MAN’S NATURAL BLINDNESS

IN THE

THINGS OF RELIGION.

PSALM xciv. 8-11.

Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. ²⁵³²⁵³    This Treatise is a posthumous work, collected from the author’s papers. They were drawn up by him in the form of three short sermons, in his usual way of preparation for the pulpit; but were by no means finished in a manner fit for the public eye. It is presumed, therefore, that the present form is much more suitable to the nature of the subject, than that in which they appeared in the Glasgow edition (1785) of Eighteen Sermons, connected with the Author’s Life, by Dr. Hopkins. This plan has been occasionally adopted respecting some other courses of sermons, especially posthumous ones; which we have been encouraged to do by several judicious friends, who are well acquainted with the author’s writings. And we own, it is no small inducement in our view, to edit them in this manner in a standard edition, they are much more likely to do good at a future period. A tract may be reprinted with much greater probability of acceptance and success, than the same in the form of sermons, unfinished by the author, with divisions, transitions, &c. to which the generality of readers are unaccustomed.—W.