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 state of probation, as well as Adam was? A. The confequence will not hold; because these 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, 2 Cor. v. 10. Q. What is it for God to difpenfe rewards of free mercy to his people, not for their good works, but according to them? A. It is to beftow thefe rewards, not on account of any worth or merit that is in their good works, in themfelves confidered; but as they are evidences of union with Chrift, in whom their perfons and performances are accepted, and through whom the rewards of grace are freely conferred; for, the gift of God is eternal life, through Jefus Christ our Lord, Rom. vi. 23. Q. 12. Is there any danger in afferting, that men are not now in a ftate of probation, as Adam was ? A. No: because though they cannot now be in that Atate, 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 fate and works: hence men are judged at the great day, according to their ftate, as Sheep or goats, feparated from one another, and then according to their works, Mat. 32,-46. XXV. Q13. What then is the dangerous confequence of afferting, that fallen man is ftill in a ftate of probation in this life? A. This dangerous confequence would follow, that mankind are hereby fuppofed to be ftill under a covenant of works that can juftify the doer; or under a law that can give life, befides 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. 214. What improvement ought we to make of this doctrine about the ftate of probation? A. 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 fhare of the fure reward, promised through grace, to him that foweth righteoufnefs, Prov. xi. 18. 2. 15. How did our firft parents fall from the estate wherein they were created? A. [By finning against God], Gen iii. 6, 7. 216 Were they not fufficiently furnished with every thing neceffary, for yielding perfect obedience to the will of God? A. Yes: for they had perfect knowledge in their underftanding, freedom and inclination to good in their will, and fpotlefs holiness in their hearts and affections, Eccl. vii. 29. God made man upright. 2. 17. How then did man's fin and apoftacy come about? 4. Though he was a perfect, yet he was but a mutable creature, [left to to the freedom of his own will], which was fubject to change. 218. Wherein did the freedom of man's will, in a fate of innocency, confift ? A. In a perfect liberty and "power to that which is good and well pleafing to "mutable, fo as that he might fall from it, "Gen. ii. 16, 17. and iii. 6.*?? will and to do God; but yet Eccl. vii. 29. 28. Why did not God make man imrnutable? A. Because immutability, or unchangeablenefs of nature, is the effential property of God alone, Mal. iii. 6.I am the Lord, I change not, James i. 17. Q. 20. Are not elect angels and faints made immutably good? A. 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. Q. 21. What freedom of will has man, fince the fall, unto any fpiritual good? A. He has wholly loft all freedom and ability of will "to any fpiritual good accompanying falvation," fo as that he can neither convert himself, nor prepare him"If thereunto, John vi. 44, 65 †.” * Conf. chup. ix, Sect. 2. tbil hop, ix. Sect. 3. 222. What freedom of will have they who are regenerated? A. They are enabled by grace alone, freely to will and to do that which is fpiritually good, Rom. vi. 18.; 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, chap. vii. 14, 19, 21. Q. 23 When is the will of man made perfectly and im. mutably free to that only which is good? A. In the ftate of glory only, Eph. iv. 13. 1 John iii. 2. 2 24. What was it for man to be left to the freedom of his own will? A. It was God's leaving with him a fufficient stock in his hand, without any promise of fupernatural aid, or further affiftance to improve the ftock of grace already received. Q. 25. How was he left to abufe the freedom of his will? A. God did not incline him to abuse it, but only withheld that further grace, which he was no way obliged to give, for preventing his will from yielding to the temptation; and was pleafed, according to his wife and holy counsel, to permit this abuse, having purposed to order it to his own glory, Rom xi. 32. 2 26. At whofe door then must the fall be laid ? A Only at man's own door, who willingly yielded to the temptation of the devil, James i. 14. 