Man is considered as a citizen of the moral world, a free agent, accountable to his Creator for his tempers and conduct; and his fall is further demonstrated by argu- ments drawn from-XII. His commission of sin.— XIII. His omission of duty.-XIV. The triumphs of sensual appetites over his intellectual faculties.— XV. The corruption of the powers that constitute a good head; the understanding, imagination, memory, and reason.-. which form a good heart; the will, conscience, and affections. XVII. His manifest alienation from God.-XVIII. His amazing disregard even of his nearest relatives.-XIX. His unaccountable uncon- cern about himself.-XX. His detestable tempers.— XXI. The general out-breaking of human corruption in all individuals.-XXII. The universal overflowing of it in all nations. Five objections answered.— XXIII. Some striking proofs of this depravity in the general propensity of mankind to vain, irrational, or cruel diversions; and-XXIV. In the universality of the most ridiculous, impious, inhuman, and diabo- lical sins.-XXV. The aggravating circumstances attending the display of this corruption.-XXVI. The many ineffectual endeavours to stem its torrent. -XXVII. The obstinate resistance it makes to divine grace in the unconverted.-XXVIII. The amazing struggles of good men with it.-XXIX. The testimony of Heathens and Deists concerning it: And, after Man is considered as an inhabitant of the Christian had an upright, innocent posterity; with answers to some capital objections. — XXXII. The spirituality and severity of God's law, which the unrenewed man continually breaks: And-XXXIII. Our strong pro- pensity to unbelief, the most destructive of all sins, according to the Gospel.-XXXIV. The absurdity of the Christian Religion with respect to infants and strict moralists.-XXXV. The harshness and cruelty of Christ's fundamental doctrines; and-XXXVI. The extravagance of the grand article of the Christian The doctrine of Man's fall being established by such a variety of arguments: FIRST, A few natural infer- ences are added: SECONDLY, Various fatal conse- quences attending the ignorance of our lost estate: THIRDLY, The unspeakable advantages arising from the right knowledge of it....... The whole is concluded with an Address to the serious reader, who enquires what he must do to be saved? And with an Appendix concerning the evangelical INTRODUCTION. In religious matters we easily run into extremes. Nothing is more common than to see people embracing one error, under the plausible pretence of avoiding another. Many, through fear of infidelity, during the night of ignorance and storm of passion, run against the wild rocks of superstition and enthusiasm; and frequently do it with such force that they make shipwreck of the faith,' and have little of godliness left, except a few broken pieces of its form. Numbers, to shun that fatal error, steer quite a contrary course: Supposing themselves guided by the compass of Reason, when they only follow that of prejudice, with equal violence they dash their speculative brains against the rocks of deism and profaneness; and fondly congratulate themselves on escaping the shelves of fanaticism, whilst the leaky bark of their hopes is ready to sink, and that of their morals is perhaps sunk already. Thus, both equally overlook' sober, rational, heart-felt piety, that lies between those wide and dangerous extremes. To point out the happy medium which they have missed, and call them back to the narrow path, where Reason and Revelation walk hand in hand, is the design of these sheets. May the Father of Lights' so shine upon the Reader's mind, that he may clearly discover Truth, and, notwithstanding the severity of her aspect, prefer her to the most soothing Error! If the Reader is one of those who affect to be the warm votaries of Reason, he is entreated to be a closethinker, as well as a free-thinker; and with careful attention to consider Reason's dictates, before he concludes, that they agree with his favourite sentiments. He has, no doubt, too much candour not to grant so equitable a request; too much justice, to set aside Matter of Fact; and too much good sense, to disregard an Appeal to Common Sense. Should he incline to the opposite extreme, and cry down our rational powers, he is desired to remember, Right Reason, which is that which I appeal to, is a ray of the light that enlightens every man who comes into the world;' and a beam of the eternal Logos, the 'Sun of Righteousness.' God, far from blaming a proper use of the noble faculty, by which we are chiefly distinguished from brutes, graciously invites us to the exercise of it: 'Come now,' says he, and let us reason together.' Jesus commends the Unjust Steward, for reasoning better upon his wrong, than the children of light upon their right, principles. Samuel desires the Israelites to 'stand still, that he may reason with them before the Lord.' St. Peter charges believers to give an answer to every one, that asketh them a reason of their hope.' And St. Paul, who reasoned so conclusively himself, intimates, that wicked men are unreasonable, and declares, that a total dedication of ourselves to God is our reasonable service. And while he challenges the vain disputers of this world, who would make jests pass for proofs, invectives for arguments, and sophistry for reason, he charges Titus to use, not merely sound speech, but (as the original also means) Sound Reason, 'that he who is of the contrary part may be ashamed.' Let us, then, following his advice and example, pay a due regard both to Reason and Revelation. So shall we, according to his candid direction, break the shackles of prejudice; prove all things, and,' by divine grace, 'hold fast that which is good.' |