QUESTION 4. What is God?


[cf. Flavel]


A. That God is; or that there is a God, Heb. 11:6 -- "He that cometh unto God, must believe that he is."


A. Yes; as the apostle declares, Rom. 1:20 -- "The invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; even his eternal power and Godhead."

Q. 3. In what volumes has God discovered the knowledge of himself to all mankind?

A. In the great volumes of creation and providence; which he opens to all the world.


A. All creatures in general, and every creature in particular, say that God "made us, and not we ourselves," Psalm 100:3.

Q. 5. What says the volume of providence?

A. It says, that the same God who gave us being, upholds us therein; and governs us to the end for which he made us, Heb. 1:3.

Q. 6. Is not every man's own being, a convincing evidence that there is a God?

A. Yes; for, "in him we live, move, and have our being." No man can have any hand in his own formation in the womb, Psalm 139:15, 16; nor can he add a cubit unto his stature, or make one hair of his head either white or black, Matt. 6:27; and 5:36.


A. They afford us some dark glimpses of his eternal power, wisdom, greatness, and goodness; but it is only by and through the scriptures of truth, set home on the soul by his Spirit, that we can attain the saving knowledge of God, and of his perfections, John 5:39; 2 Pet. 1:19; Rom. 15:4.


A. Christ, the eternal Son of God: "No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him," John 1:18.



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


Q. 11. Why is God said to be love?





A. He is as infinitely above the being of all created spirits, as he is above the conception of all intelligent creatures. Job 37:23 -- "Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out."





Q. 16. What may we learn from God's being a spirit?





A. Although neither men nor angels can have a comprehensive knowledge of God, Job 11:7-9; yet, besides the speculative and merely rational knowledge of him, which men have, and may have much of, by the light of nature, a saving and satisfying knowledge of him is attainable, and is promised in the word, Jer. 24:7 -- "I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord." And John 6:45 -- "It is written in the prophets, They shall be all taught of God."

Q. 19. Wherein consists the saving knowledge of God?



A. It is like that of Moses, Ex. 15:11 -- "Who is like unto thee, O Lord? -- who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" Or that of the Psalmist, Psalm 48:14 -- "This God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death."










A. Into incommunicable and communicable.


A. His infinity, eternity, and unchangeableness.

Q. 27. Why called incommunicable?




Q. 29. Why called communicable?

A. Because there is some faint resemblance or similitude of them to be found among the creatures, namely, angels, and saints: hence are they proposed in scripture for our imitation, Psalm 11:6 -- "The righteous Lord loveth righteousness. " 1 Pet. 1:16 -- "Be ye holy, for I am holy."


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 wisdom, and so on of the rest, which would be blasphemy to affirm of any creature: hence it is said, Matt. 19:17, "There is none good but one, that is God:" None infinitely, eternally, and unchangeably good, but he only.

OF GOD'S INFINITY [cf. Flavel]




A. His incomprehensibleness, immensity, and omnipresence.



Q. 4. What is the immensity of God?







A. Reason teaches us that no creature can subsist by itself, without the presence of God to uphold it in its being and operation. Acts 17:28 -- "In him we live, and move, and have our being."



Q. 9. How is he present in heaven?


Q. 10. How is he present in hell?


Q. 11. What may we learn from God's omnipresence?


OF GOD'S ETERNITY [cf. Flavel]






A. From Psalm 90:2 -- "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God;" that is, since thou didst exist before the mountains were brought forth, or before the beginning of time, thou art absolutely eternal.


A. From Psalm 102:12, 27 -- "Thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever, -- and thy years shall have no end;" for that which had no beginning of duration, can never have an end of it, but must always necessarily exist.


A. From Psalm 90:4 -- "A thousand years are in thy sight but as yesterday when it is past:" and 2 Pet. 3:8 -- "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." He does not only always remain in being, but is always the same in that being, Psalm 102:27.

Q. 6. What is the difference between God's eternity, and the eternity of angels and the souls of men?


Q. 7. What use should the wicked make of God's eternity?





Q. 1. What do you understand by God's being unchangeable?


Q. 2. How is God's unchangeableness proved from scripture?

A. From Mal. 3:6 -- "I am the Lord, I change not;" and James 1:17 -- "The Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Q. 3. How may it be proved from reason?






Q. 6. Did creation make any change in God?




Q. 8. What may we learn from God's unchangeableness?





Q. 1. What is understood by God's being?

A. It is what is usually called his essence.

Q. 2. What is the divine essence?


Q. 3. What is the highest perfection of being?











A. Yes; as is evident from the unanswerable reasoning of the Spirit of God, Psalm 94:9, 10:-- "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? -- He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?"

