4 1 it, with the hard name of spiritualists, reckoning them a kind of Enthusiasts, unworthy of their regard. The truth is, Christianity is a mystery, mere reason does not comprehend it. There is a spiritual difcerning necessary to its being rightly understood, whence it comes to pass that men of great learning and abilities, tho' they read the Scriptures with attention, and comment learnedly upon them; yet do not, yea cannot, enter into the vein of thought peculiar to the inspired penman, because they share not of the fame Spirit; wherefore it is, that the Apostle Paul afferts, the natural, that is, unregenerate man, not to know the things of God, neither indeed to be capable of knowing them, because they are spiritually difcerned. From what has been faid, it is easy to conclude, That no pedantic apology on the part of the Author, for appearing in print, or fawning compliments to the courteous reader, on the part of the prefacer, are to be expected The truth is, both the one and the other are rather little arts, vailing pedantry and conceit, than evidences of modefty and good-fenfe. It is of more use to recommend the perufal of the book to perfons of all ranks and degrees, from a few suitable topicks, than to shew wherein this Edition differs from the first. That all mankind, however differenced by their rank and station in the world, have an equal concern in what is revealed concerning an. other and future world, will be readily owned; and it must be aş readily granted, that however allowable it may be for men of learning and parts, to please themselves with fineness of language, justness of thought, aud exact connection in writings upon other fubjects; yet they ought not to indulge themselves in the fame taste in difcourses on divine things, left they expose themselves to the just censure of acting with the fame indiscretion, as a person in danger of famishing by hunger, would be guilty of, if he perverfly rejected plain wholsome food, when offered to him, for no other reason than the want of palatable fauce, or order and splendor in serving it up. The facred book we call the Bible, has a peculiar fublimity in it, vailed with unusual dialect and seeming inconnection: but it is not therefore to be rejected by men who bear the name of Christians, as uncouth or unintelligible; true wisdom dictates quite another thing, it counsels us, by frequent reading, to acquaint ourselves well with it, become accustomed to its peculiar phrases, 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 best written books on the most entertaining subjects. What pleads for the parent is a plea for the progeny; practical discourses upon divine subjects are the genuine offspring of the sacred text, and ought therefore to be read carefully and with attention, by perfons of all ranks and degrees, though they are indeed calculated for, and peculiarly adapted to fuch as move in low spheres of life... Let it, however, be a prevailing argument with persons of all de viii ハ PREFACE. nominations, 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 Christiantiy in the world. In confequence whereof it is, that great numbers have reaped benefit by reading them, especially in childhood and youth; many have been converted by them; and it may be questioned, if ever there was a true Christian, since the art of printing made these books common, who has not, in fome stage of life, reaped confiderable advantage from them. This book recommends itself in a particular manner, by its being a short substantial system of practical divinity, in so 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 interest, remain ignorant of other things, which pertain to the science called divinity. It is therefore earnestly recommended to the serious and frequent perusal of all, but especially of fuch as are in that stage of life called youth, and are so stationed in the world, as not to be frequently opportuned to hear fermons, and read commentaries on the facred text. It is doubtless incumbent on masters of families to make some provision of fpiritual as well as bodily food, for their children and servants; this is effectually done by putting practical books in their hands: and therefore this book is humbly and earnestly recommended as a fainilybook, which all the members of it are not only allowed, but desired to peruse. 1 As to the difference betwixt this and the former edition, which gives it preference, it lies chiefly in the Author's not only having revised the ftile, but the thought in many places, and corrected both, so as to fet several important truths in a clearer light, and make the stile of the book now uniform, which formerly was not fo, because of the explications of peculiar words and phrases in ufe amongst practical divires, especially of the church of Scotland, which were interspersed throughout the former edition, and introduced by another hand, for the fake of suchpersons as are not accustomed to them. It remains, that the prefacer not only fubjoin his name, which was concealed in the first edition, as a teftimony that he esteems the Author, and values the book, but that he may thereby recominend 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 unsent, he has what will bear him up under all cenfures; the charitable will th nk no evil, and others will do as they please. EDINBURGH, 18th } ROBERT WIGHTMAN, M. D. G. E. 1 THE II. The State of NATURE, or State of ENTIRE DEPRAVATION. From men's experience, and observation, Fallen Adam's image, in eleven particulars natural to meny Of the corruption of the understanding, Weakness with respect to spiritual things, Gross darkness in spiritual things, 57 58 ib. 59 - 60 6.1 Four evidences of it, Proneness to evil, Three evidences of it, A peculiar malignity against the priestly office; corrupt nature Four proofs of it, The natural man can do nothing but fin, God takes special notice of the sin of our nature, He is under the power of Satan, Hath no security for a moment's safety, ... 103 Several They are under the covenant of works, Their misery in that respect, Instances of the wrath of God, - A view of the nature of God, whose wrath it is, NLY two ways of man's recovering himself supposable, viz. the way of the law, and the way of the gospel, The perfection of law-obedience, four-fold, He cannot fatisfy the justice of God for his fin, Object. God is merciful: we hope to be saved, if we do as well as 125, 126 Object (3.) The use of means needless, seeing we are utterly unable to help ourselves out of the state of fin and wrath. Answered, Quest. Has God promised to convert and save them, who, in Recon- |