The Life of God in the Soul of Man
Topic The Life of God in the Soul of Man
By Henry Scougall
The Life of God in the Soul of Man was written as a letter of spiritual counsel to a friend, and it succeeded far beyond the author’s expectations. It passed from hand to hand until it was brought to Gilbert Burnet, the future bishop of Salisbury, with the suggestion that it be made available to the world. It is considered a classic book of Christian devotion. Furthermore, it is timeless in its appeal. Its thought is clear and comprehensible; its language possesses a quiet beauty and poignancy that does not lose its charm with the passing of the years; and its style is not distorted by the artificialities of temporal literary fashions.
It is divided into three parts. In the first part, Scougal provides an immensely instructive investigation of the true nature of religion. He addresses several poor conceptions of God and religion before turning to true religion–the “life of God in the son of man.” In the second part, he explains the benefits of true religion. He focuses on the “excellence of divine love.” The love of God, he emphasizes, is a great love, worth having! Nevertheless, in the third part, Scougal recognizes the difficulties in following God. He thus encourages the dependence upon divine assistance, and the contemplation of scripture in developing a Godly life. Although the writing is somewhat dated, Life of God in the Soul of Man is a tour de force of spiritual wisdom, which has served countless spiritual wayfarers.
Henry Scougal
taken from http://digitalpuritan.net/henry-scougal/
Henry Scougal (1650-1678) was a Scottish theologian, minister and author. He was the second son of Patrick Scougal and Margaret Wemys. His father was Bishop of Aberdeen for more than 20 years.
From his youth, Scougal spent his free hours in reading, meditation and prayer. He especially enjoyed studying the historical passages of the Old Testament. In 1665 Scougal entered King’s College, University of Aberdeen, and, after graduation, was promoted to the office of Professor of Philosophy. In 1672, Scougal was ordained and appointed minister of a church 20 miles from Aberdeen, where he served for one year before returning to take the office of Professor of Divinity at King’s College, where he taught for five years.
Scougal produced a number of works while a pastor and professor of divinity at King’s. His most recognized work, The Life Of God In The Soul Of Man, was originally written to a friend to give spiritual counsel. This work was almost universally praised by the leaders of the Great Awakening, including George Whitefield, who said he never really understood what true religion was until he had digested Scougal’s treatise.
On June 13, 1678 Scougal died of tuberculosis. [More via Wikipedia]
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Getting People to faithfully integrate in the Church is an article on how to get people to participate in your church. This article links to more articles dealing with these issues.
Topics: So we should start with the reason as far as why a Christian should congregate. | A. Why people come to church | The Wrong Reasons for Coming to Church | (1) Because somebody makes me go to church | (2) Because I want to find a Christian mate | (3) Because I want the economic benefits the church offers me | a. Christians have to renounce riches and the retaining of riches to be truly saved. | b. The value of a person's life is not in the possessions he owns. | c. Covetousness is a great sin before God. | d. Rich people hardly enter heaven. | e. Christians should seek mediocrity, neither rich nor poor. | e. Christians should seek mediocrity, neither rich nor poor. | (5) Because I want status, prestige, and power | (6) Because I want to be saved | (7) Because I want to be religious | (8) Because I want my husband/wife/children/parents to turn out right | (9) Because I was brought up in church, and it's my custom/habit | The Right Reasons for Coming to Church | (1) Because it is an evidence of true salvation. | (2) God commands me to go to church, and it should be my custom. | (3) It was the example left to us by the NT church and first century Christians. | (4) Church provides me with the opportunity to identify with Christ as my Savior. | (5) Church provides me with an opportunity to serve God by serving my brothers in Christ. | (6) Church provides me with the context to benefit from spiritually gifted ministers. | (7) Church provides me with the avenue to properly worship God. | (8) To comply with other commandments in my Christian life, I must do so in the context of church. | (9) Church facilitates the growth of my faith, the holiness of my life, and the purity of my doctrine.
Read the article: Getting People to faithfully integrate (There are several related studies in pdf downloads on this page).