22. Quest. 10. Why is fin called a tranfgreffion of the law?

Anfw. Because the law is the boundary of all our actions; and whenever we fin, we break the boundary and limit that God hath fet us, and fo are expofed unto the curfe of the law, Gal. iii. 10. Quest 11. Doth the law of God extend to the first motions of fin in the heart?

Anfw. Yes: for, fays the Apoftle, Rom. vii. 7. I had not known lujt, except the law had jaid, Thou fhalt not covet.

Quest. 12. How many kinds of fin are there?
Anfw. Two kinds; originel and actual.

Queft, 13. What do you understand by original fin? Anfw. The fin of our nature; which is called original fin, because we are conceived in fin, and brought forth in iniquity; and because it was the first fin of man, and is the original and fountain of all actual fin.

Queft. 14. What do you understand by actual fin? Anfw. Every thing that is inconfiftent with, and contrary to the law, in thought, word, or deed, I John. iii. 4.

Queft. 15. How are actual fins divided?

Anfw. Into fins of omiffion and commiffion.
Queft. 16. What is a fin of omiffion?

Anfw. It is a neglecting, or forgetting, to do that good which the law commands, James iv. 17. Queft. 17. What is a fin of commiffin?

Anfw. It is a doing of what the law of God forbids, Pfalm li. 4

Quest. 18. Is every fin mortal or deadly?

Anfw. Yes; in its own nature, Rom. vi. 16, 21,

23. I Cor. xv. 56. Gal. iii. 10.

Queft. 19. Are all fins pardonable through grace? Anfw. There is pardon, through the blood of Chrift,

Chrift, for all fins except one, namely the fin against the Holy Ghoft, Matth. xii. 31, 32. Luke xii. 10. 1 John v. 16.

Queft. 20. What is the fin against the Holy Gloft?

Anf. It is a wilful, malicious, and avowed rejecting of Chrift, and falvation through him, by a blafpheming apoftate, after manifeft conviction of the truth of the gospel-report, and fome kind of approbation thereof, by the common influence or operation of the Spirit, Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6. and x. 26, 27. 1 John v. 16. Mark iii. 29, 30.

Queft. 21. Why is this fin called blafphemy against the Holy Ghoft, Matth xii. 31.?

Anfw. Because it is an opprobrious and reproachful speaking of, and against the teftimony of the Holy Ghoft, in the word, concerning Chrift; with a direct intention to difparage his glory, and to difgrace his truth and way; hence called, a putting him to an open fhame, Heb. vi. 6.

Queft. 22. What is the object of this fin against which it is directly levelled ?

Anfw. It is Chrift, and falvation through him, as held out in the gospel revelation; for, it is a treading under foot the Son of God, and accounting the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was fanctified, an unholy thing, Heb. x. 29.

Quest. 23. What are the acts of this dreadful fin?

Anfw A wilful rejecting, and obftinate oppofing of the truth of the gospel; a fpiteful fcoffing at Christianity, and the profeffors of it, joined fometimes with a malicious perfecuting of them and all these as fruits and concomitants of a total and final apoftacy from the faith.

:

Quelt. 24. What are the aggravations of this

fin ?

Anfw. Its being committed after a perfon hath

received