A sense of the excellency of Christ, or of his worthiness of being loved, is of great importance in religion. Without this we can never truly love him, nor prize any thing which pertains to

Your last two letters have occupied much of my attention. I confess I feel the force of the argument; and though there are difficulties in my mind which I scarcely know how to state in

When the sinner becomes thus besotted in the ways of sin, there are commonly a number of circumstances and considerations, besides his own attachment to it, which entangle his soul, and, if infinite mercy interpose

Of the work of the Holy Spirit The Scriptures clearly ascribe both repentance and faith wherever they exist to Divine influence.† Whence many have concluded that they cannot be duties required of sinners. If sinners

Objections to the foregoing principles, from the doctrine of election, are generally united with those from particular redemption; and, indeed, they are so connected that the validity of the one stands or falls with that

It is here taken for granted that nothing but sin can be the cause of God’s inflicting punishment, and nothing can be sin which is not a breach of duty. “Go ye into all the

It is no uncommon thing to distinguish between a formal requisition and that which affords the ground or reason of that requisition. The goodness of God, for instance, though it is not a law or

Repentance, it is allowed, like all other spiritual exercises, has its counterfeit, and which is not spiritual; but neither is it that which God requires at the hands of either saints or sinners. What is

“A hearty choice of God’s appointed way of salvation” is the same thing as falling in with its grand designs. Now the grand designs of the salvation of Christ are the glory of God, the

The Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament abound with exhortations to hear the word of God, to hearken to his counsel, to wait on him, to seek his favour, &c., all which imply