THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

Quest. I. Of glorifying God, and the enjoyment of him.

With what distinction the glorifying and enjoyment of God may both be said to be man’s chief and highest end, Page 13

What it is to glorify God ibid

How God glorifies himself ibid

How creatures glorify him 14

What it is to enjoy God 17

The connexion between glorifying God and the enjoyment of him 18

Contentedness to perish, that God may be glorified, unjustly made a mark of grace 19

To be quickened to duty by a respect to the heavenly glory, no sign of a mercenary spirit 20

Quest. II. Of the Being of a God.

Reasons why we should be able to prove this by arguments 21

The Being of a God may be evinced, From the light of nature ibid

What meant thereby ibid

How it proves the Being of a God 22

From the works of creation 24

from creatures below man 32

from the structure of man’s body 33

from the nature of his soul 34

from the nature and office of conscience 35

from the boundless desires of the soul 37

From the consent of all nations ibid

Objection, That there have been some speculative Atheists, answered 38

The belief of a God took not its rise from human policy 40

It was not propagated merely by tradition ibid

From the works of providence 41

From the foretelling future events 42

From the provision made for all 43

Particularly for man’s safety 44

2The objections taken from the prosperity of the wicked, answered 45

Nothing short of revelation sufficient to give a saving discovery of God 47

Quest. III. Of the Holy Scripture.

The names given to it 48

Why called a Testament 50

How the want of a written word was supplied to the church before Moses 52

Whether the church, under the Old Testament, understood the spiritual meaning of the laws contained in it 53

Whether the prophets understood their own predictions 54

How far the Old Testament is still a rule 56

How the scriptures are a complete revelation of the will of God 58

The scripture a sufficient rule of faith and obedience 59

Its properties as a rule 61

It is the only rule ibid

Human traditions of no divine authority 62

The Popish doctrine of them confuted ibid

The Canon of scripture preserved entire 65

Is not perverted 66

Quest. IV. Of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures.

In what respects called divine 69

A divine revelation necessary 71

Not contrary to God’s perfections ibid

Inspiration not impossible 72

The scripture proved to be the word of God ibid

From the majesty of its style 73

From the purity of its doctrines 74

Its holiness considered absolutely ibid

And as compared with other writings 76

From the harmony of all its parts 78

Dr. Paley on the genuineness of the scriptures, in a note 79

Its harmony shewn in the accomplishment of many predictions 86

It doth not contradict itself 87

Various objections answered 88

Rules for reconciling seeming contradictions in scripture 94

Grotius on their authority, in a note 97

From its scope and design 98

From the character of the penmen 102

These were faithful ibid

They were not imposed on 106

3How they might know they were under inspiration 108

They mistook not the devil’s impressions for divine revelation 109

The words as well as matter of scripture were given by inspiration 110

From its antiquity and preservation 112

From the testimony of God by miracles ibid

Two objections answered 114, 115

By the conviction and conversion of sinners 116

How Christians come to a full persuasion of the divinity of scripture 118

The inward testimony of the Spirit explained ibid

Quest. V, VI. The principal matters contained in scripture.

Quest. VII. Of the nature and perfections of God.

How we may conceive aright of the divine perfections ibid

Of the communicable and incommunicable perfections of God 122

Nothing common between God and the creature ibid

God is a Spirit; what a Spirit is 123

Difference between other spiritual substances and God 124

Independent 124. Infinitely perfect 126

All-sufficient 127. When this perfection is in effect denied 127

Eternal 129. His eternal duration not successive 132. How the parts of time are attributed to God 133

Immutable. When immutability is a perfection. How peculiar to God 135. Arguments to prove him so 136

Incomprehensible 138

Omnipresent 139, and Almighty 140

Wherein his power appears 141

What things God cannot do 142

The improvement of this subject 143

Omniscient 145. He knows all future contingencies 147

Properties of God’s knowledge 149. Its improvement 150

When it is practically denied, ibid.

Wisdom of God infinite 152

Different from knowledge ibid

Wherein it appears ibid

In Creation 154. Providence 155. Redemption 156

In the constant government of the church ibid

Inferences from God’s wisdom 158

Holiness of God infinite 159

What it is, ibid. Instances of it 160

His suffering the entrance of sin, was no refection on it 161

’Tis the standard of doctrines 162

Instances of doctrines which lead to licentiousness 162, 163

4When God’s holiness is contemned 163

Justice of God infinite 164

How distinguished from his holiness ibid

Glory, how called a reward 167

Afflictions of believers not properly a punishment ibid

Mercy and grace of God infinite 168

Difference between goodness, mercy, grace, and patience 169

Mercy is either common or special 171

Grace free and sovereign 172

Discriminating 173. Instances of it, ibid. Afflictions not inconsistent with it 174

Leads not to licentiousness ibid

Patience of God, what it is 176

Whether devils are objects of it ibid

Instances of God’s patience 178

Wherein manifested to the wicked 179

Not inconsistent with justice 181

How to be improved 183

By whom it is abused 184

Truth, God is abundant therein 186

How he is called a God of truth 187

Faithfulness of God, ibid. No impeachment hereof that some threatenings have not been executed 188. Nor that some promises have not presently been performed 190

How this perfection is to be improved 191

Quest. VIII. Of the Unity of the Godhead.

How God is styled the living God 194

Unity of the Godhead proved ibid

Abernethy on that subject, in a note 197

Was not denied by the wiser Heathen 200

Inferences from it 202

How we should conceive of it 203

Different modes used in speaking of the perfections of God 204

Quest. IX, X, XI. Of the Doctrine of the Trinity.

