A. Not from Eternity, but first of all, before all Things from the Beginning of Time. Q. Why did Moses write inthe Beginning? A. To confute thofe that maintain'd the World had no Beginning. Q. What do we learn by the Q. Which he they? A. His Omnipotency in creating all Things of nothing, his Bounty in furnishing the World with all neceffary Ornaments, and his Love in giving Man Dominion over all, Chap. i. 26. Q. Who was this Man to whom he gave Dominion? A. ADAM. Q. Why was be called Adam? A. From the Hebrew Word Adamab, which fignifies Red Earth, because he was made of the Duft or Slime of the Earth. Q. Have we any Account in Scripture where Adam was made ? A. No. Some think in Syria, or the Holy Land, near to Damafcus. Others fay, Near to Hebron, a City in the Tribe of Fuda; and was there buried. However, we know Man was first created, and then brought into Paradice, Gen. 1. and 2. QWhat do we learn from the Beginning in respect to our felves ? A. Three Things. Q. Which be they? A. The Obfervation of the Sabbath, Chap. ii 2. Humility 2. of Mind, being made bur of the Duft of the Earth; Ver. 7. and the Reverence which we owe to Marriage. Q. Why ought we to reverence Marriage? A. Becaufe it was inftituted of GOD himself in Paradice. Chap. ii. 23. Q. How ought a Man to love his Wife? A. As himself, being Flefh of his Flesh. Q. Where was Man placed af ter his Creation? A. In Paradice. Q. What do you mean by the Word Paradice ? A. Paradice is as much as to fay, a pleafant Garden plentiful. ly furnished with huitful Trees Q. Was this wholly his own Doing, being made thus unhappy? A. No. For after the Lord God had placed him in the Garden of Eden, he fell into a profound Sleep; and his Maker form'd out of his Side, a Companion Woman, whom he called Eve. The Serpent, that old one the Devil, took Advantage of her weaker Sex, beguiled her, and she did eat, and give to her Husband; and he did eat also of that forbidden Fruit, which brought Death into the World, and all our Woe. Q. How was Eve punished? A. Two Manner of Ways. Q. Which be they! A. First, To bring forth her Children in Sorrow And, Se-1 condly, To live in Subjection to her Husband, Q. How was the Serpent punished? A. Three Manner of Ways. 4. First, He was made the Q. Where OBSERVATION.] When the reprobate Angels first understood by Revelation, that the Son of God fhould take on him the Nature of Man, (not the Nature of Angels, but the Nature of Män) to ranfom and redeem Man, and fo as Man, to be exalted above them. When they understood this, they would rather fall from God, and be caft out of Heaven, than fubfcribe to the Will of God; which was, that the Nature of Man, united unto the Person of CHRIST, fhould be exalted above them, and fo brought into Heaven. For God knowing from Eternity that Man created, and left unto himfelf, would fall away, decreed alfo from Everlasting, to provide a Mediator, a Redeemer to reftore and ransom him. Whence St. PETER affirmeth, that CHRIST was fore-ordain'd, before the Foundation of the World; and that he was de livered by the determinate Counfel and Fore-knowledge of God, before all Time. Therefore we are, faid to be chofen in CHRIST, before the Foundation of the World. Ephef. i. 4. Hereby it appears then, that God did forefee and foreknow the Fall of Man: True, yet was no Way the Caufe or Author of it; ho, there is no Iniquity in God. For, faith St. AUSTIN, EVE, the first Woman, took up Sin from Satan: Upon her bare Word, ADAM unadvisedly, not so much to please his Wife, as moved by Ambition at her Perfwafion; when if he would, he might have chofen the Good and refused the Evil, fubfcribed to the Pond; but the Barthen of the Intereft, ever since, lay heavy on their Pofterity: The Woman was fir in the Tranfgreffion, but no Wonder: For if Lucifer an Angel first fell in Heaven, it is not frange that a Woman fell on Earth: In Paradice was the Quarrel, ever fince was the Battle ; the Serpent of the Field, though the Woman loft the Garden; God gave the Woman the Honour and Victory in the Day of Battle: The Seed of the Woman fhall break the Serpent's Head, all the Quarrel fince, is for the Broken Head, i. e. to forfake our evil