Christian's great interest - Guthrie - IV - Part 1, Chapters 4 & 5

Required reading
The Christian's great interest by William Guthrie (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Continue reading Part 1 by reading Chapters 4 and 5.

My summary
Guthrie continues his First Part of the book looking at 'How a person may know if he hath a true and special interest in Christ and whether he doth lay just claim to God's favour and salvation.'  Now he gives the second evidence, the new creature.

In Chapter 4 Guthrie firstly demonstrates that the whole man to some extent must be renewed including:
(i) Understanding;
(ii) Heart and affections;
(iii) Outward members (e.g. tongue, eye, ear, hand, foot).

Secondly he shows that the man must be renewed to some extent in his ways, including:
(i) Interests;
(ii) Way of worship;
(iii) Outward calling and employments in the world;
(iv) Relationships;
(v) Lawful liberties (e.g. sleep, eating, recreations)

Then in Chapter 5 Guthrie looks at the difference between the Christian and the hypocrite.  Initially he shows the ways in which the hypocrite can mimic the new creature, but at the end gives three essentials the hypocrites lack:
(i) They are not broken in heart and emptied of their own righteousness, so as to loathe themselves;
(ii) They never took up Christ Jesus as the only treasure and jewel that can enrich and satisfy;
(iii) They never in earnest close with Christ's whole yoke without exception, judging all His "will just and good, holy and spiritual".

What grabbed me
I enjoyed the illustration of how the outward body is transformed as a Christian: 'The very outward members of the man are renewed, as the Scripture speaks - the tongue, the eye, the ear, the hand, and the foot, so that those members which once were abused as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin, are now improved as weapons of righteousness unto holiness.'

The weapon of the body is still a weapon, but is now being used to fight for righteousness instead of unrighteousness.

Next week's reading
Finish reading Part 1 by reading Chapter 6.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.