Treatises on Justification and Regeneration

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ment to the truth, There is no subject, either of di- yine or human learning, on which some have not written weakly, foolishly, or erroneously; but that ought not to excite any aversion to the doctrine itself which hath been perverted or abused. I pray that God may enable me to write upon this interesting subject, in a clear, intelligible, and convincing manner; to support the truth from the evidence of Scripture and reason; to resolve, in a satisfying manner, any objections that may seem to lie against it; but, above all, to carry it home with a persuasive force upon the conscience and heart. I contend for no phrases of man's invention, but for such as I find in the Holy Scriptures; from these I am resolved, through the grace of God, never lo depart. And in the mean time I adopt the words of the eminent and useful Dr. Doddridge; If this doctrine, in one form or another, be generally taught by my brethren in the ministry, I rejoice in it for their own sakes, as well as for that of the people who are under their care. The plan of the following treatise is this: I. To make some general observations upon the metaphor used by the apostle John, Except a man be born again; and the same, or similar expressions, to be found in other parts of the word of God. II. To show wherein this change doth properly and directly consist, together with some of its principal evidences and effects. III. To show by what steps, or by what means, it is usually brought about. IV. In the last place to improve the subject by a few practical addresses to persons of different characters. CHAPTER I. Some general observations on the metaphor used by the apostle John, Except a man be born again, and the same or limilar expressions, to be found in other parts of the word of God. It ...