A. Though he was upright, yet his Will was mutable; and by abufing that Liberty, he fell, Ecclef. vii. 29. Lo this only have I found, that God hath made Man upright, but they have fought out many Inventions.

Q. 3. How did God leave him to abuse the Freedom of Will?

A. Not by inclining him to abuse it; but by with holding that further Grace which he was no Way obliged to con

tinue to him.

Q4. Did the Will of Man lofe its Liberty to Good, by the Fall?

A. Yes, it did, and is fo wounded, that it cannot without preventing and regenerating Grace put forth one fpiritual and faving Act, Eph. ii. 8, 9, 10. For by Grace are ye faved, through Faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the Gift of God. Not of Works, left any Man fhould boaft; for we are all his Workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus unto good Works,

&c.

Q5. What was the Aggravation of Adam's Sin ?

A. It was aggravated in his being a publick innocent Perfon, fo newly placed in a State of Happiness and Liberty.

Q. 6. What is the firft Inference from the Fall?

A. That the best Creature left to himself, cannot be long fafe; as the Angels, and Adam, Pfal. xlix. 12. Nevertheless Man being in Honour abideth not, he is like the beast that periji. Q. 7. What is the fecond Inference?

A. That fince Man could not be his own Keeper, he can be much less his own Saviour, 2 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we are fufficient of ourselves to think any Thing as of ourselves; but our Sufficiency is of God.

Q. 8. What is the third Inference?

A. That it is impoffible for the Covenant of Works to justify any one, Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the Deeds of the Law there fhall no Flefb be juftified in his Sight, Rom. viii. 3. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the Flesh; God fending his own Son, in the Likeness of finful Flefb, and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh.

Q. 9. What is the laft Inference?

A. What Caufe have we to blefs God for Chrift, who recovered us when the Fall left us helplefs? Rom. v. 6. E

For

t

For when we were yet without Strength, in due Time Chrift

died for the Ungodly.

Of Sin.

Quest. 14. WHAT is Sin?

A. Sin is any Want of Conformity unto,

or Tranfgreffion of the Law of God.

Q. 1. What is meant by the Law?

A. The Commands and Rules flowing from God's Sovereignty, whereby his Will is manifefted, and the Creature

bound to Obedience.

Q. 2. Where is this Law written?

A. It is written either in the Heart, Rom. ii. 15. Which fhews the Work of the Law written in their Hearts, which we call the Law of Nature. Or in the Bible, which we call the written moral Law.

Q. 3. What Conformity is due to this Law of God?

A. A twofold Conformity is due to it: Firft, Internal, in Our Hearts: Secondly, External, in our Lives; and the Want of either is Sin, 1 Joh. iii. 4. Whosoever committeth Sin, tranfgreffeth alfo the Lar; for Sin is the Transgression of the Law.

Q. 4. How doth it appear that the Want of internal. Conformity is Sin?

A. Because the Law requires it, Mark xii. 30. And thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind, and with all thy Strength; for this is the firft Commandment. And condemns the Want of it, Rom. vii. 7. What shall we fay then? is the Law Sin? God forbid; nay, I had not known Sin but by the Law; for I had not known Luft, except the Law had faid, Thou shalt not

covet.

Q5. Is nothing a Sin but what is against God's Law? A. No, nothing can be a Sin but what God hath either exprefsly, or by Confequence, forbidden in his Word.

Q. 6. Wherein lies the Evil of tranfgreffing God's Laws' A. The Evil of Sin principally lies in Offence and Wrong done to God, whofe Sovereignty it labours to fhake off,

and

and defpifes his Will, Pfal. li. 4. Against thee, thee only, have I finned, and done this Evil in thy Sight.

Q. 7. What further Evil is in Sin?

A. It highly wrongs the Sinner's Soul, by defacing, defiling, and damning it, Prov. viii. 36. But he that finneth against me, wrongeth his own Soul: All they that hate me, love Death.

Q8. Wherein is the Evil of Sin manifested?

A. It's manifefted in the Death of Chrift, the Terrors of Confcience, and Torments of Hell.

Q. 9. What Course muft the Sinner take to recover himfelf out of his Mifery?

A. Repentance towards God, Faith towards Christ; and both evidenced by new Obedience, Acts xx. 21. Teftifying both to the Jew, and alfo to the Greeks, Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.

Q. 10. What may we infer from hence?

A. That we have infinite Caufe to blefs God for Chrift's Satisfaction of the Law for our Sins,

Quest. 15.

Of the Tree of Knowledge.

W

were created?

