since I commenced speaking it, I have been actively and constantly engaged in the work of the Lord, which has not left me as much time as I could have wished to attend more strictly to the rules of rhetoric, and therefore humbly request the reader to attend more to the matter than to the style and composition of the following letters.

One object which I have constantly kept in view is, to show that the fundamental doctrines of our holy religion are neither "cunningly devised fables," nor “the inventions of modern priestcraft,” but that they have been revealed in the Old Testament, and believed by the ancient people of God, and have been taught by Christ and his apostles in the New Testament, only in a fuller and clearer manner.

I have addressed these letters to Benjamin, my own brother, merely as a representative of all my Jewish brethren, concerning whom I can adopt the language of the great apostle of the Gentiles, if not as feelingly, yet I trust as sincerely, in declaring, " I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, (for I did wish that myself were accursed from Christ, *) for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ càme, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." Rom. 9 : 1-5. Neither are these letters written for the Jews only, but also for Christians of every denomination. The variety of truth contained in them is made so plain, and is in itself so interesting and important, that I hope the work will prove exceedingly useful as a companion in Bible classes, a text book to candidates for the Gospel ministry, and a complete system of divinity for pious families.

Firmly believing that "Paul may plant and Apollos water, but God alone can give the increase," and that “it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord," I earnestly pray that the Lord in infinite mercy may make the truths contained in the following letters “the wisdom and the power of God unto salvation to every” reader, " to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Christ; i. e. I abhorred the idea of believing in him, or as being considered one of his disciples; and therefore, by sad experience, I can sympathize with them more than others.” He who has just been rescued from a dangerous fit of sickness feels more for a sick person than he who never knew what sickness means. Hence even the Son of God himself needed to be tempted and tried, that he might be able to succor them that are tempted.

THE AUTHOR.
Brooklyn, New York, March, 1835.

Page

Preface,

3

PART I.

NECESSITY OF A MEDIATOR.

LETTER I.-Introduction,

7

A letter from my own brother Benjamin inquiring into the reasons

of my embracing the Christian Religion. Importance of the

question. Nature of true religion. Duty of renouncing error.

The Bible the only rule of our creed. Origin of my conver-

sion. Examination of the sacred Scriptures, concerning the
Messiah. Doubts about the truth of the Bible. Examination of

the evidences of the Scriptures too much neglected.

LETTER II.—Observations on Divine Revelation,

14

Advantages of the Missionary Seminary at Gosport, England.

The possibility of a Divine Revelation. The necessity. The

willingness of God to make a revelation,

LETTER III.-Evidences of a Divine Revelation,

19
The Bible. Why called a Testament. Division of the Bible.

Internal evidences. Matter. Style. Harmony. Influence.

LETTER IV.-Continuation of the subject,

25

External evidences. Character of the penmen. Their qualifica-

tions. Motives. Many in number and lived in different pe-

riods. Miracles. Prophecies. The reception the Bible has met

with. Its efficacy. Antiquity.

LETTER V.-On reading the Scriptures,

31

Arguments : The source of the Bible. Its contents. The examples

71

LETTER IX.--The Fall of Man,

61

God alone immutable. Man left to his own free will. Adam un-

der obligations to obey. Human nature changed. The cause

unknown by reason. But is revealed. This change properly

called a Fall. The Tempter. Moved by envy and hatred.

His subtlety and art in the temptation. Attacked the woman

rather than the man. The instrument he used. The grada.

tion of the temptation. The immediate effects on our first pa-

rents. The curse of the law. Loss of the image of God. Filled

with guilt and shame. Driven out of Paradise. Hard labor.

Pain and danger in child-bearing. Aggravation of their sin.

Complication of sins.
LETTER X.--Original sin,

A difficult subject. Its nature. The word not used in Scripture.

Why called so. Depravity. Privation of all good. Propensity

to evil. Incorporated in our very nature. Universal in the

world. Degrees of it. _Universal in the individual. Confirma-

tion of the doctrine. From Scripture. Necessity of regenera-

tion. From facts. From the misery the world. Extracts

from Dr. Bogue's lectures. How it is communicated.

