The Westminster Larger Catechism
Questions 12—20: On God's Decrees of Creation and
Providence
Q. 12. What are the decrees of God?
A. God's decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts
of the counsel of his willa, whereby, from all
eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably foreordained
whatsoever comes to pass in timeb, especially
concerning angels and men.
a Eph. 1:11; Rom. 11:33;
Rom. 9:14,15,18 b Eph. 1:4,11; Rom. 9:22,23;
Ps. 33:11
Q. 13. What hath God especially decreed
concerning angels and men?
A.
God, by an eternal and immutable decree, out of his mere love, for the
praise of his glorious grace, to be manifested in due time, hath
elected some angels to glorya; and in Christ
hath chosen some men to eternal life, and the means thereofb:
and also, according to his sovereign power, and the unsearchable
counsel of his own will, (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favour as
he pleaseth,) hath passed by and foreordained the rest to dishonour and
wrath, to be for their sin inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his
justicec.
a 1 Tim. 5:21 b
Eph. 1:4-6; 2 Thess. 2:13,14 c Rom.
9:17,18,21,22; Matt. 11:25,26; 2 Tim. 2:20; Jude 4; 1 Pet. 2:8
Q. 14. How doth God execute his decrees?
A.
God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence,
according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable
counsel of his own willa.
a Eph. 1:11
Q. 15. What is the work of creation?
A.
The work of creation is that wherein God did in the beginning, by the
word of his power, make of nothing the world, and all things therein,
for himself, within the space of six days, and all very gooda.
a Gen. 1; Heb. 11:3; Prov.
16:4
Q. 16. How did God create angels?
A. God created all the angelsa
spiritsb, immortalc, holyd,
excelling in knowledgee, mighty in powerf,
to execute his commandments, and to praise his nameg,
yet subject to changeh.
a Col. 1:16 b
Ps. 104:4 c Matt. 22:30 d
Matt. 25:31 e 2 Sam. 14:17; Matt. 24:36 f
2 Thess. 1:7 g Ps. 103:20,21 h
2 Pet. 2:4
Q. 17. How did God create man?
A. After God had made all other creatures, he
created man male and femalea; formed the body of
the man of the dust of the groundb, and the
woman of the rib of the manc, endued them with
living, reasonable, and immortal soulsd; made
them after his own imagee, in knowledgef,
righteousness, and holinessg; having the law of
God written in their heartsh, and power to
fulfil iti, and dominion over the creatures; yet
subject to fallk.
a Gen. 1:27 b
Gen. 2:7 c Gen. 2:7 compared with Job 35:11 and
with Eccl. 12:7 and with Matt. 10:28 and with Luke 23:43 d Gen. 1:27 e
Col. 3:10 f Eph. 4:24 g
Rom. 2:14,15 h Eccl. 7:29 i
Gen. 1:28 k Gen. 3:6; Eccl. 7:29
Q. 18. What are God's works of providence?
A. God's works of providence are his most holya,
wiseb, and powerful preservingc
and governingd all his creatures; ordering them,
and all their actionse, to his own gloryf.
a Ps. 145:17 b
Ps. 104:24; Isa. 28:29 c Heb. 1:3 d
Ps. 103:19 e Matt. 10:29-31; Gen. 45:7 f
Rom. 11:36; Isa. 63:14
Q. 19. What is God's providence towards the
angels?
A. God by his providence permitted some of the
angels, wilfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnationa,
limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his own gloryb;
and established the rest in holiness and happinessc;
employing them alld, at his pleasure, in the
administrations of his power, mercy, and justicee.
a Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4; Heb.
2:16; John 8:44 b Job 1:12; Matt. 8:31 c
1 Tim. 5:21; Mark 8:38; Heb. 12:22 d Ps. 104:4 e
2 Kings 19:35; Heb. 1:14
Q. 20. What was the providence of God toward man
in the estate in which he was created?
A.
The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created,
was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him
liberty to eat of the fruit of the eartha;
putting the creatures under his dominionb, and
ordaining marriage for his helpc; affording him
communion with himselfd; instituting the Sabbathe;
entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal,
perfect, and perpetual obediencef, of which the
tree of life was a pledgeg; and forbidding to
eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of
deathh.
a Gen. 2:8,15,16 b
Gen. 1:28 c Gen. 2:18 d
Gen. 1:26-29; Gen. 3:8 e Gen. 2:3 f
Gal. 3:12; Rom. 10:5 g Gen. 2:9 h
Gen. 2:17
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