them, but neither infufed that malice in them, whereby they crucified him, nor did excite it, but it was intirely of themselves, Acts ii. 23.

Queft. 26. What are the properties of God's providence?

Anfw. It is holy, wife, and powerful.

Queft. 27. Why is the providence of God called holy?

Anfw. Because of the infinite holiness and purity that shines in all his adminiftrations, Pfal. cxlv. 17. Quest. 28. Wherein doth the holiness of God's providence appear?

Anfw. In bringing glory to his mercy and juftice out of fin.

Queft. 29. How doth he bring glory to his mercy out of fin?

Anfw. In making the worft finners become the choicest of saints, as in the inftance of Paul, 1 Tim. i. 11.

Quest. 30.

out of 30. How doth he bring glory to his justice

Anfw. By the judgments which he executes upon finners, even in this life, Pfalm ix. 16.

Queft. 31. Why is the providence of God called wife? Anfw. Because it makes all things fubfervient to the end which God hath fixed for himfelf, Rom, viii. 28.

Queft. 32. How is the wisdom of providence manifested?

Anfw. In the exact harmony of all the motions thereof with the word, Hof. xiv. 9.

Queft. 33. Why is the providence of God called powerful?

Anfw. Because it cannot be refifted, Dan. iv. 35. ----He doth according to his will, in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: none can ftay his hand, or fay unto him, What doft thou? Queft. 34. How does the power of providence difcover itself? Anjw. In

H 3

Anfw. In bringing about great events, by fmall and contemptible like means: thus he makes worm Jacob to thresh the mountains; and by the foolishnefs of preaching faves them that believe, Ifa. xli. 15. 1 Cor. i. 21.

Queft 35. How is the providence of God ufually diftinguished?

Anfw. Into ordinary and extraordinary, common and special.

Queft. 36. What is the ordinary providence of God? Anfw. It is his obferving the order of things, which he appointed from the beginning, Hof. ii. 21, 22. Queft. 37. What is the extraordinary providence of God?

Anfw. It is his going beyond, or contrary to the natural order of things, and fuch events are called miraculous.

Queft. 38. What is a miracle?

Anfw. It is fuch an astonishing and surprizing effect, contrary to the ordinary courfe of nature, as furpaffes the power of all created beings, and can be produced by divine omnipotence only; fuch as, dividing the waters of the Red-Sea and Jordan, making the fun to stand still, raising the dead, giving eye-fight to the born blind, curing all manner of difeafes by a word, and the like.

Queft. 39. What is common providence?

Anfw. It is that which is exercised about all the creatures in general, Acts xvii. 28. called God's natural government.

Queft. 40. What is special providence?

Anfw. It is that which is exercised about rational creatures in particular, Deut. xxx. 16, 17, 18. called his moral government.

Queft. 41. What is the special providence which God exercifes about his church and people?

Anfw. His eyes run too and fro throughout the whole earth, to fhew himself ftrong in behalf of them

whose

whose heart is perfect towards him, 2 Chron. xvi. 9. and he makes all things work together for their good, Rom. vii. 28. Pfalm xxv 10.

Queft. 42. Are not all the difpenfations of providence profperous or adverfe, to be carefully obferved? Anfw. Yes for, whofo is wife, and will obferve these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord, Pfalm cvii. 43.

Queft. 43. How are the providences of God to be obferved?

Anfw. With humility and reverence, under a sense of our weakness to penetrate into them; and with gratitude and thankfulness, because there is always fome mixture of mercy with judgment, in this life, Pfalm ci. I.

Queft. 44 Is it not dangerous to overlook the operations of divine providence ?

Anfw. Yes: for it is faid, Pfal, xxviii. 5. Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

Quelt. 45. Are not fome difpenfations of providence very dark and mysterious?

Anfw. Yes: his

ways are many

times in the fea, and his path in the great waters, and his footfleps are not known, Pfalm lxxvii. 19.

Quest. 46. Wherein doth the mystery of providence appear?

Anfw. In the mysterious track, and mysterious outward appearance thereof.

Queft. 47. How is providence mysterious in the track of it?

Anfw. In attaining its end by contrary-like means; fuch as making Jofeph's imprisonment, the ftep to his being fecond in the kingdom; and the cafting of Daniel into the lion's den, the path to his higher preferment.

Quest. 48. Wherein is providence mysterious in the outward appearance of it? Antw. In

Anfw. In that all things come alike unto all; there being one event to the righteous and to the wicked; and no man knowing love or hatred, by all that is before him in this life, Eccl. ix. I, 2.

Queft. 49. How do you prove, that love or hatred cannot be known by the outward difpenfations of providence in this life?

Anw. From the parable of the rich man and Lazarus; the rich man, in his life-time, received good things, and Lazarus evil things, and yet, after death, Lazarus is comforted, and the other tormented, Luke xvi. 19,----27.

Queft. 50. Is this feemingly unequal appearance of providence in this life, any reflection upon the wifdom and righteousness thereof?

Anju. No: for, though good men may be fometimes put to a stand, by the outward profperity of the wicked, and the ftraits and wants of the godly, as Jeremiah was, chap. xii. 1.-----Wherefore doth the way of the wicked profper? wherefore are they all happy that deal very treacherously? Yet, if the enjoyments of the one, and wants of the other, are laid in the balance, it will be found, that a little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked, Pfalm xxxvii. 16. Prov. xv. 16, Queft. 51. What is our duty when providence feems to run cross to the promife?

Anfw. It is to believe the promife, and that providence is running in a direct line to the accomplishment thereof, though we cannot fee it at the time, as Abraham did, who against hope believed in hope,------and aggered not at the promife of God through unbelief, Rom. iv. 18, 20, 21.

Quest. 52. Will not dark providences be opened to the faints fome time or other?

Anfw. Yes: for, fays Chrift, What I do, thou knoweft not now, but thou shalt know hereafter, John xiii. 7.

Quest. 53

Quest. 53. When will the mystery of providence be opened to the faints?

Anfw. It fhall be fully unvailed at the end of the day, when the mystery thereof shall be finished, and all the labyrinths, wherein the faints were led, fully unwinded, Rev. x. 6, 7.

Queft. 54. What will be the language of the Saints, when the whole mystery of providence hall be explained?

Anfw. They will fay, He hath done all things well. Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord---Spake :----a!! are come to pals,-not one thing hath failed thereof, Mark vii. 37. Josh. xxiii. 14.

Quelt. 55. What improvement ought we to make of this doctrine of providence ?

Anfw. To commit our way unto the Lord, to truft alfo in him, and he shall bring it to pass, Pfal. xxxvii. 5.

in the

12. QUEST. What special act of providence did God exercise towards man, eftate wherein he was created?

ANSW. When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; upon the pain of death.

Queft. 1. Was there any thing Special in God's government of man, when he was created above the other creatures ?

Anfw. Yes for God gave man a moral law, which the other creatures, not endowed with reafon, were not capable of.

Quest. 2.