WHAT MAN OUGHT TO BELIEVE CONCERNING GOD.

Q. 6. What do the Scriptures make known of God?

A. The Scriptures make known what God is, the persons in the Godhead, his decrees, I and the execution of his decrees."

Q. 7. What is God?

A. God is a Spirit,s in and of himself infinite in being,t glory, blessedness, w and perfection; * all-sufficient, eter

life through his name. 2 Tim. i. 13. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love. See 2 Tim. iii. 15-17.

6. John iv. 24. God is a Spirit. Ex. xxxiv. 6. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

? Matt. iii. 16, 17. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. See Matt. xxviii. 19; 2 Cor. xiii. 14.

Isa. xlvi. 9, 10. I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

"Acts iv. 27, 28. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus,-both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

7. John iv. 24. God is a Spirit.

* Ex. iii. 14. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Job xi. 7-9. Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. " Acts vii. 2. The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran.

w1 Tim. vi. 15. Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

* Matt. v. 48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Rom. xi. 35, 36. Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

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nal, unchangeable,a incomprehensible, every where present,c almighty,d knowing all things, most wise, most holy,9 most just, most merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth."

Q. 8. Are there more Gods than one?

A. There is but one only, the living and true God.*
Q. 9. How many persons are there in the Godhead?

A. There be three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power

* Psa. xc. 2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

a Mal. iii. 6. For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. James i. 17. The Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Psa. cxlv. 3. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

• Psa. cxxxix. 1, 2, 7. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off.-Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

d Rev. iv. 8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. See Gen. xvii. 1.

• Heb. iv. 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. See Psa. cxlvii. 5.

Rom. xvi. 27. To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

9 Isa. vi. 3. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. Rev. xv. 4. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy.

"Deut. xxxii. 4. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

¡Ex. xxxiv. 6. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

8. * Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD. 1 Cor. viii. 4. There is none other God but one. See verse 6. Jer. x. 10. But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King.

and glory; although distinguished by their personal prop、 erties.

Q. 10. What are the personal properties of the three persons in the Godhead?

A. It is proper to the Father to beget the Son,m and to the Son to be begotten of the Father," and to the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son, from all eternity."

Q. 11. How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father?

A. The Scriptures manifest that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father, ascribing unto them such names," attributes, 9* works," and worship, as are proper to God only.

9. Matt. iii. 16, 17. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matt. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. John x. 30. I and my Father are one.

10. m Heb. i. 5, 6. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son. See Psa. ii. 6, 7. "John i. 14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

• John xv. 26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I shall send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which procedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. Gal. iv. 6. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

11. Jer. xxiii. 6. And this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Isa. vi. 3, 5, 8. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.-Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send

*For notes ?, ", ", see opposite page.

Q. 12. What are the decrees of God?

A. God's decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of his will, whereby, from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass in time," especially concerning angels and

men.

me. John xii. 41. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. Acts xxviii. 25. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers. 1 John v. 20. And we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Psa. xlv. 6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. Acts v. 3, 4. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? -Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

9 John i. 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Isa. ix. 6. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. John ii. 24, 25. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man. 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Col. i. 16. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. Gen. i. 2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. See John i. 3.

• Matt. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

12. 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. Eph. i. 11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Rom. xi. 33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Psa. xxxiii. 11. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Eph. i. 4, 11. According as

Q. 13. What hath God especially decreed concerning angels and men?

A. God, by an eternal and immutable decree, out of his mere love, for the praise of his glorious grace, to be manifested in due time, hath elected some angels to glory; w and in Christ hath chosen some men to eternal life, and the means thereof:≈ and also, according to his sovereign power, and the unsearchable counsel of his own will (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favor as he pleaseth), hath passed by, and fore-ordained the rest to dishonor and wrath, to be for their sin inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his justice.y

he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.-In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Rom. ix. 22, 23. What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory?

13. 1 Tim. v. 21. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels.

* Eph. ii. 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 2 Thess. ii. 13, 14. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Pet. i. 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. ✔ Rom. ix. 17, 18, 21, 22. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.-Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. Jude 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Matt. xi. 25,