that it has done fome fervice (and, I hope, through the bleffing of Heaven, it may yet do more) to them that seek profit and edification to their fouls. The late edition of this book at London being more full and complete than any that was formerly emitted, it is fit here to acquaint the reader, that this is printed exactly off the London copy, without any material addition or alteration, except in the Third Part of the Book that comes under the name of Riddles, or Mysteries; and Part Sixth, chap. ii. fect. 1. intitled, "The Believer's Principles "concerning the Mysteries of the Law and Gofpel;" both of which (because there were several demands in this country for a new edition) I thought fit to confirm by fcripture-texts, cited at the bottom of the page, for the benefit of thofe that are weak in knowledge, and unacquainted with the Scripture t. I have directed them by a reference at every branch of the fentence that is either feemingly or really oppofite to the other, unto fome fcriptural text, one or more, for evincing the truth thereof: by which means the weakeft, that is willing, may come to understand the most difficult paradox or mystery, mentioned in this book; at leaft fo far as to fee that every part of it is founded on the word of God, either directly, or by plain and neceffary confequence. Only this general rule is to be observed, namely, That the Reader always confider what is the fubject treated in every section or stanza; and this for the fake of the more illiterate, I fhall illuftrate by two examples, the one concerning the law, and the other concerning the believer. The former you fee, Part III. fect. vi. ver. 25. where it is faid, I'm not oblig'd to keep it more; Yet more oblig'd than e'er before. Here you are to remark, that as the fubject spoken of, is the Law; fo the Law, in fcripture, is confidered two ways, viz. both as a covenant of works, and as a rule of duty. Now that the believer is under no obligation to the law as it is a covenant of works, or to perform obedience to it as a ground of justification (which is also the fubject treated in that section) is confirmed in the foot-notes, by the following fcriptures, to which you are directed by the reference, Rom. vi. 14. Gal. v. 1,-4. where you may fee believers are said to be not under the law, but under grace; and exhorted to stand faft in the liberty wherewith Chrift hath made them free: and affured that Chrift is become of no effect to them, whosoever of them are juftified by the law; they are fallen from grace. Again, that the believer is under more obligation than ever before he was justified, to yield obedience to the law as it is a rule of life (which is the other branch of that paradox) is confirmed by thefe following texts of feripture, to which you are directed by the reference, Rom. vi. 1,2.15. where it is faid, "Shall we continue in fin, that grace may abound? God The Scriptures in this edition are extended. "God forbid: How fhall we that are dead to fin, live any longer "therein? What then? Shall we fin, because we are not under the law, "but under grace? God forbid." From which texts, together with their contexts, it is evident, that the believer's freedom from the law, as a covenant, does not at all free him from obligation to it as a rule, but fuperadds to the natural obligation, that of grace, which both argumentatively and effectively teaches what the law does authoritatively and preceptively, namely, "To deny ungodliness and worldly "lufts, and to live foberly, righteously, and godly, in this prefent "world," Titus ii. 11, 12. The other example I adduce, you may read, Part III. fect. x. ver. 47. where the words are: To good and evil equal bent; I'm both a devil and a faint. Here the Reader may notice, that the subject spoken of, is the Believer, or the Saint's old and new man defcribed (which is part of the title of that section) or confidered as to his regenerate and unregenerate parts in which view he is frequently spoken of in fcripture; ex. gr. John iii. 6.9. it is faid of the believer, or the person born of God, that be finnetb not; and that be cannot fin, because he is born of God: there he is fpoken of as to his new nature, or regenerate part. But, 1 John i. 8. the words are, "If we say that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the "truth is not in us:" where the apostle speaks of believers unregenerate and corrupt part. Now, this being the fcriptural representation of the believer, the forefaid paradox is eafily proven from fcripture. The firft branch is, That he is equally bent to good and to evil.For the proof of this, you are directed in the foot-note to Rom. vii. 21. where the apoftle Paul, fpeaking both of his corrupt and renewed part, fays, "I find a law, that when I would do good, evil is prefent with "me." And if you read the preceding and following context, you will find him complaining how corruption bends him as far one way, as grace another. The other part of the fame paradox is, That the believer is, on these accounts, both a devil and a faint. Now, that the believer is, by nature and corruption, a devil, is one branch of this position here to be confirmed. That he is fo by nature, is proven by the following fcriptures, in the forecited place at the bottom, John vi. 70. and viii. 44. compared; where Christ, speaking of fome that were in a natural state, viz. of Judas and the Jews, difcovers what is the state of all men by nature, "That they are of their father the devil, "fince the lufts of their father they will do;" and therefore may be called devils, as our Lord calls Judas, faying, "I have chofen 66 you twelve, and one of you is a devil." And such are believers alfo naturally, as defcendants of the first Adam, being "Children "of disobedience, and children of wrath by nature, even as others," Eph. ii. 2, 3. And that the believer is fo, not only by nature, but also by reason of remaining corruption, is proven at the foot, in in the fame place, from James iii. 15. where that apostle, fpeaking of ftrife and envy that may be even among the children of God, (which, indeed, has too much taken place in all ages), fays, "This