This description of the Spirit’s witness resembles sensible assurance; that there may be such an immediate suggestion, or impression is possible; but the Spirit’s witness is the image of God, and is of adoption.—Vide Edwards’s works, vol. 4. p. 161. Quest. V. QUEST. V. _What do the scriptures principally teach?_ ANSW. The scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.[46] Having, in the foregoing answer, proved the scriptures to be the word of God, there is in this a general account of the contents thereof; there are many great doctrines contained therein, all which may be reduced to two heads, to wit, what we are to believe, and what we are to do. All religion is contained in these two things, and so we may apply the words of the apostle to this case, _Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum_, Heb. viii. 1. and accordingly, as this Catechism is deduced from scripture, it contains two parts, _viz._ what we are to believe, and in what instances we are to yield obedience to the law of God. And that the scriptures principally teach these two things, appears from the apostle’s advice to Timothy, _Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me in faith and love_, 2 Tim. i. 13. From the scriptures’ principally teaching us matters of faith and practice, we infer, that _faith without works is dead_; or that he is not a true Christian who yields an assent to divine revelation, without a practical subjection to God, in all ways of holy obedience, as the apostle observes, and gives a challenge, to this effect, to those who separate faith from works; _Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works_, James ii. 17, 18. and, on the other hand, works without faith are unacceptable. A blind obedience, or ignorant performance of some of the external parts of religion, without the knowledge of divine truth, is no better than what the apostle calls _bodily exercise which profiteth little_, 1 Tim. iv. 18. therefore we ought to examine ourselves, whether our faith be founded on, or truly deduced from scripture? and whether it be a practical faith, or, as the apostle says, such as _worketh by love_? Gal. v. 6. whether we grow in knowledge, as well as in zeal and diligence, in performing many duties of religion, if we would approve ourselves sincere Christians? Footnote 46: What we are to believe reaches to Qu. 91. the rest is of practice. Quest. VI. QUEST. VI. _What do the scriptures make known of God?_ ANSW. The scriptures make known what God is, the persons in the Godhead, the decrees, and the execution of his decrees.