God and Father? (8.) For whose sake is God your God and Father? How do you prove that God is your God and Father for the sake of Christ? (9.) What is the state of mind ascribed in the answer to you in reference to God as your God and Father in Christ? What do you mean by the expression rely so entirely? (g.) How do you prove that you should exercise such a trust and confidence in God? (10.) What is the first thing mentioned in the answer in reference to which you should exercise this trust in God? How do you prove that you should trust in God for all that is necessary for soul and body? (11.) What is the next thing specified in the answer with respect to which you should trust in God? What do you mean by evils? (h.) What by the expression this valley of tears? (i.) How do you prove that you are subject to trials and difficulties in the present world? (12.) What will God make these evils do? What do you mean by advantage? (j) How do you prove that you should trust in God that he will cause all your trials and afflictions to turn out to your advantage? (13.) What is the first ground of your trust in God as stated in the answer? What do you mean by Almighty? (k.) How do you prove that God is Almighty, and therefore able to effect the object of your trust? (14.) What is the second ground of your trust in God as stated in the answer? What do you mean by the expression faithful Father? (1.) How do you prove that God is a faithful Father, and therefore willing to effect the object of your trust? (15.)

X. Lord's Day.

Q.27. What dost thou mean by the providence of God?

A. The Almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by his hand, he upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea all things, come not by chance, but by his Fatherly

hand.

EXPLANATIONS.

a. Everywhere present, exerted throughout the whole uni

verse.

b. Power of God, influence or energy of the Deity.

c. As it were by his hand, with the same facility and effect as if he were possessed of a hand and exerted his power by means of it.

d. Herbs and grass, every species of vegetables.

e. Rain, the moisture that falls from the clouds.

f. Drought, want of rain.

g. Fruitful years, seasons of plenty.

h. Barren years, seasons of scarcity and want.

i. Meat and drink, the necessaries of life.

j. Health, that state of the body in which all its various organs perform their proper functions.

k. Sickness, diseased or disordered state of the body.

1. Riches, the possession of this world's goods in great abundance.

m. Poverty, the want of the good things of this world. n. By chance, resulting from mere accident.

o. Fatherly hand, the parental power by which he controls all his creatures.

DOCTRINES SEPARATED AND PROVED.

1. God exerts a power over all that he has made, by which he upholds and governs them. Acts xvii. 25, 26, and 28-He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things: and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation;- -For in him we live, and move, and have our being. Isa. xl. 12-Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Heb. i. 3.

2. The power by which God upholds and governs all things is almighty. Ps. lxxxix. 13-Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand. Isa. xl. 26-Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

3. The power by which God upholds and governs all things is everywhere present. Ps. cxxxix. 7-10-Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me. Acts xvii. 27-Though he be not far from every one of us.

4. Herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, are all controlled by God's Providence. Ps. civ. 13-16-He watereth the hills from his chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted. Acts xiv. 17— Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. Jer. v. 24; Zech. x. 1.

5. Health and sickness are controlled by God's Providence. Ex. xv. 26-I am the Lord that healeth thee. Job v. 18, 19 -For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. Ps. ciii. 3; Job i. 21.

6. Riches and poverty are controlled by God's Providence. 1 Sam. ii. 7-The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low and lifteth up. Prov. xxii. 2-The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.

7. God so controls all things that nothing takes place by chance, but every thing is ordered by his controlling power. Lam. iii. 37, 38-Who is he that saith and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good? Isa. xlv. 6, 7-I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. Matt. x. 29, 30, 31-Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very

hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Eph. i. 11.

EXERCISES.

Repeat the twenty-seventh question. How does the answer designate this providence? What do you mean by the power of God? (b.) What does the answer say he accomplished by this power? What do you mean by the expression as it were by his hand? (c.) How do you prove that God exerts a power over all these things, by which he upholds and governs them? (1.) What properties are ascribed to this power in the first part of the answer? How do you prove that the power by which God upholds and governs all things is almighty? (2.) What do you mean by everywhere present? (a.) How do you prove that the power by which God upholds and governs all things is everywhere present? (3.) What particular results are designated in the answer as flowing from God's exerting this power? What do you mean by herbs and grass? (d.) What by rain? (e.) What by drought? (f.) What by fruitful years? (g.) What by barren years? (h.) What by meat and drink? (i.) How do you prove that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, are all controlled by God's providence? (4.) What do you mean by health? (5.) What by sickness? (k.) How do you prove that health and sickness are controlled by God's providence? (5.) What do you mean by riches? (1.) What by poverty? (m.) How do you prove that riches and poverty are controlled by God's providence? (6.) What is the meaning of the expression by chance? (n.) What do you understand by his Fatherly hand? (o.) How do you prove that God so controls all things that nothing takes place by chance, but every thing is ordered by his controlling power? (7.)

Q. 28. What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by his providence doth still uphold all things?

A. That we may be patient in adversity; thankful in prosperity: and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and

Father, that nothing shall separate us from his love; since all creatures are so in his hand that without his will they cannot so much as move.

EXPLANATIONS.

a. Patient, enduring afflictions without murmuring or fretfulness.

b. Adversity, seasons which are marked by afflictions or misfortunes.

c. Thankful, impressed with a sense of favors received, and ready to acknowledge them.

d. Prosperity, seasons when special mercies are enjoyed, or all things succeed according to our wishes.

e. Firm trust, a reliance or resting of the mind on the fidelity of God, so as not to be easily shaken or moved. f. Love, benevolence or desire for our welfare.

DOCTRINES SEPARATED AND PROVED.

1. We should be patient in adversity. Job i. 21-Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Ps. xxxix. 9-I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it. Rom. v. 3; James i. 3.

2. We should be thankful in prosperity. Deut. viii. 10When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 1 Thess. v. 18-In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Rom.

3. We should exercise a firm trust in God with respect to all things that may befall us. 2 Cor. i. 10-In whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. Ps. lii. 8-I trust in the merey of God for ever and ever. 2 Sam. xxii. 3-The God of my rock; in him will I trust. Rom. v. 4-6. 4. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God. viii. 35, 38, 39-Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?-For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.