A37045:104
Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…
Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace and solid joy of a good conscience sprinkled with the blood of Jesus and exercised always to be void of offence toward God and toward men : brought down and holden forth in XXII very searching sermons on several texts of Scripture ... / by James Durham.
Edinburgh: printed by the heir of Andrew Anderson, 1685
Title page typeset from the transcription.
HEAVEN upon EARTH in a Serene and Smiling good Conscience. › Sermons on acts n24.16 › Sermon 2
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Some necessary Questions relating to practice arise from this Use, which we shall speak a few words to. As 1. If any other thing beside Conscience may have an impulse to duty? 2. If other things may have an impulse to duty (whether it be credit, interest, inclination, will, or affection,) how may the impulse of these be discerned, and differenced from the impulse of Conscience? 3. Whether the dictates of Conscience may always be followed, seeing its impulse may be wrong? 4. What should be done in such a case, and how may we difference what is right? 5. Whether a man and his Conscience may be friends and agree together in a wrong cause or practice?
Some necessary Questions relating to practice arise from this Use, which we shall speak a few words to. As 1. If any other thing beside Conscience may have an impulse to duty? 2. If other things may have an impulse to duty (whether it be credit, interest, inclination, will, or affection,) how may the impulse of these be decerned, and differenced from the impulse of Conscience? 3. Whether the dictates of Conscience may always be followed, seing its impulse may be wrong? 4. What should be done in such a case, and how may we difference what is right? 5. Whether a man and his Conscience may be friends and agree together in a wrong cause or practice?
For the first Question, Whether any thing beside Conscience doth or may pou•s to duty? We answer affirmatively, Many things may court us which by their impulse do often thwart with Conscience, hence is the inward combat in the Christian betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit; the Flesh doth pouss to one thing, and Conscience to the contrary; therefore Gal. 5. 17. it's said, The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these two are contrary one to another; and Rom. 7. 23. the Apostle speaketh of a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind, and leading him captive to the law of sin in his members; more particularly these things (as we hinted before) may have an impulse toward the doing of duty, As first Mens credit, hath a strong impulse, where any thing crossing it, is apprehended to occur. 2. Mens