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immense, cannot possibly be multiplied, or more than one, but is the self-same in all the three Per sons; who, therefore, are but one and the selfsame God, have all the same divine perfections, and are equal in all things.

Q. 15. ↑ But how can we conceive or compre hend this?

A. It is impossible for us to comprehend it. In the simplicity of our heart we believe it is so; because God himself has revealed it. He alone perfectly knows and comprehends himself: it is impossible for us, poor finite creatures, to know more of him than what he is pleased to discover of himself to us. Seeing then that he has revealed that there is but one only God, and that in God there are three distinct Persons, this we are to believe as a certain and divine truth, without presuming to search further, or to know more about him than he is pleased we should know; for the Scripture says, "He that searcheth into Majesty shall be overwhelmed by glory," Prov. xxv. 27.

CHAPTER III.

OF THE CREATION AND PROVIDENCE.

Q. 1. WHAT do you mean when you say that God is the Creator and Sovereign Lord of all things?

A. I mean that this one, only, living and true God, one in substance, and three in Persons, created the heavens and the earth, and all that they contain, all things visible and invisible; and that he still continues to preserve, govern, and diş

pose of all things according to his own good will and pleasure.

Q. 2. What do you mean by created all things? A. I mean that God made all things out of nothing, by his word alone; for, as the Scripture expresseth it," He calleth those things that are not as those that are," Rom. iv. 17." He spoke, "He and they were made; he commanded, and they were created," Ps. cxlviii. 5. "And God said, Be light made, and light was made.--And God said, Let the waters that are under the heaven be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was done so.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the green herb- -and it was so done," Gen. i. And of the Son it is said, "All things were made by him, and without him was nothing made that was made," Jo. i. 3. Also, "In him were all things created, in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible- All things were created by him and in him," Col. i. 16. Lastly, of the Holy Ghost the Scripture says, " In the beginning God "In created the heaven and the earth—and the spirit of God moved over the waters," Gen. i. 2. "His spirit hath adorned the heavens, and his artful hand hath brought forth the winding serpent,' Job. xxvi. 13. "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established, and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth," Ps. xxxiii. 6. "There" is one most high Creator, almighty and a powerful King, and greatly to be feared, who sitteth upon his throne, and is the God of dominion, he created her (to wit, wisdom) in the Holy Ghost," Ecclus. i. 8, 9.

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Q. 3. Had then this world a beginning? A. Yes it had, and the Scripture says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," Gen. i. 1.

Q. 4. What was there before this world began?

A. Nothing but God alone, who had no beginning, but was from all eternity, perfectly happy in himself, and in his own divine perfections.

Q. 5. Why did God create this world?

A. Not out of any necessity, or through force, but out of his own free will and good pleasure, and for his own glory: " for the Lord hath made all things for himself," Prov. xvi. 4. And, Every one that calleth upon my name, saith he, I have created him for my glory, I have formed him and made him," Isa. xliii. 2. "Hence the

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saints in heaven continually cry out to him, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created," Rev. iv. 11.

Q. 6. What do you mean by these words, for his own glory?

A. I mean that God, by creating intelligent beings, capable of knowing and loving him, and inferior creatures for their use and benefit, displays to those beings his own divine perfections, his infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, that they may give glory to him, and render him the just homage of love, gratitude, obedience, and praise. Thus the holy Scripture, speaking of the creation of man, says, "God set his eyes upon their hearts, to shew them the greatness of his works, that they might praise the name which he hath sanctified, and glory in his wondrous acts," Ecclus. xvii. 7. 8.

Q. 7. Does God still continue to preserve all things in the being which he gave them, or can they subsist without him, once they are made?

A. As God alone has being essentially, and of himself, and is independent of any other; so no creature has any being at all of itself, but is wholly

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dependent upon God; without whose continual conservation no creature could subsist for one instant; so that, were God for an instant to withdraw his almighty hand from any creature, it would immediately fall back to its primitive nothing; for "he upholdeth all things by the word of his power," Heb. i. 3. "He is before all, and by him all things consist," Col. i. 17. And therefore the wise man justly said to God, "How could any thing endure, if thou wouldst not? or be preserved, if not called by thee?" Wisd. xi. 26. On this account, God the Son declares, that he and his Father are always working, to wit, by the continual preservation of all creatures. "But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh until now, and I work." Jo. v. 17.

Q. 8. Can God destroy the whole world if he wills, and in what manner soever he pleases?

A. Mest undoubtedly; for, as all creatures depend entirely on him, and have their very being and all their powers and faculties only from him, and at his pleasure; so he is sole maker, to do with all and every one of them what he wills; nor is there any thing that can resist or oppose him.Hence he says himself, "My word which shall go forth from my mouth, shall not return to me void; but it shall do whatever I please, and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it," Isa. lv. 11. And the royal Prophet declares, that, "The Lord is great, and our God is above all gods; whatsoever the Lord pleased, he hath done in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all the depths," Ps. cxxxv. 5, 6. “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing before him; and he doth according to his will as well with the powers of heaven, as among the inhabitants of the earth; and there is none that can resist his hand, and say to him, Why hast thou done it ?" Dan. iv. 32.

This was the comfort of the servants of God in their distress, "We trust, said they, in the Almighty Lord, who at a beck can utterly destroy both them that come against us, and the whole world," 2 Macch. viii. 18. And the holy Scriptures are full of the wonderful effects of his Almighty power, and of his absolute dominion over all his creatures. There we are informed, that at one time he stopped the course of the sun for several hours; that at another he made it even go back for ten degrees on the dial; and that he deprived it of its light at the death of Christ; that he divided the Red Sea into two, and gave his people a passage through the midst of it on dry ground; that he rained down food to them from heaven in the desert; that he gave them water out of the hard rock; that he changed the waters in Egypt into blood, and at the marriage of Cana, into exquisite wine; that he hindered the fiery furnace from touching his faithful servants who were thrown into it; that he raised the dead to life, commanded the winds and sea, cured all diseases, cast out devils, with many other such wonders, in an instant, and by his word alone; so that the Scripture justly declares, that "the Lord is terrible and exceeding great, and his power is admirable," Ecclus. xliii. 31.; for "he only is mighty, the King of kings, and Lord of lords," 1 Tim. vi. 15.

Q. 9. Can creatures produce any effect, or do any thing of themselves, without the concurrence of Almighty God?

A. All the powers which creatures have to produce any thing, are given them by God, and depend entirely on his preservation: They therefore are only as instruments in his hand for accomplishing his will; of which, however, he has no need. They, indeed, can act with his concurrence, ac

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