ESSAY.

CONTENTS.

I. THE divine Inspiration of the Holy

Scriptures,

II. The importance of revealed Truth,

the duty of reading the Scriptures,

and the manner, in which it should

be performed,

III. The scriptural character of God,

IV. A brief exposition of the ten com-

mandments, as comprising the sub-

stance of the moral law.

V. Man's situation, as a sinner, in this

present world,

VI. The Deity of Christ,

VII. The doctrine of our Lord's Deity

essential to Christianity; with a

brief answer to some objections,

VIII. The nature and design of the me-

diatorial office, sustained by the

Lord Jesus Christ,

IX. The merits and atonement of

Christ,

X. Our Lord's exaltation, and his ap-

pearance in the presence of God for

ESSAY.

XIII. The Personality and Deity of the

Holy Spirit, with some thoughts on

the doctrine of the sacred Trinity,

XIV. The gifts and influences of the

Holy Spirit.

XV. The uses of the moral law in sub-

serviency to the Gospel of Christ,

XVI. The Believer's warfare and ex-

perience,

XVII. The privileges enjoyed by the

true believer,

XVIII. The dispositions and character,

peculiar to the true believer,

XIX. The subject continued,

XX. The Believer's attention to relative

duties,

XXI. The subject continued,

XXII. The Christian's improvement of

his talents,

XXIII. Prayer,

XXIV. Baptism and the Lord's Supper, 344

XXV. The state of separate spirits; the

resurrection of the body; judg-

ment; and eternity.

339

ESSAY I.

On the divine inspiration of the holy scriptures.

IT is manifest to all who seriously reflect on the powers and propensities of human nature, that we are formed capable of religion, and have an inward consciousness that we ought to worship some superior Being, on whom our safety and happiness depend: but at the same time, the state of the world, in all places where the Bible has not been known, unanswerably proves, that we are incapable of discovering for our sclves a religion, which is worthy of God, suited to our wants, and conducive to our true interest. The shortness of life also, and the reasonable persuasion that men in general entertain of a future state, concur to shew that our grand concern lies in another world. Yet uncertainty and perplexity, nay, palpable error and absurdity, have ever encumbered men's reasonings and con jectures on these important subjects. Even at Athens, Jehovah was " the unknown God,"* and all beyond the grave was an unknown world.

The wisest of the Pagans, therefore, considered a revelation from the Deity to be exceedingly desirable, in order that bewildered mortals might learn the way, in which they could worship him with acceptance, and be happy; and some of them entertained hopes, that such an inestimable favour would at length be vouchsafed. Indeed confused expectations of this kind have been common in the world; as it is manifest from the reception that hath been given to pretended revelations, which otherwise could not have obtained credit and currency.

Acts xvii. 23.