Observations on man, his frame, his duty, and his expectations (1749) . Facsim. reproduction with an introduction by Theodore L. Huguelet

Introduction

. Distribution of the second part, Page 3, 4. CHAP. I. Of the Being and Attributes of God, *and of natural Religion. Something must have existed from all eternity, $, 6. There must be an infinite and independent Being, 6 — 9. The infinite and independent Being is indued with infinite power and knowledge, 9 — 13. God is infinitely benevolent, 13 — 13. Five notions of infinite benevolence considered, and compared together, 13 — 30. There is but one God, 30, 31. God is a spiritual being, 31 — 34. God is an eternal and omnipresent being, 34, 35. God is an immutable being, 3$. God is a free being, 3$ — 37. Holiness, justice, veracity, mercy, and all other moral perfetlions, ought to be ascribed lo God in an infinite degree, 37 — 41. God is to be con sidered by us not only as our creator, but also as our governor, judge, and father, 41 — 45.

The foregoing evidences for the divine attributes afford a proa 1 per per foundation for natural religion, 45—48. Na tural religion receives great light and confirmation from revealed, 48--- 52. Religion presupposes free will in the popular and practical fense, i. e. it pre supposes a voluntary power over our affetlions and actions, 53—55. Religion does not presuppose free will in the philosophical sense, i. e. it does not presuppose a power of doing different things, the previous circumstances remaining the fame, 56—66. The. infinite power and knowledge of God exclude free-will in the philoso phical fense, 66-— 70. CHAP. II. Of the Truth of the Christian Religion. The genuineness of the scriptures proves the truth of the facts contained in them, 72 — 77. The genuineness of the scriptures proves their divine authority, 77, 78.

The truth of the principal facts con tained in the scriptures proves their divine authority, 79, 80. Three different suppositions, which may be made concerning the divine inspiration of the scriptures, 8r -84. The manner in which the scriptures have been handed down from age to age, proves both their genuineness and truth, 84 — 86. The great importance of the scriptures proves both their genuineness and truth, 86 — 96. The language, style, and manner of writing used in the scriptures, prove their genuineness, 97, 98. The great number of particular circumstances of time, place, persons, Sec. mentioned in the scriptures, prove both their genuineness and truth, 99 — 104. The agreement of the scriptures with history, natural and civil, is a proof of their genuineness and truth, 104 — 122. The agreement of the books of the Old and New Testaments with themselves ind each other, is an argument both of their genuineness and truth, 122 — 126.

The unity of design, which appears in the dispensations recorded in the V the scriptures, is an argument not only of their truth and genuineness, but also of their divine authority, \i6 — 136. Divine communications, miracles, and prophecies, are agreeable to natural religion, and seem even necessary in the infancy of the world, 137 — 141. The objections made against the miracles recorded in the scriptures, from their being contrary to the course of nature, is of little or no force, 142— 149. The historical evidences for the genuineness, truth, and divine authority, of the scriptures, do not grow less from age to age, but rather increase, 149, 1 5-0. The prophecies delivered in the scriptures prove their divine authority, 150 — 157. The obscurity of the prophecies does not invalidate this proof, 157— 160.

The double uses and applications of the types and prophecies are no objection to the evidences deducible from them, but rather a confirmation of these evidences, 1 60, 161. The application of the types and prophecies of the Old Testament, by the writers of the New, does not weaken the authority of these writers, but rather confirm it, 162 — 166. The moral characters of Christ, the prophets, and apostles, prove the truth and divine authority of the scriptures, 167 — 172. The excellence of the doctrines contained in the scriptures is an evidence of their divine authority, 172 ■ — 174. The many advantages which have accrued to the world from the patriarchal, judaical, and christian revelations, prove the divine authority of the scriptures, 174 — 177. The wonderful nature, and superior excellence, of the attempt made by Christ and his apostles, are evidences of their divine authority, 177, 178.

The manner in which the love of God, and of our neighbour, is taught and inculcated in the scriptures, is an evidence of their divine authority, 178 — 1 80. The doctrine of the necessary subserviency of pain to pleasure, unfolded in the scriptures, is an evidence of their divine authority, 180, 181. The mutual instrumentality of beings to each other's happiness and misery, unfolded in the scriptures, is an argument VI argument of their divine authority, 182 — 184. The divine authority of the scriptures may be inferred from the superior wisdom of the Jewish laws, considered in a political light, and from the exquisite workmanship shewn in the tabernacle and temple, 184. The want of universality in the publication of revealed religion, is no objection to it; but on the contrary, the time and manner in . which the scriptures were written, and delivered to the world, are arguments for their divine authority, 184 — 187.

The exclusion of all great degrees of enthusiasm and imposture from the characters of Christ, the prophets and apostles, proves their divine authority, 187 — 189. The reception which Christ, his fore-runners and followers, with their doctrines, have met with in all ages, is an argument of their divine authority, 189 — 191. The reception which false religions have met with in the world, are arguments of the truth of the christian, 191— 195. N CHAP. Ill Of the Rule of Life SECT. I. Of the Rule of Life, as deducible from the Practice and Opinions of Mankind. The practice of mankind affords some direction in respect of the rule of life, 197, 198. The opinions of mankind afford a better direction in respect of the rule of life, than their practice, 198, 199. The rule of life drawn from the practice and opinions of man kind is favourable to the cause of virtue, 199 — 207.

