A37045:237
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 n1 peter 3.21 › Sermon 1
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.
Having spoken somewhat to this before, and in the last Observation that we drew from the former Text, which was, that men ought to walk so, as not to offend their Conscience in any thing; we shall now speak somewhat to one Direction and help that is greatly, if not mainly contributive and useful in order to the attaining of that notable end; which is this, That men who aim to walk answerably to that Rule, so as in nothing they offend their Conscience, had need to observe carefully the language of Conscience.
It is not our purpose to stay on the particular consideration of the scope of this Scripture, nor so much as to name, let be to prosecute all the points of Doctrine that may be drawn from it, but only to discourse a little from the Words enclosed, and shut up within a Parenthesis, as they relate to our end and design.
It is not our purpose to stay on the particular consideration of the scope of this Scripture, nor so much as to name, let be to prosecute all the points of Doctrine that may be drawn from it, but only to discourse a little from the Words inclosed, and shut up within a Parenthesis, as they relate to our end and design.
First, then in a word, The Apostle is here putting a difference betwixt external service, and the internal power and efficacy of the work of the Spirit of God on the Conscience; And when he is speaking of Baptism, he giveth this Caveat and Advertisement, That it is not the washing of water in that Ordinance, that reacheth the great end of it, But the answer of a good Conscience. 2ly. He showeth that the differencing, and March-ridding Character of the one from the other is, in what answer the Conscience giveth concerning the thing that the man is about; and declareth that it is not simply a good Conscience, but the answer of a good Conscience that giveth ground of Hope, and boldness of Confidence to obtain the Promise.