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37. Are the wisdom and piety of the young intimately connected with the extension of the cause of Christ?

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice'den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (11 Is. 6 to 10.)

38. What will be the state of the young in those blessed days?

All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. (54 Is. 13.)

Thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. (60 Is. 4.)

39. Will the young be then blessed in a most extraordinary manner?

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There shall be no more thence an infant of days;-for the child shall die an hundred years old.-For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock-they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. (65 Is. 20, 23, 25.)

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Man unable of himself to obtain the right knowledge of God —God's revelation of himself—God, one, self-existent, eternal-His power and greatness-Omniscience, omnipresence, knowledge-Love, mercy, goodness-Holiness, justice-Truth, unchangeableness-God to be worshipped and glorified.

1. Is man of himself able to attain a right knowledge of God?

The world by wisdom knew not God. (I Cor. 1.21.)

Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? (11 Job 7.)

2. Do the works of nature bear witness to a God?

The invisible things of Him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. (1 Ro. 20.)

3. When men acknowledged the existence of a God, was their conduct consistent with this belief?

When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened: professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (1 Ro. 21, 22, 23, and 25.)

4. Was the knowledge of God esteemed by men?

They did not like to retain God in their knowledge.(1 Ro. 28.) 5. To whom did the men of Athens direct their worship? To the unknown God. (17 Ac. 23)

6. Besides God's earlier revelations, to whom did he particularly manifest himself?

He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. (103 P. 7.)

7. How did God make the brightest revelation of himself? God, who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son. (1 Heb. 1, 2.)

8. Did Jesus Christ announce his power to reveal the knowledge of God?

All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. (10 Lk. 22.)

9. What did Christ say as to the nature of God?

God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (4 Jn. 24.)

God is one, self-existent, eternal.

10. What has God said of himself?

I am that I am. (3 Ex. 14.)

I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no god. (44 Is. 6.)

There is no god beside me; a just God and a Saviour: there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. (45 Is. 21, 22.)

11. What have the inspired writers stated as to the eternal God?

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. (90 P. 2.)

One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (II Pet. 3. 8.)

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (I Tim. 1. 17.)

The Power and Greatness of God.

12. How are the power and greatness of God described in the Scriptures?

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. (145 P. 3.)

Great is our Lord, and of great power; his understanding is infinite. (147 P. 5.)

He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? (4 Dan. 35.)

The Omniscience, Omnipresence, and infinite Knowledge, of God.

13. How does God assert his universal presence and knowledge?

Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. (23 Jer. 23, 24.)

14. How do the Scriptures in various parts mention the omniscience and wisdom of God?

His eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. (34 Job, 21, 22.) His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. (11 P.4.)

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (15 Pr. 3.)

Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. (40 Is. 28.)

All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (4 Heb. 13.)

15. Does God know our hearts and secret characters?

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts. (21 Pr. 2.)

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The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (I Sam. 16.7.)

16. What are suitable prayers for us when we are seriously thinking of an all-seeing God?

Thou God seest me. (16 Gn. 13.)

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know

my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (139 P. 23, 24.)

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!-For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (11 Ro. 33 and 36.)

The Love, Mercy, and Goodness of God.

17. How did God proclaim himself to Moses?

The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty. (34 Ex.6,7.) 18. How does God assert his love, mercy, and goodness, to his people?

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. (49 Is. 15.)

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. (54 Is. 7, 8.) I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love. (11 Hos. 4.)

19. What other texts declare the love and mercy of God? The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.-Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. (103 Ps. 8, 13.)

The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works. (145 P. 8, 9.)

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