THE

SERMONS,

AND OTHER

PRACTICAL
PRACTICAL WORKS,

Of the Late REVEREND and LEARNED

MR RALPH ERSKINE,
Minister of the Gospel in DUNFERMLINE.

CONSISTING

Above One Hundred and Fifty SERMONS,
befides his POETICAL PIECES.

OF

IN TEN LARGE VOLUMES OCTAVO.

To which is prefixed,

An ACCOUNT of the AUTHOR'S LIFE and WRITINGS,
with an ELEGIAC POEM, and large CONTENTS.

Mark the perfect Man, and behold the upright; for the End
of that Min is Peace. PSALM XXxvii. 37.

VOL. II.

FALK IR K;

PRINTED BY PATRICK MAIR,

For the Rev JOHN STEWART, PETER MUIRHEAD, Merchant,

and HUGH MITCHELL, Bookfeller, the Publishers.

M.DCC.XCV.
t

THE

CONTENTS.

SERMON

XVIII.

PREVENTING

REVENTING Love; or, God's Love to us, the Caufe of our Love to him, Page I

I JOHN iv. 19. We love bim, because be firft loved us.

After an introduction to an analization and explication of the words, and their fenfe given in a doctrinal obfervation, the following topics are difcourfed, viz.

1. God's love to his people evinced,

2. The faints love to God opened,

3. The influence his love hath upon ours, as the cause of it, illuftrated, 30 4. The application of the whole in fundry uses,

33

SERMON

XIX.

The Militant's Song; or, the Believer's Exercise while here below, 59

PSALM ci. 1. I will fing of mercy and judgment; unto thee, O Lord, will I fing.

4

18

Here, after an introduction unto the fubject, and an analization of the text, four general topics are handled, viz.

1. What mercies the people of God meet with, and what it is in these that afford matter of a fong, 61

2. What judgments the people of God meet with, and what it is in them that may be matter of a fong of praise, 74

3. What this finging imports; and how we are to fing of mercy

·

92

and judgment, 4. The reafons why it is fo ordered by the Lord, that his people fhould have ground to fing both of mercy and judgment,

5. The application of the whole, in a variety of inferences,

108 104

SERMON

XX.

The Harmony of the Divine Attributes difplayed, in the Redemption and Salvation of Sinners, 1 by Jefus Chrift,

121

PSALM 1XXXV. 10. Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

After the introduction and explanation of the words, four general heads of method are profecuted, viz.

1. Who are members of the meeting; or, what are thefe attributes of God which do harmoniously confpire together, propofing their various claims,

128

2. When and where thefe parties did meet together,

133

3. How, and after what manner, they meet together and kifs each

142

other,

4. Why, or for what reafons, they have met together, and embraced cach other,

5. The application of the subject, in fundry inferences,

SERMON

148

160

XXI, XXII.

Carnal Confultation unfolded; or, the great Evil of being actuated,.by Carnal Principles, in the Matters of God, evinced,

180

GAL. i. 16. —Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.

The connection being traced, the fcope of the apoftle confulted, his principal intention viewed, the words themselves confidered, feveral propofitions natively deduced from them, a comprehenfive one laid down for profecution, the following general heads are illustrated,

viz.

1. What is to be understood by flesh and blood, and conferring therewith,

2. The truth of the doctrine confirmed by fcriptural examples,

183

186

3. The reafons affigned why we ought not to confult with flesh and blood,

188

4. The application of the fubject, in fundry ufes,

190

SERMON

XXIII,-XXVII.

Law-Death, Gofpel-Life; or, the Death of Legal
Righteoufnefs, the Life of Gofpel Holiness,

245

GAL. ii. 19. I through the law, am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

The fcope of the apoftle being obferved, the words analized and explained, and a compendious propofition laid down, the following topics of discourse are illustrated, viz.

1. The doctrine cleared and confirmed,

258

275

2. The believer's mortification, or death to the law, opened up, 256
3. The believer's vivification, or living to God, enquired into,
4. The neceffity of this death, in order to this life; or, the influence
that our being dead to the law, hath upon our living to God,
5. The application of the fubject, in four diftinct uses,

289 304

The Best Bond; or, the fureft Engagement,

JER.

R. XXX. 21. For, who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me, faith the Lord.

358

The scope of the prophet being noticed, and the words viewed in their connexion, analized, and explained, the doctrine laid down and confirmed, the following general heads are difcourfed, viz.

1. Who this wonderful Perfon is, that engaged his heart to approach
unto God,

2. The nature of the work he engaged himself in, confidered,
3. The fingularity of the fact pointed out,

4. The reasons of the doctrine affigned, viz. why Chrift came under
this engagement, &c.

388

5. Some inferences deduced for the application of the doctrine,

394

364

368

380