Calvin on the word Person, in a note 207

The doctrine of the highest importance 209

How to determine the importance of a doctrine 211

What knowledge of it necessary to salvation 213

It is a great mystery, 214. What a mystery is, ibid.

It is incomprehensible 216

Dr. Bates on mysteries, in a note 217

Objections on this account answered 220

Whether to receive it be to use words without ideas ibid

Whether the revelation of it be unintelligible 221

5Whether that which is unintelligible be the object of faith 222

How this doctrine promotes religion 223

In what sense revelation is an improvement of the light of nature 224

Not contrary to reason, though above it 226

When a doctrine is contrary to reason ibid

It is not chargeable with Tritheism 227

The use of reason in proving doctrines of pure revelation 229

It cannot be known by the light of nature 230

How it was made known to Adam ibid

Whether the heathen knew it 231

Whitaker on the word Logos used by the Jews, in a note 233

Trinity, not to be illustrated by similitudes 235

Rules for interpreting scriptures relating to it 236

The word Trinity explained 239

Person, the word explained 239

The difference between divine and human persons 242

Sacred Three, in what respect One 243

Dr. Jamieson on the Trinity, in a note 243

How their glory equal, how the same ibid

Personality of the Son, 248. Of the Spirit 250

Not metaphorically ascribed to either 252

Eternal generation of the Son, how understood by many 259

Another method of accounting for it 261

This account thereof proved 264

Scriptures relating to Christ’s sonship explained 274

Christ’s sonship as Mediator, considered 276

Another view of the subject, in a note 279

Procession of the Spirit, how understood by many, 260. What it is 261

The scripture doctrine of it 280

Œconomy of the sacred Three explained 291

How distinct works are ascribed to them 292

The Deity of the Son proved ibid

From his divine names 295

Jehovah God’s incommunicable name 296

Never given to creatures 297

It is not applied to angels 301

Christ’s Deity proved from it 302

God and Lord, how applied in scripture 304

Christ’s Deity proved thereby 306

This argued from 1 Tim. iii. 16. 311

And from Acts xx. 28. 313. Rom. ix. 5. ibid.

From 1 John v. 20. 315. Isa. ix. 6. 317

From Titus ii. 13. ibid. John xx. 28. 319

When the word God is used absolutely 321

Its meaning when so used 321

6In what sense Christ is styled God by the Socinians 322

From the ascription of the divine nature to him in Col. ii. 9. 325

In Philip, ii. 6. this explained and defended 326

Genuineness of 1 John v. 7. defended 329

From his conference with the Jews 335

From his Attributes 342

Eternity, 343. Immutability, ibid.

Omnipresence 345

This proved from John iii. 13. 347

Omniscience, 349. Objections answered 350

Omnipotency 352

From his glorious titles 353

From his work of creation 357

The Socinian account thereof 359

Christ no instrument in creation 361

How the Father made the world by him 362

Men only moral instruments in miracles 365

From his works of providence 366

Christ the Governor of all things 367

From his acting as Judge 368

Subserviency of his kingdom to the Father 371

Christ as Mediator below, yet equal with the Father 374

Inferiority of Christ, how to be understood in scripture 376

From the worship paid him 377

Christ the Object of religious worship 379

From Baptism 382

From the doxologies applied to him 386

Anti-Trinitarians differ about the worship due to Christ 388

Right to divine worship is incommunicable 389

Objections against the deity of Christ answered 391

Dr. Priestley’s disingenuity, in a note 397

Of the divinity of the Holy Ghost 398

His divinity proved ibid

From Acts v. 3, 4. 400

From his divine Attributes 404

From his divine works 405

Such works performed by him 407

From the worship given to him 408

Objections answered 410

Practical inferences from the doctrine of the Trinity 414

Quest. XII, XIII. Of God’s Decrees.

Some things premised in general 417

Dissuasives from prejudices 419

The general method laid down 421

In what sense God fore-ordained all things 422

That he did so, proved 424

Dr. Smalley on the origin of sin 425

7Purpose of God free, wise, holy 432

How it renders salvation necessary 484

It is unchangeable 481

Repentance, how ascribed to God 483

Predestination, the word explained 433

Consequences of denying it 499

Election, the word explained 434

How used in the Old Testament 438

How in the New 441

Fathers, their sense about this doctrine 507

Election to salvation asserted in scripture 442

Churches, how styled elect 443

Chosen, part of mankind were so 447

These styled a Remnant 449

A Remnant chosen out of the Jews 450

Men elected to sanctification as well as salvation 461

Acts xiii. 48. explained and defended 463

Men chosen in Christ 467

Supra-lapsarian and Sub-lapsarian schemes differ 446

Proofs of the doctrine of Election ibid.

from God’s fore-knowledge 452

from his giving the means of grace 454

Jacob loved, Esau hated, explained 456

Objections answered 458

The opposite doctrine, how defended 501

Properties of Election 469

Misrepresentations of it answered 465

Reprobation, how to be explained 486

Preterition a branch of it (vide the note, 529) 488

Predamnation considered from Jude, ver. 4. 491

Rom. ix. 22. and xi. 7-10. explained 492

2 Thes. ii. 11, 12. Psal. lxxxi. 12. John xii. 39, 40. explained 494

Wicked, how made for the day of evil 495

Will of God secret and revealed 471

Is free, sovereign, and unconditional 476

Its absoluteness 477

That it is conditional, cannot be proved from scripture 480

Conditional propositions, how understood there 479

How God will have all saved 501

Expectation of God not disappointed by the will of man 505

God not really disappointed, grieved, or resisted 506

Bounds of life fixed by him 508

Stoical fate, how it differs from God’s decrees 516

Objections against Election answered 507

Practical improvement of it 526

Dr. Williams on election, in a note 529

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