Alexander, A. – 17 Thoughts on Religious Experience

Seventeen Thoughts on Religious Experience

by Archibald Alexander, 1844

In this work, 17 Thoughts on Religious Experience, Alexander deals with different topics in our religious experience, and makes comments on these topics. Topics among others: piety, Christian education, new birth, temperaments, sympathy, regeneration, backsliding, deathbed, death, and prayer.

Table of Contents of 17 Thoughts on Religious Experience

Preface
Chapter 1. Early religious impressions—Different results—Classes of people least impressed—Examples of ineffectual impressions
Chapter 2. Piety in children—Comparatively few renewed in childhood—Soul awakened in different ways—Legal conviction not a necessary part of true religion—Progress of conviction
Chapter 3. The new birth an event of great importance—The evidences of the new birth—Diversities of experience in converts—Examples—Causes of diversity
Chapter 4. Causes of diversity in experience continued—Effect of temperament—Melancholy—Advice to the friends of people thus affected—Illustrative cases—Causes of melancholy and insanity
Chapter 5. Effect of sympathy illustrated—Cautions in relation to this subject—A singular case in illustration
Chapter 6. Erroneous views of regeneration—The correct view—The operation of faith—Exercises of mind, as illustrated in Jonathan Edwards’s Narrative—The operations of faith still further explained
Chapter 7. Considerations on dreams, visions, etc. Remarkable conversion of a blind infidel from hearing the Bible read
Chapter 8. Religious Conversation—Stress laid by some on the knowledge of the time and place of conversion—Religious experience of Halyburton
Chapter 9. Christian experience of R__ C__. Narrative of Sir Richard Hill’s experience
Chapter 10. Imperfect sanctification—The spiritual warfare
Chapter 11. The spiritual conflict—Various exhibitions of it—Evil thoughts
Chapter 12. Growth in grace—Signs of it—Practical directions how to grow in grace—Hindrances to it
Chapter 13. Backsliding—The backslider restored
Chapter 14. The rich and the poor—The various trials of believers
Chapter 15. Deathbed of the believer
Chapter 16. Remarks on deathbed exercises
Chapter 17. Preparation for death—The state of the soul after death
Chapter 18. A prayer for one who feels that he is approaching the borders of another world.