A37046:230
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. › Commandment 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.
4. We gather the breaches of this Commandment from the duties that are required in it, such as Faith, Love, Obedience, Hope, Fear, Knowledge, &c. in which we may fail these ways in the general. 1. When we want these Graces, or perform not these duties required. 2. When they are counterfeited, and not real; as when our humility is not real, our prayers not sincere, but in show only. 3. When they are defective, as to the measure of Knowledge, Faith, &c. which we should be at. 4. When they degenerate, as when knowledge turneth into Curiosity, and Faith into Presumption, and Hope into vain Confidence, Fear into Unbelief and Anxiety, by which we may see how often this Commandment is broken.
4. We gather the breaches of this Commandment from the duties that are required in it, such as Faith, Love, Obedience, Hope, Fear, Knowledge, &c. in which we may fail these ways in the general. 1. When we want these Graces, or perform not these duties required. 2. When they are counterfeited, and not real; as when our humility is not real, our prayers not sincere, but in shew only. 3. When they are defective, as to the measure of Knowledge, Faith, &c. which we should be at. 4. When they degenarate, as when knowledge turneth into Curiosity, and Faith into Presumption, and Hope into vain Confidence, Fear into Unbelief and Anxiety, by which we may see how often this Commandment is broken.
1. That we may the better understand the breaches of this Commandment, we would first take a view of Gods Excellency and Attributes, and see how we sin against all these, for we should walk worthy of God, Col. 1. 10, And here ye may observe, that his infinite Wisdom is wronged by not submitting to him, or not taking direction from him, his Power by not employing him, his Grace by not trusting him, or abusing it to wantonness, his Omniscience by wishing he saw not not some things, hiding them from men, and not fearing him, counterfeiting in his service, &c. so is his Justice wronged by expecting mercy without making use of a Sacrifice, not fearing his threatenings, not scaring at sin, but hazarding on his wrath: and the like may be instanced in all the rest of his Attributes, which are all sinned against, either by ignorance, or by omission of something they call for, or by the Commission of something unbecoming them.