Sermons and Discourses on Several Important Subjects

This collection gathers the preaching ministry of Ebenezer Erskine, the Scottish Presbyterian minister who became a central figure in the Secession Church movement of the 1730s. Erskine's sermons emerged from his pastoral work in Portmoak and Stirling, where his expository preaching and defense of evangelical Calvinism attracted wide attention. The collection spans over three decades of pulpit ministry, capturing both his regular pastoral instruction and the theological convictions that would eventually lead him to separate from the established Church of Scotland over issues of patronage and gospel freedom.

Erskine's sermonic method combines rigorous biblical exposition with passionate evangelical appeal. He consistently emphasizes the free offer of the gospel while maintaining strict Reformed theology, arguing that Christ's invitation extends genuinely to all hearers even as salvation remains sovereignly determined. His preaching moves systematically through scriptural texts, drawing out doctrinal implications before pressing toward personal application. The sermons demonstrate his skill at making complex theological distinctions accessible to ordinary congregants, particularly his careful explanation of how divine sovereignty and human responsibility coexist in salvation. His treatment of assurance, the nature of saving faith, and the Christian's relationship to the law reveals the influence of the Marrow controversy and anticipates themes that would become central to later evangelical revivals.

These sermons preserved Erskine's theological legacy within Scottish Presbyterianism and influenced the development of both the Associate Presbytery tradition and broader evangelical preaching. His combination of doctrinal precision with warm pastoral concern provided a model for Reformed ministers seeking to maintain orthodox theology while emphasizing personal conversion and assurance. Who should read this: pastors and students of preaching interested in classical Reformed homiletics, particularly those studying the development of evangelical Calvinism in eighteenth-century Scotland. These sermons are not suited for readers seeking contemporary preaching styles or those unfamiliar with Reformed theological vocabulary.