This rule corrects and improves itself perpetually, 207 — 210. SECT. SECT. II. Of the Regard due to the Pleasures and Pains of Sensation, in forming the Rule of Life. The pleasures of sensation ought not to be made a primary pursuit, 211 — 215. The pursuit of sensible pleasure ought to be regulated by the precepts of piety, benevolence, and the moral fense, 215 — 218. Prac tical rules concerning diet, 218 — 228. Practical rules concerning the commerce belzveen the sexes, 228 — 238. Practical rules concerningthe hardships, pains, and uneasinesses, which occur in the daily intercourses of life, 238—241. SECT. III. Of the Regard due to the Pleasures and Pains of Imagination in forming the Rule of Life. The pleasures of imagination ought not to be made a primary pursuit, 242 — 245. The pursuit of the pleasures of imagination ought to be regulated by the precepts of benevolence, piety, and the moral fense, 245 — 248.

Practical rules concerning the elegancies, and amusements of life, '248 — 251. Practical rules con cerning mirth, wit, and humour, 251 — 253. Prac tical rules concerning the polite arts, and particularly of painting, music, and poetry, 253, 254. Practical rules concerning the pursuit of science, 255, 256. Practical rules concerning the ignorance, difficulties, and perplexities, in which we find ourselves involved, 256" —258. SECT. IV. Of the Reo-ard due to the Pleasures of Honour, and the Pains of Shame, in forming the Rule of Life. The pleasures of honour ought not to be made a primary pursuit, 259 — 262. The pleasures of honour may may be obtained in their greatest degree, and highest perfection, by paying a strict regard to the precepts of benevolence, piety, and the moral fense, 161 — 264.

Practical observations on the nature of humility, and the methods of attaining it, i6\ — 270. SECT. V. Of the Regard due to the Pleasures and Pains of Self-interest in forming the Rule of Life. The pleasures of self-interest ' oiight not to be made a primary pursuit, 271 — 27 9."' 'Wffrict regard to the precepts of benevolence, piety, and the moral fense, favours even gross self-interest, and is the only method by which the refined and rational can be secured, 279, 280. Practical observations on self-interest and self annihilation, 280 — 282. SECT. VI. Of the Regard due to the Pleasures and Pains of Sympathy, in forming the Rule of Life. The pleasures of sympathy improve those of sensation, imagination, ambition, and self-interest ; and unite with those of theopathy and the moral sense : they are self -consistent, and admit of an unlimited extent -, and consequently they may be our primary pur suit, 283 —^290.

Practical rules for augmenting the benevolent affections, and suppressing the . malevolent ones, 291, 292. Practical rules for the conduct of men towards each other in society, 292 — 300. Of the duties arising from the principal relations of life, 301—308. SECT. SECT. VII. Of the Regard due to the Pleasures and Pains of Theopathy, in forming the Rule of Life. The love of God regulates, improves, and perfects all the other parts of our nature, and affords a pleasure superior, in kind and degree, to all the rest ; and therefore is our primary pursuit, and ultimate end, 309 — 315. Practical rules concerning the theopathetic affections, faith, fear, gratitude, hope, trust, resignation, and love, 316 — 330. Practical rules concerning the manner of expressing the theopathetic affections by prayer, and other religious exercises, 331 — 336- SECT.

VIII. Of the Regard due to the Pleasures and Pains of the moral Sense, in forming the Rule of Life. The moral fense ought to be made the immediate guide of our actions on all sudden emergencies, 337 — 339. Practical rules for the regulation and im provement of the moral fense, 339, 340. General corollaries to the seven last sections, 341—346. SECT. IX. Of the Rule of Faith. An inquiry how far faith in natural and revealed religion, also in the particular tenets of christian churches, is necessary for the purification and perfection of our natures, 347—358. CHAP. i> Vol. X CHAP. IV. Os the Expectations of Mankind, here and hereafter, in Consequence of their Observance or Violation of the Rule of Life. SECT. I. Of the Expectation of Individuals in the present Life. It is probable, that most or all men receive more happiness than misery, in their passage through the present life, 359 — 361.

The balance cannot be much in favour even of the most happy, during the present life, 361 — 363. Virtue has always the fairest prospect even in this life, and vice is always exposed to the greatest hazards, 363. And yet it does not seem at all probable, that happiness is exactly proportioned to virtue in the present life, 364, 365. SECT. II. Of the Expectation of Bodies Politic, the Jews in particular, and the World in general, during the present State of the Earth. It is probable, that all the present civil governments will be overturned, 366 — 370. // is probable, that the present forms of church-government will be dissolved, solved, 370 — 372. It is probable, that the Jews will be restored to Palæstine, 373- — 375. The christian religion will be preached to, and received, by all nations, 376 — 380.

It is not probable, that there will be any pure or complete happiness before the destruction of this world by fire, 380, 381. SECT. III. Of a future State after the Expiration of this Life. It is probable, from the mere light of nature, that there will be a future state, 382 — 392. The christian revelation gives us an absolute assurance of a future state, 393 — 395. The rewards and punishments of a future life will far exceed the happiness and misery of this, both in degree and duration, 395 — 397. It is probable, that the future happiness of the good will be of a spiritual nature; but the future misery of the wicked may be both corporeal and mental, 397 — 402. It seems probable, that the foul may remain in a state of inactivity, though perhaps not of insensibility, from death to the resurrection, 402, 403, SECT.

IV. Of the Terms of Salvation. It follows from the foregoing theory of our intellectual pleasures and pains, as well as from other ways of con sidering them, that the bulk of mankind are not qualified for pure, unmixed happiness, 404, 405. It follows from the declarations of the scriptures, that the bulk of mankind are not qualified for the mansions of the blessed, C ON TENTS. 405 — 407. A practical application of this doctrine t$ the real circumstances of mankind, 407 — 418. SECT. V. Of the final Happiness of all Mankind in some distant future State. It is probable from reason, that all mankind will be made happy ultimately, 419 — 425. It is probable from the scriptures, that all mankind will be made happy ultimately, 426 — 437. CONCLUSION, 438. OBSER- OBSERVATIONS O N MAN, &>c. In TWO PARTS.