CONTENTS. Arguments to prove Faith in Christ to be the Detroit Mes ve . Prop, I. Unconverted Sinners are on Buded, pm and invited to believe in Christ for Salrere, . Prop. II. Every Man is bound cordially 'o PKR' SE 22de prove whatever God reveals, . . . . . 6 Prop. III. Though the Gospel, strictly speskop, Prop. IV. The Want of Faith in Christ is act be?.. . Prop. V. God has threatened and inflicted the mos . Punishments on Sinners, for their not believ.sg of t Prop. VI. Other spiritual Exercises, which sus'in s. : On the Principle of Holiness possessed by Man an Iranscenta Concerning the Decrees of God, . . . On Particular Redemption, . . . On Sinners being under the Covenant of Works, On the Inability of Sinners to believe in Christ, and door.' spiritually good, . . . . . . . . CONTENTS. Arguments to prove Faith in Christ to be the Duty of all Men who hear, or have Opportunity to hear, the Gospel, . . . 35 .. Prop, I. Unconverted Sinners are commanded, exhorted, and invited to believe in Christ for Salvation, - - - 35 Prop. II. Every Man is bound cordially to receive and ap- prove whatever God reveals, - - - - - - 46 Prop. III. Though the Gospel, strictly speaking, is not a Law, but a Message of pure Grace ; yet it virtually requires Obedience, and such an Ob dience as includes saving Faith, 52 Prop. IV. The Want of Faith in Christ is ascribed to Men's Depravity, and is itself represented as a heinous Sin, - . 56 Prop. V. God has threatened and inflicted the most awful Punishments on Sinners, for their not believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, - - - - - - - . . 63 Prop. VI. Other spiritual Exercises, which sustain an in- separable Connexion with Faith in Christ, are represented as Objections answered, . . . . . . . - - 76 On the Principle of Holiness possessed by Man in Innocence, 79 Concerning the Decrees of God, - - - - • 84 On Particular Redemption, - - - . - - 88 On Sinners being under the Covenant of Works, - - 91 On the Inability of Sinners to believe in Christ, and do things spiritually good, . . - - - - - - 93 of the work of the Holy Spirit, . . . . . 99 WHEN the following pages were written, (1781,) the two thor had no intention of publishing them. He had formerly ex tertained different sentiments. For some few years, however, he had begun to doubt whether all his principles on these subjects were scriptural. These doubts arose chiefly from thinking on some passages of scripture; particularly, the las ter part of the second Psalm, where kings who act themselves against the Lord, and against his Anointed, are positively commanded to kiss the Son; also, the preaching of John the Baptist, Christ, and his apostles; who, he found, did not hesitate to address unconverted sinners; and that, in the bucat pointed manner : saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.—Repent, and be converted, that your eins may be blotted out. And it appeared, to him, there must be a wwwwwwww Reading the lives and labours of such men as Elliot, Brain. erd, and several others, who preached Christ with so much success to the American Indians, had an effect upon him. Their work, like that of the apostles, seemed to be plain Den fore them. They appeared, to him, in their addresses to those poor, benighted heathens, to have done of those diffi- culties with which he felt himself encumbered. These things PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. WHEN the following pages were written, (1781,) the author had no intention of publishing them. He had formerly entertained different sentiments. For some few years, however, he had begun to doubt whether all his principles on these subjects were scriptural. These doubts arose chiefly from thinking on some passages of scripture; particularly, the lat« ter part of the second Psalm, where kings who set themselves against the Lord, and against his Anointed, are positively commanded to kiss the Son: also, the preaching of John the Baptist, Christ, and his apostles; who, he found, did not hesitate to address unconverted sinners; and that, in the most pointed manner: saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. And it appeared, to him, there must be a most unwarrantable force put upon these passages, to make them mean any other repentance and faith than such as are connected with salvation... Reading the lives and labours of such men as Elliot, Brain. erd, and several others, who preached Christ with so much success to the American Indians, had an effect upon him. Their work, like that of the apostles, seemed to be plain be. fore them. They appeared, to him, in their addresses to those poor, benighted heathens, to have none of those difficulties with which he felt himself encumbered. These things led him to the throne of grace, to implore instruction and VOL, I. It appeared to him, that we had taken unconverted after og He had also read and considered, as well as he was 5 ners to believe in Christ, and that, because of their ina ; He wishes to avoid the spirit into which we are ape to be the gospel as saving faith; yet there is an important difi terier inte ideas which they attach to believing. This difference, with some ordinat taings, is examined, in an Appendis, at the end of this edition. * Isaiah liji. 1, 2. |