The Christian Life 2, Frontispiece – Table of contents
IOHANNES SCOTT S. T. P.
Printed for S. Manſhip at ye Ship near ye Royal Exchange.
THE Chriſtian Life, Wheren is ſhew'd,
I. The Worth and Excellency of the Soul.
II. The Divinity and Incarnation of our Saviour
III. The Authority of the Holy Scripture.
IV. A Diſſuaſive from Apoſtacy.
VOL. V. and Laſt.
By JOHN SCOTT, D. D. late Rector of St. Giles's in the Fields.
The Second Edition.
LONDON: Printed for S. Manſhip and R. Wilkin, and are to be Sold by W. Davis at the Black Bull in Cornhill, and I. Bonwick at the Hat and Star in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1700.
To the Honourable SUSANNA NOEL, (Mother to the Right Honourable Baptiſt Earl of Gainsborough,)
THis laſt Volume of the Works of my Dear Deceaſed Friend, the Reverend Dr. Scott, is humbly and gratefully Dedicated, by,
Her Honours, Moſt obliged, and moſt Devoted Servant, Humphrey Zouch.
The CONTENTS.
Diſcourſe I. Of the Worth and Excellency of the Soul.
THe Connexion and Explication of the Text, p. 1, 2. The ineſtimable price and value of the Soul of Man, in reſpect of its own natural Capacities, repreſented under 4 Heads, viz. Its Capacity of Ʋnderſtanding, p. 4, 5. Of Moral Perfection, p. 6, 7. Of Pleaſure and Delight, p. 8, 9, 10. Of Immortality, p. 11, to p. 15. Of what Esteem the Soul is in the Judgment of thoſe who know the beſt worth of it, viz. the whole world of Spirits, p. 15. to p. 25. Four Inferences from hence, p. 26. to p. 34. What is meant by loſing ones Soul explain'd, p. 34. The Soul liable to a ſevenfold Damage in the other World, p. 35. to p. 50. Seven Cauſes of the Danger we are in of incurring this Damage, p. 51. to p. 69. Men may forſake Chriſt and thereby loſe their Souls, 4 ways; By a total Apoſtacy, p. 70, 71. By renouncing the profeſſion of his Doctrine, p. 72. By obſtinate Hereſie, p. 73. By a willful Courſe of Diſobedience; of which there are three degrees; the firſt proceeds from a willful ignorance of Chriſts Laws, the 2d from a willful Inconſideration of our Obligation to them, the 3d. from an Obſtinacy in Sin againſt Knowledge and Conſideration, p. 74. to 80. Four Reaſons why our forſaking of Chriſt infers this fearful loſs of our Souls, p. 81. to p. 90. That God, if he be ſo Determin'd, may without any injury either to his Juſtice or Goodneſs, detain loſt Souls in the bondage of Hell for ever, prov'd in 6 Propoſitions, p. 91. to 101. That God is actually determin'd ſo to do, demonſtrated by 3 Arguments, p. 102. to p. 108. A Compariſon between the gain of the VVorld, and the loſs of a Mans Soul, in 6 Particulars; whereby it is ſhewn of which ſide the Advantage lies, p. 109. to p. 128.
Diſcourſe II. Of the Divinity and Incarnation of our Saviour.
