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CXV. 3. Isa. Iv. 11. utest-Mat x. 29 30.

Deut. xxix. 29. Even the min-
Eph. i. 11. 22.

There is a harmony in all the events of the world which discovers previous arrangement and design, and the sacred scriptures ascribe to God the management of the world. The perfection and omnisc.ence of God, and the dependance of his creatures seem to teach it.

Q. 18. Has the belief in predestination prevailed among a large majority of christians? A. It has in all ages of the church, particularly of the reforma

tion.

Q. 19. Is the divine predestination the efficient cause of all, both good and evil?

A. It is the cause of all good, Eph. ii. 10. but the decree of God concerning sin, proceeds no further than determining to permit it to exist, to restrain and overule it for his own glory. Isa. lxxvi. 10.

Q. 20. Does this imply any approbation of sin?

A. It does not any more than it does, not to have prevented its existence by his omnipotent power. God infuses no moral evil into the mind-his commands and threatnings are in opposition to sin, and his predestination is in no sense the cause of it.

Q. 21. Does not the predestination of God destroy the freedom of his rational creatures?

A. No. For if they were deprived of the power of following the free bent of their own inclinations, it would cease to be sin; God blames no creatures for sin, further than it is of their own voluntary choice.

22. Does it not afford an apology for sin?

A. It does not. Luke xxii. 22. God had determined to permit, and he foretold that the Jews would crucify Christ, and yet it was by "wicked hands" that he was slain. Men sin freely and of choice just as much as if there was no such thing.

Q. 23. How does it appear that some of our fallen race were chosen in Christ unto salvation from eternity? A. Rom. ix. 22, 23.—viii. 29, 30. and xi. 25, 28.Eph.j. 4, 5. Acts 2. 47, and xiii, 48. John vi, 87, Mat.

XXV. 34. 1 Peter i. 2. Rom. ix. 11. and viii. 29, 30.— 2. From the nature of the covenant of grace.

Q. 24. Is the faith and obedience of such the cause or the effect of their being chosen in Christ?

A. They are the consequence of it, Acts xiii. 48, being the application of the merits of Christ to the 1 Cor. iv. 7. It is an act of mere sovereign grace in him to chuse any; and for this distinction wherever it exists he has wise reasons.

Q. 25. Can any, sinner ever be saved without holiness, or is any one condemned without having of choice neglected his duty?

Q. 26. None can ever be saved unless they repent and believe and all that do this will be saved. The situuation of those who are not chosen is just as good as it would be if none were chosen.

Q. 27. If the result of the offers of the gospel was dependant upon mere human determination, could Christ foreknow that he should not die in vain?

A. He could not, for he could not fore-know that tỏ be certain which is in its own nature uncertain. All men if left to themselves would reject the gospel; while God has determined in certain cases to prevent this deplorable issue, he offers to all the same gospel, and nothing but their own sin can hinder their reception of it.

Q. 28. Does not this make God unjust to those who are not chosen?

A. It does not. For if it did, it would prove that he was under obligations to save all men, and thus make universal salvation essential to his justice. If it be unjust in him to punish sin, then it would be unjust to prohibit it.

29. Does it not discourage the use of means? A. No. It rather encourages them, since it makes it certain that some will be saved, and yet leaves others in possession of all the encouragement which they might be supposed to have if it did not exist. It is the duty of sinners to receive the gospel and if they chuse death it will be their own fault, but it is nevertheless certain that all not chosen in Christ will do it, John viii. 47,

and as such they are ordained to "condemnation," Jude 4. 13. In the chosen of God, all the means are as fully determined as the end,

Q. 30. Is it not inconsistent with God's goodness to make such a difference between his creatures?

A. No. We see that in the birth, situation, lives and capacities of different persons, he acts as a sovereign.

SECTION III.

CREATION AND APOSTACY OF MAN.

Q. 1. How does God accomplish his purposes?
A. In his works of creation and providence. Psalm

civ. 24.

