for pleasantnefs, wherein nothing was wanting, either for neceffity or delight, Gen. ii. 8, 9.

Quest. 33. What may we learn from the holy and happy ftate in which man was created?

Anfw. The unfpeakable difference betwixt man's former and prefent condition: formerly, in a state of innocency, man's understanding was a lamp of light, his will lay ftraight with the will of God, and his affections were pure and holy, free from all diforder and distemper; but now, the very reverse : fo that we may fay, How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! The crown is fallen from our head; wo unto us that we have finned! Lam. iv. 1. and v. 16.

II. QUEST. What are God's works of providence?

ANSW. God's works of providence are, his moft holy, wife, powerful, preferving, and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

Queft. 1. How doth it appear that there is a providence?

Anfw. From fcripture, and by reason.

Quelt. 2. How doth the fcripture evidence that there is a providence?

Anfw. It tells us, that the Lord preferveth man and beaft; that he gives rain from heaven, and fruitful feajons, filling our hearts with food and gladness; that he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things, Pfalm xxxvi. 6. Acts xiv. 17. and xvii. 25.

Quest. 3. How may providence be proved by reajon?

Anfw. The admirable order and harmony amongst fuch a vaft variety of creatures in the

world,

world, continuing for so many ages, notwithstanding of their different and oppofite natures; the accomplishment of future events, exactly according to the predictions of them, long before-hand; the revolutions of kingdoms; the orderly returns of feed-time and harveft; and the prefervation of a church on earth, against the fury of hell and wicked men all these plainly evince, to the rational world, that there is a providence.

:

Queft. 4. Can providence be denied, without denying the being of God?

Anfw. No: for the fame arguments that prove the one, prove the other: to deny that God governs the world is to deny that God is, Ifaiah xli 23. Queft. 5. What is the object of God's providence, or to what does it extend?

Anfw. To all his creatures, and all their actions. Queft. 6. What is God's providence towards the angels?

Anfw. He permitted fome of them to fall wilfully and irrecoverably into fin and damnation, and established the reft in holiness and happiness, Jude ver. 6. 1 Tim. v. 21.

Queft. 7. Are the smallest and meanest of the creatures the objects of God's providence, as well as the greatest and most confiderable ?

Anfw. God's providence difdains not the meaneft worm, more than the mightieft prince; he counts the hairs of our head, as well as the number of the ftars, Pfal. cxlviii. 4. Matth. x. 29, 30. Queft. 8. Does it reflect any dishonour upon the providence of God to take care of the meanest creatures?

Anfw. It can reflect no difhonour upon divine providence to preferve what infinite wifdom faw meet to create, Neh. ix. 6.

Queft. 9. Does providence extend to all the actions of the creatures, as well as unto the creatures themselves?!

PART I.

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Anfw. Yes:

Anfw. Yes otherwise the creatures would be independent in their actions, and God would not be in all things the firft caufe, Gen. xlv. 7.

Queft. 10. Are caufual or contingent actions fubject to divine providence?

Anfw. What is cafual to us, is ordained by God: nothing can be more cafual than a lot, yet the whole difpofing thereof is of the Lord, Prov. xvi 33. Queft. 11. Are voluntary or free actions fubject to the providence of God?

Anfw. Yes: for, though there are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that hall ftand, Prov. xix. 21,

Queft. 12. How is the providence of God converfant about good actions?

Anfw. Not by compelling, but fweetly inclining and determining the will, both to the action, and the right manner of performing it, Phil. ii. 13. It is God who worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure.

Queft. 13. How is it conversant about finful

actions?

Anfw. In permitting them to be done, and in limiting and directing them to good and holy ends, contrary both to the nature offin, and the intention of the finner, Acts xiv. 16. 2 Kings xix. 28.

Queft. 14. What scripture instance may be given of God's over-ruling the finful actions of men to holy ends?

Anfw. The worst action that ever was commited, the crucifying the Lord of glory, was ordered and directed by God, for bringing about the greateft mercy, the redemption of a loft world, Acts ii. 23. and iv. 28.

Queft. 15. What are the acts of providence about the creatures and their actions?

Anfw. They are two; God's preferving them, and his governing them.

Quest. 16.

Queft. 16. What is God's preferving act of providence?

Anf. It is his upholding all the creatures in their being and operation, by the fame power that made them at first, Heb. i. 3.-------Upholding all things by the word of his power, Pfalm xxxvi. 6.

Queft. 17. What would be the confequence of God's withholding from the creatures his preserving providence?

Anfw. They would presently fink into their original nothing, Pfalm civ. 29.

Quest. 18. What is God's governing act of providence?

Anfw. His directing and leading all his creatures to the proper ends which he has prefcribed and appointed, Prov. xvi. 9. A man's heart devijeth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps, Prov. xxi. 1. Jer. x. 23.

Queft. 19. How do you prove that God governs, as well as preferves his creatures ?

Anfw. From their dependence upon him for operation, as well as for being; for in him they live and move, as well as have their being, Acts xvii. 28. and it is exprefly faid, that God ruleth by his power for ever, Pfal. lxvi. 7.

Queft. 20. Does God's governing providence include in it his immediate concourfe with every action of the creature ?

Anfw. Yes: God not only efficaciously concurs in producing the action, as to the matter of it, but likewise predetermines the creature to fuch or such an action, and not to another, Isa. x. 6, 7.; shutting up all other ways of acting, and leaving that only open, which he had determined to be done, Ezek. xxi. 18,----22.

Queft. 21. How can God concur with the finful actions of men, without fin, whereof he cannot be

the author?

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Anfw. Al

Anf. Although God not only preferves and fupports the faculties wherewith a man finneth, but likewife previoufly, immediately, and efficacioufly concurs to the fubftance, matter, or entity of the action, yet he by no means concurs to the finfulness or wickedness of the act, Ifaiah x. 6, 7. Queft. 22. Wherein doth the finfulness of an action properly confift?

Anfw. Not in the matter of the action, but in the form of it; that is, not in the action itself, confidered as an act, but in the deficiency or fwerving of that act from the rule of the law, I John iii 4.----Sin is the tranfgreffion of the law. Quelt, 23. How may the difference betwixt the matter and form of an action be illuftrated by an example?

the

Anfw. In the ftoning of Achan and Naboth; the matter of the action was the fame, namely, the throwing of ftones; but the form of the action, in point of conformity or difconformity to law, was vaftly different: the ftoning of Achan, condemned by God, and all Ifrael, was an act of jeft punishment, agreeable to the law; but the ftoning of Naboth, an innocent man, was an act of unjust murder, quite contrary of the law.

Queft. 24. From whence then doth the finfulness or vicioufness of actions proceed?

Anfw. Although the power of acting be from God, yet the vicioufnefs or malignity of the action, is intirely from the inherent corruption of our own natures, James i. 13, 14.

Queft. 25. Doth not God present the object which is the occafion of finning?

Anfw. Sin doth not arife from the object which God, in his providence, prefents to us, but from our own inward depravity, 2 Pet. i. 4.----The corruption that is in the world is through luft. God delivered Chrift to the Jews, he prefented him to

them,