A. The univerfal depravation both of foul and body, in all the faculties of the one, and members of the other, ifa. i. 5. 6

220 How doth this corruption of the whole nature appear?

A. In an utter impotency, and bitter enmity to what is fpiritually good, Rom. viii. 7 and in the ftrongest inclination and bias to what is evil, and to that only and con tinually, Gen. vi. 5

2. 21. How may we be certain that our [whole nature] is corrupted?

A From the word of God, and from experience and obfervation

2. 22. How doth the word of God affure us of the univerial corruption of our nature?

A. It tells us, that the image after which man was at firit made, and the image after which he is now begotten, are quite oppofite the one to the other; Adam was at firft made in the likeness of God, but having fallen, he begat a fn in his cawn likeness, after his own image, Gen. v. 1, 3. The fcripture affures us, that none can bring a clean thing out of an unclean, Job xiv. 4.; that we are fhapen in iniquity, and that in fin did our mothers conceive us, Pfal. li. 5.; that that which is born of the flesh is flesh, John iii. 6.; and that we are by nature children of wrath, Eph. ii. 3.

223 How may we know the corruption of our nature by the experience and cbfervation of things without us?

A. The flood of miferies which overflow the world; the manifold grofs out breakings of fin therein; and the neceffity of human laws, fenced with penalties, are clear outward evidences of the corruption of our nature.

2 24 What inward evidences may every one of us experience within ourfelves, of the corruption of our natures?

4. Each of us may fadly experience a natural difpofi. tion to hearken to the inftruction that caufeth us to err, Prov. xix 27.; a caring for the concerns of the body more than thofe of the foul, Mat. xvi. 26.; a discontentment with some one thing or other in our lot in a prefent world, 2 Kings vi. 33.; an averfion from being debtors to free grace, and an inclination to reft upon fomething in ourfelves as the ground cfour hope, Rom. x. 3.; every one

of which may be an evidence to ourselves, that our nature is wholly corrupted.

225. How is the corruption of nature propagated fince the fall?

A. By natural generation, Job xv. 14. What is man that he fhould be clean? and he that is born of a woman, that he Should be righteous?

2. 26. How can this corruption be propagated to the foul, feeing it is created immediately by God, and not ge nerated with the body?

A. As the creating and infufing of the foul are precifely at one and the fame time, fo the very moment the foul is united unto the body, we become children of fallen Alam, not only as our natural, but as our fœderal head, Kom.

#. 19.

227. What is the confequence of becoming the children of fallen Adam, as our foederal head?

A. The confequence is, that, the moment we are fo, his first fin is imputed to us, and thereby we become legally and fpiritually dead, under the curfe; not only wanting original righteousness, but having our whole nature corrupted and depraved, 1 Cor. xv. 22. In Adam all die.

28. Since then, the foul of every one, is a part of that perfon, which is curfed in Adam; does God, in the creating thereof, infufe any fin or impurity therein?

A. By no means; but only as a righteous judge, in ereating the foul, he denies or withholds that original righteousness which it once had in Adarn; and this he does as a juft punishment of Adam's first fin.

Q. 29. What follows upon God's withholding original righteoufnels from the foul, in its creation?

A. The foul being united to the body, in the moment of its creation, the univerfal corruption of the whole man, follows as naturally upon that union, as darknefs follows upon fetting of the fun.

Q. 30. Can it follow then, from this doctrine, that God is the author of sur fin?

A. So far from it, that, on the contrary, it evidently follows, that our ftate, both of fin and mifery, is the bitter fruit of our own voluntary apoftacy in the first Adam, as our covenant head, having finned in him, and fallen with him in his first tranfgreffion.

PART 1.

Q. 31. Doth the holiness of the parents, prevent the propagation of original corruption to their children?

A. By no means: the faints are holy but in part, and that by grace, not by nature: wherefore, as after the pureft grain is fown, we reap corn with the chaff; fo the holiest parents beget unholy children, and cannot. communicate their grace to them, as they do their nature, Gen. v. 3.

Q. 32. Hath this poifon of corruption run through the whole man?

A. Yes: The whole head is fick, and the whole heart is faint from the fole of the foot to the head, there is no foundness in it, &c. Ifa. i. 5, 6.

Q 33 Wherewith is the understanding corrupted?

A. With darkness and blindnefs, fo that we cannot know and receive the things of the spirit of God, 1 Cor. ii. 14.

Q34. Wherewith is the will corrupted?