Q. 9. What may we learn from God's being?


OF GOD'S WISDOM [cf. Flavel]


A. Yes; "For the Lord is a God of knowledge, by him actions are weighed," 1 Sam. 2:3.

Q. 2. What is God's omniscience?



A. From 1 John 3:20 -- "God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things."

Q. 4. How does God's omniscience appear from reason?









A. It is so independent upon the creature, "as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain, Acts 15:18; Ezek. 11:5."[13]


A. It appears from this, that future events, which depend upon the freedom of man's will, or upon second causes, are expressly foretold in scripture, and, therefore, certainly foreknown by God; such as, Joseph's preferment, and Israel's oppression in Egypt; Ahab's death, though by an arrow shot at a venture; Caesar's decree, that all the world should be taxed, bringing about Christ's birth at Bethlehem; and many other instances.





Q. 12. Is God's knowledge of things general or particular?



A. As there is no succession in his essence, so there is none in his knowledge; he knows all things eternally, infallibly, and immutably, by one single act of his infinite understanding, Heb. 4:13 -- "All things are naked and opened, unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."











OF GOD'S POWER [cf. Flavel]

Q. 1. What is the power of God?




Q. 3. Is it any impeachment of God's omnipotence, that he cannot lie, cannot deny himself?

A. By no means; for, on the contrary, God is therefore omnipotent, because it is impossible for him to do evil or depart from the infinite rectitude of his own will, 1 Sam. 15:29 -- "The strength of Israel will not lie."


A. In creation, providence, and redemption.


A. In calling "those things that be not as though they were," Rom. 4:7; without the assistance or instrumentality of any whosoever, Isa. 44:24.




A. By laying the chief cornerstone thereof, in the union of the human nature to the person of the Son of God; supporting him under the inconceivable load of divine wrath, for our sins, and spoiling principalities and powers in that very nature which Satan had vanquished at first; hence he is called "the power of God," 1 Cor. 1:24 -- "the arm of the Lord," Isa. 53:1; and "the man of his right hand," Psalm 80:17.




A. It can fasten upon it, for the performance of his gracious word, Rom 4:20, 21:for resisting and conquering sin, Satan, and the world, saying, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Rom. 8:31; and for the practice of any commanded duty, however difficult, saying, "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me," Phil. 4:13.

OF GOD'S HOLINESS [cf. Flavel]

Q. 1. What is the holiness of God?


Q. 2. Is God necessarily holy?

A. Holiness is as necessary to him as his being: he is as necessarily holy, as he is necessarily God: "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord? -- for thou only art holy," Rev. 15:4.


A. He singles it out as the attribute to swear by, for the accomplishment of his promises and threatenings, Psalm 89:35 -- "Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David."

Q. 4. Are finite creatures able to behold the brightness of God's holiness?










Q. 9. What was the highest display of God's holiness, and detestation of sin? A. His hiding his face from his own beloved Son, as bearing our iniquity, Matt. 27:46.



Q. 11. How does God hate sin?

A. He hates it necessarily, and with a "perfect hatred," Psalm 5:4-6.




A. To "give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness," Psalm 30:4; to proclaim the glory of it, Ex. 15:11; and to study holiness in all manner of conversation, 1 Pet. 1:15.

Q. 14. How may we know if we have suitable impressions of God's holiness?


OF GOD'S JUSTICE [cf. Flavel]

Q. 1. What is the justice of God?




Q. 3. What is God's justice as it relates to himself?


Q. 4. What is God's justice in relation to rational creatures?


Q. 5. How is it usually distinguished?

A. Into legislative and distributive justice.

Q. 6. What is legislative justice?





A. God cannot lose his right to demand obedience to his laws, though man has lost his power to give it; especially as man's inability was contracted by his own voluntary apostasy and rebellion, Eccl. 7:29 -- "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions."

Q. 9. What is God's distributive justice?




Q. 11. Where are they mentioned?

A. In Rom. 3:27 -- "Where is boasting, then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."





Q. 14. What is the sinner's due according to the law of faith?



A. Yes; his righteousness is declared in so doing, Rom. 3:25, 26 -- "Whom God hath set forth for a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, -- that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus."



Q. 17. How is this kind of justice called?

A. Remunerative or rewarding justice, Psalm 58:11 -- "Verily, there is a reward for the righteous."

Q. 18. Is not God's taking vengeance on transgressors, a righteous act of justice?

A. Yes; for "every transgression and disobedience receives a just recompense of reward," Heb. 2:2. "It is a righteous thing to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you," 2 Thess. 1:6. Hence says the same apostle, Rom. 3:5, 6 -- "Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?"

