The Christian life from its beginning, to its consummation in glory : together with the several means and instruments of Christianity conducing thereunto : with directions for private devotion and forms of prayer fitted to the several states of Christians / by John Scott ...

THE CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.

COncerning the Ultimate End of the Christian Life, the Necessity of ex∣plaining what it is, in order to our under∣standing the Christian Life, Page 1. that Heaven is the End of it, p. 2.3. &c. that Heaven and Gods Glory are the same thing, p. 5.6. what kind of Happiness Heaven implies, with a general Account of the Hap∣piness of Rest and the Happiness of Motion, shewing that Heaven includes both, but con∣sists principally of the latter, p. 7.8. &c. that the Happiness of a Man consists in the vigo∣rous Motion of his Vnderstanding and Will towards suitable Objects, p. 11.12. and chiefly in the Knowledge and Choice of God p. 12.13. &c. and also in the Knowledge and Choice of those that are most like him, p. 21.22. &c. the Glory of the Place, p. 25.26. the Eternity of the Enjoyment, p. 26.27. two Inferences from the whole, p. 27.28. &c.

CHAP. II.

Concerning the Means by which the End of the Christian Life is to be obtained; that the Means must be more and greater than what was necessary to the first End of man, viz. the Enjoyment of an earthly Paradice, p. 33.34. &c. that the great Distance of man from Heaven in his degenerate State creates a Ne∣cessity of many more Means than otherwise would be needful, p. 35.36. &c. two Kinds of Means necessary to our attainment of Heaven, viz. the Practice of the Vertues of Christianity, and the Vse of the instrumen∣tal Duties of Christianity, p. 38.39. &c. that the instrumental Duties of Christianity conduce no farther to our Happiness than as they are Means of Vertue, proved in four par∣ticulars, p. 42.43. &c.

CHAP. III.

Concerning the Proximate Means of at∣taining Heaven, viz. the Practice of the Christian Vertues; shewing what Vertues this kind of Means consists of, and how much every Vertue contributes to the Happiness of Heaven. A distribution of the Christian Vertues into Humane, Divine, Social, p. 57.58.

SECT. I.

Concerning the Humane Vertues, shewing that from the Constitution of humane Nature there are five Vertues necessary to its Happi∣ness, p. 59.60. &c. first, Prudence, p. 62.63. &c. secondly, Moderation, p. 70.71. &c. thirdly, Fortitude, p. 79.80. &c. fourthly, Temperance, p. 89.90, &c. fifthly, Humi∣lity, p. 97.98, &c.

SECT. II.

Concerning the Divine Vertues, which are comprehended in this first sort of Means, shewing what they are, and how effectually they conduce to our future Happiness; that from the Relation we stand in to God there arises an Obligation to six several Vertues, all which are necessary to our Happiness, p. 108.109, &c. first, Contemplation of his Na∣ture, p. 109.110, &c. secondly, Adoration of his Perfections, p. 117.118, &c. thirdly, Love, p. 123.124, &c. fourthly, Imitation, p. 136.137, &c. fifthly, Resignation, p. 147.148, &c. sixthly, Trust and De∣pendance, p. 162.163, &c.

SECT. III.

Concerning the Social Vertues which are included in this first sort of Means, shewing

that from our Inclination to Society and from the Nature and Condition of humane Society there arises a necessity of five Vertues to our everlasting Happiness, p. 175.176, &c. first Charity, p. 178.179, &c. secondly, Justice, p. 190.191, &c. thirdly, Peace∣ableness, p. 201.202, &c. fourthly. Modesty, fifthly, Courtesy, p. 209.210, &c.

SECT. IV.

Containing some Motives and Considera∣tions to persuade men to the Practice of these Vertues; first, the Suitableness of them to our present State and Relation, p. 222.223, &c. secondly, the Dignity, of them. p. 226.227, &c. thirdly, the Freedom and Liberty of them, p. 229.230, &c. fourthly, the Pleasure of them, p. 234.235, &c. fifthly, the Ease and Repose of them, p. 238.239, &c. sixthly, the absolute Ne∣cessity of them, p. 242.243, &c.

CHAP. IV.

Concerning the Instrumental Duties of the Christian Life, which is the second sort of Means necessary to our obtaining of Hea∣ven, as they are necessary to our acquiring and Perfecting the Christian Vertues; in order to the better Distribution of which Man is con∣sidered under a threefold Respect to the Chri∣stian

Life; first, as entering into it; second∣ly, as actually ingaged in it; thirdly, as Growing on to Perfection by Perseverance in it; to one of which three States these Instrumental Duties of Christianity belong, p. 247.248, &c.

SECT. I.

Containing those Instrumental Duties which are necessary for us in our Entrance in the Christian life; which are, first Faith, p. 250.251. secondly, Consideration, p. 254.255, &c. thirdly, a deep and through Conviction of our need of a Medi∣ator, p. 259.260, &c. fourthly, a deep Sor∣row, Shame and Remorse for our past Ini∣quities, p. 268.269, &c. fifthly, earnest Prayer for divine Assistance, p. 271, 272, &c. sixthly, a serious and solemn Resolution of Amendment, p. 275.276, &c.

SECT. II.

Containing certain Motives to ingage men to the Practice of these Duties; first, the vast Necessity of our entering into the Christian life one time or other, p. 281.282. se∣condly, the Great Security and Advantage of our entring upon it now, p. 284.285, &c. thirdly, the necessary Dependence of the final Success upon the well-beginning of it, p. 288.289, &c. fourthly, that when once

'tis well begun, the main Difficulty of it is over, p. 291.292, &c.

