29. What account of himself, has God given us in the icriptures?

A There are three fhort, but comprehenfive defcriptions which he has given of himself there; (1) That God is light, John i. 5. (2) That God is love,

John iv. 8, 16 (3.) That God is a Spirit, John iv 24

2. 10. Why is God said to be light?

A Because of his infinite purity and omniscience, Hab. i. 13. Heb. iv. 13.; and because he is the fountain and father of all light, whether material, natural, gracious, or glorious, James i. 17.

2. Why is God faid to be love?

2. Because, according to the manifeftation he has made of himself in Chrift, love is the reigning excellency of his nature, which gives a die or tincture to all his other perfections, in their egrefs, or exercise about the falvation of mankind finners, John iii. 16. 1 John iv. 8, 9, 10.

212. Why is he faid to be [a Spirit]?

A. Because he is neceffarily and effentially a living intelligent fubftance; incorruptible, incorporeal, without flesh, or bones, or bodily parts, Luke xxiv. 39.

2. 13. How far doth God tranfcend all created spirits ? A. He is as infinitely above the being of all created spirits, as he is above the conception of all intelligent creatures: Job xxxvii 23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out.

2. 14. Since God is a moft fimple and pure Spirit, why are bodily parts, such as eyes, ears, hands, face, and the like, af bed unto him in fcripture?

4. Such figurative expreffions ought not to be underfood in their literal fenfe, but according to the true scope and intent of them; which is, to fet forth fome acts and perfections of the divine nature, whereunto these members of the body bear fome faint resemblance: thus, when eyes and ears are afcribed to God, they fignify his omniscience; hands are defigned to denote his power; and his face, the manifeftation of his favour: and in this light, other metaphors of like nature, when applied to God, ought to be explained.

215. Is it lawful to form any external image of God with the hand, or any internal imaginary idea of him in the fancy?

A. It is abfolutely unlawful and idolatrous; condemned

in the fecond commandment, and other fcriptures, Deut. iv. 12, 15. Rom i. 13 Man cannot form any imaginary idea of his own foul or fpirit, far lefs of him who is the Father of fpirits.

216. What may we learn from God's being a Spirit? A. To worship him in spirit and in truth John iv. 24. 217. What is it to worship him in spirit and in truth? A. Itis to worship him, from a real and faving knowledge of what he is in Chrift to loft finners of mankind, Jo. xvii 3. 218. Is it poffible for man to attain the real and faving knowledge of God?

A Although neither men nor angels can have a comprehenfive knowledge of God, Job xi. 7, 8. 9; yet, befides the fpeculative and merely rational knowledge of him, which men have, and may have much of, by the light of nature, a faving and fatisfying knowledge of him is attainable, and is promised in the word, Jer xxiv. 7. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord And John vi 45 It is written in the prophets, They fhall be all taught of God?

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219. Wherein confifts the faving knowledge of God? A. It is like the white ftone and new name, which no man knows but he that receives it. Rev. ii. 17.; and he that attains it, cannot make language of it, but filently admires what he cannot comprehend; only, there is no faving knowledge of God, but in and through Chrift the Saviour, 2 Cor. iv 9.

220. What is the language of the foul that fees God, and knows him favingly in Chrift?

A. It is like that of Mofes, Exod. xv. 11. Who is like unto thee, O Lord;--who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness. fearful in praifes doing wonders? Or that of the Pfalmift, Palm xlvii 14. This God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even to death

2,21 What are the rays of divine glory in the face of Jefus Chrift, whereby we come to know God favingly?

A They are the attributes and perfections of his nature, whereby he is pleafed to manifeft himself; fuch as, that he is [infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wif dom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth].

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22 Are thefe attributes of God, diftin&t things from God himfelf, or the divine effence?

4. By no means; for, whatever is in God, is God him

Jelf: and therefore the infinity of all perfection, is infeparable from the divine effence.

223. Are the divine attributes feparable from one another, so as that which is infinite should not be eternal, and that which is infinite and eternal, fhould not be unchangeable, and fo of the reft?

A. All perfections whatsoever being infeparable from God, they muft alfo be infeparable from one another; for though we, through weakness, muft think and speak of them separately, yet all of them taken together, are, properly fpeaking, but the one infinite perfection of the divine nature, which cannot be feparated therefrom, without granting that God is not infinitely perfect, which would be the height of blafphemy to suppose.

2 24. Why are the perfections of God called his attributes?

