The Life of God in the Soul of Man; or, the Nature and Excellency of the Christian Religion with Nine Other Discourses on Important Subjects. Added Sermon Preached at the author's funeral by George Gairden, D.D.
Aberdeen: Printed by and for F. Douglass and W. Murray, 1753. A later edition of a scarce book featuring the sermon given at the author's funeral by George Gairden, D.D. The first edition (1677) was printed in London for Charles Smith and William Jacob. Binding extremities rubbed. Head of spine worn away less than 1/4 inch. Hinges and joints starting but sound. Intermittent light foxing. Contemporary ink signature of owner on front fly leaf (Alex Leslie, Aberdeen)and the bookplate of the same owner and a previous one on front pastedown. Library stamp of Christ's College on front end pastedown and front flyleaf. Contemporary sheep. Give-paneled gilt-ruled spine with gilt stamped label. Twelvemo. . xvi, 307, + [1, publisher's ads] pp. Item #16118
Henry Scougal (1650-1678) was a Church of Scotland minister. In July of 1668, he was appointed a regent at King's and was noted for being the first in the locality to structure his philosophy teaching according to Cartesian principles. Scougal then became professor of divinity at King's College following his successful defense of the theses Positiones aliquot theologicae, de objecto cultus religiosi. His manual of personal devotion entitled The Life of God in the Soul of Man was published in 1677 and quickly became a religious classic due to its mystical piety, immense spiritualism, and its similarity to the works composed by Cambridge Platonists John Smith and Jeremy Taylor. Henry Scougal died a year after its publication at the age of twenty-eight. Several editions of the book were later published, including this one, which contains the sermon preached by George Gairden at Scougal's funeral in 1678.
ESTC lists eleven copies, only two of which are in the U.S. (Tusculum College, Tennessee and Western Theological Seminary, Michigan).
Price: $300.00