THE SCHOOL & FAMILY CATECHIST.
Q.4. What is God?
- A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
A Spirit. —A living, thinking substance, without bodily parts, and which cannot be seen with the eyes.
Infinite. —Without bounds or limits.
Eternal.—Without beginning and without end.
Unchangeable. —Always the same, without any alteration.
The knowledge which we here receive, concerning God, consists of ten particulars:
- 1. That God is a Spirit.—John iv. 24. God is a Spirit.—John i. 18. No man hath seen God at any time.
- That he is infinite.—Job. xi. 7. Canst thou by searching find out God?
- That he is eternal. —Psal. xc. 1, 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 he is unchangeable.—Mal. iii. 6. I am the Lord, I change not. — Psal. xxxiii. 11. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever; the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
- That he is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his BEING or ESSENCE. —Exod. iii. 14. God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM
- That he is so likewise in his WISDOM, or that attribute of his nature by which he knows and directs all things. — Ps. cxlvii. 5. His understanding is infinite.
- That he is the same also in his POWER, or that attribute of his nature, by which he can do everything, that is no sinful or dishonorable. —Jer. xxxii. 27. Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? —Mark x. 27. With God all things are possible.
- That the same perfections extend also to the HOLINESS of God, or that attribute of his nature, which shows him to be perfectly free from all sin. Rev. xv. 4. O Lord— thou only art holy.—Psal. cxlv. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
- That he is equally perfect in his JUSTICE, or that attribute of his nature, which he renders to every creature his due.—Psal. lxxxix. 14. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne.— Rev. xv. 3. Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints!
- That this is also the case with his GOODNESS, and TRUTH, or those attributes of his nature, by which he is kind to his creatures, and by which he abhors everything like deceit and falsehood.— Exod. xxxiv. 6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.—1 John iv. 8. God is love.