Q. 2. Did he create all material substances "in the beginning?” A. Yes. Psalm xxxiii. 9.

Q. 3. Were the angels created at the same period with man? A. It is supposed not.

Q. 4. In what respects was man made in the image of God? A. In original righteousness, Eccles. vii. 29. Eph. iv. 24. Immortality, Rom. v. 12. In knowledge, dominion and happiness.

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Q. 5. In how many states may man be viewed? A. In four. 1 As originally righteous. 2 As fallen. 3 As partially sanctified. 4 As perfectly glorified. Q. 6. How do you prove that God exercises a particular providence over all his works? Job xii. 14 to 22. John v. 11. Luke xii. 6, 7. Psalm cxi. 1 to 11. civ.-cvii. Jer. x. 7. Acts xiv. 17. and xvii. 25.From the harmony of his works; and divine judgments. Q. 7. Does the providence of God extend to all the actions of men, and particularly to the care of his church John xv. 5. Exod. xi. 12, 13. Acts x. 5 to 7. lxxxi. 11, 12. Rom. viii, 28. Prov. xvi. 1, 9. Jer. xx. 10, 12. All second causes are dependant upon the first cause, and nothing can be done independently of him. ૨. 8. What is a covenant, and how many general covenants has God made with man?

Psalm

A. It is a mutual agreement or engagement between two or more parties, containing stipulations to give or to do something. There have been two covemants 1. That of Works. 2. That Grace.

Q. 9.

Which was first introduced and what was the promise and the threatening it contained?

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A. The covenant of works was made between God as Creator, and Adam as his creature, including himself and posterity, and contained the promise of natural, spiritual and eternal life in case he was perfectly obedient during the time of his trial; and the threatening to him, and them of death, natural, spiritual and eternal, if he were disobedient. Proof 1. If death was its penalty, life must have been its reward. Christ came to restore what Adam lost, and this is spiritual and eternal life, and his gospel threatens death eternal, or not only the separation of the soul and body-the separation of the former from God-but of both eternally; and to the torments of hell.

Q. 10. How many kinds of freedom of will may be mentioned?A

A. 1 When the creature is free to do good only.2 When it is free to chuse evil only being wholly depraved, John vi. 44. Gal. v. 1. Eph. iv. 18 and 11. Rom vi. 12, 14. 2 Peter ii. 19. 3. When it may choose either good or evil. The former is the freedom of angels-the second, of unrenewed, depraved man, and the third, of Adam before the fall, and of all regenerate believers. The inclination or bent of the heart, determines the choice of all moral agents.

Q. 11. What other idea of freedom is there?

A. That the will may not follow the highest motivē or last detail of the understanding, but may act in opposition to, or change its prevailing inclination, but this is contrary to reason, and if the highest motive does not govern, the will is imperfect.

Q. 12. Is the want of freedom to do good, an excuse for sin?

A. It is not, since to disrelish good and include evil

is the essence of sin, and to disrelish evil and be inclined only to good, is the essence of holiness.

Q. 13. What did the eating of the forbidden fruit imply?

A. Unbelief, ingratitude, ambiton, treason, rebellion, murder, &c. Gen. iii. 3.

SECTION IV.

OF SIN AND THE LAW OF GOD.

Q. 1. How does it appear that Adani was made under the first covenant the representative of all the human family? Rom. v. 12.

Life was to be theirs if he had not fallen.

Q. 2. How did man become a sinner and what does the idea sin include? Catechism, Qest. and Ans. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. I John iii. 5. Gal. v. 19 to 21.Rom. vii. 7 to 10.

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Q. 3. How do you prove that man lost the image

of God?

A. This was threatened-the state in which all his posterity are born. It implied a transgression of the whole law.

Q. 4. How that this sin was imputed to his pos terity?

A.

1 Nature of the covenant-loss of God's image to his posterity. 2 Effects of it on their happiness,Rom. v. 1 Cor. xv. Propagation of sin. Job. xiv. 4. Psalm li. 5. Death of infants, &c.

Q. 5. What is the difference between the guilt and pollution of sin?

A. The former includes liability and obligation to punishment, and is removed by pardon. The latter, the disease, crime and impurity of sin, and is removed by sanctification.

૨. 6. What is sin, original-and what actual?

A. The guilt of Adam's sin-the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of the whole nature,

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