THE

SERMONS,

AND OTHER

PRACTICAL WORKS,

Of the Late REVEREND and LEARNED

MR. RALPH ERSKINE,

Minister of the Gospel in DUNFERMLINE.

CONSISTING OF

Above One Hundred and Fifty SERMONS,
befides his POETICAL PIECES.

IN TEN LARGE VOLUMES OCTAVO.

To which is prefixed,

An ACCOUNT of the AUTHOR'S LIFE and WRITINGS,
with an ELEGIAC POEM, and large CONTENTS.

PRINTED BY PATRICK MAIR,

For PETER MUIRHEAD, Merchant, HUGH MITCHELL,
Bookfeller, and the Revd. JOHN STEWART, the Publishers.

M.DCC.XCV,

THE

CONTENTS.

SERMO N LVI,-LXIV.

The Happy Congregation; or, the Great Gathering

Page I

of the People to Shiloh,

GEN. xlix. 10. The fceptre fhall not depart from Judah,

nor the lawgiver from between his feet, until Shilob

come; and unto him fhall the gathering of the people be.

The words being viewed in their connection, analized, and explained,

difficulties obviated, and the true fenfe afcertained, the following

general topics of difcourfe are largely handled, viz.

1. Some remarks offered with respect to the nature and qualities of

the gathering of the people to Shiloh,

12

2. Who the people are, of whom it is faid this gathering shall be,

enquired into,

27

3. To whom this gathering of the people is to be, and in what refpects

it is to Chrift,

37

4. The manner of this gathering, by what means, and in what method

it fhall be,

48

5. The fpecial feafons mentioned wherein this gathering doth, or fhall

take place,

85

6. The reafons why this gathering of the people shall be to Shiloh,

enumerated,

7. A copious improvement of the whole subject,

Ufe 1. Of information, in fundry particulars,

124

139

ibid.

149

ibid.

2. Of exhortation, to three forts of perfons,

(1.) To thefe who are doubtful if they be gathered,

(2.) To unbelievers, who were never gathered to Shiloh, 163

(3.) To believers, who have been gathered to him,

5012

A 2

186

SER-

The Pregnant Promise with her Iffue; or, the Children

of Promife brought forth and described,

193

GAL. iv. 28. Now we, brethren, as Ifaac was, are

the children of promise.

After taking a view of the words in their connection, dividing, explain-

ing, and fixing the proper fenfe of them, the following general topics

are treated at great length, viz.

199

1. The promise whereof believers are the children, opened up,

2. This character, of their being the children of promise, unfolded;

and in what respects they are fo, inquired into,

227

3. The comparifon ftated, or the parallel run, between them and Ifaac,

and fo the truth of the propofition evinced, viz. that as he was,

fo they are the children of promife,

241

4. The grounds of the doctrine enumerated, both with reference to

the prolific virtue of the promise for begetting children to God, and

alfo the pleasure of the Promifer, why he will have people to be

the children of promife,

5. A copious application of the whole, in four uses,

Ufe 1. Of information, in twenty inferences,

2. Of examination and trial,

3. Of caution, by anfwering fifteen cafes,

253

264

265

319

365

381

LXXII.

4. Of exhortation, to three forts of perfons,

SERMON

The MEDIATOR's Power in Heaven and Earth,

424

MATTH. XXViii. 18. And Jefus came, and spoke unto them,

faying, All power is given unto me in beaven and earth.

After the words are divided and explained, and fummed up in a doc-
trinal propofition, the following general heads of method are hand-
led, viz.

1. The truth of the propofition illuftrated from parallel texts and

fcripture inftances,

428

2. The power that is delegated to, and refides in the person of Christ,

435

3. The extent of this power unfolded, as it is declared to be all power

in heaven and earth,
444

4. The divine donation thereof touched at, by fhewing when and how

it was given to Christ,

449

5. The reafons of the doctrine affigned, why all power in heaven and

earth is given to him.

455

6. Sundry inferences deduced for the application,

462

SER-

The HAPPY CONGREGATION; or, The Great Gathering of the PEOPLE to SHILOH *,

GENESIS xlix. 10.

The fceptre fhall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between bis feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him Shall the gathering of the people be.

THE twelve fons of Jacob were very remarkable in their day but the twelve tribes of Ifrael, that were defcended and denominate from them, were yet more remarkable and renowned for we find their names upon the twelve gates of the new Jerufalem, Rev. xxi. 12. In the view hereof, their dying father, Jacob, fays fome things remarkable concerning each fn, and his tribe. Holy Jacob, the nearer he was to his death, the nearer to God; his foul had not only a kind of divinity, but of divination alfo, whereby he

This fubje&t is the fubftance of eight difcourfes, preached at feveral places, on facramental occafions. The first three were delivered at the facrament at Kinglaffie, June 5th, 6th, and 7th; and end about the middle of the third general head. The next three were preached at the facrament of Airth, June 19th, 20th, and 21ft; and end with the fifth general head. The laft two were delivered at the facrament of Carnock, July 4th, and 5th: all in the year 1725.

VOL. IV.