Q. 14. How doth God execute his decrees?

A. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence; according to his infallible fore-knowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will."

Q. 15. What is the work of creation?

A. The work of creation is that wherein God did in the beginning, by the word of his power, make of nothing the world and all things therein for himself, within the space of six days, and all very good.a

Q. 16. How did God create angels?

A. God created all the angels, spirits, immortal,d holy, excelling in knowledge, mighty in power, to

26. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. See Ezek. xviii; Matt. XXV. 41-46.

14. Dan. iv. 35. He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? 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. See Isa. xl. 12-31.

15. a See Gen. i. Heb. xi. 3. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Rev. iv. 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. See Psa. xxxiii. 5, 6; Rom. xi. 36.

16. 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.

Matt. xxii. 30. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Luke xx. 36. Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels.

• Matt. xxv. 31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.

Matt. xxiv. 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 1 Pet. i. 12. Which things the angels desire to look into.

2 Thess. i. 7. And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.

execute his commandments, and to praise his name, yet subject to change.

Q. 17. How did God create man?

A. After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female; formed the body of the man of the dust of the ground,' and the woman of the rib of the man; m endued them with living, reasonable, and immortal souls; " made them after his own image," in knowledge, righteousness and holiness, having the law of God written in their hearts and power to fulfill

Psa. xci. 11, 12. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Matt. xiii. 39. The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. Psa. ciii, 20, 21. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. See Isa. vi. 1-3.

12 Pet. ii. 4. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.

17. Gen. i. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Matt. xix. 4. And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female? 'Gen. ii. 7. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground.

m Gen. ii. 22. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

"Gen. ii. 7. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Eccl. xii. 9. The spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Matt. x. 28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

• Gen. i. 26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

P Col. iii. 10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.

q Eph. iv. 24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Rom. ii. 14, 15. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things ccntained in the law, these, having not the

it, with dominion over the creatures; yet subject to fall.u

Q. 18. What are God's works of providence?

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A. God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving, and governing all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions,a to his own glory.b

Q. 19. What is God's providence toward the angels?

A. God by his providence permitted some of the angels, willfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnation, limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his

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law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another.

Gen. iii. 6. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. See Gen. ii. 17. * Gen. i. 28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. See verses 29, 30. "See Gen. iii. 1-19.

18. w Lev. xxi. 8. I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.

≈ Psa. civ. 24. O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all. Isa. xxviii. 29. This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

Neh. ix. 6. Thou, even thou, art LORD alone: thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all. Heb. i. 3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power. See Psa. cxlv. 14-16.

Psa. ciii. 19. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

a Matt. x. 29, 30. 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. Gen. xlv. 7. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Rom. xi. 36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Isa. lxiii. 14. So didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.

19. Jude 6. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains

own glory; d and established the rest in holiness and happiness; employing them all, at his pleasure, in the administration of his power, mercy, and justice.9

Q. 20. What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created?

A. The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was, the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth, putting the creatures under his dominion, and ordaining marriage for his help; affording him communion with himself, instituting the Sabunder darkness unto the judgment of the great day. See 2 Pet. ii. 4; John viii. 44.

a Luke x. 17. And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. See Matt. viii. 31.

• 1 Tim. v. 21. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels. Mark viii. 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Heb. xii. 22. But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heayenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.

Psa. ciii. 20. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength. that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Heb. i. 14. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?. See 2 Kings xix. 35. 20. Gen. ii. 15, 16. And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.

iGen. i. 28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

*Gen. ii. 18. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. See Matt. xix. 3-9; Eph. v. 31.

'Gen. i. 26, 28. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.— And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. iii. 8. And

bath,m entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience," of which the of tree of life was a pledge; and forbidding to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.P

Q. 21. Did man continue in that estate wherein God at first created him?

A. Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, through the temptation of Satan, transgressed the commandment of God, in eating the forbidden fruit, and thereby fell from the estate of innocency wherein they were created.g

Q. 22. Did all mankind fall in that first transgression?

A. The covenant being made with Adam, as a public person, not for himself only, but for his posterity; all

they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

m Gen. ii. 3. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Ex. xx. 11. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. See verses 8-10.

" Gal. iii. 12. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. See Rom. x. 5; Gal. iii. 10.

• Gen. ii. 9. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. P Gen. ii. 16, 17. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. See Gen. iii.

21. Gen. iii, 6-8, 13. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.-And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. See 2 Cor. xi. 3.