THE PREFACE. HE following answers were amongst others, delivered in a remove the doubts of the timorous Christian, quicken him in his way to Zion, to guard against presumptuous Hopes, and promote the Life of Religion in the Soul. That these important ends might be answered, the auditory were desired to supply us with serious Cases of Conscience, arising from the difficulties they met with in the course of their experience, and to conceal their names, that so they might with the greater freedom propose their respective cases, and that we, in our solution of them, might be kept from the least degree of fear or restraint. Through the repeated importunities of our friends, and from satisfactory evidences of usefulness, we have been prevailed upon to commit to publick view, a select number of these answers, though somewhat contracted. And we hope, that those, into whose hands they may come, will read them with christian candour. And may the Spirit of God, without whose peculiar blessing all attempts will be ineffectual to answer any saving purposes, make these a powerful means of bringing them nearer to Christ, and of making them more lively and active in his service! If this happy end is but in the least answered, we shall rejoice, and give God all the glory, disregarding all the little contempt that may be cast on us and our imperfect labours. It must be acknowledged to be a very difficult and critical work, to distribute to every one their proper portion, and so to divide the word of truth, as to give suitable encouragement to those to whom it belongs, and yet to leave the hypocrite or presumptuous sinner no room to hope. It is equally difficult to attempt to destroy the vain confidence of the sinner, without dis. turbing the peace, and discouraging the minds of those who are the followers of Jesus. Who is sufficient for these things? We readily confess our insufficiency; but yet hope, that the Lord has enabled us to be in some measure faithful, so far as our spiritual knowledge extends: And may he enable you who read, to deal faithfully with your own souls, that so neither our labour, nor your perusal may be in vain LONDON, (RECAP) 574733 574 S. PIKE, S. HAYWARD. mays HOW (iv) LIST OF THE CASES. CASE 1. OW shall we distinguish between the workings of natural affection, and the real exercise of grace, in religious duties? S. Pike. page 13 CASE II. What methods must a Christian in declining circumstances take to recover a healthful and vigorous frame of soul, so as to be able to maintain real and close communion with God amidst the hurries and businesses of this world? S. Hayward. 21 CASE III. A serious person who scruples to comply with the usual practice of playing at cards, desires to know whether these scruples arise from a heedless tenderness of conscience, or from the faithful monitions of the Spirit of God? S. Pike. 32 CASE IV. How may a person judge when a promise or threatening comes from God, or is brought by Satan to the soul? S. Hauward. 44 CASE V. How far may a person judge of the strength or weakness of his faith by the brightness or darkness of his frames? S. Pike. 54 CASE VI. Whether a person who has been a great sinner, has any ground to expect pardon, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost; and whether he may partake of all the ordinances of God? S. Hayward. 62 CASE VII. What judgment should that person pass upon himself, who knows himself to be in a dark and corrupt frame, but finds himself greatly unaffected with it, and stupid under it? S. Pike. 71 CASE VIII. How may the times of family and closet duty he best regulated, to the glory of God, our own comfort, and The advantage of those about us? S. Hayward 78. CASAX. Is it not presumptuous for a person to hope he has an interest in Christ, when he sees little or nothing in himself, but reason to doubt and question it? S. Pike. 88 CASE X. Is going to plays and other theatrical performances consistent with the profession and practice of Christianity? S. Hayward. 94 CASE XI. How may a person who is desirous of following the dictates of providence in every respect know the mind and will of God in any particular circumstance, whether temporal or spiritual? S. Pike. 103 CASE XII Should not a person, who is not comfortably peraunded of his being a real Christian, abstain from the ordinance of the Lord's supper, lest he should eat and drink damnation to himseli-And, what method must that person take to satisfy a church of Christ of his being a real Christian, who cannot relate any particular experience of the dealings of God with his soul? S. Hayward. 114 122 CASE XIII. How may we distinguish the suggestions of Satan from the corruptions of our own hearts? S. Pike. CASE XIV. How may a person know when he has the assistance of the Spirit in prayer? S. Hayward. 128 CASE XV. How may we keep from spiritual pride after special enlargements in duty? S Pike. 135 CASE XVI. Whether it is necessary to evidence a person's conversion, that he see and acknowledge himself to be the chief of sinners, though he has not been guilty of outward abominations? Or, what that sense of sin is, which is an evidence of conversion, and is there accompanied with salvation? S. Hayward. 141 ČASE XVII. When a person has received a temporal mercy which he has prayed for; how shall he know whether it is granted in answer to prayer, and comes to him as a covenant blessing? S. Pike. 148 CASE XVIII. How may a Christian know that he grows in grace? S. Hayward. 