LETTER XI.-Imputation of Adam's sin,

83

What imputation means. Proofs. From Scripture. Scope and

design of Rom. 5:12–19. Adam a figure of Christ. The Apos-

tle uses a variety of expressions. From facts. Sufferings and
death of infants. Observation from Dr. Bates. From Jewish

writers. They say that Adam was a federal head. That the

punishment was death of body and soul. That death is the wages

of sin. That his sin was imputed both in guilt and depravity.

Depravity they call Yezer Hara.

LETTER XII.—The subject continued,

91
Proofs from Christian writers. From the book of Homilies.
From the Assembly's Catechism. Vindication of the doctrine.

Testimony from Dr. Goodwine. From Justice Hale.

LETTER XIII.—Misery of fallen Man,

97
Actual transgression increases guilt. Certainty of punishment.

Nature of this misery. Communion with God lost. The wrath

and curse of God incurred. The miseries of this life. Exten.

sive and constant. External and internal. Death. And the

pains of hell.

LETTER XIV.-Man's inability,

105

Defined. Cannot procure pardon. Sacrifices could not atone.

Nor is repentance sufficient. Oxlee's letter to S. M.

LETTER XV.-The subject continued,

112
To expect pardon by repentance is unreasonable.' Neither by re-

forniation or future obedience. Nor by the ceremonial law.
Nor by sufferings. Sanctification as necessary as justification.
Proved from Scripture. Not in the power of man to effect it.

PART II. A MEDIATOR APPOINTED AND REVEALED.
LETTER I.-A Mediator appointed,

119
A pleasure to bring good news. A scriptural account of the Me.

diator's appointment. The reality proved from passages of

Scripture applied by the Jews to the Messiah. The nature of

the Covenant. The parties. Messiah meant by the Branch.

Prov. 8th considered. The Mediator engaged voluntarily. The

contract. To make known the will of God. Obey the law. Make

satisfaction. Testimonies from the Rabbins. To make his

people willing.

LETTER II.—The subject continued,

133

Promises of the covenant.

To ihe Mediator himself. The Fa-

ther undertook to fit him for the work. To strengthen and up-

hold him. To raise him from the dead. To exalt him. To

make him Judge of all. To his people. Quotation from Tho-

mas Boston. Well ordered. Their conversion and adoption :

Justification. Perseverance. Comfort at death. Future world.

Temporal blessings. No penalty in this covenant. Persons in-

terested are the elect.

LETTER III.—Messiah revealed in paradise,

144

The promise of a Messiah denied by some. Expectation supposes

a promise. Such expectation at the birth of Christ. Amongst

the Romans. Still expected amongst the Jews. Gen. 3 : 15

considered. The tempter was Satan. His destruction foretold.

The seed of the woman means the Messiah. Called Hoo. The

seed of the woman. The work he is to accomplish. Testimony

of the Rabbins. If not revealed in this passage, then not re-

vealed until Abraham. Adam and Eve believed in a Mes-

siah.

LETTER IV.-Continuation of the subject,

157

Extract from Dr. P. Smith. Messiah's heel to be bruised. Hence

we'see the revelation of a Messiah.

LETTER V.-Messiah promised to Abraham,

162
The promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Origin of our

nation. The promise confirmed by an oath. The promise of a
Messiah made plainer. The seed means the Messiah. Not
fulfilled in any individual. Neither in our nation collectively.
The Messiah always called the Seed, not the Son. Applied to
the Messiah both in the New Testament and by the Rabbins.
From other passages of Scripture. The blessing promised.
Justification, &c. The extent. Our people's mistake in re-
stricting it to the natural seed of Abraham. Reason why the
blessings of the Gospel are described by expressions of so exten-
sive a sense. The channel is faith. Chap. 2, 3, and 4 of Ro
mans proposed for consideration. Neither descent nor works,
but faith.

MESSIAH MUST HAVE COME.

PART III.

LETTER I.-Jacob's prediction fulfilled,

179
First advent. of the Messiah. Not two Messiahs. The period

företold. Other events determined and revealed. Hab. 2: 2,3
considered. Gen. 49: 10 considered. Messiah meant by Sh..oh.

Four proofs. The time. Sceptre or Tribe. Lawgiver.

LETTER II.-Second temple destroyed and Daniel's weeks ex-

pired,

186