A37045:182
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 5
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.
ACTS 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
There is no truth that will be more readily granted then this, which we proposed from these Words, namely, That all men, and more especially Believers ought so to live, and walk as in nothing to give their conscience cause of offence: And yet if we shall impartially put the matter to trial, there is ground to fear, that the life of many will be found to be nothing else then a continued lie, and practical contradiction to the profession of this great Truth.
THere is no truth that will be more readily granted then this, which we proposed from these Words, namely, That all men, and more especially Believers ought so to live, and walk as in nothing to give their conscience cause of offence: And yet if we shall impartially put the matter to tryal, there is ground to fear, that the life of many will be found to be nothing else then a continued lie, and practical contradiction to the profession of this great Truth.
Because this is, (as we said) so tender and tickle a subject, and because there is so great need to be clear in the true meaning of it, we have been constrained beyond our purpose, to propose, and answer several Questions, and to move and dissolve several Doubts, concerning it, to make the fairer and easier access to the Use; It being so very ordinary for people to think that they have a good Conscience, when indeed they have it not; and so to baffle (to speak so) and abuse Conscience (that should be the most powerful provoker to a tender and circumspect walk) as to make it a ground of security and un-tenderness.
Because this is, (as we said) so tender and tickle a subject, and because there is so great need to be clear in the true meaning of it, we have been constrained beyond our purpose, to propose, and answer several Questions, and to move and dissolve several Doubts, concerning it, to make the fairer and easier access to the Use; It being so very ordinary for people to think that they have a good Conscience, when indeed they have it not; and so to baffle (to speak so) and abuse Conscience (that should be the most powerfull provoker to a tender and circumspect walk) as to make it a ground of security and un-tenderness.