THE

WORKS

OF

THE REV, JOSEPH BELLAMY, D. D.

LATE OF BETHLEM, CONNECTICUT.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. III.

NEW YORK:

PUBLISHED BY STEPHEN DODGE.

PRINTED BY J. SEYMOUR, no. 49, JONN-STRELT.

1812.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME III. .

Page

9

75

128

126

130

140

154

161

The Law our School-master,

A Blow at the Root of the refined Antinomianism of the present age, &c.

That there is but one Covenant, whereof Baptism and the Lord's Supper

are Seals, viz. the Covenant of Grace, proved from the word of God;

and the doctrine of an erternal graceless covenant, advanced by the

Rev. Mr. Moses Mather, shown to be an unscriptural doctrine.

Preface,
Section I. The nature of Mr. Mis'external graceless covenant, its differ-

ence from the covenant of grace, and a general view of the

subject,
II. The covenant with Abraham was a holy covenant, and could

not be really complied with but in the exercise of real holiness,

III. The covenant with the Israelites in the wilderness was a holy

covenant, and could not be really complied with, but in the ex-

ercise of real holiness,

IV. The Gospel of Christ essentially different from Mr. Ma.

ther's external graceless covenant,

V. Baptism and the Lord's Supper, are seals of the covenant of

grace, and of no other covenant,

VI. It cannot be determined what Mr. M.'s external covenant

requires, and wherein a real compliance with it doth consist, so

that any man can ever koow that he has complied with it,

vu. Various distinctions stated, to render the subject more easy

to be understood by Christians of the weakest capacities, and to

enable them to answer the usual objections, at least to their

own satisfaction,

VIII. Mr. Mather's scheme inconsistent with itself,

A careful and strict Examination of the external Covenant, and of the

principles by which it is supported: a Reply to the Rev. Mr. Mather's

piece, entitled, “ The Visible Church in Covenant with God, further

illustrated,” Sc. A Vindicatirn of the plan on which the Churches

in New-England were originally formed, &c.

Preface,

lo troduction,

Section I. The nature of Mr. M.'s external covenant, as stated by him-

self, under the notion of a conditional covenant,

- II. Mr. M.'s external covenant represented by him as uncondi.

tional, examined in this view of it,

168

174

186

203

211

215

226
237

248

265

Section III. The perfection of the divine law, and total depravity, incon-

sistent with the notion of an external covenant appointed by

God for the unregenerate, as such, to enter into, requiring

graceless qualifications, and nothing else, as the conditions of its

blessings,

- IV. A view of the exhortations and promises of the Gospel : and

the true reason pointed out why the doings of the unregenerate

do not entitle to the blessings promised,

V. Impenitent, self-righteous, Christless sinners, are under the

curse of the law of God. But this is inconsistent with their be.

ing in covenant with God, in good standing in his sight, by any

works which they do, while such,

VI. The nature of the enmity of the carnal mind against God,

and whether it remains, notwithstanding the revelation of God's

readiness to be reconciled to men,

VII. Whether the Gospel calls fallen men to be reconciled to

that character of God against which they are at enmity,

VIII. How it was possible for Adam before the fall, to love that

character of God which was exhibited to him in the law, con-

sistently with the love of his own happiness,

- IX. The Christian creed, the Arminian creed, and Mr. M.'s

creed ; remarks on each,

X. Mr. M.'s scheme inconsistent with itself,

XI. The extraordinary methods Vir. M. takes to support his

own scheme, and to keep himself in countenance,

A Letter to Scripturista,

The Half-way Covenant : a Dialogue between a Minister and his

Parishioner.

Dialogue I.

II.

299

314

.

327

338

343

350

871

III.

IV.

Early Piety recommended ; a Discourse on Eccles. xii. 1.

The great Evil of sin, as committed against God: a Sermon,

Index to the whole work,

Wherefore the law was our School-Master to bring us unto

CHRIST, that we might be justified by faith. THE chief design of the present discourse is to give the true sense of this text; which will go far towards leading us into the nature of the Jewish religion, and of the Christian ; and help to remove several dangerous mistakes, which mankind have been apt to run into. Now, in order to understand any text of Scripture, we are to consider the various circumstances of the discourse; such as the character of the persons spoken to, the manner how the text is introduced, and for what purpose; that we, seeing the occasion of what is written, and the scope and design of the inspired writer, may the more readily and certainly discern the true sense of the passage. Here, therefore, let us inquire into the character of the persons St. Paul had to deal with ; the occasion and design of these words, and how they were introduced in the thread of his argument; and the grounds he saw in the nature of the Mosaic dispensation for this observation, that the law was a school-master to bring us to Christ.

I. As to the character of the persons St. Paul had to deal with. They, at least the ring-leaders of them, were by birth Jews, by education Pharisees, and now lately converted to Christianity ; but yet zealous for some of their old pharisaical notions, fond of making proselytes to their own scheme, a scheme, in the apostle's opinion, subversive of Christianity.

While of the sect of the Pharisees, before their conversion to Christianity, they expected justification wholly by the deeds of the law. (Rom. x. 3.) But now, since their conversion to Christianity, they expected justification by the deeds of the law; and yet it seems not wholly; for they

VOL III.