received the knowledge of the truth, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, Heb. vi. 5. and X. 26. Queft. 25. Why is it faid, that the blasphemy a gainst the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men, Matth. xii. 31.? Anfw. Not because it is above the virtue of the blood of Jefus to cleanfe from it, but because it defpifes the only facrifice for fin, and means of pardon; there being no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be faved, but that of Jefus, who is contemptuously rejected by it, Acts iv. 12. Heb. ii. 2, 3. Queft. 26. How may a perfon be affured that he is not guilty of this fin? Anfw. He may be well affured that this fin is not charged upon him, if he is afraid that he is guilty of it; or in the leaft concerned about his unbelief; or has any defire after falvation through Christ; and is content to be a debtor to the riches of his grace. Quest. 27. What may we learn from the nature of fin in general? Anfw. That it is exceeding finful, the greatest of all evils; and confequently, that it must be the foreft judgment in the world to be given up to it, and the greatest mercy to be delivered therefrom, Rom. vii. 13. Ezek. xxiv. 13. Matth. i. 21. 15. QUEST. What was the fin whereby our firft parents fell from the estate wherein they were created? ANSW. The fin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. Queft. 1. Why is this fruit called forbidden fruit? K Anfw. Because the eating thereof was forbidden under the fevereft penalty, Gen. ii. 17. But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eateft thereof thou halt furely die. Queft. 2. Why did God forbid the eating of this fruit? Anfw. To try the obedience of our first parents, and to manifeft his dominion over them as Lord of all. Queft. 3. Were not our first parents guilty of fin before their eating the forbidden fruit? : Anfw. Yes they were guilty in hearkening to the devil, and believing him, before they did actually eat thereof. Queft. 4. Why then is their eating of it called their first fin? Anfw. Because it was the first fin finished, and an exprefs violation of the pofitive precept, James i. 15. Gen. iii. 11. Queft. 5. Where was this first fin committed? Anfw. In Paradife, where God had placed the man, and created the woman, Gen. ii. 8, 22. and iii. 6. Queft. 6. Was there any aggravation of this fin, arifing from the place where it was committed? Anfw. Yes: for, in Paradise, he had abundance of other fruit, and of every thing necessary and delightful yea, that place being a type of heaven, fhould have put him on his guard against this, and all other fins. Queft. 7. When did our first parents eat the forbidden fruit? Anfw. It is certain that it was done very foon after they were created, from Pfalm xlix 12. Man being in honour, abideth not. Queft. 8. Why did the devil make fuch hafte in tempting ran to fin? Anfw. Be Anfw. Because he did not know how foon man might be confirmed in an holy and happy state; and, in that cafe, impregnable against all his temptations. Queft. 9. How did Satan lay his train for enticing our first parents to eat the forbidden fruit ? Anjw. He attacks the woman, in the absence of her husband; endeavours to make her doubt of the truth of God's threatnings; he prefents the object, fruit pleasant to the eye; he pretends a greater regard and concern for them, than God himself; and he labours to perfuade them, that they should be like God, in the largenefs of their knowledge, upon their eating all which may be gathered from Gen iii 1,----6. : Queft. 10. Did the enemy prevail by this train? Anfw. Yes: The woman-----took of the fruit, and did eat; and gave alfo to her husband with her, and he did eat, Gen, iii. 6. Quest. 11, What was the nature of this first fin? Anfw. However light and trivial it may appear in the carnal eye, to eat of a little fruit, yet, if it is weighed in God's balance, it will be found to be a moft heinous fin, and to have many other fins, against the law of God, in its womb, Hof. vi. 76, They, like Adam, have tranfgreffed the covenant, Queft. 12. How doth that appear ? Anfw. From our first parents being guilty of manifest unbelief, the highest ingratitude, the most intolerable pride and ambition, unaccountable inadvertency, moft unnatural rebellion, and moft cruel murder, in their eating the forbidden fruit. Quest. 13. How is unbelief included in that fin? Antw. In their giving more credit to the devil, than to God, about the truth of the threatening, Gen ii. 17. and iii, 4. Quest, 14. How were they guilty of ingratitude? K 2 tiful tiful Lord and creator, who had allowed them the ufe of all the other trees of the garden befides, Gen. ii. 16. Queft. 15. What pride and ambition was there in the first fin? Anfw. In afpiring to equality with God in his inimitable attributes, particularly in infinite knowledge, Gen. iii, 5, 6.-Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And the woman faw that the tree was good,----and a tree to be defired to make one wife. Queft. 16. What inadvertency were our first parents guilty of about eating the forbidden fruit? Anfw. In entering into communication with a creature of any kind, and, however much difguifed, about violating the exprefs inhibition of their Creator. Queft. 17. How were they guilty of rebellion in the committing of this fin? Anfw. By entering into a confederacy with Satan against God, and thereby choofing him for their God and fovereign, inftead of the true God, who made them, and all other creatures besides. Queft. 18. What murder were they guilty of in eating of this fruit ? Anfw. They were thereby guilty of their own death, and the death of all their pofterity, Rom. V. 12. Quest. 19. How was this fin, of eating the forbidden fruit, aggravated ? Anfw. In being committed when man had full light in his understanding; a clear copy of the law in his heart; when he had no vicious bias in his will, but enjoying perfect liberty; and when he had a fufficient stock of grace in his hand, whereby to withstand the tempting enemy; in being committed after God had made a covenant of life with him, and given him express warning of the danger of eating this fruit. Quest. 20. Quest. 20. What may we learn from our first parents being feduced by Satan to eat the forbidden fruit ? Anfw. To refift the first motions of fin in the heart, and the temptations of Satan thereunto, Pfal. lxvi. 18. James iv. 7.: that since man, in innocency, fell before the temptation, how eafy a prey muft fallen man be, if not kept by the power of God, through faith, unto falvation, Pfal. xxxix. 5. 1 Pet. i. 5. and therefore to be strong only in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Eph. vi. I o. 16. QUEST. Did all mankind fall in Adam's first tranfgreffion? ANSW. 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 firft tranfgreffion. Queft. 1. How many public persons, representing mankind before God, do we read of in fcripture ? Anfw. Of two the first and the last Adam, I Cor. xv. 45,-----50. Queft. 2. Of what covenant was the first Adam the head? Anfw. Of the covenant of works, Gen. ii. 16,17. Quest. 3. Of what covenant was the last Adam the head? Anfw. Of the covenant of grace and promile. Pfalm lxxxix. 3, 28. Queft. 4. Whom did the first Adam reprefent in the covenant of works Anfw. He reprefented all mankind defcending from him by ordinary generation, Rom. v. 12. 14. K 3 Quelt. 5. |