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The Christian’s Great Interest

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cover image for 'The Christian's Great Interest'
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Weight 0.22 kg
Dimensions 18.1 × 12.1 × 1.9 cm
ISBN 9780851513546
Binding

Paperback
format

Book
page-count

208
series

Puritan Paperbacks
Original Pub Date

1658
Banner Pub Date

Jun 1, 1969

Endorsement

‘One of the greatest divines that ever wrote.’ — JOHN OWEN

‘It has long been the favourite work of our peasantry in Scotland. One admirable property of [The Christian’s Great Interest] is that, while it guides, it purifies.’ — THOMAS CHALMERS

Book Description

All of Guthrie’s teaching and pastoral experience were poured into The Christian’s Great Interest – his only book. The remarkable fact that is has gone through more than eighty editions and been translated into several languages testifies to its value. This book describes in a clear and attractive style what it means to be a Christian, and how to become one.

This book is all about Christ: the Christian’s great interest should be Christ; the unbeliever needs to develop an interest in Christ. It describes in a simple, clear, and attractive style what it means to be a Christian, and how to become one.

Preaching on Revelation 22:2, C. H. Spurgeon once said:

our Lord Jesus Christ is life from the dead, and life to his own living people. He is All-in-All to them. And by him and by him, alone, must their spiritual life be maintained…Jesus Christ is a Tree of Life and we shall so speak of him in the hope that some may come and pluck of the fruit and eat and live forever.

This too, is Guthrie’s purpose. In the first part, he looks at how someone is drawn to Christ, what the evidences are of true saving grace, and the difference between a true Christian and a hypocrite. In the second part he describes how to ‘close’ with Christ, and deals with various objections, difficulties, and doubts.

Rhett Dodson onThe Christian’s Great Interest

Table of Contents Expand ↓

TO THE READER 5
MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR 11
Part I: The trial of a saving interest in Christ
INTRODUCTION 22
QUESTION I: How shall a man know if he has a true and special interest in Christ, and whether he has, or may lay claim to, God’s favour and salvation? 22
Chapter I
THINGS PREMISED FOR THE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRIAL ITSELF 23
A man’s interest in Christ may be known 23
To be savingly in covenant with God is of the highest importance 25
We must allow our state to be determined by Scripture 25
Reasons why so few attain to a distinct knowledge of their interest in Christ: 26
(1) Ignorance of God and His ways 26
(2) Dealing deceitfully with God and their own consciences 30
(3) Slothfulness and Negligence 32
(4) Their having no fixed idea of what evidence would satisfy them 33
(5) Their dependence on changeable evidence 33
Some mistakes concerning an interest in Christ removed 35
Chapter II
THE VARIOUS WAYS BY WHICH MEN ARE DRAWN TO CHRIST 37
SECTION I
Some are drawn without a conscious preparatory work of the law 37
Some are called from the womb 38
Some are called in mature life, in a sovereign gospel-way 39
Some are graciously called as death approaches 41
SECTION II
Men are ordinarily prepared for Christ by the work of the law 43
SECTION III
The difference between that preparatory work of the law which leads to salvation and the temporary convictions of those who relapse 53
Chapter III
OF FAITH AS AN EVIDENCE OF AN INTEREST IN CHRIST 60
Mistakes as to what faith is 60
True saving faith described 65
Further explanations concerning saving faith 68
The difference between the faith of hypocrites and true saving faith 73
Chapter IV
OF THE NEW CREATURE AS AN EVIDENCE OF AN INTEREST IN CHRIST 76
The whole man must be to some extent renewed 77
He must be renewed, to some extent, in all his ways 80
The supposed unattainableness of such a renewal 85
Chapter V
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRUE CHRISTIAN AND THE HYPOCRITE 88
Chapter VI
REASONS WHY SOME BELIEVERS DOUBT THEIR INTEREST IN CHRIST 95
Doubts because of prevailing sin answered 95
Doubts arising from a want of Christian experience answered 98
Conclusion 113
Part II: How to attain a saving interest in Christ
INTRODUCTION 116
QUESTION II: What shall they do who want the marks of a true and saving interest in Christ already spoken of, and neither can nor dare pretend unto them?
Chapter I
SOME THINGS PREMISED FOR THE INFORMATION OF THE IGNORANT 117
Chapter II
WHAT IT IS TO CLOSE WITH GOD’S GOSPEL PLAN OF SAVING SINNERS BY CHRIST JESUS, AND THE DUTY OF SO DOING 122
What it is to accept of, and close with, the gospel offer 122
This is the duty of those who would be saved 124
What is required of those who would believe on Christ Jesus and be saved 127
What is involved in the duty, together with its various aspects 134
The effects and outcomes of saving faith 139
Chapter III
OBJECTIONS AND DIFFICULTIES EXPLAINED AND ANSWERED 146
The sinner’s baseness rendering it presumption to come to Christ 146
The singularity of his sin barring the way 147
Special aggravations of sin a hindrance 148
Sins not named are a barrier 149
The sin against the Holy Ghost alleged:
(1) What it is not 151
(2) What it is 154
(3) Conclusions bearing on the objection 159
The want of power to believe considered as a hindrance 161
Unfruitfulness a hindrance 162
Ignorance concerning personal covenanting a hindrance – the nature of that duty 164
Doubts as to the inquirer’s being savingly in covenant with God answered 168
Chapter IV
CONCERNING PERSONAL COVENANTING WITH GOD IN CHRIST 169
Certain things premised concerning personal covenanting: 169
(1) The thing itself is warrantable 170
(2) The preparation needed 177
(3) How the duty of covenanting is to be performed 177
(4) What should follow this solemn act 179
A want of proper feeling considered as an obstacle 183
The fear of backsliding a hindrance to covenanting 185
Past experience of fruitlessness considered 189
Conclusion
THE WHOLE TREATISE RESUMED IN A FEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 193

 

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