154 CASE XIX. How may a deserted believer find out the particular sin or sins, whereby he has grieved the Spirit of God? S. Pike. 162 CASE XX. How should we find the word of God, so as may S. Haybe for his glory, and the advantage of our souls ? 170 ward. CASE XXI. How may a Christian attain to perform the du S. Pike. 176 ty of serious meditation in a right manner? CASE XXII. When may a Christian be said to pursue the affairs of the present life, so as to prevent his advances in grace, dishonour God, and injure his soul? S Hayward. 182 188 CASE XXIII. How may a professor, who fears lest his ex• periences are counterfeit and not genuine graces, come to such satisfaction concerning his state, as shall encourage his contin ? S. Pike. ual reception of the Lord's supper CASE XXIV. Whether a person can desire the blood of Christ to be applied to his soul, and yet be an hypocrite? S. Hayward. 197 ČASE XXV. How shall a person know whether the obedience he performs flows from true faith? S. Pike. 205 CASE XXVI. How should we perform the duty of self-examination, what are the fittest seasons for it, and what use should we make of it? S. Hayward. 215 CASE XXVII. In what frame does the sinner come when he savingly closes with Christ? S. Hayward. 224 CASE XXVIII. A person has had a religious education, and cannot remember any time or place, when and where God first wrought upon his soul; what judgment must he form of his state, and what methods must he take to be satisfied that he is a child of God? S. Hayward. 233 CASE XXIX. A young person who has had a religious edu⚫ grace only, or saving grace; and begs advice and instruction LIST OF THE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS. Q. 2. How shall we know whether our faith is saving amidst all the weaknesses and doubts that may attend it? S. Pike. 11 Q. 4. When may a person know in the exercise of prayer, whether he is under the influence of the blessed Spirit, or under Q. 7. How may a person distinguish between the genuine consolations of the gospel wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God, and those comforts that spring from our own imagination, Q. 8. Why should the king of Moab, by the advice of his pri- vy council, in a time of imminent danger, and threatening dis- tress, apply for relief to the prophet of the God of Israel, as Ba- laam certainly was, and not to Baal peor the God of the Moab. Q. 9. How far should the master of a family concern him. self about the eternal salvation of his children, servants, &c. is it his duty to read a portion of the scripture to them, morning and evening, and pray with them as often? Should he not cat- echise or ask them pertinent questions, at proper seasons? 41 Q. 10. Is it possible for a person to be regenerated, or born again; and yet for many years after, fear he is not? And may a person no way doubt of his regeneration, and at the same time be an unconverted person? 47 Q. 11. What advice can be given to a person grievously distressed with fears, doubts and unbelief? 51 Q. 12. Is the death and sufferings of Christ, or his passive obedience, all that is required for the salvation and justification of the sinner? Hath his active righteousness no part in the work, or must it be imputed? Is the imputation of Christ's active righteousness, an essential point of doctrine, or may a man be safe without it? 58 Q. 13. Is it possible for a person who is enabled to bewail his own vileness, to be assured of an interest in Christ, with eternal joy, and yet not have an astonishing view of the glory, fulness and suitableness of the Mediator, engaging and constraining him to love his Saviour, and delight in his ways? And is it possible to have such an affecting view of Christ before regeneration? 60 Q. 14. As I apprehend that the practice of family prayer is unfashionable in our days, is it because this age is so much wiser than the last, or is it because we are less acquainted with the life, power and comfort of that religion which is pure and undefiled before God? 62 Q. 15. How may a person know that he is justified, pardoned and accepted with God? 64 Q. 16. May one who doubts of his regeneration, or personal interest in Christ, approach the table of the Lord, without being guilty of presumption? 87 Q. 17. What means must a person use to attain to greater holiness in devotional exercises who is desirous of it, and mourns under a sense of his formality in them? Q. 18. When and wherein may it be said grieve and quench the Spirit? 90 that believers do 94 satisfied he aims Q. 19. How shall a person know and be principally at the glory of God in his doing this or that or the other thing? 96 Q. 20. How may we distinguish betwixt that which is moral, and that which is typical or merely ceremonial, in the books of Moses? and consequently which of these precepts are still in force and which are those long since abrogated? 100 Q. 21. How shall a person know when a promise, or a threatening is brought by God or by Satan to the soul? 107 Q. 22. Does Satan know the thoughts and intents of the heart, or only by the gestures and motions of the body, as he has had such long experience? 112 Q. 23, Can a person that is daily harrassed with unclean thoughts and desires, be a child of God? If so, what can a poor unhappy person do, according to the direction of God's holy word, in order to vanquish and overcome the same? 114 |