The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul (Summit Books)

There is something about Biblical truth that trancends age,culture,time and social status and can break down barriers as nothing else can.Into Life is an abridged(abidged by Roger Devenish)easy to read version of Phillip Doddridge's 'The Rise And Progress Of Religion In The Soul'. Its aim perhaps was to reach unbelievers and relatively new believers but its appeal goes far beyond that. There are aspects of the Christian life which apply to young and old(spiritually speaking). In writing about some of the difficulties of the Christian life p.30"Even though you're a Christian,your old way of life is going to affect you.Old habits die hard and you will find some things difficult to shake off.Your old ambitions ,your old pastimes ,your old interests will all still be in the backround. ... So,you must learn to reject things like this and ask God to help you overcome them."The issues that a young Christian struggles with will probably be some of the same issues(they will have to deal with)in times of spiritual declension or seasons where trials are more intense. The book is written in a style of progression(that is as the believer progresses in his walk with the Lord). The first four chapters have an evangelistic emphasis.Initially encouraging the reader to think about God and then pointing the way to fellowship with God.The struggles young believers often experience follow the early evangelistic chapters and some of the struggles more common to those who have known the Lord longer follow in the later chapters. Into Life was perhaps designed to at least in a brief but complete way,look at the whole of the Christian experience.It is an excellent summary of the life of a Christian.Though it can surely benefit seasoned saints as well,I think the books greatest area of usefulness could be as Sunday school material for the junior high to high school level.