<emph>Signs of a Living or Growing Christian:</emph> Electronic Edition. Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this title. Text scanned (OCR) by Allen Vaughn Text encoded by Elizabeth S. Wright and Jill Kuhn First edition, 2000 ca. 15K Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2000.

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 Signs of a Living or Growing Christian Evangelical Tract Society, Petersburg, Va. No. 184 4 p. Petersburg, Va. Evangelical Tract Society [between 1861 and 1865] 4851.1 (Rare Book Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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 Library of Congress Subject Headings, 21st edition, 1998 English Christian life. Tracts. Confederate States of America -- Religion. Confederate States of America -- Church history. United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Religious aspects. 2000-06-07, Celine Noel and Wanda Gunther revised TEIHeader and created catalog record for the electronic edition. 2000-02-07, Jill Kuhn finished TEI-conformant encoding and final proofing. 2000-01-29, Elizabeth S. Wright finished TEI/SGML encoding 2000-01-11, Allen Vaughn finished scanning (OCR) and proofing. No. 184 EVANGELICAL TRACT SOCIETY, Petersburg, Va. SIGNS OF A LIVING OR GROWING CHRISTIAN. The Righteous shall flourish like a Palm tree; he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon. Psalm xcii. 12. SIGN 1, When your chief delight is with the saints, especially them that excel in virtue. Psalm. xvi. 3. 2. When the smitings of the righteous are not a burden to you, and you can hear of your faults with affectionate attention. Psalm cxli. 5. 3. When Jesus Christ, in the midst of temptation, is more to you than all the world. Phil. iii. 3. 4. When reproach for Christ makes you not ashamed of Christ. Mark viii. 33. Heb. xi. 26. 5. When wandering thoughts, in time of duty, find less entertainment than formerly. Psalm, cxxxix. 23. 1 Cor. xiii. 11. 6. When length of standing in the profession of Christianity works increase of hatred to all sin. Psalm cxix. 104, 113. 7. When you carry about with you a constant jealousy over your own heart, that it turn not aside from God and goodness. Prov. xxviii. 14. 8. When every known new mercy begets new thankfulness, and that with delight. Psalm cxlv. 2. 9. When known calamity in God's house begets deep sorrow in your heart. Neh. i. 4. 10. When God's afflicting you for your sins makes you love God the better. Psalm cxix. 75. 11. When the same care and travail you at first laboured in to get Christ, is as much, if not more, laboured in to keep Christ. Heb. vi. 11, 12. 12. When a feeliing sense of the peace and edification of the church of God lies so near your heart, that you can prefer it above your chief concerns. Psalm cxxxvii. 6. Rom. xiv. 19. 2 Cor. xi. 9. 13. When under deep distress or languishing, the word of God is precious to you. Psalm cxix. 92. 14. When any condition though in itself mean, as it comes from God, is most welcome. Job i. 21. Hab. iii. 17, 13. 15. When the peace of Christ's house begets chief joy in your heart. Psalm cxxii. 7, 8, 9. 16. When chief care to avoid all sin is as truly occasioned through fear of dishonoring God, and in incurring his present displeasure, as wrath to come.— Neh. v. 15. Gen. xxxim. 9. 17. When the least apprehension of God's withdrawing makes you seek him more earnestly, in such ways wherein be will be found. Psalm lxiii, 1. 18. When every company is burdensome to you, that is not designing your Father's glory, but derogating therefrom. Psalm cxx. 5, 2. Pet. ii. 7, 8. 19. When the sins of others come so near your heart, that you walk sadly to see such persons transgress God's commandments. Psalm cxix. 136. 20. When the light of your understanding grows more strong to your making judgment of spiritual things, according to God's word. Eph. i. 13. 21. When bitter things become sweet to you, as they are squared by, and founded on, the will of God. Matt. xxvi. 33, 39. Acts. xxi. 14. 22. When the path of the humble is so delightful, that you had rather be with them, than in the tents of the ungodly. Acts xx. 19. Psalm lxxxiv. 10. 23. When your pity is such to perishing people, that you cannot but weep at the thoughts of their ruin. Luke xix. 41. Jer. ix. 1. Phil. iii, 10, 19.

0—Indifference. — Family worship only on Sunday evenings. — Private prayer frequently omitted. — Family religion wholly declined. 10—Levity in conversation. — Fashions, however expensive or indecent, adopted. — 20—Luxurious entertainments. — Free association with carnal company. — 30—The theatre, and other places of amusement. — Frequent pleasure parties. House of God forsaken. — Much wine, spirits; &c. 40—Love of novels, &c. — Skepticism. Private prayer totally declined. — Deistical company prised. — 50—Parties of pleasure on the Lords day. — Drunkenness, &c. Profaneness, lewd songs. — 60—.Infidelity, jesting at religion. — Sitting down in the chair of the scorner. — 70—Death — PERDITION.

N. B. The reader must peruse this from the middle upwards and downwards.

 I WOULD SEE JESUS.

I would see Jesus in prosperity, that her fascinating light may not lead me to dreadful precipice; but, that his good spirit may whisper to my heart the noble inducements Christians have to devise liberal things; that I may ever be saying, “What am I, O Lord, that thou shouldst put into my heart to do these things, when the earth is thine and the fullness thereof? It is but thine own which I return unto thee.”

I would see Jesus in adversity, because he is a friend born for such a state; because, when all the fallacious props of happiness give way, his single name alone supports the building. I would see Jesus in adversity, that I might order my cause before him, for he has all power in heaven and on earth, and easily can arrange future events, so as to throw lustre on the darkest circumstances.

I would see Jesus in health, that I may turn at his gentlest reproof; that I may not be full and forget God, and be devoted, body as well as soul to his praise.

I would see Jesus in sickness, because he healeth all my diseases; he alone dispenses the balm of Gilead; he alone is the physician there.

I would see Jesus in ordinances, for what are ordinances destitute of him? As the body without the spirit is dead, so are ordinances without Christ. He shows himself through the latices, he appears in his beauty, he is as the dew unto Israel, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land; his people sit under his shade with great delight; his fruit is pleasant to their taste. They say continually in ordinances, “Make haste, O my beloved; be thou like a young hart upon the mountains.”

I would see Jesus in social intercourse. For what are the charms of friendship? What the refinements of taste? What the pleasures of conversation? Are they not all unsatisfying and delusive, unless sanctified by the grace of the Redeemer?

I would see Jesus in my own heart, as Lord of its affections, of its purposes, of its pleasures; as the grand mover of its hopes and fears; the author of its existence and happiness.

I would see Jesus in death, as the Sun of Righteousness, whose beams, in the darkest moments, can spread light and healing. I would listen to his voice, saying, “To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life.” “Fear not, I have the keys of hell and death.” Arise, O thou wearied follower of thy crucified Lord, and enter into thy rest.

I would see Jesus in glory, for, what is heaven itself without him? But when we shall see him as he is, then shall we be like him, and be forever happy in his presence.

 TYLER, ALLEGRE & MCDANIEL, Enquirer Job Office, Richmond, Va.