A37046:136
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
AN EXPOSITION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, Delivered in several LECTURES. › Preface
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.
5. When the Law discovers sin, ye would open your Bosom to let in Convictions; for the Law entered that sin might abound, not in practise, but in sense feeling, and conscience, Rom. 5. 20. and follow these Convictions by repentance, till they necessitate you to fly to Christ, and leave you there.
5. When the Law discovers sin, ye would open your Bosom to let in Convictions; for the Law entered that sin might abound, not in practise, but in sense feeling, and conscience, Rom. 5. 20. and follow these Convictions by repentance, till they necessitate you to flye to Christ, and leave you there.
6. Take help from Christs Sermons, and the Prophets, to understand this Scripture, for they are the only Canonical; and therefore the best Commentary upon the Commandments; yet ye would not despise the light holden forth in humane writings, such as the larger Catechism, which is very full as to this, and if conscionably improved, will prove exceeding profitable for your instruction.
6. Take help from Christs Sermons, and the Prophets, to understand this Scripture, for they are the only Canonical; and therefore the best Commentary upon the Commandments; yet ye would not despise the light holden forth in humane writings, such as the larger Catechism, which is very full as to this, and if concionably improved, will prove exceeding profitable for your instruction.
Lastly, The Grave Case that we would speak unto, before we enter particularly on the Commandments is▪ whether any of these Commandments may be broken in our sleep, by Dreams, Imaginations, Actions, &c. which otherwise are unlawful, or whether when a man is sleeping and dreaming he be subject to the Rule of the Law, and if its obligation extend to him even then? This question hath its own difficulty, and although it be not good to be curious in it, yet it wants not its own profit, as to the peace and quietness of Gods people, or to their humbling and stirring up unto repentance, if it be rightly decided. I know almost all run on the negative, as if men were not in the least guilty of sin by such Dreams upon this ground, upon this ground, because they are not then in a capacity to use and exercise their reason, but that they are in this case as mad, distracted, o frantic men. I desire to be sober in speaking to this; yet I shall adventure to speak my mind a little about it, with the reasons of it.