Anfw. It was never abrogated, but is ftill binding upon all that are under it, Matth. v. 18. and xix. 17. Queft. 38. Did not man's fin abrogate this covenant? Anfw. No his fin bound him under the curfe of it, Gal. iii. 10. : Quest. 39. Did not Chrift's doing and dying abrogate this covenant of works ? Anfw. No: it fulfilled both the precept and penalty thereof, Rom. x. 4. Quest 40. Does not the law of faith abrogate the law of works? Anfw. No: Do we make vsid the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law, Rom. iii. 31. Queft. 41. Are finners, that live under the gofpel difpenfation, under the fame obligation to obedience, as the condition of life, that Adam was under ? Anfw. While they remain in unbelief, rejecting the furety of the better teftament, they keep themfelves under an obligation to do the whole law, and fo are under the curfe of it, Gal. v. 3, 4. Queft. 42. What leffon may we learn from this doctrine ? Anfw. It teaches us, that eternal death comes by the breach of the covenant of works in the first Adam; and that eternal life comes only by the ful. filling of the fame covenant by the Second Adam, Rom. v. 19. 13. QUEST. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created? ANSW. Our firft parents being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the eftate wherein they were created, by finning against God. Queft. 1. What mean you by the estate wherein man was created? Anw. His ftate of innocency, wherein he had his ftanding under God, as his great Lord Creator. Quest. 2. What ftanding had he under God in a fate of innocency? Anfw. Perfect conformity to him, intimate fellowship and communion with him, and an ample dominion over all the work of his hands in this lower world, the tree of knowledge of good and evil only excepted. Queft. 3. By what charter did man hold this eftate of his great Creator? Anfw. By the charter of the covenant of works. -Quest. 4. What remarkable and fignificant circumftances appertained to this charter ? Anfw. The tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. Queft. 5. What did the tree of knowledge of good and evil fignify? Anfw. It fignified, that as Adam knew much of his Creator's goodness by what he had done for him, fo he was to know much of his difpleasure and indignation, if he tafted the fruit of that tree. Queft. 6. What did the tree of life fignify to man? Anfw. That upon his fulfilling the condition of the covenant, by a courfe of obedience, he was to live for ever. Queft. 7. What understand you by the course of obedience, which Adam had to go through, in order to found his covenant-title to eternal life? Anfw. A continuance in perfect obedience, during the time which God had appointed for his ftate of probation. Queft. 8. When was a state of probation only applicable to man? Anfw. It was only applicable to man while in innocency, before the breach of the covenant of works, and by no means applicable to man in any other ftate fince the fall. Queft. 9. Queft. 9. Why is it, that no man, fince the fall, can justly be faid to be in a ftate of probation in this world? Anfu. Because the covenant of works being broken, all the children of men are either in a natural ftate, in the firft Adam, or in a gracious ftate in the fecond; and confequently under a difpenfation, either of divine justice or mercy. Queft. 10. Are not men to have rewards given them according to their good or evil works, and confequently may be faid to be in a fate of probation, as well as Adam was? Anfw. The confequence will not hold; because thefe rewards are of another kind than could have taken place under the covenant of works, though it had been fulfilled for now, they are either rewards of impartial justice, for evil works, the wages of fin being death; or rewards of free mercy to the doing perfons, not for their good works, but according to them; and as, through grace, they have been enabled to prove, and evidence by them, their union with Chrift, in whom they have the promifed reward; for the gift of God is eternal life, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, Rom. vi. 23. Queft. 11. Is there any danger in afferting, that men are not now in a state of probation as Adam was? Anfw. No: because though they cannot now be in that flate, yet God ftill deals with them as rational creatures, under a moral government, and capable of rewards, whether of juftice or mercy, of debt or grace,'according to their state and works: hence men are judged at the great day, according to their state as sheep or goats, feparated from one another, and then according to their works, Matth, XXV. 32,---46. Queft. 12. What then is the dangerous confequence of allerting, that fallen man is fill in a state of probation in this life? Anfu. This I 3 Anfw. This dangerous confequence would follow, that mankind are hereby fuppofed to be still under a covenant of works that can juftify the doer; or under a law that can give life, befide the law of faith, mentioned Rom. iii. 27, which is falfe ; for if there had been a law given, which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law, Gal. iii. 21. Queft. 13. What improvement ought we to make of this doctrine about the state of probation? Anfw. To be reftlefs in the use of all appointed means, till we get in to Chrift; that in the way of believing, and walking in him, we may share of the fure reward, promifed through grace, to him that foweth righteoufnefs, Prov. xi. 18. Queft. 14. How did our first parents fall from the eftate wherein they were created? Anfw. By finning against God, Gen. iii. 6, 7. Queft. 15. Were they not fufficiently furnished with every thing neceffary for yielding perfect obedience to the will of God? Anfw. Yes: for they had perfect knowledge in their understanding, freedom and inclination to good in their will, and spotlefs holinefs in their hearts and affections, Eccl. vii. 29. ----God made man upright. Queft. 16. How then did man's fin and apoftacy come about? Anfw. Though he was a perfect, yet he was but a mutable creature, left to the freedom of his own will, which was fubject to change. Quest. 17. Wherein did the freedom of man's will, in a fate of innocency, confist? Anfw. In a perfect liberty and power to will and to do that which is good and well-pleafing to God; but yet mutably, fo that he might fall from it, Eccl. vii. 29. Gen. ii, 16, 17. and iii. 6. Queft. 18. Why did not God make man immutable? of of nature, is the effential property of God alone, Mal. iii. 6. I am the Lord, I change not, James i. 17. Queft. 19. Are not elect angels and faints made immutably good? Anfw. The elect angels are confirmed in a state of immutable happiness; and the faints, in virtue of union with Chrift, are fixed in an unchangeable ftate of grace here, and glory hereafter; but the unchangeable state of the one and the other, is not owing to any thing in their own natures, but to the free love and favour of God, Eph. i. 10. Queft. 20. What freedom of will has man, fince the fall, unto any spiritual good? Anfw. He has wholly loft all freedom and ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying falvation, so as that he can neither convert himself, nor prepare himself thereunto, John vi. 44, 65. Queft. 21. What freedom of will have they who are regenerated? Anfw. They are enabled, by grace alone, freely to will and to do that which is fpiritually good, yet fo as that, by reafon of remaining corruption, they do not perfectly, and only that which is good, but likewife frequently that which is evil, Rom. vi. 18. and vii. 15, 19, 21. Quest. 22. When is the will of man made perfectly and immutably free to that only which is good? Anfw. In a ftate of glory only, Eph. iv. 3. I John iii. 2. Quest. 23. What was it for man to be left to the freedom of his own will? Anfw. It was God's leaving him with a fufficient. flock in his hand, without any promife of fupernatural aid, or further affiftance to improve the ftock of grace already received. Queft. 24. How was he left to abuse the freedom of his will? Anfw. God did not incline him to abufe it, but only |