The Practical Works of Richard Baxter: with a Life of the Author and a Critical Examination of His Writings by William Orme

Christ go first; exactly answered. (And conse-
quently whether faith or repentance be first.) Of
the Spirit in Christ and the apostles. Of sufficient
grace. How Faith procureth the Spirit. Whether
desires of grace be grace
CHAP. IV. How to live by Faith as to God's commands.
The admirable goodness of God's laws. Whether
the promise and reward be the end of obedience, or
obedience the end of the promise and reward. Of
Scripture examples

V. How to live by Faith on God's promises. What

will of God it is, according to which they must ask

who will receive. Of a particular Faith in prayer.

Is the same degree of grace conditionally promised

to all? Directions for understanding the promises.

The true nature of Faith or Trust in God's pro-

mises, opened at large. Affiance is in the under-

standing, will and vital power. Whether Faith be

obedience, or how related to it. Ten acts of the

understanding essential to the Christian Faith in

the promises. Several acts of the will essential to

Faith. And in the vital power, whether all true

Faith hath a subjective certainty of the truth of the

word. Choice and venturing or forsaking all, is

the sign of real trust. Promises collected for the

help of Faith, 1. Of pardon. 2. Of salvation.

3. Of reconciliation and adoption. 4. Of pardon

of new sins after conversion. 5. Of sanctification.

6. Promises to them that desire and seek. 7. To

prayer. 8. To groans that want expression. 9.

Promises of all that we want and that is good for

us. 10. To the use of God's word and sacraments.

11. To the humble, meek and lowly. 12. To the

peaceable. 13. To the diligent. 14. To the pa-

tient. 15. To obedience. 16. To the love of God.

17. To them that love the godly, and are merciful

in good works. 18. To the poor. 19. To the op-

pressed. 20. To the persecuted. 21. In dangers.

22. Against temptations. 23. To them that over-

come and persevere. 24. In sickness, and at death.

25. Of resurrection, final justification and glory.

26. For children of the godly. 27. To the church

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CHAP. VI. How to exercise Faith on God's threatenings
and judgments. How far belief of the threaten-
ings is good, necessary and a saving Faith. How
saving Faith is a personal application. How to
perceive true Faith

VII. How to live by Faith for pardon and justifica-
tion. In how many respects and ways Christ jus-
tifieth us. Of the imputation of Christ's righteous-
Twelve reasons to help our belief of pardon.
How far sin should make us doubt of our justifica-
tion....

ness.

VIII. Fifty-eight dangerous errors detected, which
hinder the work of Faith about our justification ;
and the contrary truths asserted
IX. How to live by Faith of other graces and du-
ties. And 1. Of the doctrinal Directions. What
sanctification is. How God loveth the unsanctified.
How he loveth us in Christ. Of preaching mere
morality ...

......

.......

X. The practical Directions, to promote love to
God and holiness ...

XI. Of the order and harmony of graces and duties,
which must be taken altogether. Of the parts
that make up the new creature. 1. The intellec-
tual order; or a method, or scheme of the heads
of Divinity. 2. The order of intention and affec-
tion. 3. The order of practice. Of the various
degrees of means to man's ultimate end. Of the
grace necessary to concur with these various means.
The circular motion by Divine communication to
our receiving graces, and so by our returning
graces, unto God again. The frame of the present
means of grace, and of our returning duties. Rules
about the order of Christian practice (which shew
that, and how the best is to be preferred, and
which is best), in fifty-three propositions. How
man's laws bind conscience (and many other cases)
resolved. A lamentation for the great want of or-
der, and method, and harmony in the understand-
ings, wills and lives of Christians. Many instances
of men's partiality as to truths, graces, duties, sins,
&c. Twenty reasons why few Christians are com-
plete and entire, but lame and partial in their reli-

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gion. Ten consectaries. Whether all graces be
equal in habit. Religion not so perfect in us as in the
Scriptures; which therefore are the rule to us, &c.
CHAP. XII. How to use Faith against particular sins•••
XIII. What sins the best are most in danger of, and
should most carefully avoid. And wherein the in-
firmities of the upright differ from mortal sins.

XIV. How to live by Faith in prosperity. The way

by which Faith doth save us from the world. Ge-

neral Directions against the danger of prosperity.

Twenty marks of worldliness. The pretences of

worldly minds. The greatness of the sin. The ill

effects.

XV. How to be poor in spirit. And 1. How to es-
cape the pride of prosperous men. The cloaks of

pride. The signs of pride and of lowliness. The
sinfulness of it. Particular remedies ....
XVI. How to escape the sin of fulness, gulosity or
gluttony, by Faith. The mischiefs of serving the
appetite. Particular remedies

XVII. How Faith must conquer sloth and idleness.
Who are guilty of this sin. Cases resolved. The
evil of idleness. The remedies..

XVIII. Unmercifulness to the poor, to be conquered

by Faith. The remedies ..

......

....

.....

XIX. How to live by Faith in adversity.

XX. How to live by Faith in trouble of conscience,

and doubts of our salvation. The difference be-

tween true and false repentance. How to apply

the universal grace to our comfort. The danger of

casting our part on Christ; and of ascribing all