HAT is the Sin whereby our firft Parents fell from the Eftate wherein they

A. The Sin whereby our firft Parents fell from the Estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden Fruit.

Q. 1. Why was this Tree called the Tree of Knowledge? A. Not from any natural Efficacy it had to give Knowledge; but the Knowledge he should have by eating, or not eating, was experimental Knowledge, i. e. Knowledge to

his Sorrow.

Q. 2. Why did God forbid him this Tree?

Firft, For the Discovery of his Dominion over Man: Secondly, For the Trial of his Subjection and Obedience: Thirdly, For the Aggravation of his Sin, if he should eat. Q3. What Evil was there in eating of it?

'There was a twofold Evil, the Evil of Sin, and the Evil of Punishment, both very great.

E 2.

Q: 4.

Q. 4. What was the Evil of Sin?

A. A threefold Evil of Sin: Firft, against God, called Difobedience, Rom. v. 19. For as by one Man's Difobedience many were made Sinners: Secondly, againft himfelf, Soul, Body, and Eltate: Thirdly, againit his Pofterity, Rom. v. 12. Wherefore as by one Man Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin; and fo Death paffed upon all Men, for that all have finned.

Q5. What was the Evil of Punishment ?

A. First, Lofs of God's Image: Secondly, Horror of Confcience: Thirdly, Sorrow on the Female Sex: Fourthly, Curfe on the Creature: Fifthly, Expulfion from Paradise : Sixthly, Death both of Body and Soul.

Q. 6. What is the firft Inftruction from it?

A. To take heed of fmall Beginnings of Temptations, and refift it in the firft Motions, Jam. iii. 5. Behold how great a Maiter a little Fire kinaleth.

Q7. What is the fecond Inference?

A. Not to hold a parly with the Tempter. See 2 Cor. xi. 3. But I fear left by any Means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve, through his Subtilty; fo your Minds should be corrupted from the Simplicity that is in Chrift.

Q. 8. What is the third Inference?

A. That Satan's Policy lies much in the Choice of his tempting Inftruments, as Eve and Peter,

Q. 9. What is the fourth Inference?

c.

A. A Neceffity of keeping strong Guards on our Senfes, Ifa. xxxiii. 15. That stoppeth his Ears from bearing of Blood, and futteth his Eyes from Seeing Evil, he shall dwell on high, his Place of Defence fhall be the Munition of Rocks.

Q. 10. What is the fifth Inference?

A. That Covenant-breaking is a heinous Sin, which God will punish, Hof. viii. 1. He fall come as an Eagle against the House of the Lord, because they have tranfgreffed my Covenant, and trefpaffed against my Laws.

Q. 11. What is the laft Inference?

A. That the Corruption of our Nature is much seen in defiring forbidden Things, Rom. vii. 7. What shall we fay then? Is the Law Sin? God forbid: Nay, I had not known Sin but by the Law; for I had not known Luft, except the Law had faid, Thou shalt not covet.

Of

Of the Fall of Adam, and ours in him.

ID all Mankind fall in Adam's firft Tranf

Queft. 16. D greffion?

A. The Covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his Pofterity; all Mankind defcending from him by ordinary Generation, finned in him, and fell with him in his firit Tranfgreffion.

Q. 1. Did no Man ever escape the Sin o. Adam?

A. Yes, the Man Chrift Jefus did, and he only, Heb.. vii. 26. For fuch an high Priest became us, who is holy, harmlefs, undefiled, Jeparate from Sinxers.

Q. 2. Why was not Chrift tainted with it?

A. Because he came into the World in an extraordinary Way, Mat. i. 18. Now the Birth of Chrift was on this wife, when as his Mother Mary was efpoufed to Jofeph, before they came together, he was found with Child of the Holy Ghost.

Q. 3. How doth it appear all others were tainted with it? A. It appears by Scripture-Teftimony, Rom. v. 12. Wherefore as by one Man Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin, and fo Death paffed upon all Men, for that all have finned. And Experience of the best Men, Rom. vii 21. I find then a Law, that when I would do good, Evil is present with me.

Q. 4. How came all Men to fall with Adam?

A. Because all were included in Adam's Covenant, as a Man's Covenant includes his Children before they be born; or the Treafon of the Father affects his Pofterity.

Q5. What infer you from hence?

A. The ftupendious Wildom of God in fending Chrift in our Nature, and yet without the Sin and taint of it, 1 Cor.. i. 24. Chrift the Wisdom of God.

Q. 6. What is the fecond Inference?

A. Hence we learn the admirable Love of Chrift in taking our Nature, with all the finlefs Infirmities thereof, Rom. viii. 3. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the Flefb, God fending His ovn Son in the Likeness of finful Flesh, and for Sin condemned Sir in the Flesh.

Q7. What is the third Inference