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RICHARD EDWARDS, CRANE COURT, FLEET STREET, LONDON.
CONTENTS
OF
THE EIGHTH VOLUME.
DIRECTIONS AND PERSUASIONS
TO A SOUND CONVERSION:
PREFACE
Considerations to provoke men to take heed of sticking in a
half-conversion...
Direct. 1. Labour for a right understanding of the true nature
of Christianity, and meaning of the Gospel that must con-
vert
PAGE
iii
7
21
Direct. 2. When you understand that which you are called to,
search the Scripture, and see whether it be so
Direct. 3. Be much in the serious consideration of the truths
which you understand and believe
25
Seven things to be considered
32
The manner of this consideration
Twelve motives to consideration
42
30
46
Direct. 4. See that the work of humiliation be thoroughly done,
and break not away from the spirit of contrition before he
have done with you: and yet see that you mistake not the
nature and ends of the work, and that you drive it not on
further than God requireth .
Preparatory humiliation, what
Sound humiliation, how known
The ends and use of humiliation
Mistakes about humiliation to be avoided
Whether it be possible to be too much humbled
How to know when sorrow should be restrained
And when sorrow must be increased
...
Motives for submission to a thorough humiliation
Direct. 5. Close with the Lord Jesus understandingly, heartily,
and entirely, as he is revealed and offered in the Gospel..
61
ibid.
62
66
77
80
81
83
90
94
What must be understood of the person of Christ
95
The ends of redemption to be understood..
96
The demonstrations of the glory of God in Christ, and to whom
108
What are the works of redemption that Christ hath done ....
The benefits by Christ procured :
113
The general benefits
117
The benefits proper to believers
120
The several terms on which the several benefits are conveyed
The certainty of all this...
128
131
How Christ must be received heartily and with the will
Christ must be entirely received, and how
132
137
144
Direct. 6. See that the flesh be thoroughly mortified, and your
hearts taken off the pleasures, profits, and honours of the
world, and think not of reconciling God and the world, as
if you might secure your interest in both...
Direct. 7. Be sure that you make an absolute resignation of
yourselves, and all that you have to God ...
Direct. 8. See that you mistake not a mere change of your
opinions, and profession, and behaviour for a saving change 155
The marks by which a sound conversion may be known from
a mere opinionative change...
Directions to get beyond an opinionative change..
Direct. 9. Acquaint yourselves by faith with the glory of the
everlasting kingdom, and see that you take it for your por-
tion and your end, and from thence let the rest of your ac-
tions be animated..
Wherein this blessedness doth consist
Direct. 10. Rest not, and count not yourselves converted, till
God and holiness have your very love, desire, and delight :
and take it not for a saving change, when you had rather
live a worldly and ungodly life, if it were not for the fears of
punishment
Direct. 11. If you would not have the work miscarry, turn
then this present day and hour without any more delays:
where fifty considerations are given to shame men out of
their delays
......
....
Direct. 12. Stop not in weak and wavering purposes, and
faint attempts; but see that you be groundedly, unreser-
vedly, and firmly or habitually resolved
What resolution is, and by what deliberations it is caused. The preparatory common acts, and the special acts: illu- mination, and the will's determinations, how wrought
The unresolved are unconverted
What resolution it is that is necessary
Twenty Motives to resolution
Hindrances to resolution
147
158
166
169
171
173
181
209
Two Directions for prosecuting resolution, that it may hold
The Conclusion
The text opened. What it is to receive Christ. The nature
of justifying faith in its three essential acts. How to know
that we have received Christ. What it is to walk in him.
What to be rooted, to be grounded, and built up, &c.
The Doctrine of the necessity of weak Christians seeking sta-
bility, confirmation, and increase of grace. What confir-
mation is, in the understanding, will, affections, and in the
life
Twenty Motives to convince weak Christians of the great
need of growth and confirmation
A Lamentation for the weaknesses of Christians: in their
knowledge, in their practice, in public worship, in inward
grace, in outward obedience, about known duties, confes-
sion, reproof, &c. their uncharitableness, backbiting,
pride, &c.
Ten more considerations to convince them that it is not tri
fling, but great things which God requireth at their hands
Twenty Directions for confirmation and increase of grace
265
271
275
300
307
.. 321
THE CHARACTER OF A
SOUND, CONFIRMED CHRISTIAN.
To the Reader
The Characters of a strong, confirmed Christian.
ccclxxiii
ccclxxv
1. He liveth by such a faith of unseen things as governeth
his soul instead of sight.
2. He hath cogent reasons for his religion
382
384
3. He seeth the well-ordered frame of sacred verities, and the
integral parts in their harmony or concert; and setteth not
up one truth against another
386
4. He adhereth to them, and practiseth them, from an inward
con-natural principle, called "the Divine nature,” and
"the Spirit of Christ."
5. He serveth not God for fear only, but for love
6. He loveth God, 1. Much for his goodness to himself. 2.
And more for his goodness to the church. 3. And most of
all or his essential goodness and perfection.
7. He taketh this love and its expressions, for the heart and
height of all his religion . .
392
8. He hath absolutely put his soul, and all his hopes into the
hand of Christ, and liveth by faith upon him as his Saviour 393
9. He taketh Christ as the Teacher sent from God, and his
doctrine for the truest wisdom, and learneth of none but in
subordination to him
10. His repentance is universal and effectual, and hath gone
to the root of every sin
394
396
11. He loveth the light, as it sheweth him his sin and duty;
and is willing to know the worst of sin, and the most of duty 397
12. He desireth the highest degree of holiness, and hath no
sin which he had not rather leave than keep, and had ra-
ther be the best, though in poverty, than the greatest in
prosperity
399
13. He liveth upon God and heaven as the end, reward, and
motive of his life
401
405
14. He counteth no cost or pains too great for the obtaining
it, and hath nothing so dear which he cannot part with for it 402
15. He is daily exercised in the practice of self-denial, as
(next to the love of God) the second half of his religion
16. He hath mortified his fleshly desires, and so far mastereth
his senses and appetite, that they make not his obedience
very uneasy or uneven
17. He preferreth the means of his holiness and happiness,
incomparably before all provisions and pleasures of the flesh 410
18. He is crucified to the world, and the world to him by the
cross of Christ, and contemneth it through the belief of the
greater things of the life to come
19. He foreseeth the end in all his ways, and judgeth of all
things as they will appear at last
20. He liveth upon God alone, and is content with his favour
and approbation, without the approbation and favour of men
21. He hath absolutely devoted himself, and all that he hath
to God, to be used according to his will
22. He hath a readiness to obey, and a quick and pleasant
compliance of his will to the will of God
408
411
413.
415
417
419
23. He delighteth himself more in God, and heaven, and
Christ, and holiness, than in all the world: religion is not
tedious and grievous to him.
420
24. He is conscious of his own sincerity, and assured of his
justification, and title to everlasting joys
424
25. This assurance doth not make him more careless and re-
-425
miss, but increaseth his love and holy diligence
26. Yet he abhorreth pride as the firstborn of the devil, and is
very low and vile in his own eyes, and can easily endure to
be low and vile in the eyes of others ..
27. Being acquainted with the deceitfulness of the heart,
and the methods of temptation, he liveth as among snares,
and enemies, and dangers, in a constant watch; and can
conquer many and subtle, and great temptations (through
grace).
426
428