That all mankind, however differenced by their rank and flation in the world, have an equal concern in what is revealed concerning another and future world, will be readily owned; and it must be as readily granted, that however allowable it may be for men of learning and parts, to please themfelves with fineness of language, jufinefs of thought, and exact connection in writings upon other fubjects; yet they ought not to indulge themfelves in the fame tafte in difcourfes on divine things, left they expose themselves to the just cenfure of acting with the fame indifcretion, as a perfon in danger of famifhing by hunger, would be guilty of, if he perverly rejected plain wholefome food, when offered to him, for no other reason than the want of palatable fauce, or order and fplendor in ferving it up. The facred book we call the Bible, has a peculiar fublimity in it, vailed with unufual dialect and feeming inconnection: but it is not therefore to be rejected by men who bear the name of Chriftians, as uncouth or unintelligible; true wifdom dictates quite another thing it counfels us, by frequent reading, to acquaint curfelves well with it; become accustomed to its peculiar phrafes, and fearch into its fublimities; upon this ground, that the matters contained in it, are of the utmost confequence to us, and when rightly understood, yield a refined delight, much fuperior to what is to be found in reading the beft written books on the moft entertaining fubje&s. What pleads for the parent, is a plea for the progeny; practical difcourfes upon divine fubjects, are the genuine offspring of the facred text, and ought therefore to be read carefully and with attention, by perfons of all ranks and, degrees, tho' they are indeed calculated for, and peculiarly adapted to fuch as move in low fpheres of life. Let it, however, be a prevailing argument with perfons, of all denominations, carefully to read books of practical divinity; That many of them are not written on the fame motives and principles as other books are; the authors have often a peculiar divine call to publish them, and well-founded hope of their being ufeful to advance Chriftianity in the world. In confequence whereof it is, that great numbers have reaped benefit by reading them, efpecially childhood and youth; many have been converted by them; and it may be queftioned, if ever there was a true Chriftian, fince the Art of Printing made thefe books common, who has not, in fome ftage of life, reaped confiderable advantage from them. This book recommends itfel in a particular manner, by its being a short fubftantial fyftem pra C 1 practical divinity, in fo much, that it may with truth be afferted, That a person who is throughly acquainted with all that is here taught, may, without danger to his eternal intereft, remain · ignorant of other things, which pertain to the fcience called Divinity. It is therefore earnestly recommended to the ferious. and frequent perufal of all, but especially of fuch as are in that ftage of life called youth, and are fo ftationed in the world, as not to be frequently opportuned to hear fermons, and read? commentaries on the facred text.. It is doubtlefs incumbent on masters of families to make fome: provifion of fpiritual as well as bodily food, for their children. and fervants; this is effectually done by putting practical books in their hands and therefore this book is humbly and earnestly recommended as a family book, which all the members of its are not only allowed, but defired to perufe. As to the difference betwixt this and the former edition, which gives it preference, it lies chiefly in the Author's not only having reviled the ftile, but the thought in many places, and corrected both, so as to fet feveral important truths in a clearer light, and make the ftile of the book now uniform, which for--merly was not fo, becaufe of the explications of peculiar words and phrafes in ufe amongst practical divines, efpecially of the Church of Scotland, which were interfperfed throughout the former edition, and introduced by another hand, for the fake of fuch perfons as are not accuftomed to them. It remains, that the prefacer not only fubjoin his name, which was concealed in the first edition, as a teltimony that he esteems the Author and values the book, but that he may thereby recommend it in a particular manner to the perufal of perfons of his own acquaintance. If, in his affifting towards its being published, and in prefacing both editions, he has not run unfent, he has what will bear him up under all cenfures; the charitable will think no evil, and others will do as they please. EDINBURGH, 18th 7 ROBERT WIGHTMAN, M. D. G. E. March, 1729. 1. The STATE of INNOCENCE, Or Primitive Integrity, Difcourfed from Ecclef. vii. 29. F Man's original righteoufnefs, His understanding a lamp of light, His will ftraight with the will of God, His affections orderly and pure, The qualities of this righteoufnefs, Of man's original happiness, Man a glorious creature, The covenant of works, Lord of the world, Page 19 The forbidden tree a ftay to keep him from falling, His perfect tranquillity, Life of pure delight, Man immortal, Inftructions from this ftate, Three forts of perfons reproved, A lamentation over the ruins, II. The STATE of NATURE: or State of entire De pravation. HEAD I. The SINFULNESS OF MAN'S NATURAL STATE, Dif courfed from Gen: vi. 5. HAT Man's nature is corrupted, proven, THA From God's word, From men's experience and obfervation, 38 ib. Fallen Adam's image, in eleven particulars, natural to men, 46 Of the Corruption of the underflanding, Three evidences of it, Grofs darkness in fpiritual things, Four evidences of it,. A bias in it to evil, Six evidences of that bias, Averfion to fpiritual truths, Three evidences thereof, Proneness to lies and falfhood, Man naturally high minded, Of the corruption of the will, Utter inability for what is truly good, 51 52 53 ib.' 57 ib. 61 62 64 65 66 ib. 67 A peculiar malignity against the prieftly office; corrupt Bent to the way of the law, as a covenant of works, 82 84 84 85 851 ib. ib. Against the Spirit of God, Against the law as a rule of life, Two evidences of it, Contumacy against the Lord, Perverfenefs in reference to the chief end, Corruption of the affections, confcience, and memory, The body partaker of this corruption, How man's nature was corrupted; ib. 87 88 89 90 93 95 The doctrine of the corruption of nature applied, 97 99% Gód takes fpecial notice of the fin of our nature, 105 Evidences of men's overlooking the fin of their nature, 106 Wherein that fin is to be fpecially noticed, 108 Why it is to be fpecially noticed, 109/ How to get a view of the corruption of nature, 110 HEAD II. The MISERY of MAN'S NATURAL STATE, Difcourfed from Eph. i 3. AN's natural state. a ftate of wrath, M What this state of wrath is, Wrath in the heart of God against the natural man, 116 Wrath in the word of God against him, ib. Wrath in the hand of God against him, 117 The qualities of that wrath, 124 The doctrine of the ftate of wrath confirmed and vindicated, 129 Their mifery in that respect, 'Inftances of the wrath of God, A view of the nature of God, whose wrath it is, How to flee from wrath, A few words to the faints, A word to all, HEAD III. MAN'S UTTER INABILITY to recover himself, O Difcourfed from Rom. v. 6. John vi. 44. ib. 136 137 138 139 140 P. 140 NLY two ways of man's recovering himself fuppofable, Man unable to recover himself in the way of the law, 142 144 ib. ib. He cannot fatisfy the juftice of God for his fin, 145 Object. God is merciful: we hope to be faved, if we do as well as-we can. Anfwered, 147 Man unable to recover himself in the way of the gospel, to embrace and use the help offered for his Proved by feveral arguments, recovery, Object. (1.) If we be under an utter inability to do any good, how can God require us to do it? Answered, Object (2.) Why do you then call us to believe, repent, and ufe the means? Answered, Object. (3.) The ufe of means needlefs, feeing we are utterly unable to help ourselves out of the ftate of fin and wrath, Anfwered, ib. 149 ib. 150 152 Queft. Has God promifed to convert and fave them, who, in the use of means, do what they can towards their own relief? Answered, ib. The Conclufion of this head 153 |