ways, to beat down Satan, and to cleave unto the Lord. God, of his great Mercy to Mankind, fpared not his only Son: A Saviour is born, and he hath laid our Iniquities upon him: Upon him, the Seed of the Woman that did break the Serpent's Head, the Seed of ABRAHAM, in whom all the Nations of the Earth are bleffed. Gen. xlix. 10. His Son the Profperer upon him IMMANUEL. ISAI. vii. 14. God with us, and God for us. The wonderful Counsellor. Chap. ix. 6. Who was ever privy to God's Will, concerning Man's Salvation, upon Him, our Mediator. I. TIM. z. Our Adve cate with the Father. I. JoH. ii, z. Our Redeemer, our Saviour JESUS CHRIST not upon the Father, not upon the Holy Ghoft, but upon the Second Perfon the Trinity: For there is no other Means whereby we can be faved, Q. Why? A. Because ABEL'S Sacrifice was accepted, and CAIN's was not. CHAP. iv. 4, 5. Q. Why did not GOD accept CAIN's Sacrifice ? H. Because he did it more upon Cuftom than Confcience. Q. Who taught them to facri? fice A. Their Father ADAM. Q. How could be do that, and the Iaw not yet given? 4. The Law of GOD is two fold,; naturally imprinted in Q. Which of these bad ADAM? Q. What was the Punishment of CAIN for killing his Brother ABEL? 4. He was cursed of GOD, and condemned for a Kun-agate, and went into the Land of Nod, (a Land of Fear and Difquiet) in OBS. The great Reformer LUTHER, calleth Paradice in his Difcourfe of Germany, A pleasant Garden. Ecc.Hift. Munfter, An Orchard. And, in the Bible, Eden; the Grecians call itHedone, an extraordinary Place of Pleafure and Delight, and fuch was Paradice: For in it there was great Plenty of all Things as well of Trees, Fruits, Herbs, and tweet fmelling Flowers, as of Beafts, and Fowls of the Heaven. Into this Place God put Man to dress it, and keep it : His Name was given him according to the Cuftom of many Years after; and the Names given by God, all carry a Reafon with them why they are fo called: As ADAM, c. and CHEVA OF EVE, becaufe fhe was the Mother of all living: ABRAHAM, because he was the Father of many Nations AARON, fenines a Teacher, Ex. 1v. 27. In Hebrew, fo in the Chaldean Tongue, Babel 1 Conrufion : Gen. x. 1o. and xi. 49. In the Syrian, CYRENIUS is ruling. LUK.ii. 2. In the Greck, DIMAS, the common Sort of People. Col. iv. 14. II. TIM. iv. 10. PHILEM. 24. And in the Latin, CESAR, an Emperor or ferene Conqueror of Rome; as to ALGUSTUS, LUK. ii. I. to TIBERIUS, LUK.iii. 1. MATH. xxii. 177′ TO CLAUDIUS, A&t. xi. 28 to xxv. 12. and to NERO, Phil, iv. 22. c. Man's Nature, the State of Marriage, and God's Blefling, were not utterly abolithed through Sin'; but the Quality or Condition thereof was changed; that is, according to the Lord's Fromife. Chap, iii. 15. tho' deftitute of the Siciament of the Tree of Life. The Father inftruéted his Children in th Knowledge of God. God gave them Sacrifices to fignify their Salvation. By Freigh BEL offered an acceptable Sacrifice to Gud; CAIN proved a Hyite, HLB. xi. 4. in the Town of HENOCH, 480 Miles Eastward, and dwelt there. Q. CAIN being thus curfed, and a Mark fet upon him, Gen. 4. whom did GOD raife after the Death of A B 1. to build his Church upon ? 4. His Brother SETH, Chap. 4. 25. For A D A м knew his Wife again, and fhe bore him (when ADAM was 130Years of Age, and 800 Years before our faid Grandfire's Death; having hegot Sons and Daughters SET4 at the Age of 105 Years, had ENOS, (then Men began to call upon the Name of the LORD) he at go was Father to CAINAN, who at 70 had MAHALALEEL; this Man at 65 got JARED, who having lived 162 Years, was Father to ENOCH; this Patriarch a: 65 Years of Age, had METHUSELAH, (the oldeft Man) and by the Time he was 187 Years of Age, his Son LAMECH Came into the World; who at 182 Years old was Father to No AH; and when NOAH was 600 Years old, the Flood fwept away the Bulk of Mankind. Q. Then the Example of CAIN'S Punifoment did not prevail with the fucceeding Ages to beware of Sin ? 4. No as the World grew in Years, fo it grew in Iniquity.. Q In what Manner? A. It was wholly corrupted, and full of Cruelty. Chap. vi, 11. QBy whom did GOD reprove them ? A. By No A H. A. In making it known he would drown the World, by his |