A37045:85
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 acts n24.16 › 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.
The First Use serves to bear in this truth on you; that there is such a thing as Conscience, the most ignorant and profane and haughty of you all, whether young or old, one and other of you have a Conscience, that taketh particular notice of every thing in your walk, that recordeth all, that accuseth or excuseth; and though ye take not head to it now, ye will one day be made to know it; take it therefore for a certain truth, that ye have such a thing within you, that ye have a Knowledge with your Knowledge, even a Conscience that remembereth when ye would forget.
The First Use serves to bear in this truth on you; that there is such a thing as Conscience, the most ignorant and profane and haughty of you all, whether young or old, one and other of you have a Conscience, that taketh particula• notice of every thing in your walk, that recordeth all, that accuseth or excuseth; and though ye take not head to it now, ye will one day be made to know it; take it therefore for a certain truth, that ye have such a thing within you, that ye have a Knowledge with your Knowledge, even a Conscience that remembreth when ye would forget.
The minding of this is useful, 1. To make people cast out with Sin rather then with their Conscience. 2. To make them wary that they take not liberty in secret to Sin. 3. To make them take kindly with reproofs for Sin; Remember therefore that there is a Conscience in every one of you▪ Ye will possibly think it needless to press this, and I wish it were so, but we may shortly point at these evidences, to prove that many on the matter think they have not a Conscience.
The First is, That they take so little pains to prevent a quarrel from their Conscience; how many omit, balk and step over Duty, and go on in Sin? Which they durst not do if they believed that they had a Conscience. 2. The few challenges that most have under many Sins, and their living in such peace and security, as if they had not a Conscience to disquiet them, many Men and Women know, and are as little acquainted with challenges and convictions, and stand in as little awe of Conscience as if they had none at all; Hence we use to say, that such a man has not a Conscience, because, though