FOR

THE ORACLES OF GOD,

FOUR ORATIONS.

FOR

JUDGMENT TO COME

AN ARGUMENT,

IN NINE PARTS.

BY THE REVEREND EDWARD IRVING, M.A.

"1

MINISTER OF THE CALEDONIAN CHURCH, HATTON-GARDEN.

NEW YORK:

PUBLISHED BY J. F. SIBELL, CORNER OF FULTON AND PEARL STREETS.

1823.

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BT 881

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xa

PREFACE

CONTENTS.

ORATIONS.

DEDICAION

I. The Preparation for consulting the Oracles of God

II. The Manner of consulting the Oracles of God

III. 7

IV.S

The Obeying of the Oracles of God

JUDGMENT TO COME.

DEDICATION

.. 73

PART I. The Plan of the Argument;-with an Inquiry

into Responsibility in general, and God's right

to place the World under Responsibility

II. The Constitution under which it hath pleased

God to place the World

.xi

13

29

$43
258

...

III. The same Subject continued

IV. The good Effects of the above Constitution, both

upon the Individual and upon Political Society 146

V. Preliminaries of the Solemn Judgment

176

205

VI. The Last Judgment

VII. The Issues of the Judgment

238

VIII. The only Way to escape Condemnation and

Wrath to come

77

94

115

270

IX. The Review of the whole Argument, and endea-

vour to bring it home to the Sons of Men.. 309

PREFACE.

IT hath appeared to the Author of this book, from more than ten years' meditation upon the subject, that the chief obstacle to the progress of divine truth over the minds of men, is the want of its being properly presented to them. In this Christian country there are, perhaps, nine-tenths of every class who know nothing at all about the applications and advantages of the single truths of revelation, or of revelation taken as a whole; and what they do not know, they cannot be expected to reverence or obey. This ignorance, in both the higher and the lower orders, of Religion, as a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart, is not so much due to the want of inquisitiveness on their part, as to the want of a sedulous and skilful ministry on the part of those to whom it is entrusted.

This sentiment may seem to convey a reflection upon the clerical order; but it is not meant to reflect upon them so much as to turn their attention to the subject. They must be conscious that reading is the food of thought, and thought the cause of action; and therefore, in what proportion the reading of a people is impregnated with religious truth, in that proportion will the conduct of a people be guided into religious ways. We must, therefore, lay our hand upon the press as well as