A. With enmity and rebellion against God; with oppofition to his law and gofpel; with averfion from the chiefeft good; and inclination to all evil, Rom. viii. 7.

Q35. How are the affections corrupted?

A. By being difplaced and difordered, fet upon trifling vanities and finful pleasures, inftead of God the fupreme good, Pfalm v. 2, 6. Ifa. Iv. 2.

Q36. How is the confcience corrupted?

A. By not difcharging its office faithfully according to the law, in accufing or excufing, but many times calling evil good, and good evil, &c. Ifa. v. 20.

37. How is the memory corrupted?

A. It is like the riddle, or fieve, that lets through the pure grain and keeps the refufe: it retains what is vain and unprofitable, and forgets what is fpiritual and truly advantageous, Psal cvi. 13, 21.

Q. 38. How is the body corrupted?

A All the members of it are become inftruments, or weapons, of unrighteousness unto fin, Rom. vi. 13

2. 39. Is original fin of its own nature damning? A. Beyond all doubt it is: because it is a state of fin and fpiritual uncleannefs we are born in, Pfal. li. 5. And there fhall in no wife enter, into the heavenly Jerufalem, any thing that defileth, Rev. xxi. 27. The blood of Chrift is neceffary to cleanfe from, as well as from actual fin;

for Chrift is the Lamb of God which taketh away the fin of the world, both original and actual, John i. 29.

Q4c. How may we know the being of original fin, antecedent to the commiffion of any actual tranfgreffion?

A. From the fore troubles and diftreffes which infants are liable to, and from death paffing upon them before they are capable of finning, after the fimilitude of Adam's tranfgreffion; that is of committing actual fin, Rom. v. 14. 41. What do you understand by [actual tranfgreffion] or fin?

A. Every deviation from the law of God in our actions, whether internal or external.

Q. 42. How may actual fin be diftinguished from original? · A. As the act is distinguished from the habit; or a fault of the person, from a fault of the nature.

Q43. Is omiffion of what is required an actual fin, as well as the omiffion of what is forbidden?

A. Yes: because all omiffions are either accompanied with fome act of the will confenting, directly or indirectly, thereunto; or flow from fome antecedent act, which is either the caufe, occafion, or impediment, of the duty omitted; as excefs in eating and drinking is frequently the caufe or occafion of omitting the public or private duties of God's worship.

Q44. From whence do all actual tranfgreffions flow? A. They all proceed from original fin, or the corruption of nature, as impure ftreams from a corrupt fountain, Eph. ii. 3, James iii. 11.

Q45. What may we learn from the doctrine of origi. nal fin?

A. That it is no wonder the grave open its devouring mouth for us, as foon as we come into the world, feeing we are all, in a spiritual fenfe, dead born, Eph. ii. 1.; That as every thing acts agreeably to its own nature, fo corrupt man acts corruptly, Matth. vii. 17, 18.: and confequently we may learn the neceffity of regeneration, and ingraftment in a fecond Adam, without which it is im poffible we can enter into the kingdom of heaven, John i 3.

19. QUEST. What is the mifery of that eftate whereinto man feli?

ANSW. All mankind by their fall loft communion with God, are under his wrath and curfe, and fo made liable to all the miferies of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever.

Q. What are the branches of man's mifery, expressed in this answer, as the effects of the fall?

A. They are these three, the happiness man hath loft; the evil he lies presently under; and the future misery and punishment he is liable unto.

Q2. Is the lofs which man has sustained by the fall, great and grievous?

A. Yes it is fo great, that we have all reason to cry out with the church, Wo unto us that we have finned! Lam, v. 16. How is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed! chap. iv. J.

9.3 What is that great lofs which man has fuftained by the fall?

A. He has loft all that good that was promised him in the covenant of works, upon condition of his perfect obedience.

Q. 4. What was the good promised?

A. Life in its full latitude and extent; or all the happinefs man was capable of, either in this world, or that which is to come.

Q. 5. What was man's chief happiness in that state wherein he was created?

4 His chief happinefs lay in his enjoyment of fellowthip and [ommunion with God]

96. Wherein did that fellowship and [communion] confift

A. In the most agreeable intimacy and familiarity that man had with God, in the uninterrupted enjoyment of his gracious prefence.

Q7. How doth it appear that man hath [left] this by the fall?

A. It appears from his being without God in the world, Enh. ii. 12. ; and alienated from the life of God, chap. iv. 18. Q 8. Did this breach of fellowship between God and man immediately follow upon the firft fin?