God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Rom. xv. 4. Whatsoever things were written afore. time were written for our learning, that we through pa. tience, and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. 2 Pet. i. 21. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. John xv. 15. All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you. 16. I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. 27. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. 1 Cor. iv. 1. Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 1 John i. 1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handied of the word of life; 2. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was mani. fested unto us;) 3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you. 9th Q.-What do the Holy Scriptures declare of God? A.-That he is the Creator of all things, and perfect in power, wisdom and holiness; that he abhors sin: that he is the fountain of every thing lovely, yea, that he is love itself. That he dispenses his goodness to all his creatures according to their capacities, and willeth not the destruction of sinners, but that they should return to him, repent and live. 1 Chron. xxix. 11. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Exod. xv. 11. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Rev. iv. 8. And they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Exod. xxxiv. 6. And the Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty. Psal. v. 4. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 1 John iv. 7. Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. 8. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. Psal. xxxiii. 5. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Psal. cvii. 8. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Matt. v. 45. He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on theunjust. Isai. Iv. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Ezek. xxxiii. 11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. 2 Pet. iii. 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. SECTION III. 10th Q. How do the Scriptures describe the creation? A.-They inform us that God created the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all things that are therein, whether animate or inanimate, by the Word of his power. Gen. i. 1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Neh. ix. 6. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all. Psal. xxxiii. 6. By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made: and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Heb. xi. 3. The worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 11th Q.-Do not the Scriptures describe the creation of man as differing in its manner from that of other creatures? A.-The irrational animals were created by the divine Word calling them into existence, but the language of the Almighty previously to the creation of Adam, was, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:" then we are informed that he created man in his own image, even in the image of God. Gen. i. 24. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him. 12th Q.-What is to be understood by the image of God in man? A.-A breath of life which was breathed into him by God, by which he was made a partaker of the divine nature, and had union and communion with God. Gen. ii. 7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 2 Cor. iii. 18. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Eph. iv. 24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Col. iii. 10. And [ye] have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. 2 Pet. i. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature. 1 John i. 3. Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 13th Q.-Did Adam remain alone? A.-No, the Lord saw that it was not good that he should be alone, and therefore formed a woman to be an help meet for him, whom Adam called Eve, and God gave them dominion over all the creatures. Gen. ii. 18. And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make an help meet for him. 21. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. 22. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. See also 1 Cor. xi. 8. Gen. iii. 20. And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Gen. i. 28. God said unto them, Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 14th Q.-Where did Adam and Eve dwell? A.-In a garden eastward in Eden; in which grew every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, and in the midst of the garden grew the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Gen. ii. 8. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. SECTION IV. 15th Q.-Did Adam evince his love and gratitude to his Creator for all these blessings? A.-No, for though the Almighty allowed him freely to eat of every tree of the garden in which he was placed, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil, of which God for |