CONTENTS.

THOUGHTS ON RELIGION.

INTRODUCTORY.—Page 1.

Article I.—Page 6.

I believe there is One God, the Being of all beings.

Article II.—Page 10.

I believe, that whatsoever the most high God would have me to BELIEVE or DO, in order to his glory, and my happiness, he hath revealed to me in his holy Scriptures.

Article III.—Page 39.

I believe that as there is one God, so this one God is three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Article IV.—Page 41.

I believe that I was conceived in sin, and brought forth in iniquity; and that, ever since, I have been continually conceiving mischief, and bringing forth vanity.

Article V.—Page 44.

I believe the Son of God became the Son of man, that I, the son of man, might become the son of God.

Article VI.—Page 50.

I believe that Christ lived to God, and died for sin, that I might die to sin, and live with God.

Article VII.—Page 53.

I believe that Christ rose from the grave, that I might rise from sin, and that he is ascended into heaven, that I may come unto him.

Article VIII.—Page 57.

I believe that my person is only justified by the merit of Christ imputed to me; and that my nature is only sanctified by the Spirit of Christ implanted in me.

Article IX.—Page 72.

I believe God entered into a double covenant with man, the covenant of works made with the first, and the covenant of grace made in the second Adam.

Article X.—Page 82.

I believe, that as God entered into a covenant of grace with us. so hath he signed this covenant to us by a double seal, baptism and the Lord’s supper.

Article XI.—Page 93.

I believe that after a short separation, my soul and body shall be united together again, in order to appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, and be finally sentenced according to my deserts.

Article XII.—Page 103.

I believe there are two other worlds, besides this I live in; a world of misery for unrepenting sinners, and a world of glory for believing saints.

RESOLUTIONS

ON THE FOREGOING ARTICLES.

Resolution I.—Page 115.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to walk by rule, and therefore think it necessary to resolve upon the rules to walk by.

Resolution II—Page 116.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to make the Divine Word the rule of all the rules I propose to myself.

Resolution III.-Page 118.

1 am resolved, that as I am not able to think or do any thing that is good, without the influence of the divine grace; so I will not pretend to merit any favour from God, upon account of any thing I do for his glory and service.

CONCERNING MY CONVERSATION IN GENERAL.

Resolution I.—Page 121.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to make Christ the pattern of my life here, that so Christ may be the portion of my soul hereafter.

Resolution II.—Page 122.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to walk by faith, and not by sight, on earth, that so I may live by sight, and not by faith, in heaven.

Resolution III.—Page 125.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, always to be looking upon God, as always looking upon me.

CONCERNING MY THOUGHTS.

Resolution I.—Page 128.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to watch as much over the inward motions of my heart, as the outward actions of my life.

Resolution II.—Page 129.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to stop every thought, at its first entering into my heart, and to examine it whence it comes, and whither it tends.

Resolution III.—Page 131.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to be as fearful to let in vain, as careful to keep out sinful thoughts.

Resolution IV.—Page 133.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to be always exercising my thoughts upon good objects, that the devil may not exercise them upon bad.

Resolution V.—Page 135.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, so to marshal my thoughts, that they may not jostle one another, nor any of them prejudice the business I am about.

CONCERNING MY AFFECTIONS.

Resolution I.—Page 139.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, always to make my affections subservient to the dictates of my understanding, that my reason may not follow, but guide my affections.

Resolution II.—Page 141.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to love God, as the best of goods, and to hate sin, as the worst of evils.

Resolution III.—Page 145.

I am resolved, by the assistance of divine grace, to make God the principal object of my joy, and sin the principal object of my grief and sorrow; so as to grieve for sin more than suffering, and for suffering only for sin’s sake.

Resolution IV.—Page 147.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to desire spiritual mercies more than temporal; and temporal mercies only in reference to spiritual.

Resolution V.—Page 149.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to hope for nothing so much as the promises, and to fear nothing so much as the threatening, of God.

Resolution VI.—Page 153.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to arm myself with that spiritual courage and magnanimity, as to press through all duties and difficulties whatsoever, for the advancement of God’s glory and my own happiness.

Resolution VII.—Page 155.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, so to be angry, as not to sin; and, therefore, to be angry at nothing but sin.

CONCERNING MY WORDS.

Resolution I.—Page 159.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, never to speak much, lest 1 often speak too much; and not to speak at all, rather than to no purpose.

Resolution II.—Page 161.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, not only to avoid the wickedness of swearing falsely, but likewise the very appearance of swearing at all.

Resolution III.—Page 163.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, always to make my tongue and heart go together, so as never to speak with the one, what I do not think in the other.

Resolution IV.—Page 166.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to speak of other men’s sins only before their faces, and of their virtues only behind their backs.

Resolution V.—Page 168.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, always to speak reverently to my superiors, humbly to my inferiors, and civilly to all.

CONCERNING MY ACTIONS.

Resolution I.—Page 171.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to do every thing in obedience to the will of God.

Resolution II.—Page 174.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to do every thing with prudence and discretion, as well as with zeal and affection.

Resolution III.—Page 175.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, never to set my hand, my head, or my heart, about any thing but what I verily believe is good in itself, and will be esteemed so by God.

Resolution IV.—Page 178.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to do all things for the glory of God.

Resolution V.—Page 180.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to mingle such recreations with my business, as to further my business by my recreations.

CONCERNING MY RELATIONS.

Resolution I.—Page 184.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to honour and obey the king, or prince, whom God is pleased to set over me, as well as to expect that he should safeguard and protect me, whom God is pleased to set under him.

Resolution II.—Page 187.

I am resolved, by the same divine grace, to be as constant in loving my wife, as cautious in choosing her.

Resolution III.—Page 191.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to do my endeavour to give to God whatsoever children he shall be pleased to give me; that as they are mine by nature, they may be his by grace.

Resolution IV.—Page 194.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to do my duty to my servants as well as expect they should do theirs to me.

Resolution V.—Page 196.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to feed the flock that God shall set me over, and with wholesome food, neither starving them by idleness, poisoning with error, nor puffing them up with impertinence.

Resolution VI.—Page 200.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to be as faithful and constant to my friend, as I would have my friend to be faithful and constant to me.

CONCERNING MY TALENTS.

Resolution I.—Page 204.

I am resolved, if possible, to redeem my time past by using a double diligence for the future, to employ and improve all the gifts and endowments, both of body and mind, to the glory and service of my great Creator.

Resolution II.—Page 206.

I am resolved, by the divine grace, to employ my riches, the outward blessings of Providence, to the same end; and to ob. serve such a due medium in the dispensing of them, as to avoid prodigality on the one hand, and covetousness on the other.

Resolution III.—Page 209.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to improve the authority God gives me over others, to the suppression of vice, and the encouragement of virtue; and so for the exaltation of God’s name on earth, and their souls in heaven.

Resolution IV.—Page 211.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to improve the affections God stirs up in others towards me, to the stirring up of their affections towards God.

Resolution V.—Page 215.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to improve every good thought, to the producing of good affections in myself, and as good actions with respect to God.

Resolution VI.—Page 216.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to improve every affliction God lays upon me, as an earnest or token of his affection towards me.

THOUGHTS UPON A CHRISTIAN LIFE.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION.—Page 241.

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD—Page 214.