The Works of Joseph Bellamy, D.D., First Pastor of the Church in Bethlem, Conn

THE

WORKS

JOSEPH BELLAMY, D. D.

FIRST PASTOR OF

THE CHURCH IN BETULEM, CONN.

WITH

A MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

C BOSTON:
DOCTRINAL TRACT AND BOOK SOCIETY.

n.3 . C1112,12,10

MARYARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

15 iecerlesen

the Pit a
eng, Bearinda Pucólicatione;

u Boston

Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1850, by

SEWALL HARDING,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

STEREOTYPED AT THE

BOBTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

CONTENTS

VOLUME II.

PAGB

THE WISDOM OF GOD IN THE PERMISSION OF SIN.

Preface, ......

Four Sermons,...................................................... 7

.......

ves

A VINDICATION OF THE WISDOM OF GOD IN THE PERMIS-

SION OF SIN, in Answer to a Pamphlet entitled, “ An Attempt,” &c.

Preface, .......

........................ 99

Introduction, ....

................ 101

Particulars wherein both writers agree, .....

.. 103

The grand point in the controversy stated, .......

.............. 104

God always acts agreeably to his own perfections in the most wise, holy,

and perfect manner,......

.......... 105

A Dialogue between A., the author of the Attempt, and B., the author of

the Sermons on the Wisdom of God, &c.,....

...... 107

THERON, PAULINUS, AND ASPASIO; or, Letters and Dialogues upon

the Nature of Love to God, Faith in Christ, Assurance of a Title to
Eternal Life, containing some Remarks on the Sentiments of the Rey.

Messrs. Hervey and Marshall, on these Subjects.

AN ESSAY ON THE NATURE AND GLORY OF THE GOSPEL OF

JESUS CHRIST, Designed as a Supplement to the Author's Letters

and Dialogues on the Nature of Love to God, Faith in Jesus Christ,

and Assurance of a Title to Eternal Life.

Preface, .......

271

Introduction, .......

Section I. A general view of the nature of the gospel, .......

.. 281

II. A general view of the glory of the gospel,....

III. The divine law holy, just, and good, a glorious law antecedent

to a consideration of the gift of Christ, and the work of redemp-

tion by him,........

IV. The design of the mediatorial office and work of Christ, was to

do honor to the divine law,..

......... 312

V. Sin an infinite evil,.......

.......... 333

VI. Vindictive justice an amiable perfection in the Deity; a beauty

in the divine character,.................................. 342

VII. God, who is the supreme, all-sufficient good, can, consistently

with his honor, and is willing to become a God, and Father,

and everlasting portion to all who return to him through Jesus

Christ, .............................

........... 353

VIII. Repentance is before forgiveness, ......

........... 363

IX. The nature and effects, the cause and cure, of a self-righteous

spirit,........

........ 390

X. The nature and consequences of spiritual blindness; and how

the god of this world blinds the minds of them that believe

not,

.... 404

XI. The nature of divine illumination,........................... 414

XII. The effects of divine illumination,.

..... 423

There is no consistent medium between ancient apostolical Christianity and

infidelity,.................

......... 448

THERE IS BUT ONE COVENANT, PROVED FROM THE WORD OF

GOD; AND THE DOCTRINE OF AN EXTERNAL GRACELESS

COVENANT, SHOWN TO BE UNSCRIPTURAL.

Preface, ...........

.......... 455

Section I. The nature of Mr. Mather's external graceless covenant, its dif-

ference from the covenant of grace, and a general view of the

subject, ......

......... 459

II. The covenant with Abraham was a holy covenant, and could not

be complied with but in the exercise of holiness, ............ 463

III. The covenant with the Israelites in the wilderness was a holy

covenant, and could not be complied with but in the exercise

of holiness, .............................................. 471

IV. The gospel of Christ essentially different from Mr. M.'s external

graceless covenant,......

........................ 482

V. Baptism and the Lord's supper are seals of the covenant of

grace, and of no other covenant, ...

......... 488

VI. It cannot be determined what Mr. M.'s external covenant re-

quires, and wherein a real compliance with it doth consist,.. 494

VII. Various distinctions stated to render the subject more easy to be

understood, ....

......... 499

VIII. Mr. M.'s scheme inconsistent with itself, ...................... 509

A CAREFUL AND STRICT EXAMINATION OF THE EXTER-

NAL COVENANT, AND OF THE PRINCIPLES BY WHICH

IT IS SUPPORTED; a Reply to the Rev. Mr. Mather's Piece, enti-

tled, “The Visible Church in Covenant with God, further illustrat-

ed,” &c. A Vindication of the Plan on which the Churches in

New England were originally formed, &c.

Preface, .............

......... 523

Introduction. Phrases explained and questions stated, ................... 531

Section L The nature of Mr. M.'s external covenant, as stated by himself,

under the notion of a conditional covenant,................ 536

II. Mr. M.'s external covenant represented by him as unconditional,

examined in this view of it,.........

......... 545

III. The perfection of the divine law, and total depravity, inconsist-

ent with the notion of an external covenant appointed by God

for the unregenerate, as such, to enter into, requiring graceless

qualifications, and nothing else, as the conditions of its

blessings, ............................................... 554

IV. A view of the exhortations and promises of the gospel; and

the true reason pointed out why the doings of the unregen-

erate do not entitle to the blessings promised, .............. 563

V. Impenitent, self-righteous, Christless sinners, are under the curse

of the law of God. But this is inconsistent with their being

in covenant with God, in good standing in his sight, by any

works which they do, while such,.

........ 577

VI. The nature of the enmity of the carnal mind against God, and

whether it remains, notwithstanding the revelation of God's

readiness to be reconciled to men,.......... ........... 598

VIL. Whether the gospel calls fallen men to be reconciled to that

character of God against which they are at enmity,.......... 618

VIII. How it was possible for Adam, before the fall, to love that char-

acter of God which was exhibited to him in the law, consist-

ently with the love of his own happiness, ........

628

DX. The Christian creed, the Arminian creed, and Mr. M.'s creed;

remarks on each,..................

......... 637

X. Mr. M.'s scheme inconsistent with itself,....

........ 641

XI. The extraordinary methods Mr. M. takes to support his own

scheme, and to keep himself in countenance,. ........... 648

THE HALF-WAY COVENANT; a Dialogue between a Minister and

Dialogue III., ............

Boeken

The Works of Joseph Bellamy, D.D., First Pastor of the Church in ..., Volume 2