Q. 19. How is this justice of God called?

A. Vindictive or punishing justice, Acts 28:4.

Q. 20. What is vindictive justice?

A. It is God's inflicting the punishment upon sin, which is threatened in the law, Gen. 2:17; Ezek. 18:4.


A. No; for he has declared, "that in forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin," he "will by no means clear the guilty;" namely, without a satisfaction, Ex. 34:7.




A. To plead the perfect and full satisfaction of it by the Surety, as the honourable channel, in which we expect all mercy and grace to flow plentifully to us, as the Psalmist did, Psalm 25:11 -- "For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great."

OF GOD'S GOODNESS [cf. Flavel]

Q. 1. What is the goodness of God?



A. Into his absolute and relative goodness.

Q. 3. What is his absolute goodness?

A. It is the essential goodness of his nature, without considering it in relation to the creatures, Matt. 19:17 -- "There is none good but one, that is, God."

Q. 4. What is his relative goodness?








Q. 8. How is this goodness distinguished?

A. Into common and special goodness.

Q. 9. What is his common goodness?

A. His dispensing the good things of this life, promiscuously among his creatures, Matt. 5:45 -- "He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."


A. Yes; for he not only provides for them, "filling their hearts with food and gladness," Acts 14:17; but exercises long-suffering patience towards them, Neh. 9:17; and affords such of them as are within the visible church, the means of salvation, Acts 13:26.

Q. 11. What is the special goodness of God?



A. Both in the contrivance and execution of it.






A. In the streams of love, grace and mercy, according to his name, Ex. 34:6, -- "the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious," &c.


A. They are much the same, only love considers the sinner simply as God's creature; grace views him as ill-deserving; and mercy, through a satisfaction, respects him as in misery.

Q. 17. Who are the objects of God's special goodness?

A. His chosen ones, Psalm 106:4, 5 -- "O visit me with thy salvation, that I may see the good of thy chosen."


A. No; for "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him," 1 Cor. 2:9. And Psalm 31:19 -- "O! how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee."


A. It is laid up in Christ, who has received the gifts of God's goodness for men, Psalm 68:18 -- "When he ascended up on high, he -- gave gifts unto men," Eph. 4:8; and therefore, God has made him most blessed for ever, Psalm 21:6.





Q. 22. What are the properties of this goodness?



A. We ought to "praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men," Psalm 107:8; to be influenced to repentance from the consideration of his goodness, Rom. 2:4; and to imitate God in it, Heb. 13:16.

OF GOD'S TRUTH [cf. Flavel]

Q. 1. What is the truth of God?



A. To the revelation of his will in his word: hence the whole scripture is infallible truth; "one jot, or one tittle, shall in no wise pass therefrom, till all be fulfilled," Matt. 5:18. For, "the word of the Lord endureth for ever," 1 Pet. 1:25.

Q. 3. What is God's truth, as respecting his word, commonly called?

A. His faithfulness, or veracity, Heb. 10:23 -- "He is faithful that promised."


A. To all change of mind, Job 23:13 -- "He is in one mind, and who can turn him?" and to all lying and dissimulation, Heb. 6:18 -- "It is impossible for God to lie."


A. No; for truth always hangs with itself, and he "keepeth truth for ever," Psalm 146:6.


A. No, surely; for "he will ever be mindful of his covenant," Psalm 111:5.






A. By the sin of unbelief, which makes God a liar, because it believes not "the record that God gave of his Son," 1 John 5:10.


A. "This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son," 1 John 5:11.

Q. 11. To whom is this record given?

A. To all the hearers of the gospel, as a ground of faith. Mark 16:15 -- "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature:" Acts 2:39 -- "The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."


A. If it were not so, it were impossible that unbelievers, under the gospel, could make God a liar; for if they have no concern in this record, and are not bound to believe it with application to themselves, their rejecting of it could not be their sin; because "where no law is, there is no transgression," Rom. 4:15.




A. By the example of the promise of Canaan, made indefinitely to all Israel who came out of Egypt, Ex. 6:6, 8; yet many of them "could not enter in because of unbelief," Heb. 3:19:even so, the promise of eternal life is made to all the hearers of the gospel; yet many of them come short of it, because "the word preached doth not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that hear it," Heb. 4:1, 2.


A. They are condemned already, and "the wrath of God abideth on them," John 3:18, 36.



[12] [of] ed.

[13] Confession of Faith, chapter ii. § 2.

[14] futurition = state of being to come hereafter.

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