8 Q. What was a further Aggravation of Job's Diftrefs?

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A. That his Wife tempted him to abandon all Religion, because God fuffered him to be thus afflicted, Job ii. 9, 10.

9Q. Had Job any Comforter?

A. Three Friends came from the neighbouring Placesto mourn with him and comfort him, ver. 11. 10 Q. How long did his Patience continue in this perfect Exercise of it?

A. Seven Days he fat down in Ashes, and was filent under the Hand of God, ver. 13.

II Q. Wherein did any Impatience of Job at first appear?

A. In curfing the Day on which he was born, Job iii. 1-16.

12 Q. What were the Sentiments of Job's three Friends on this mournful Occafion, and how did they carry it towards him?

A.When they faw him to be fo dreadfully afflicted, they rafhly concluded he had been guilty of very great Sins, notwithstanding his outward Profeffion of Piety, and therefore they feverely reproved him for his grievous Complaints, Job, chap. iv, &c. 13 Q. How did Job anfwer to their Charges? A. He maintained against them all this great Truth, "that God did fometimes afflict those who were innocent, for wife and unfearchable Reasons;" and he vindicated his own Innocence, placing his Truft in God, chap. ix. &c.

14 Q. Wherein did Job fail in his Duty towards God in this Matter?

A. Under the Violence of his Diftrefs, and the most unjust Accufations of his Friends, he fometimes spoke Words of unreasonable Defpair, and fometimes he used rafh and unbecoming Language

against

against the great God, and vindicated himfelf too much, as though he had been perfectly innocent before God as well as before Men, Job, chap. vi, &c.

15 Q. How was the Controverfy between Job and his Friends compromised at laft?

A. Elihu, a fourth Friend, who was younger than the reft, and had come to vifit him, took a middle Way to end this Controversy, and spoke more agreeably to the Truth: and though he reproved the three Friends for afferting that God would never afflict any innocent Man so much as Job was afflicted? yet he feverely reproved Job for infifting fo much on his own Innocence before God, chap. xxxii, &c.

16 Q. What was the Foundation of Elihu's Argument on this Occafion?

A. The fupreme Majefty and Holiness of God, the Meannefs and Sinfulness of the best of Men in his Sight; his fovereign Dominion over all Things, and the Unfearchablenefs of his Wifdom and Conduct toward Men, chap. xxxiii, and xxxvi, &c.

17 Q. How did God himself manifeftly engage in deciding this Controversy?

A. He greatly confirmed the Sentiments and Opinions of Elihu, by afferting and difplaying his own fupreme Wisdom and Power, his Grandeur and Dominion over all Things, by a Voice out of the Whirlwind, chap. xxxv, &c.

18Q.What Effect had this upon his Servant Job? A. Job confeffed his Folly, abhorred himself for his Sin under the Apprehenfion of the Holiness and the Majefty of God, and repented in Duft and Afhes, Job xlii. 1-6.

19 Q. How did God deal with the three Friends of Job?

A. He difapproved of their false Accufations of

Job,

Job, and their wrong Sentiments concerning God himself and his Conduct, and bid them offer a Sacrifice of Atonement, and Job to pray for them, ver. 7, 8.

20 Q. What Tokens of Approbation and Favour did God fhew to Job?

A. While Job prayed for his Friends, God releafed him from all his Afflictions, and afterward gave him ten Children, as he had at first, he doubled his Eftate, and prolonged his Life to four Generations, Job xlii. 10-17.

CHAP. XV.

The HISTORY of JONAH.

1QWHO was Jonah ?

A. A Prophet, who lived about the Time of Jeroboam the second, King of Ifrael, Fanah i. 1. 2 Kings xiv. 25. There is no Need of particular Citations of Chapter and Verfe for the Hiftory of Jonah, fince the whole is contained in four fhort Chapters.

2 Q. Whither did God fend him?

A. He was fent to Nineveh, to pronounce Deftruction upon that greatCity for their Difobedience. 3Q. How did Jonah difobey God?

A. He took Shipping, and fled toward Tarfhifh, from the Prefence of the Lord, because he fuppofed that the Mercy of God would spare Nineveh after he had pronounced Destruction upon it, and then he fhould be counted a falfe Prophet.

4 Q. What befel him in this Voyage?

A. There arose a terrible Tempeft, which endangered the Ship; and Jonah being conscious of

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his

his own Guilt, advised the Sailors to caft him into the Sea, and then the Storm ceased.

5 Q. What became of Jonah?

A. A great Fifh fwallowed him up, and he continued in the Bowels of the Fish three Days and three Nights.

6 Q. Did he ever come to the Shore again ?

A. At his Repentance and earnest Prayer, God' commanded the Fish to vomit out Jonah upon the dry Land, Jonah ii.?.

7 Q. What Service did God affign to Jonah after this great Deliverance?

A He fent him the fecond Time to Nineveh, to preach Destruction againf it within forty Days, Jonah iii.

8Q. What Effect had this Preaching upon the People?

A. The King and the People put on Sackcloth, mourned for their Sins, turned from their evilWays, and cried mightily to God for Mercy, whereupon God withheld thePunishment which he threatened. 9 Q. How did Jonah refent this merciful Dealing of God with Nineveh ?

A He feared he fhould be counted a falfe Prophet, and in an angry Temper defired God to take away his Life, Jonah iv.

10 Q. What did God do to convince him of the Unreasonableness of his Anger?

A. He made a Gourd grow up in a Night, which fheltered him from the Heat of the Sun, and he caufed it to wither the next Day; upon which Jonah murmured against God.

11 Q. How did God argue with Jonah upon this Occurrence?

A. God reproved the Prophet, that he fhould be fo much concerned about a Gourd, a fenfelefs Plant which grew up in one Night, and only af

forded him fome Conveniency of Life; and that he fhould be no more concerned about the Lives of fo great and populous a City, which befides Men and Women, had above fixfcore thousand Children in it.

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CHAP. XVI.

The HISTORY of JEREMIAH.

QWHO
HO was Jeremiah?

A. One of the Priefts in the Land of Benjamin, whom God called to be a Prophet when he was very young, in the Days of Jofiah, King of Judah, Jer. i. 1—7.

2Q What Encouragement had he when he was fo young to pronounce the Judgments of God against the People?

A. God put forth his Hand, and touched his Mouth, to fignify his divine Infpiration, and promifed his Prefence with him, to deliver him from all that fhould oppofe him, ver. 7-19.

3 Q. What was the chief Meffage with which Jeremiah was fent to the People, and to the Princes and Kings of Judah?

A. That Jerufalem fhould be deftroyed, and the People and Princes fhould be carried away captive into Babylon, because of their Sins, and remain there feventy Years. From Jer. chapter vii. to xxv. ver. II, 12.

4 Q. By what Method did Jeremiah fet before them their Sins and thefe Judgments of God?

A. By fome very plain and direct Speeches, by an Example of the Rechabites fet before them, and by fome Parables or Emblems.

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5 Q. How