A37046:1162
The law unsealed
The law unsealed: or, A practical exposition of the Ten Commandments With a resolution of several momentous questions and cases of conscience. By the learned, laborious, faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. James Durham, late minister of the Gospel at Glasgow.
Glasgow: printed by Robert Sanders, 1676
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.
This sort of murder aboundeth and is very rife, and yet is in an especial manner forbidden by this command, and the prevention of it accordingly called for, it being a greater evidence of love to our neighbour to be careful of his soul then of his body, the one being more precious then the other; and however false Prophets, teachers and seducers, seem ordinarily to be most tender of mens persons, and most desirous to please them, yet are they in this sort horridly guilty of their murder.
This sort of murther aboundeth and is very rife, and yet is in an especial manner forbidden by this command, and the prevention of it accordingly called for, it being a greater evidence of love to our neighbour to be careful of his soul then of his body, the one being more pretious then the other; and however false Prophets, teachers and seducers, seem ordinarily to be most tender of mens persons, and most desirous to please them, yet are they in this sort horridly guilty of their murther.
3. There is a life of contentment, consisting in the tranquillity of the mind, and the calm frame of a quiet spirit with comfort, joy and cheerfulness; to this purpose saith Paul, 1. Thess. 3. 8. I live if ye stand fast in the Lord, and it is said of Jacob Gen. 45. 27. when he heard that Joseph lived, his spirit revived, as if it had been dead before, because of his great heaviness, arising from the supposed death of his Son; thus we become guilty of this Sin of killing, when we obstruct or interrupt the spiritual comfort and joy, or the inward contentment of our neighbour by fear, heaviness, disquietness, discouragement, &c. whereby his life is made bitter, and his tranquillity impaired, and so his hurt procured or furthered: As Josephs brethren did not only become guilty of his blood, but of weighting ⟨p. 212⟩their Father, and deadening, as it were, his spirit, which afterwards at the news of Joseph's being alive revived, so people may be guilty against their Ministers, when they make them do their work not with joy but grief, as it is