A37045:426
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.
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.
I would ask you, is it not better to put your Consciences to speak in time, when things may be righted and amended, then to let them lie over, and sleep, till they be past remedy? O! When will ye consider, and lay to heart, what trouble, terror and confusion reacheth, and taketh hold on the Consciences of many at death, and will do so much more at the day of Judgement; and if it were not much better in time to try things, and find out what is right, and what is wrong, that Conscience may not have a just ground of challenge against you in that day, and may not have it to say to you, ye never owned me, when ye was living in the World, and now I will read to you a fearful Indictment and Dittay, that hath stood long on record against you; And upon this arises, the horror and gnawing worm that never dies; hence is the fire blown that never is quenched; all which (I say) flow from Conscience▪ representing to men and women in a most formidable manner their way, which before they would never believe, nor once seriously put the matter to the trial, whether it would do so or not.
I would ask you, is it not better to put your Consciences to speak in time, when things may be righted and amended, then to let them ly over, and sleep, till they be past remedy? O! When will ye consider, and lay to heart, what trouble, terrour and confusion reacheth, and taketh hold on the Consciences of many at death, and will do so much more at the day of Judgement; and if it were not much better in time to try things, and find out what is right, and what is wrong, that Conscience may not have a just ground of challenge against you in that day, and may not have it to say to you, ye never owned me, when ye was living in the World, and now I will read to you a fearful Inditement and Dittay, that hath stood long on record against you; And upon this arises, the horrour and g•awing worm that never dies; hence is the fire blown that never is quenched; all which (I say) flow from Conscience▪ representing to men and women in a most formidable manner their way, which before they would never believe, nor once seriously put the matter to the tryal, whether it would do so or not.