The Christian’s Great Interest

Author

William Guthrie

Category Christian Living, Evangelistic Resources, Puritan Paperback Specials, Puritan Paperbacks, Theology Books

Series Puritan Paperbacks

The Christian's Great Interest by William Guthrie

Look Inside Price

500 in stock

Weight	0.44 lbs
Dimensions	7.13 × 4.75 × 0.75 in
ISBN	9781800402881
Binding	Paperback
Topic	Assurance, Conversion, Salvation
Original Pub Date	1658
Banner Pub Date	Jun 1, 1969
Page Count	208
Format	Book
Series	Puritan Paperbacks

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 it 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 on The Christian’s Great Interest

Review

Table of Contents Expand ↓

	Memoir of the Author	xi
	To the Reader	xxi
	Part I: The Trial of a Saving Interest in Christ
	Introduction	5
	Question 1: 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?	7
	Chapter 1
	THINGS PREMISED FOR THE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRIAL ITSELF	7
1.	A man's interest in Christ may be known	7
2.	To be savingly in covenant with God is of the highest importance	9
3.	We must allow our state to be determined by Scripture	10
4.	Reasons why so few attain to a distinct knowledge of their interest in Christ:	10
	(1) Ignorance of God and His ways	11
	(2) Dealing deceitfully with God and their own consciences	14
	(3) Slothfulness and Negligence	16
	(4) Their having no fixed idea of what evidence would satisfy them	17
	(5) Their dependence on changeable evidence	18
5.	Some mistakes concerning an interest in Christ removed	19
	Chapter 2
	THE VARIOUS WAYS BY WHICH MEN ARE DRAWN TO CHRIST	23
	SECTION I
	Some are drawn without a conscious preparatory work of the law	23
1.	Some are called from the womb	24
2.	Some are called in mature life, in a sovereign gospel-way	25
3.	Some are graciously called as death approaches	27
	SECTION II
	Men are ordinarily prepared for Christ by the work of the law	29
	SECTION III
	The difference between that preparatory work of the law which leads to salvation and the temporary convictions of those who relapse	39
	Chapter 3
	OF FAITH AS AN EVIDENCE OF AN INTEREST IN CHRIST	47
1.	Mistakes as to what faith is	47
2.	True saving faith described	52
3.	Further explanations concerning saving faith	55
4.	The difference between the faith of hypocrites and true saving faith	60
	Chapter 4
	OF THE NEW CREATURE AS AN EVIDENCE OF AN INTEREST IN CHRIST	65
1.	The whole man must be to some extent renewed	66
2.	He must be renewed, to some extent, in all his ways	69
3.	The supposed unattainableness of such a renewal	74
	Chapter 5
	THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRUE CHRISTIAN AND THE HYPOCRITE	79
	Chapter 6
	REASONS WHY SOME BELIEVERS DOUBT THEIR INTEREST IN CHRIST	87
1.	Doubts because of prevailing sin answered	87
2.	Doubts arising from a want of Christian experience answered	90
3.	Conclusion	106
	Part 2: How to attain a saving interest in Christ
	INTRODUCTION	111
	QUESTION 2: 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?	113
	Chapter 1
	SOME THINGS PREMISED FOR THE INFORMATION OF THE IGNORANT	113
	Chapter 2
	WHAT IT IS TO CLOSE WITH GOD'S GOSPEL PLAN OF SAVING SINNERS BY CHRIST JESUS, AND THE DUTY OF SO DOING	119
1.	What it is to accept of, and close with, the gospel offer	120
2.	This is the duty of those who would be saved	121
3.	What is required of those who would believe on Christ Jesus and be saved	125
4.	What is involved in the duty, together with its various aspects	132
5.	The effects and outcomes of saving faith	137
	Chapter 3
	OBJECTIONS AND DIFFICULTIES EXPLAINED AND ANSWERED	143
1.	The sinner's baseness rendering it presumption to come to Christ	143
2.	The singularity of his sin barring the way	144
3.	Special aggravations of sin a hindrance	146
4.	Sins not named are a barrier	147
5.	The sin against the Holy Ghost alleged:	148
	(1) What it is not	149
	(2) What it is	151
	(3) Conclusions bearing on the objection	157
6.	The want of power to believe considered as a hindrance	158
7.	Unfruitfulness a hindrance	159
8.	Ignorance concerning personal covenanting a hindrance - the nature of that duty	161
9.	Doubts as to the inquirer's being savingly in covenant with God answered	165
	Chapter 4
	CONCERNING PERSONAL COVENANTING WITH GOD IN CHRIST	167
1.	Certain things premised concerning personal covenanting:	167
	(1) The thing itself is warrantable	168
	(2) The preparation needed	175
	(3) How the duty of covenanting is to be performed	176
	(4) What should follow this solemn act	177
2.	A want of proper feeling considered as an obstacle	182
3.	The fear of backsliding a hindrance to covenanting	183
4.	Past experience of fruitlessness considered	187
	Conclusion
	THE WHOLE TREATISE RESUMED IN A FEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS	193
	Appendix: Extracts from the Sermons of William Guthrie	197