Updated to modern English
Or, A well-organized collection of Sayings and Discussions, Wherein The primary aspects of Christian Religion are affirmed and enhanced.
ECCLESIASTES 12. 9, 10, 11. Because the Preacher was wise, he continued to teach the people Knowledge. Yes; he gave careful attention and sought out and arranged many Proverbs.
The Preacher sought to find acceptable words, and what was written was upright, even words of Truth.
The words of the Wise are like goads and like nails firmly fixed by the Masters of the Assemblies, and given by one Shepherd.
It is the Apostle Paul's declaration to the Corinthians regarding himself that he, as a wise master builder, has laid the Foundation. By this, he intends to convey the following: The task of laying the Foundation is the work of a skilled builder, and it requires both knowledge and wisdom to do it correctly.
This has been the particular concern of the esteemed and learned author of the following discourses. Recognizing the deficiency and necessity of a solid and well-founded understanding of the fundamentals of Christ's Doctrine, he diligently applied himself to this endeavor in the treatise he has left to the world. The author had compiled these sermons (up to the point of their delivery) into a comprehensive body of divinity consisting of thirty distinct aphorisms with their respective discussions. They represent the essence and culmination of his previous efforts throughout his ministry.
Table of Contents
To the Reader
APHORISM I. Human blessedness does not consist in an abundance of worldly comforts, which are all meaningless; but in experiencing God in Christ
APHORISM II. We are led to the experience of God in Christ through the Christian Religion, as revealed in the divine Scriptures.
APHORISM III: Scripture-Oracles, assuming that the existence of God is sufficiently clear through the light of Nature, provide further revelation about His essence, existence, and attributes.
APHORISM IV: Goodness and Greatness are attributes so comprehensive as to encompass a multitude of divine perfections.
APHORISM V: The goodness and greatness of God are abundantly demonstrated through His decrees of Election and Preterition, as well as His works of Creation and Providence.
APHORISM VI: Providence extends itself not only to all created beings, but also to all human affairs, especially those concerning the Church, and even to the sins of angels and men.
