ADVERTISEMENT. Ar the period when Mr. Ware's health began irrecoverably to fail, and just before he was obliged to give up all occupation, he was devoting his hours of leisure to the preparation of a sequel to his work on the Formation of the Christian Character, which he designed to entitle "Progress of the Christian Life." Several chapters only were finished. They are too valuable to be lost, and are here published in the hope that they may be useful. The reader will form by them an idea of what the sequel would have been if its author had lived to finish it. C. R. AUTHOR'S PREFACE. THE following pages are designed as a sequel to the little work on the Formation of the Christian Character, and are supposed to be addressed to the same persons. When one has adopted the Christian faith as his rule of life, and begun in earnest his religious existence, it is still but the commencement of a career in which an indefinite progress is to be made, and which is to continue forever. As long as man is imperfect, there is room for improvement. As long as he is in the flesh, there is occasion for watchfulness and struggling against temptation. There is need that his principles become more and more fixed, his conscience more and more enlightened and controlling, his passions more thoroughly obedient to the law of righteousness, and his whole temper and demeanor more steadfastly conformed to the example of Christ. In a word, he is to grow in grace. Advancement is his duty, perfection his aim. It is with regard to this duty of religious progress that I propose to offer a few hints. There are some errors respecting it prevalent among believers, which I would first attempt to rectify; and then I would explain its true nature and character, remove discouragements, and show the means and steps by which it should proceed, and how actual success is to be ascertained. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Errors respecting the duty of religious progress noticed and corrected especially the error that the Christian life, having been begun, is accomplished,. CHAPTER II. Errors noticed and corrected — especially the error that the Christian life is not to be taken up expressly—is not to have a marked commencement,.. CHAPTER III. Errors noticed and corrected-especially the error of those who fancy that the Christian life may be sustained without the use of means,. CHAPTER IV. The young Christian put on his guard against the hinderance to progress which arises from disappointment respecting the enjoyment of a religious life,.. CHAPTER V. PAGE. 397 406 413 421 Considerations designed to assist the Christian in the successful use of the means and methods of religious progress,... 429 CHAPTER VI. .... Maxims on which the expectation of religious progress is to be built,... 436 N. B. The following titles of additional chapters or sections are given in Mr. Ware's manuscript. Hinderances. How Progress manifests itself, and is to be ascertained. Progress in Knowledge, in Self-government, in Spirituality of Temper, in Conscientiousness, in Disinterestedness, in Power to resist Temptation. In what sense Perfection is to be expected, &c. &c. |