SECT. III.

Containing those Instrumental Duties which are necessary for us when we are actually in∣gaged in the Christian life, p. 298, &c. in General it is necessary that we should fre∣quently repeat the Duties of our Entrance, p. 299.300. but more particularly, first, that we should arm our selves with Patience and Courage, p. 304.305, &c. secondly, that we should propose to our selves the best Examples, p. 308.309. thirdly, that we should frequently apply our selves for Advice and Direction to our Spiritual Guides, p. 216.317, &c. fourthly, that as often as we can we should actually intend and aim at God in the Course of our Lives and Actions, p. 323.324, &c. fifthly, that we should pos∣sess our Minds with an awful Apprehension of Gods Presence with and Inspection over us, p. 333.334, &c. sixthly, that we should fre∣quenty examine and review our own Actions, p. 343.344, &c. seventhly, that we should be very watchful and circumspect, p. 348.349, &c. eighthly, that we should be diligent and industrious in our Particular Callings, p. 353.354, &c. ninthly, that we should en∣deavour to keep up a constant Chearfulness

of Spirit in Religion, p. 365.366, &c. tenthly, that we should maintain in our minds a constant Sense and Expectation of Hea∣ven, p. 372.373, &c. eleventhly, that we should live in the frequent Vse of the publick Ordinances and Institutions of our Religi∣on, p. 377.378.

SECT. IV.

Containing certain Motives to animate men against the Difficulties of these Duties; first, that whatsoever Difficulty there is in them we may thank our selves for it, p. 388.389. &c. secondly, that in the Course of our Sin there is a great deal of Difficulty as well as in these Duties, p. 391.392, &c. Third∣ly, that how great soever the Difficulty be, it must be undergon or that which is much more intolerable, p. 394.395. fourthly, that how difficult soever they may be, the Grace of God will render them possible to us, if we be not wanting to our selves, p. 396.397. fifthly, that though they are difficult, yet they are fairly consistent with all our other necessary Occasions, p. 400.401. sixthly, that the Difficulty is such as will abate and wear off by degrees, p. 404.405. seventhly, that there is a world of present Peace and Satisfaction intermingled with the difficulties, p. 407.408. eighthly, that the difficulty is abundantly com∣pensated

by the Reward of them, p. 411.412.

SECT. V,

Containing those Instrumental Duties which are necessary for us in order to our im∣proving towards Perfection by Perseve∣rance in the Christian life; which are first, that while we stand we should not be over-confident of our selves, but keep a Jealous eye upon the Weakness and Inconstancy of our own natures, p. 417.418. secondly, that if at any time we wilfully fall we should imme∣diatly arise again by Repentance, p. 420.421. thirdly, that for the future we should indeavor to withdraw our Affections from the Temp∣tations of the world, and especially from those which were the Occasion of our Fall, p. 424.425. fourthly, that we should curiously search into the smaller Defects and Indecencies of our Nature, in order to our timely correcting and reforming them, p. 429.430, &c. fifth∣ly, that we should, as far as lawfully we can, live in the Communion of the Church whereof we are members, p. 434.435, &c. sixthly, that we should not stint our Progress in Religion, (out of a fond Opinion that we are good enough already) to any determi∣nate Degrees or Measures of Goodness, p. 458.459, &c. seventhly, that we should frequently entertain our selves with the Pro∣spect

of our Mortality, 462.463. eighthly, that to put our selves into a good Posture of Dying, we should discharge our Consciences of all the Reliques and Remains of our past Guilts, p. 467.468, &c. ninthly, that to Compensate, so far as we are able, for those Guilts we should take care to Redeem the Time we have formerly mispent in sinful Courses by being doubly diligent in the Ex∣ercise of all the contrary Vertues, p. 471.472, &c. tenthly, that we should labour af∣ter a rational and well-grounded Assurance, p. 476.477, &c.

SECT. VI,

Containing certain Motives to persuade men to the Practice of these duties of Per∣severance, which are all deduc'd from the Consideration of the urgent Necessity of our final Perseverance; as first, unless we im∣mediatly recover when we have wilfully re∣lapsed we shall go much faster back than ever we went forward, p. 487.488, &c. second∣ly, if after we have made some Progress in Religion we Totally Relapse we shall thereby forfeit the Fruit of all our past Labour, p. 490.491, &c. thirdly, we shall forfeit the Fruit of it after we have undergone the greatest Difficulty of it, p. 494.495, &c. fourthly, we shall not only forfeit the Fruit of

our past Labour, but render our Recovery more hazardous, p. 497.498, &c. Fifth∣ly, we shall not only render our Recovery more difficult for the future, but plung our selves for the present into a far more criminal and guilty Condition, p. 501.502, &c. sixthly, we shall not only render our selves more guilty for the present, but expose our selves if we die in our sin to a deeper and more dreadful Ruine, 508.509.

CHAP. V.

Containing some short Directions for the more Profitable reading the ensuing Dis∣course, p. 513.514. and also directions for the good Conduct and regular Exercise of our Closet Religion in all the different states of the Christian Life, together with Forms of private Devotion fitted to each State, p. 517. the first are for the State of Entrance into the Christian Life, p. 517.518, &c. the se∣cond for the state of actual Engagement in it, p. 530. the third for the state of Growth and Improvement towards Perfection.