A37045:487
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.
• ly. Observe; That whoever would found peace and joy on the Testimony of his Conscience, would be sure, that it be a well grounded Testimony; therefore Paul in asserting the Testimony of his Conscience here, and his rejoicing on that ground, proves, that he had suf• ground, and warrant for his doing so; and brings […] proofs of it viz. That, in simplicity, and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom▪ but by the grace of God he h•d his conversation in the world, and more abundantly to them ward; and indeed, if we consider, 1. of wha• •ighty concernment it is, and how great and […] a building is built on it, we will find there is much need to have the ground well, and deeply laid. 2ly. If we consider what Rains, Floods and winds of Tentations, Troubles and challenges may descend, bea• ⟨p. 263⟩and blow upon our building, and put it to the tryal• whether it be founded, and be built on the Rock, or on the Sand; we had need to look well on what ground we build, and that it be solid, and durable; we find, many that will have a sort of peace in health and prosperity, who, when sickness, adversity and death come, have their peace to seek, having been all the while but building (as it were) castles in the air. 3ly. If we consider, how easy, and ordinary it is for people here to go wrong, to be mistaken, and to think that all is well; when, alas! it is nothing so, but all quite wrong, it says, we had need to be sicker; •t cries aloud to us, to look about us, and to make sure, solid, and sicker work.
• ly. Observe; That whoever would found peace and joy on the Testimony of his Conscience, would be sure, that it be a well grounded Testimony; therefore Paul in asserting the Testimony of his Conscience here, and his rejoycing on that ground, proves, that he had suf• ground, and warrand for his doing so; and brings 〈…〉 proofs of it viz. That, in simplicity, and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God he hd his conversation in the world, and more aboundanty to them ward; and indeed, if we consider, 1. of wha ighty concernment it is, and how great and a building is built on it, we will find there is much need to have the ground well, and deeply laid. 2ly. If we consider what Rains, Floods and winds of Tentations, Troubles and challenges may descend, bea