before God, for pardon and acceptance, but Chrift's fulfilling all righteousness, as the only condition of the covenant, Ifa. xlv. 24.

Quest. 51. What is the INSTRUMENTAL CAUSE of our juftification?

Anfw. It is twofold; namely, external and internal.

Queft. 52. What is the external inftrumental

caufe?

An/w. The GOSPEL; because therein is the righteoufness of God revealed, and brought near to us as a free gift, Rom. i. 17. and v. 17. and x. 8. Queft. 53. What is the internal instrumental cause of our juftification ?

Anfw. It is FAITH, Rom. X. 10.

Queft. 54. Why is faith the inftrument of our juftification?

Anfw. To fhew that our juftification is wholly of grace; it being the nature of faith to take the gift of righteoufness freely, without money and without price; therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace, Rom. iv. 16.

Quest. 55. What then is the inftrumentality of faith in our juftification?

Anjw. It is no more than to be the hand that receives and applies the righteoufnefs of Chrift, whereby we are justified, John i. 12.

Queft. 56. Is the grace of faith, or any act thereof, imputed to a finner for juftification? Anfw. No: for, to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufnefs, Rom. iv. 5.

Queft. 57. What is the difference between faving faith, and justifying faith?

Anfw. Saving faith receives and refts upon Christ in all his offices, as of God made unto us wisdom, and righteoufnefs, and fanctification, and redemption; but juftifying faith receives and refts upon him,

more

more particularly, in his priestly office for pardon and acceptance, on account of his meritorious righteoufnefs, Phil. iii. 9

Queft. 58. Why is the righteousness of Christ said to be received by faith ALONE?

Anfw. That wORKS may be wholly excluded from having any influence upon our justification, Rom. iii. 28. Therefore we conclude, that a man is juftified by faith, without the deeds of the law.

Queft. 59. If good works have no influence upon our juftification, of what use are they to the justified? Anfw. Though they cannot justify us before God, yet they are good evidences of our juftification, being the fruits of a true and lively faith they adorn the profeffion of the gospel, top the mouths of adverfàries, and glorify God, James ii. 18. Tit. ii. 11, 12. 1 Pet. ii. 12, 15.

Queft. 60. If faith's receiving of Chrift's righteoufnefs justify us, doth not faith juftify as a work?

Anw. It is not properly the receiving, or any other act of faith, that juftifies us, but the righteoufness of Chrift RECEIVED, Rom. iii. 22.: even as it is not the band that nourishes us, but the food which we take thereby.

Quest 61. If we are justified by faith alone, why is it faid, James ii. 24. That by works a man is justified, and not by faith only?

Anfw. This is to be underflood of justifying, or evidencing the reality of our faith before men, and not of justifying our perfons before God.

Quest. 62. When is it that God juftifies the ungodly?

Anfw. Though from eternity God decreed to juf tify all the elect, yet they are not actually justified, until the holy Spirit doth, in due time, apply Chrift and his righteoufnefs unto them, Tit, iii. 5, 6, 7.

Queft. 63. How were believers, under the Old Teftament, juftified? Anfw. Their

Anfw. Their juftification was, in all respects, the fame with the juftification of believers under the New Teftament, Gal. iii. 9. Heb. xiii. 8.

Queft. 64. What may we learn from this important doctrine of juftification?

Anfw. That all ground of pride and boasting is taken away from the creature; that faith itself, by laying hold upon the furety-righteoufnefs without us, is nothing else but a folenn declaration of our poverty and nakedness; and that therefore it is our duty, to glory only in Christ Jefus, faying, Surely -----in the Lord have we righteoufnefs and ftrength, Rom. iii. 27. Isa. xlv. 24.

34. QUEST. What is adoption?

ANSW. Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the fons of God.

Quest. 1. What doth the word ADOPTION fignify among men ?

Anfw. It fignifies, the taking of a stranger into a family, and dealing with him, as if he were a child, or heir.

Quest. 2. What is the difference between adopti on, as it is an act of God, and as it is a deed of men ?

Anfw. Men generally adopt but one into their fa mily, and they do it on account of fome amiable properties, or qualifications, they difcern in the adopted; but God adopts many into his family, and that, not upon the account of any thing commendable in them, but merely out of his own free and unmerited love, F.ph. i. 5.

Queft. 3. How many kinds of adoption doth the fcripture speak of?

Anfw. Two

Anfw. Two kinds; namely, general and special. Queft. 4. What is meant by a GENERAL adoption? Anfw. It is the erecting of a certain indefinite number of mankind, into a visible church, and intitling them to all the privileges thereof, Rom ix. 4. Queft. 5. What is the outward feal, or badge, of this general adoption?

Anfw. It is BAPTISM; which comes in the room of circumcifion under the Old Teftament, Eph. iv. 5.

Queft. 6. What is to be underfood by SPECIAL adoption?

Anfw. It is a fovereign and free tranflation of a finner of mankind, from the family of hell, or Sa- • tan, into the family of heaven, or houshold of God, with an inveftiture into all the privileges of the fons of God, Eph, ii. 19. 1 John iii. 1.

Queft. 7. By whofe act and authority is this tranflation accomplished?

Anfw. By the act and authority of God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Queft. 8. What is the act of the Father in this matter?

Anfw. He hath predeftinated us unto the adoption of children--to himself, according to the good pleaJure of his will, Eph. i. 5.

Queft. 9. What is the act of the Son in this fpecial adoption?

Anf. In confequence of his purchafing the finner by the price of his blood, he actually gives the power, right, or privilege to become a child · of God, in the day of believing, John i. 12.

Queft. 10. What is the act of the Holy Ghoft ? Anfw. He comes in Chrift's name, takes poffeffion of the perfon, and dwells in him, as a Spirit of adoption, teaching him to cry, Abba, Father, Rom. viii. 15, 16. Gal. iv. 4. 5.

Queft. 11. Why is this tranflation, into the family of God, called an act? Quest. 12.

Anfw. Because it is done at once, Jer. iii. 19. Queft. 12. Why called an act of God's free grace? Anfw. Because the adoption of any of mankind into the houshold of God, flows alenerly from his own free love and favour, they being, all of them, wretched, miferable, poor, blind, and naked, Eph. i. 5, 6. Rev. iii. 17.

Queft. 13. What is the difference between good angels being called the fons of God, Job xxxviii. 7. and believers their being so called, 1 John ii. 1. ?

Anf. GOOD ANGELS are called the fons of God, because they were created immediately by him; but BELIEVERS are fo called, because they are adopted by him into his family, Rom. viii. 15.

Queft. 14. Why are we faid, in adoption, to be received into the NUMBER of the fons of God?

Anfw. Because the family of God, from among men, confifts of a certain definite number of mankind, which can neither be augmented nor diminished, John xvii. 2, 9, 12. and vi. 39.

Queft. 15. By what means, or inftrument, doth God receive any of mankind into his family?

Arfw. By the means and inftrumentality of FAITH, Gal. iii. 26. Ye are all the children of God, BY FAITH in Chrift Jefus.

Queft. 16. What connexion is there between faith in Chrift Jefus, and our being the children of God?

Anfw. Faith unites us to Chrift, and acquiefces in the redemption purchased by him, as the meritorious caufe of our adoption, Gal. iv. 4, 5. God · fent forth his Son,------to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of jons.

Queft. 17. Since adoption is an act of tranflation, from the family of Satan to the family of God, to whom is it intimated?.

Anfu, To the angels in heaven; and sometimes to the adopted themselves.

PART I.

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Queft, 18,