SILBEN FOUNDATIONS. O F MONS, HEWING The Grounds of the LORD's Controverfy with this Church and Land, in refpect of the Prevalence of Error, the abounding of Immoralities, Contempt of the glorious Gofpel, Breach of folemn Engagements, awful Abufe of GoD's Goodnefs, &c. Together with The Duty of SAINTS and SINNERS in the Profpect of threatened Strokes on these Accounts. Preached from different Texts of Scripture, and on feveral Occafions, particularly Fast-days. By the late Reverend and Learned Author of the Fourfold State, A View of the Covenants of Works and Grace. Now first published from the Author's original Manufcripts, as peculiarly applicable to the prefent Times. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit faith unto the churches, Rev. iii. 22. EDINBURGH: Printed by and for JOHN GRAY. Sold at his Printing-house oppofite the City-guard. MDCCLXXII. [Price Eightpence.] TRANSFER FROM LENOX. THE By a FRIEND. HE following fermons were lent to the prefacer by the Rev. Mr Michael Boston, the author's grandfon. The perufal of them in the original manuscript gave him so much pleasure, and they appeared to be fo applicable to the cafe of the prefent time, that he could not refift an inclination to transcribe them, and give them to the publisher. They are transcribed without any additions or alterations whatever, except what are merely verbal: fo that the difcourfes are the genuine compofition of the worthy author, whose praife is in all the churches. The reader will fee from the titles and dates of the feveral fermons, that they were preached at different times, and on various occafions, particularly on days of folemn fasting: on which it is rational to think, that fo holy and judicious a minifter, fo accurate an obferver of the times, one whofe heart glowed with zeal for the glory of God, the purity and peace of the church, and the advantage of his country, would freely declare his opinion as to the ftate of public matters, and the evidences of the divine difpleasure. with the generation. In the firft fermon the author has in view the injury he supposed was done to gofpel-truth by the acts of affembly 1720 and 1722, in condemning a book, entitled, The Marrow of modern Divinity, wherein the two following propofitions were ftigmatized as erroneous, viz. That as the law is the covenant of works, believers are wholly and altogether fet free from it; and, That believers are Jet free both from the commanding and condemning power of the covenant of works; and by a former affembly's. condemning as unfound and moft deteftable another propofition, That it is not found and orthodox to teach, that we must forfake fin in order to our coming to Chrift. Our author has illuftrated and vindicated |