Tappan Pres. Assocn. 6-17-1924 ADVERTISEMENT. THE Occasion of composing these discourses, arose from a number of gentlemen in London, firmly attached to the interest of our divine Redeemer, and filled with a fervent zeal for the purity of the doctrines of revelation, taking into their consideration, that many evangelical truths, of the last importance, were not only secretly undermined, but violently opposed in their day, by subtle adversaries to the Gospel scheme, and, accordingly, they judged it proper to set up a public Lecture, that a course of Sermons might be preached in DEFENCE of sundry cardinal doctrines, then so openly impugned. This laudable proposal met with the most hearty approbation, from the lovers of the truth as it is in Jesus. Accordingly, nine ministers, of eminent abilities, who had distinguished themselves in the world, by their elaborate writings, and who were made choice of for this undertaking, cheerfully engaged in it. Each of the ministers, by mutual consent, had the respective point of doctrine he was to establish and defend assigned him: all of them agreed, that the different subjects should be studied with the greatest accuracy and precision; the several divine truths set in the clearest point of view, from the sacred records; the whole discourses composed on a certain plan, and arranged in a regular and connected order. These preliminaries being settled, the Lecture was begun on the 12th of November, 1730, and continued weekly till April the 8th, 1731. The capital and interesting doctrines handled at that time, and now contained in this volume, after an introductory discourse, entitled, The Spirit's Standard lifted up, and displayed against Error, are the following, viz.-The insufficiency of natural religion evinced; the doctrine of particular election, stated and defended; the doctrine of original sin, asserted and defended; the Scripture doctrine of particular redemption, stated and vindicated;-the doctrine of Christ's sufferings opened; a plain Scripture account of a sinner's justification before God; the doctrine of efficacious grace, asserted and vindicated; -the doctrine of perseverance in grace, stated and defended;the doctrine of the resurrection, opened and defended;-a vin * Viz.—the Rev. Messrs. Bragge, Taylor, Sladen, Goodwin, Hurrion, Bradbury, Wilson, Hall, and Dr. Gill. |