A37045:277
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.
but the Lord will have us to know, That to have Light and Clearness in any particular, especially of such moment, is a greater matter, and mercy then so, and that it is a sin to flight, and undervalue it, when it is come by. A 5th. and last end is, to draw men to more immediate dependence on himself; that when Conscience is silent, they may come to him, and count themselves to be so much the more in his common, and debt, for any Light that they shall win at; and be made to know, that Conscience is but his servant: all this is clear, from Gods way in afflicting his People, and from many instances in Scripture.
but the Lord will have us to know, That to have Light and Clearnesse in any particular, especially of such moment, is a greater matter, and mercy then so, and that it is a sin to flight, and undervalue it, when it is come by. A 5th. and last end is, to draw men to more immediat dependence on himself; that when Conscience is silent, they may come to him, and count themselves to be so much the more in his common, and debt, for any Light that they shall win at; and be made to know, that Conscience is but his servant: all this is clear, frow Gods way in afflicting his People, and from many instances in Scripture.
The other Assertion that I proposed to speak a word to, was, That though it be sometimes thus, That Conscience is silent, and speaketh not, at least, so soon, or so clearly, when it is inquired at; yet it is not always so, but sometimes, nay, often Conscience will speak, and answer clearly; and our unclearness in that case, may proceed from some one tentation or other; or from our own sinful distemper; or from our negligence, and inadvertency, as I shall shortly clear in some cases.
The other Assertion that I proposed to speak a word to, was, That though it be sometimes thus, That Conscience is silent, and speaketh not, at least, so soon, or so clearly, when it is inquired at; yet it is not alwayes so, but sometimes, nay, often Conscience will speak, and answer clearly; and our unclearnesse in that case, may proceed from some one tentation or other; or from our own sinful distemper; or from our negligence, and inadvertancy, as I shall shortly clear in some cases.