Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1836. Excerpt: ... 209 CHAPTER IV. ON THE DOCTRINES OF CHRIST--CONTINUED. Our Lord began the exercise of his ministry among the sons of men, with the doctrine of repentance, which is our entrance on the Christian life: Repent, (saith he) for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Now this repentance consists not merely in a sorrowing, or grieving for sin, but in a peremptory and present disclaiming and forsaking it, and in an actual and unfeigned turning of the heart towards God, with full and sincere purposes of undergoing and practising whatever may contribute to kill and destroy the root of sin in us. This is the very same with what our Saviour elsewhere calls conversion: except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heave?i.f And when the penitent converted soul hath, through the mighty operations of the Spirit, mortified the deeds of the body, conquered the old man, and attained to a state of habitual purity, then he enters on that which is properly and dis Matt. iv. 17. t Matt, xviii. 3. l' tinctly the state of regeneration, wherein a man is truly born of God, partakes of his nature, and bears his image, is animated, illuminated, and solaced, influenced, actuated, and directed by him. This is the highest pitch of Christian perfection that is attainable in this life, and to which, alas! they are infinitely rare, who do truly aspire, and fewer yet who do effectually arrive. The next essential head of Christian doctrine I give, is that of believing in Jesus Christ. God gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. We find that a great deal of stress is laid on this point; our Lord doth very often insist on it, and represents it as comprehending the whole duty of a Christ...
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