CONTENTS. AUTHOR'S PREFACE.-Page 1. CHAPTER I.—Page 11. The Coherence opened.-The inconsistency and danger of the Communion of CHAPTER II.-Page 28. Anger is a Lust of the Flesh.-No passion less capable of Counsel.-Directions to CHAPTER III.—Page 53. Pride considered in its nature, kinds, and degrees.-It consists in an immoderate beration are from Insolence.-A vain presumption of the Goodness of Men's Infidelity, Hypocrisy, and Envy, are in a special sense Pollutions of the Spirit.- The Perfection of Holiness considered.-The Perfection of Innocence.-The Perfec- Particular Graces considered, the internal Principles of Perfection.-Divine Faith, doctrinal, justifying, and in the disposal of Providence.-Doctrinal Faith is not Imagination, nor Reason.-The Objects of it.-The Motives considered.-The essential Perfections of God.-Faith in Divine Revelation is the most reason- able Act of the Human Mind.-God's Truth a principle immediately evident.- His Jurisdiction reaches to Men's Understandings.-God never requires our Assent to supernatural Truths, but he affords sufficient Conviction that they are revealed by him.-God reveals himself in Scripture by human Expressions, according to our Capacity. We are obliged to believe supernatural Doctrines, no further than they are revealed.-To attempt the comprehensive Knowledge of them, is perfectly vain; it is impossible, impertinent, and dangerous.-Curiosity often fatal to Faith.-An Answer to Objections; that supernatural Doctrines are not reconcil- able to Reason; and that, when men use all means sincerely to know the Truth of them and are not convinced of it, they will not be condemned for involuntary, The power of Faith, to overcome all that is opposite to our Salvation.-A specula- degrees of Assent, and the frequent application of them to our Hearts.-There is Love the leading Affection.-Men are distinguished by the Will, rather than by the Divine Hope has an eminent causality in the Life of a Christian.-The nature of The Promise, that God will be our Father, a powerful inducement to strive after the Perfection of Holiness.-The dignity and happiness of the Relation.-The pardon of Sin, an adoptive freedom in Prayer, an interest in the eternal Inheri- tance, are the privileges of God's Children.-The influence of this Relation to make us entirely holy, considered.-An inquiry whether we are proceeding to Per- fection. The vanquishing of Sin, an indication of the Power of Grace.-The habitual frame of the Heart, and fixed regularity of the Life, discover our pro- gress in Holiness.-According to our Love to God, and things that have the nearest resemblance to him, we may judge of our Spirituality.-The spiritual Law of God, the spiritual Worship of God, the spiritual Image of God in the Saints, are the principal Objects of the Love of the Spiritually minded.-To preserve an equal temper of Mind in the changes of the present state, discover excellent degrees of Strictness in judging ourselves, and Candour in judging others, a sign of excellent Holiness.-Preferring the testimony of an unreproaching Conscience before the praise of Men, an argument of excellent Grace.-The serious performance of religious Duties in secret, a sign of a heavenly Spirit.-The forgiving Injuries, and overcoming Evil with Good, the effect of eminent Grace.-The more receptive Persons are of spiritual Admonition, to prevent or recover them from Sin, the more holy. The deliberate desire of Death, that we may be perfectly holy, ar- gues an excellent degree of Holiness.-Directions to follow Holiness in our early Age, with zeal, with alacrity, and unfainting perseverance.-The answer to Objections against striving after perfect Holiness.-That it is impossible to obtain it. That the Duty is extremely difficult. That it is unnecessary.-Other Argu- ments propounded to excite us to this Duty.-The Gospel the perfect Rule of Holiness.-Examples of Perfection to raise us to the best height.-The Example of our Heavenly Father, of our Redeemer, of the Angels, and of excellent Saints, propounded. Our present Peace, and future Glory, are increased by our excelling The effectual means to rise to Perfection in Holiness.-Unfeigned Faith in our Saviour, who is the efficient and exemplary Cause of inherent Holiness.-Prayer, a means to obtain the increase of Holiness.-Frequent and attentive hearing, reading, and meditation of the Word of God, a means of growth in Grace.-The Word must be mixed with Faith, and an earnest desire to improve Grace by it.- It must be laid up in the Mind and Memory.-It must be sincerely received.-The religious Use of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, an excellent means to in- crease Grace.-Repentance, Faith, and Love, are improved by it.-The renewing our Covenant with Christ in that Ordinance, is of great use for the advancing of Grace. The religious Observation of the Lord's Day, makes us more holy.-The frequent discussion of Conscience is very instrumental to increase Holiness.-It must be distinct in comparing our Actions with the Rule, serious and sincere as previous to Divine Judgment, with resolution to reform what is amiss, and Continual Watchfulness requisite for our advancing to Perfection.-This respects preventing Evil, and doing Good.-The malice, the craft, the diligence, and numbers of our spiritual Enemies. We are very receptive of Temptations.- Watchfulness respects our doing Good in its season, and with its proper circum- stances.-A due regard to the Duties of our several Relations, is necessary in order to the perfecting of Holiness.-Domestic, sacred, and civil Relations con- sidered. The last Counsel, Let our progress towards Heaven be with the same zeal as at our first entrance into it, and the same seriousness, as when we come to THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. THE great design of God in his saving mercies, is to transform us into the image of his unspotted holiness. We are elected to be holy, redeemed to be holy, called to be holy; and at last, we shall be received into heaven, and made glorious in holiness, without spot or blemish. It was worthy of the descending Deity into this lower world, to instruct and persuade men, by his perfect rules and example, to be holy as God is holy, in all manner of conversation.' The enemy of souls, in combination with the carnal mind, uses every art to cool our endeavours in following holiness; and raises an army of objections to dismay us, and stop our progress to perfection. Sometimes the deceiver inspires a temptation with so soft a breath, that it is not discerned. He suggests the counsel of Solomon, Be not righteous overmuch.' The intention of the wise preacher is to direct us in the exercise of compassionate charity towards others, and not to censure them with rigour and severity for human frailties; but the tempter perverts his meaning, to make us remiss in religion, and shy of strict holiness. Merely moral men value themselves upon their fair conversation. B |