Entered according to the act of Congross, in the year 1831, by JONATHAN
LEAVITT, in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States, for
the Southern District of New York.

NEW YORK

CONTENTS.

А

CHAP. I.-The Introduction.- A short view of man's primitive state. His conformity to God; natural,

moral, and in happiness and dominion over the creatures. The moral resemblance, as it refers to all
the faculties. The happiness of man, with respect to his sensitive and spiritual nature. Of all sublu-
nary creatures he is only capable of a law. What the law of nature contains. God entered into a
covenant with man. The reasons of that dispensation. The terms of the covenant were becoming
God and man. The special clause in the covenant concerning the tree of knowledge of good and e. il.
The reasons of the prohibition.

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CHAP. II. - The Fall of Man.-Man's natural state was mutable. The devil, moved by hatred and

envy, attempts to seduce him. The temptation was suitable to muro compounded nattue. The
woman being deceived, persuades her husband. 1. The quality of the first sin; many were combined in
it. !. It was perfectly voluntary: Man had power to stand the devil could only allure, no con
pel him. His understanding and will the causes of his fall. III. The punishunent was of the same
date with his sin. He forfeited his righteousness and felicity. The loss of original righteousness, its it
signifies the pturity and liberty of the soul. The torment of conscience that was consequent to sin.
whole army of evils enters with it into the world.

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CHAP. III.- The Corruption of Human Nature. - 1. All mankind is involved in Adam's guilt, and is

under the penal consequences that follow upon it. Adam, the natural and moral principle of mankind.

An hereditary corruption is transmitted to all that are propagated from him. The account the

scripture gives of the conveyance of it. It is an innate hatsit. It is universal Corrupt nature con-

tains the seeds of all sins, though they do not shoot forth together. It is voluntary and culpable.

Il. The permission of the fall is suitable to the wisdom, holiness, and goodness of God. The imputa-

tion of Adain's sin to his posterity is consistent with God's justice.

. . . . 36

CHAP. IV. - The Moral Impotence of Man. The impossibility of man's recovery by his natural

power. I. Man cannot regain his primitive holiness. The understanding and will the superior facul-
ties are depraved. The mind is ignorant and insensible of our corruption. The will is more depraved
than the inind; it embraces only sensual good ; carnal objects are wounding to the conscience, and
nnsatisfying to the affections; yet the will eagerly pursues them. The moral impotence, that ariseth
from a perverse disposition of the will, is culpable. Neither the beauty nor the reward of holiness
can prevail upon the unrenewed will. II. Guilty man cannot recover the favour of God. He is

unable to make satisfaction to justice. He is incapable of real repentance, which might qualify him

for pardon.

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CHAP. V.- The Wisdom of God in Redemption. -Of the divine wisdom in the contrivance of man's

redemption. Understanding agents propound an end, and choose means for the obtaining of it.

1. The end of God is of the highest consequence, his own glory and man's recovery. The difficulty of

accomplishing it.

Jl. The means

are proportionable. The divine wisdom glorified in taking

occasion from the sin and fall of man to bring glory to God, and to raise man to a more excellent state.

It appears in ordaining such a Mediator, as was fil to reconcile God to man, and man to God. It is

discovered in the designation of the second person to be our Saviour; and making the remedy to have

a proportion to the cause of our ruin. It is visible in the manner whereby our redemption is accom-

plished and in the ordaining of such contemptible means to produce such glorious ettesand laying

of

the of man

CHAP. VI.- Practical Inferences.-1. A superlative degree of praise and thankfulness due to God for

the revelation of the gospel. It is not discovered by the creation ; it is above the reach of natural

reason; the heathen world is entirely ignorant of it. It is pure grace that distinguishes one nation

froin another, in sending the gospel. 11. Evangelical knowledge deserves our most serious study,

The gospel exceeds all contemplative and practical sciences; contemplative, in the greatness of its

object, and the certainty of its principle; practical, in the excellency of its end, and the efficacy of

the means.

CHAP. VII. - The Causes and Unreasonableness of Unbelief.--The simple specnlation of the gospel

not sufficient without a real belief, and cordial acceptance. I. The reasons why the Jews and
Gentiles conspired in the contempt of it. II. How just it is to resign up the understanding to revela-
tion. God knows his own nature and will, and cannot deceive us. We must believe the things that
are clearly revealed, though we do not understand the manner of their existence; although they are
attended with seeming contradictions. No article of faith is really repugnant to reason.

We must

distinguish between things incomprehensible and inconceivable, between corrupt and right reason.

How reason is subservient to faith. Humility and holiness qualify for the belief of the gospel-mysteries.

A naked belief of supernatutal truths is unprofitable for salvation. An effectual assent that prevails

upon the will and renders the whole man obsequious, is due to the quality of the gospel-revelation. 95

CHAP. VIII. - The Freeness of the Divine Mercy in Redemption.--The mercy of God is represented

with peculiar advantages above the other attributes. It is eminently glorified in our redemption, in

respect of its freeness and greatness. The freeness of it amplified from the consideration, 1. of the

original, and, II. of the object of it. God is perfoctly happy in himself, and needs not the creature

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