PREFACE

CONTENTS.

PAGE

V

-

THE GENERAL INTRODUCTION. Objects Occasion Advantages -

Comparative Claims of this Scheme and that of the Wesleyan Methodists

considered-That also of the Hyper-Calvinist-Views of Dr. Watts-

Concluding Remarks to prevent Bitterness of Spirit or Alienation of

Heart, on account of Difference of Opinion on this and similar topics. .

PRELIMINARY DISSERTATIONS,

Bearing upon the Moral Government of God on the one hand, and upon

his Sovereign Grace on the other; and upon Man as a subject of Govern-

ment, or as an object of Sovereign Favour.

CHAP.

CHAP.

I.—The Universal and Particular aspect of the Gospel, containing

such scriptural passages as either express or imply such

aspects.

II.-On the Human Will-the passages of Scripture that are ad-

dressed to it. On the Divine Will-the passages that infer

its prevalence and sovereignty.

CHAP. III.—On Human Agency—the scripture passages addressed to it.

On Divine Agency—the passages that imply our dependence

on it.

CHAP. IV. The above scriptural statement of the universal and par-

ticular aspect considered, showing their connexion and

consistency. The objections to this comprehensive scheme

answered and rebutted.

CHAP.

V.-Advantages of the universal and particular aspect-as well

as of the above scriptural statement of the human will

and human agency; as also of the Divine will and the

Divine agency: together with the advantages of the Scheme

altogether.

CHAP. VI. On the nature of a PROBATIONARY Government, as insisted

on in this work.

1

24

ib.

36

42

46

65

74

THE SCHEME ITSELF.

Part I.

ON THE EQUITABLE AND BENEFICENT, BUT PROBATIONARY

GOVERNMENT OF GOD:

Or, a view of the Divine Government, as designed for a TESTIMONY between
God and man, and therefore necessarily Probationary and Conditional
in its Administration. A view of the BASIS and BEARINGS of the plan here
exhibited

CHAP.

I.-On God the "GREAT KING"-his character and the cha-

racter of his Government. The ultimate end of it, his

Glory-the immediate end, to bear a TESTIMONY to himself.

Reflections.

CHAP. II.-Concerning MAN, the subject of the "Great King." His

original state-fallen, yet governable and accountable.

On the human will, as to its will of inclination, and its

will of determination; also, as to its physical and moral

liberty-likewise its state, as by nature and by custom; and

the bearing of the whole on man's responsibility. To which

is added, a view of the will in the regenerate. Reflections

on this whole chapter.

CHAP. III-A View of the PROBATIONARY Government, as designed
for a TESTIMONY under its different successive ADMI-

NISTRATION

Sect. 1.-To Adam, as the common father and federal head of mankind,

under a Covenant of Life upon obedience - Man's condition

in him-Probation-The Testimony for God.

Sect. 2.-To Mankind without a written Revelation-Their condition

-Probation-The Testimony for God.

PAGE

80

85

111

134

ib.

143

Sect. 3.-To Israel, as under written Revelation-Condition-Probation

-The Testimony for God. .

Sect. 4. Under the Christian Dispensation-Condition-Probation

-Testimony for God.

156

169

Sect. 5.-Reflections on the RESULT of this probationary, but equi-

table and benevolent Government.

185

CHAP. IV.-Man's conduct a provocation of God's anger, and condemn-

able.

187

CHAP. V. The inexcusableness of Man, whether a Heathen, Jew, or

Christian.

194

CHAP. VI.-A guard set against Evasions also, by a distinct statement

of what are not, and what are, the reasons of man's unper-

suadableness and consequent unbelief.

PAGE

207

223

Reflections on the last Chapters-justifying God, and condemning men.

CHAP. VII.-Concerning God's FORESIGHT of man's failure and disobe-

dience; and showing how God makes such failure of men

-whether in Adam or in his posterity- whether as under

a "law of works" or "law of faith" to redound to his

own glory, and to the ultimate happiness of his people,

even to all who submit to his wisdom and will.

Sect. 1.- God's foresight of the volitions or willings of men, and

therefore of the RESULT of the probationary system. .

Sect. 2.-The manifestation of the glory of God's name, govern-

ment, and sovereignty, by the sufferance or non-prevention

of man's sin and unpersuadableness.

Sect. 3.-The knowledge of the glory of God as our God here, and

the vision of it hereafter, the true happiness of men.

226

ib.

229

234

CONNECTING LINK:

EFFICACIOUS GRACE.

Sect. 1.-The necessity of a sovereign interposition, and of a super-

added dispensation of Efficacious Grace.

Sect 2.A more particular view of this efficacious grace of the Holy

Spirit.

Sect. 3.-Direct Scriptural Evidence.

Part EE.

OR "BOOK OF LIFE."

The superadded dispensation of SOVEREIGN GRACE towards an Elect

people, God herein acting as a gracious Sovereign."

66

CHAP. I.-On God's SOVEREIGNTY in general-its exercise in reference
to man's future condition in particular. The sovereignty
proved-from Scripture-from testimony of Apostolic
Fathers-and from observation.

258

ib.

PAGE

CHAP. II.-The Scriptural view of what has been called "REPROBA-

TION," or " Predestination to Death;" showing that there

is no reprobation but upon trial; no destination to death

but upon desert; and no pre-destination but on foresight

of such desert. The subject explained-Scripture Re-

probation or Hardening" illustrated. Thus explained,

proved.
. . 291

66

CHAP. III.—The Scriptural Doctrine of ELECTION of persons, and PRE-

DESTINATION to blessings, a doctrine of RELIEF, not of

TERROR; the Election being not an Election of exclusion,

but of reservation, for the securing of a People to God in

the world: it having been foreseen that, through the per-

verseness of men, there would otherwise have been no

people of God-no Church in the world.

.. 314

Sect. 1.-Mis-statements concerning the doctrine, and misconceptions

corrected and prevented.

66

Sect. 2.-The TRUE SCRIPTURE Doctrine, showing it to be, not an
Election of exclusion, but of reservation; for a reserve,"
on the foreseen failure of all other methods, whether by
law or gospel. The Election and Predestination ex-
plained and stated.

ib.

341

ON ELECTION. .

СНАР.

335

I.—Misconceptions concerning the Doctrine corrected and pre-

vented.

.336

CHAP. II. The Election, as above explained, proved to be a Scripture

doctrine..

364

CHAP. III.-The doctrine guarded from abuse, and defended against ob-

CHAP. IV. The doctrine IMPROVED-by believers-by convinced sin-

ners-
s-by sinners in general

392

THE RECONCILER.

INTRODUCTION.

EXPLANATORY.

ALTHOUGH the Lord our God "is the rock and his work is perfect-all his ways are judgment; a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He," yet, not only such as are versed in theology, but thinking Christians in general,—such at least as, jealous of God's glory, wish to "ascribe righteousness to their Maker," will admit that there are difficulties, enfeebled and darkened as our understanding is by sin, in the sacred science, which are not easy to surmount, and apparent disagreements which it appears hard to reconcile. Hence it is, that we are often obliged to seek relief, not only in some of its first principles, -such as, that "the Judge of all the earth will do right," that "God is love," that he is "the only wise God," but in the assurance of the wise Solomon, that "it is the glory of God to conceal a thing," as well as in the consoling anticipation of Paul, that though we now "see through a glass darkly, hereafter we shall see face to face." As to the difficulties, -do not such questions as these sometimes occur to

B