A37045:168
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 4
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.
Now for the Marks and Evidences of a deluded Conscience, beside these forementioned, of a Legal, and of a Presumptuous Conscience, which may be also Marks of this, it hath these Four or Five especially, accompanying it. 1. A certain frothiness of Spirit, or a light unsettled frame; The light that a deluded man hath in his state or way, is but like a Dream, that hath no reality in it. He feedeth on ashes; and such an one will some way make more Conscience of, and take more pleasure in that wherein he is deluded, then in any other Piece or Practice of Religion, as it was with the Jews, in persecuting the Apostles; and with the Scribes and Pharisees in seeking to gain a Proselyte, and yet in all that they do, they are but licking froth or s•um, Ephraim feedeth ⟨p. 60⟩on wind, Hos. 12. 1. What exercise of Conscience they have about Religion, is without any sanctifying effect, it striketh not at the body of Death▪ nor doth it promove Godliness; it is readily some frivolous thing, that they are so much taken up with, and are so eager in the pursuit of, which proveth but wind and ashes, to whom it may be, in some respect, said, as the Apostle doth to the Galatians, chap. 3. 3. Ye began in the spirit, and seek to be made perfect in the flesh.
Now for the Marks and Evidences of a deluded Conscience, beside these forementioned, of a Legal, and of a Presumptuous Conscience, which may be also Marks of this, it hath these Four or Five especially, accompanying it. 1. A certain frothiness of Spirit, or a light unsetled frame; The light that a deluded man hath in his state or way, is but like a Dream, that hath no reality in it. He feedeth on ashes; and such an one will some way make more Conscience of, and take more pleasure in that wherein he is deluded, then in any other P•ece or Practice of Religion, as it was with the Iews, in persecuting the Apostles; and with the Scribes and Pharisees in seeking to gain a Prosylite, and yet in all that they do, they are but licking froth or s•um, Ephraim feedeth ⟨p. 60⟩