A37046:140
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.
Yet secondly, there be some things that we willingly grant in this matter: As 1. That we do not comprehend under these sinful dreams every passing transient thought or motion in sleep, which has merely an idleness and unprofitableness with it, which though it might possibly be sinful in men waking, (when they should aim in the least thought at something edifying) yet we think dreams that are merely (so to say) negative, that is▪ not sinful on the matter, are not to be accounted sins; nay, not yet sins historically, as it were, objected to the fancy, or only objectively proposed▪ I say they are not sinful, because mans fancy at such a time is open to such Representations▪ and cannot hold them out, especially seeing they may possibly be carried in by the Devil, who certainly waits these times; but there are other sinful dreams, such as that spoken of, Levit. 15. through occasion of which there is effusion of seed, rising in passion, delighting in revenge, it may be (as we have heard) to the committing of some act, such have (as it were) a more deliberate consent with them, and sometimes delight, yea, sometimes external motion of the body endeavouring the accomplishments of its desires: in all which it seems hard to say, that a man is passive only; and when the subject of the dreams are such things as a natural Conscience will scare and tremble at, it is of these we speak.
Yet secondly, there be some things that we willingly grant in this matter: As 1. That we do not comprehend under these sinful dreams every passing transient thought or motion in sleep, which has meerly an idleness and unprofitableness with it, which though it might possibly be siuful in men waking, (when they should aim in the least thought at something edifying) yet we think dreams that are meerly (so to say) negative, that is▪ not sinful on the matter, are not to be accounted sins; nay, not yet sins historically, as it were, objected to the fancy, or only objectively proposed▪ I say they are not sinful, because mans fancy at such a time is open to such Representations▪ and cannot hold them out, especially seeing they may possibly be carried in by the Devil, who certainly waits these times; but there are other sinful dreams, such as that spoken of,