§. VII.

28th Q.-Who were the Patriarchs?

A.-A Patriarch was the father of a large family or nation, who, in the early ages of the world, governed them by virtue of his paternal authority: the Patriarchs of whom we are speaking, were good men who feared and loved God and obeyed his commands; such were Seth and Enoch, such also was Noah, who, with his family, was saved from the deluge or flood by which all the rest of the world were destroyed for their great wickedness, and disregard to the warning of God.

Gen. v. 24.

And Enoch walked with God, and he was not: for God took him.

Heb. xi. 5. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Jude 14. And Enoch the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15. To execute judgment upon all, &c.

Gen. vi. 9. Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 13. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

2 Pet. ii. 5. And [God] spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness; bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

29th Q.-Are these all the Patriarchs that are mentioned in the Scriptures?

A.-No, there are others mentioned, particularly Abraham who, in obedience to the divine command left his native country and sojourned in the land of Canaan, and, by his faith in the promises of God, obtained the appellation of the father of the faithful, and the friend of God.

Gen. xii. 1. Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee. 4. So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him. 5. And into the land of Canaan they came. 7. And there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto

him.

Gen. xv. 6. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Rom. iv. 11. And he [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also. 12. And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 16. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

Jam. ii. 23. And the Scripture was fulfilled which sa'th, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God. See also Isaiah xli. 8.

30th Q.-What were the promises of God. to Abraham?

A. He promised to make Abraham the father of a great nation, and that his children should possess that land in which he sojourned as a stranger: and further, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed.

Gen. xii. 2. I will bless thee and thou shalt be a blessing. 3. And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Gen. xvii. 6. I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 8. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan.

Gen. xxii. 16. By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: [Isaac, whom he was going to offer as a sacrifice by the command of God] 17. That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

31st Q.-Were these promises to Abraham fulfilled?

A. Yes: from his son Isaac came the Israelites who were a great nation, and possessed the land promised to Abraham; and Jesus Christ the Saviour of mankind, in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed, is of the seed of Abraham after the flesh.

Deut. x. 22. The Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.

Joshua xxi. 43. And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. 44. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers. 45. There failed not aught of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel: all came to pass.

Acts iii. 25. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenants which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26. Unto you first, God having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Ġal. iii. 8. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9. So then they which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham.-13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.-) .-14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

CHAPTER II.

§. I.

32d Q.-Did God reveal himself to the children of Abraham?

A. He did to Isaac, also to Jacob, otherwise called Israel; but the most remarkable revelation of the divine will to the descendants of Abraham, was through Moses, whom God appointed to be the Legislator of the Israelites.

Gen. xxvi. 2. And the Lord appeared unto him [Isaac], and said, Go not down into Egypt: 3. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father: 4. And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

Gen. xxviii. 10. And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 11. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set: and lay down in that place to sleep. 12. And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven.

D