A General Explication of this Term, The Word, P. 130. A full account of it in 4 Propoſitions, ſhewing, that it was derived from the Theology of the Jews and Gentiles, 131. to 135. That we ought to fetch the Senſe of it from that ancient Theology, p. 136, 137. That in that Theology it ſignifies a vital and divine Subſiſtence, p. 138, to 139. And that our Saviour to whom it is applied in the New Teſtament, is that vital and divine Subſiſtence p. 140, 141, 142. To be the Word of God denotes 4 Things, to be generated of the Mind of the Father; To be the perfect Image of that Mind; To be the Interpreter of the Fathers Mind; and to be the Executor of it; and in theſe is founded the Reaſon of our Saviours being call'd The Word, p. 143. to 153. VVhat we are to underſtand by the Words being made Fleſh, p. 153, 154. Five Inferences from this Doctrine, p. 155, 166. VVhat is meant by the Word's dwelling among us, explain'd, p. 167. to 174. His dwelling among us full of Grace, explain'd in five particulars, p. 175. to 190. His dwelling among us full of Truth, explained in general, 191. to 198. Four Inſtances of his dwelling among us full of Truth, in Contradiſtinction to that obſcure typical way of his Tabernacling among the Jews, p. 199. to p. 229. Four Inferences, the firſt from his dwelling among us, p. 229, to 234. The 2d from his dwelling among us full of Grace, and that, 1. in reſpect of his own Perſonal Diſpoſition, p. 235. to 238. 2. Of his Laws, p. 238. 239. 3. Of the Gracious Pardon which he hath procured for us, and promiſed to us, p. 240, 241. 4. Of the abundant aſſiſtance he is ready to vouchſafe us, p. 242, 243. And 5 Of the glorious Recompence he hath promiſed to and prepared for us, p. 244, 245 The 3d, From his dwelling among us full of Truth, p. 246. to 249. The 4th, From all theſe laid together, He dwelt among us full of Grace and Truth, p. 250, to 256. The Glory of the Word which the Apoſtles beheld conſiſted in 4 Things. 1. A viſible ſplendor and brightneſs which encompaſs'd him at his Baptiſm and Transfiguration, p. 258, 259. 2. Thoſe great and ſtupendous Miracles which he wrought, p. 260, 261, 262. 3. The ſurpaſſing Excellency and Divinity of his Doctrine, p. 263, 264. 4. The incomparable Sanctity and Purity of his Life, p. 265, 266, 267. This Expreſſion, The Glory as of the Only-begotten Son explain'd, p. 268, 269 That the Glory of Chriſt in the Tabernacle of our Natures, was ſuch as became the Only-Begotten Son of the Father, prov'd in the ſeveral particulars wherein it conſiſts, P. 270. to 279. Four Inferences from this fourfold glory of the Word, which the Apoſtles ſaw, p. 280. to the end.
Diſ. III. Of the Authority of the Holy Scriptures.
THe fulneſs of the Scriptures as a Rule of Faith and Manners, prov'd in 3 Propoſitions; 1. That the Holy Spirit inſpir'd the Writers of them with all that is neceſſary to eternal Life, p. 301. 2 That they preach'd to the World all thoſe neceſſaries which they were taught, p. 302. 3. That all theſe neceſſary Truths which they preached are comprehended in the Scriptures, p. 303. to p. 316. The clearneſs of the Scripture prov'd, 1 From expreſs Teſtimony of Scripture, p. 317. to p. 321. 2. From the avowed deſign of writing it, p. 322, 323. 3. From the frequent Commands God lays upon us to read it, p. 324, 325. 4. From the Obligation that lies upon us under pain of Damnation to believe and receive all thoſe neceſſaries to Salvation contained in it, p. 326. Four Conſiderations in anſwer to thoſe of the Church of Rome, who tell us, that though all things are not revealed clearly in the Scriptures, yet we have ſufficient reaſon to believe them, ſince God has left us to the Conduct of an infallible Church, p. 327. to the end.
Diſ. IV. Of the Obligation of the People to read the Scriptures.
THat the People are obliged to ſearch and read the Scriptures, prov'd 1. From the Obligation the Jews were under to read and ſearch the Scriptures of the Old Teſt: p. 343, 344. 2. From our Saviour and his Apoſtles approbation of this practice of the Jews, p 345, 346. 3 From the great deſign and intention of writing the Scriptures, p. 347, 348. 4. From the Directions of theſe Holy Writings to the People, p. 349. to 352. 5. From the great concernmènt the People have in the Matters contain'd in the Scripture, p. 352. to 356. 6. from the univerſal Senſe of the Primitive Church in this Matter, p. 355. to 359. An Anſwer to that Objection of the Church of Rome, That a general Permiſſion of the Scriptures to the People muſt neceſſarily open a wide door to Errors and Hereſies, p. 360. to 366. Another Objection, That it will prove an unavoidable Occaſion of great Corruptions in Manners, anſwered, p. 367. to 371. Two Inferences from the whole, p. 372. to the end.
Diſ. V. A Diſſuaſive from Apoſtacy.
AN Explication of the Words of the Text, p. 385. to p. 388. The general Propoſition, p. 389. Six Inſtances of the mighty Tendencies there are in a vicious courſe of Life to Error and Apoſtacy from true Religion. As 1. It corrupts Mens Reaſon and Underſtanding, p. 390, 391. 2. It renders the Principles of true Religion uneaſy to their Minds, p. 392, 393, 394. 3. It deprives Men of the greateſt encouragements to conſtancy and ſteadineſs in Religion, p. 395. 4. It weakens the natural force of Men's Conſciences, p. 396. to p. 399. 5. It ſtrengthens and enforces the Temptations to Apoſtacy, p. 400. to 402. 6. It provokes God to give us up to the Power of Deluſion, p. 403. to p. 406. Two Inferences from the whole, p. 406. to the end.