wisdom defcendeth not from above, but is earthly, fenfual, devilish.” Again, that though the believer be by nature and corruption a devil, yet he is by grace and regeneration a faint, is documented alfo in the fame place, from 1 Cor. vi. 11. "Such were fome of you; but ye "are fanctified," &c. In this manner you may go over all the reft of the paradoxes, riddles, or myfteries contained in this book, and find them evidently confirmed by the fcriptures of truth, the word of God. This might be no unprofitable exercife, but tend to lead you to the true knowledge of the gospel, to which myfteries are fo effential, that it is defigned by them, and called, "The wifdom of God in a mystery," 1 Cor. ii. 7. ; and the knowledge of which is fo effential to Chriftianity, and fo abfolutely neceflary to falvation, that the fame apoftle declares, that "If our gofpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, "left the light of the glorious gospel of Chrift, who is the image "of God, fhould fhine unto them," 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. Again, if you search the feriptures, you will fee many more proofs for every point than I have adduced, and perhaps many much more appofite; for thefe only are fet down at the bottom of the page, that first occurred to me: yet, I fuppofe, though fometimes but one, and fometimes more fcriptures are pointed out, they are fuch as fufficiently confirm the pofitions they relate to. But that other feriptures might have been adduced in plenty, I fhall give one inftance in the paradox just now mentioned, viz. That every believer, while in the world, is both a devil and a faint. The latter claufe is what none will deny, namely, That every believer is a faint; for further proof of which, you might fee, Acts xv. 9. and xxvi. 18, &c. But because the first claufe may feem more harsh, it may, by fcripture, be alfo farther evinced two ways: (1.) In refpect of the daily commiffion of fin he has to challenge himself with: for the fcripture fays, Ecclef. vii. 20. "There is not a juft man upon earth, that doth good, "and Ginaeth not." And with this compare 1 John iii. 8. "He that "committeth fin, is of the devil." Hence it is plain, there is not a juft man upon earth, but may, in refpect of the commiflion of fin, be called a devil. (2.) In refpect of prevalent temptations, by which he may be hurried into thofe things that favour not of God, but of men; on which account Chrift fays to Peter, Matth. xvi. 23. "Get thee "behind me, Satan.” And if Chrift calls Peter a devil, whom he had defcribed as a faint of the firft magnitude, ver. 17. one divinely bleffed and enlightened; what occafion may every believer have to call himself a devil? Yea, it is a part of his faith and fanctity, to fee and acknowledge, with fhame before the Lord, his own devilish and desperately wicked heart and nature, which a blind, felf-conceited world are ignorant of, being neither acquainted with themfelves, nor with God and his word. However, fo it is, that the more any shall search the fcripture, the more, I hope, will they difcern, not only by the texts I I have quoted, but from many others alfo, the truth and evidence of every part of this book, however myfterious fome paffages of it may feem to many. Though fome of thefe lines may want the politenefs that can pleafe the curious age; yet, while they ftand firm upon a fcriptural foundation, none of them want authority, and that of the highest nature, except in the account of mockers, and thofe (of whom there are too many in our day) that are either Deifts, who undervalue the scripture, or Atheists, who deride it: and it is fadly to be regretted, that those .people are hardened in their wicked principles and practices, by fome that perhaps have a higher profeffion. For I have feen two prints, one called the Groan, and another the Laugh, wherein fome lines, picked out among others, have been expofed to ridicule: but however fuch gentlemen may laugh at their own fport, and wickedly divert themselves with ferious matters for a time, I fear their laughing will iffue in weeping for ever; if God, by giving them repentance, do not make them groan to purpose, for the evidences they thus give of either their grievous ignorance of the fcripture, or their grofs profanity, and of their readiness to yield themselves inftruments of the devil, to promote the Atheistical spirit of the age, which is bent enough (without any fuch provocations) to laugh at every thing ferious, facred, and fcriptural. This is fo palpable, without my obfervations upon it, and fo felf-evident to all that fear God, and have had the patience to read fuch prints, that I would not have thought them worth my noticing fo far, as to make this bare mention of them, had not Providence put the pen in my hand to preface this edition, wherein fcriptural proofs are added to that part of the book. Reader, It gives me fatisfaction enough to understand, that this book has already been useful and edifying to fome, however it is entertained by others. The gofpel itself is to fome the favour of life, to others the favour of death; to fome wifdom, to others foolishness; to fome matter of faith, love, and comfort; to others matter of mockery and scorn. I shall be far from thinking it any difcredit or difparagement to this book, if it meet with the like entertainment. May the Lord of heaven and earth, who over-rules all things, accompany it in its journies, abroad or at home, with his bleffing to their fouls, for their holy recreation and their spiritual edification and comfort: and to his care I commend it, in the words of a famous and juftly celebrated Scots poet, upon Pfalm xxxv. I. Rerum fanéte Opifex, ades, Et patrocinio protege me tuo. Which may be adapted to the matter in hand thus, The truth which hell may criticife, Great God, be near to patronize. BUCH. R. ERSKINE.. Α POEM, DEDICATED TO THE REVEREND MR. RALPH ERSKINE, By a LADY in NEW ENGLAND, on reading his GOSPEL SONNETS. ERSKIN RSKINE, thou bleffed herald, found, Till fin's black empire totter to the ground. May more like you be rais'd to fhow their fhame, Exalt the Lamb in lovely white and red, |