227. What was the devil's agency in the fall of man? A. He entered into a ferpent, and therein, by feducing words, enticed the woman to take and eat the forbidden fruit; and fhe gave to her husband, and he did eat likewife, Gen. iii. 5, 6. 228. Why did Satan make use of the ferpent, as his inftrument to feduce the woman? A. Because the ferpent was more fubtle than any beaft of the field, Gen. iii. 1. and fo the moft fit tool. of any other, to ferve his fubtle and murdering designs, John viii. 44. 229. Why was not Eve afraid to entertain converfe with a ferpent, left it might be actuated by fome evil fpirit? A. It is fuppofed, that Adam and Eve knew nothing as yet of the fall of the angels; and fin not having as yet • See Confeffion, chap. ix. Se&t. 4. M PART I. entered into this lower world, they were not afraid of hurt from any of the good creatures of God. 2 30. Why was there no confirmatory claufe annexed to the covenant of works, to fecure man's ftanding in the cftate wherein he was created? A. Because it so pleased God; and, no doubt, infinite wifdom had another fcene to open, through the occafion of Inan's fall, by his breaking the first covenant. Q. 31. What was that fcene? A. A fcene of redeeming love and grace, which will be matter of hallelujahs, or praises, to the Lord God and the Lamb for ever and ever, Rev. v. 8. Q. 32. Was then the covenant of works a fcaffold erected for carrying on a more glorious fabric ? A. Yes it was; for God had faid, and purposed from eternity, that mercy fhould be built up for ever, Pfalm Jaxxix. 2. Q. 33. What improvement ought we to make of this doctrine of the fall of Adam ? 4. To be perfuaded that the best of creatures, if left to themfelves, cannot be in fafety one moment, Pfal. xlix. 12 ; that fince man could not be his own keeper, much less can ke be his own faviour, Cor. ii. 5. to fee how dangerous it is to parley with fin and Satan; and how much we need an intereft in the fecond Adam, to get the lofs we fuftained by the firft repaired with advantage: for he has refiered that which he took not away, Pial, Ixix. 4 14. QUEST. What is fin? ANSW. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or tranfgreffion of, the law of God, Q. 1: Wherein confifted man's apoftacy from God? Q. 2. How doth it appear, that there is fuch a thing as fin in the world? A. The God of truth declares, that all have finned, Rom. iii. 23; the broken law cries for vengeance against tranfgreffors, and by it is the knowledge of fin, Gal. iii. 10. Rom. iii. 20.; confcience, God's deputy in every man's fofom, tells him he is guilty, Jer. xiv. 7; the reign of death, and the groins of the creatures round about us, kom. viii, 22. do all bear teftimory, that there is fuch a thing as fin in the world. 23. Can there be any fin, where there is no law? A. No: for where there is no law, there is no tranfgrefion, Rom. iv. 16. 24. Of whofe law is fin a tranfgrefiion? A. of the law of God. 25. What understand you by [the law of God]? A. All the precepts, or commandments, God hath given unto man, as the rule of his obedience. 2. Where is this law of God to be found? A. There was a bright and fair copy of it written upon the heart of man in innocency; but that being, in a great measure, loft by the fall, God has written again to us the great things of his law, in the fcriptures of truth, Pfalm cxlvii. 19, 20. 27. Are all the laws of God, mentioned in fcripture, of binding force now under the New Teftament? A. No the ceremonial law, which was a fhadow of good things to come, is now abrogated upon the coming of Chrift in the flesh; and many of the judicial laws, in fo far as they had a particular relation to the ftate of the Jewifh nation, are laid afide; but the moral law is perpetually binding on all mankind, in all ages and periods of the world, Pfal. cxix, 160, 2. 8. Doth God require a perfect conformity to this law? : A. Yes for there is a curfe pronounced against every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them, Gal. iii. Ic. 29. Why is the nature of fin expreffed by a [want of conformity to the law? A. To let us know that our very natures, fince the fail. are finful, Ifa. i. 5, 6.; that we are now quite deftitute of that original righteoufnefs and holinefs, which we had at our creation, Gen. vi. 5.; and that every fwerving from the holy law, even in omitting what it commands, is fin, as well as in committing what it forbids, Ifa. xliii. 22 2 IC. Why is fin called a [tranfgreffion of the law]? 4. Because the law is the boundary of all our actions; and whenever we fin, we break the boundary and limit |