A37045:272
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 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.
and it speaketh very little, or none at all to them, being so much baffled, and blunted with many repulses: We may add this Third way, how it is provoked, and that is, when it's askings are slighted; It asketh us why we do such and such a thing, and forbear such and such another? and we slight what it saith, and lie still in sin; Is it not just that Conscience pay us home in our own measure, and refuse to answer us when we ask it?
and it speaketh very little, or none at all to them, being so much baffled, and blunted with many repulses: We may add this Third way, how it is provoked, and that is, when it's askings are slighted; It asketh us why we do such and such a thing, and forbear such and such another? and we slight what it saith, and ly still in sin; Is it not just that Conscience pay us home in our own measure, and refuse to answer us when we ask it?
A Fourth Sinful Cause on our part, of the silence of Conscience, is, When men come not singly▪ and in a Spiritual Frame to Conscience, to seek it's answer and advice, but either have an• Idol s•t up before their eyes, and are almost already determined in the thing; or else they bring with them some one or other lust unrepented of; Hence it comes to pass, that though they think themselves submissive in that particular, and possibly may some way be so, yet not being absolutely submissive in all, Conscience keeps silent; To the former, the Lord some way says, as he did to these men, by the Prophet Ezekiel, chap. 14. 2, 3. Son of man, these have set up their idols in their hearts, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face; should I be inquired at all by them? When men come to seek Light, and bring their Idols with them, the Lord that speaketh by the Conscience, will some times, in that case, not suffer it to speak a word. The other is like that which we have, Psal. 66▪ 8. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer; When men come in a profane temper and frame of Spirit to God, and are not single, and (as I said) absolutely submissive, Conscience will not answer; For Conscience hath not one word to speak, but to them to whom God speaketh.