A Because they are attributed or ascribed unto him, as the effential properties of his nature, Chron xxix. 11. 2. 25. How are the attributes of God commonly di

viced!

A. Into incommunicable and communicable.

2. 26 What are the incommunicable attributes of God, mentioned in the Answer?

A. His infinity, eternity, and unchangeableness.

2. 27. Why called incommunicable?

A. Because there is not the least resemblance of them to be found among the creatutes.

2. 28. What are the attributes that are called tommunicable?

A. They are, being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

229. Why called communicable.

A. Because there is fome faint refemblance or fimilitude of them to be found among the creatures, namely, angels and faints; hence are they propofed in fcripture for our imitation Pfal. xi. 6. The righteous Lord loveth righteouf nefs, Pet. i. 6. Be ye holy, for I am holy.

2. 30. Can thefe communicable attributes be afcribed to any creature, as they are in God?

A. No: for they are in God, infinitely, eternally, and unchangeably; he is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being; infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his wifdom; and fo on of the reft, which would be blafphe

my to affirm of any creature: hence it is faid, Mat. xix. 17. There is none good but one, that is God. None infinitely, eternally, and unchangeably good, but he only.

Of GOD'S INFINITY.

2. What is it for God to be [infinite]?

A. It is to be abfolutely without all bounds or limits in his being and perfections, Job. xi. 7. 8, 9.

2.2. What does the infinity of God imply in it?

A. His incomprehenfibleness, immenfity, and omniprefence.

2.3 What is it for God to be incomprehenfible?

A. It is infinitely to tranfcend the most enlarged capacity of men or angels, as to his being and perfections, Pfal. cxlv. 3 Job xxxvi 26.

24 What is the immenfity of God?

A. As it includes his omniprefence, it is that perfection of his nature, whereby he is every where prefent with all and every one of his creatures; and infinitely exceeds all their limits and boundaries, 1 Kings viii. 27.

2.5. What is the difference betwixt the omnipresence and immenfity of God?

A. The omnipresence of God is included in his immenfity, and though not feparable therefrom, yet may be conceived as having a refpect to created substances, with every one of which he is intimately prefent; whereas his immen fity extends infinitely beyond the boundaries of all created fubftance, 2 Chron. vi. 8.

2. 6. Is God every where prefent only as to his knowledge and power?

A. He is every where present alfo as to his effence or being, as is evident from Jer. xxiii 23, 24

27. How may this be evinced alfo from reafon ?

A. Reafon teacheth us, that no creature can fubfift by itself, without the prefence of God to uphold it in its being and operation: Acts xvi. 28. In him we live, and move, and have our being.

2.8. How is God prefent with the church here on earth? A. He is prefent, with the church vifible, by the ordiaces and fymbols of his institution, Exod. xx. 24; and

with the church invifible, or believers, by the inhabitation and operation of his Holy Spirit, Ezek xxxvi. 27.

2.9 How is he present in heaven?

d. By the moft bright and immediate difplays of his glory; all the inhabitants of the upper fanctuary feeing him as he is, and enjoying him without interruption for ever. John. iii. 2. Pfal. xvi n

2 10. How is he prefent in hell?

A in a way of tremendous power and juftice, upholding the darnned in their being, that they may lie under the ftrokes of his vindictive wrath for evermore, Pfal. xc. 11.. Mat. xxv. 46.

2. 11. What may we learn from God's omniprefence? A. That no affliction or temptation can befal the faints without his knowledge and fympathy, Ifa. xlii. 2.

Of GOD'S ETERNITY

2.1. What is the difference betwixt time and eternity? A. Time hath a continual fucceffion, the former time passeth away, and another fucceeds; but eternity is an infinite immutable duration.

22. What is it for God to be [eternal]?

A. It is that perfection of his nature whereby he conti nually exifts, without all beginning, end, or fucceffion of time.

2. 3. How do you prove that God is without beginning! A From Pfal. xc. 2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadft formed the earth and the world, even from everlafting to everlafting thou art God: that is, fince thou didst exit before the mountains were brought forth, or before the beginning of time, thou art abfolutely eternal. 24 How do you prove that God is without end?

A. From Pfalm. cii. 12, 27. Thou, O Lord fhalt endure for ever-and thy years fhall have no end; for that which had no beginning of duration, can never have an end of it, but must always neceffarily exist.

2.5. How do you prove that he is without fucceffion of time?

A. From Pfam xc. 4. A thousand years are in thy fight but as yesterday, when it is past: and 2 Pet. iii. 8. One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years