A81893:143
The great corruption of subtle self, discovered, and driven from it's lurking-places and starting-holes…The great corruption of subtile self, discovered, and driven from it's lurking-places and starting-holes…
The great corruption of subtle self, discovered, and driven from it's lurking-places and starting-holes And the contrary grace, self-denial commended, as an indispensably necessary requisite to the acceptable and successful performance of all commanded-duties, and as notably fitting for taking up of the cross, and following Christ. In seven sermons. By master James Durham, late minister of the gospel in Glasgow.The great corruption of subtile self, discovered, and driven from it's lurking-places and starting-holes And the contrary grace, self-denyal commended, as an indispensably necessary requisite to the acceptable and successfull performance of all commanded-duties, and as notably fitting for taking up of the cross, and following Christ. In seven sermons. By master James Durham, late minister of the gospel in Glasgow.
Edinburgh: printed by the heir of Andrew Anderson, 1686
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.
they will rather reason thus with themselves, What will become of us, and of our houses and families, if we hold by this, or if we do not the other thing? we will therefore ⟨p. 120⟩comply, and not strive against the stream, & thereby bring ruin on our selves, and ours: make therefore Christ your Pattern, and believe, that as he requireth this of you at all times, so in a special manner at this time, when the trial is come, and Self fawns and hangs on us, pleading for Self-pity, and persuasion: And to press the exhortation, consider the necessity of it, If any man (says the Lord) will follow me, let him deny himself; If ye think Christ worthy the following, ye must resolve to part with Self; the young rich man must sell all that he hath, and take up his Cross, and follow Christ, or else part with Christ, and go back to the World, and that will be a woeful parting; It is on this account ordinarily, that men part with Christ, whether it be eternally, or for a time only; such as will not deny themselves in Justification, they deprive themselves of Christs Righteousness; such as will adhere to the World, will get no more; Selfiness made Demas forsake Christ, and embrace a present World; It made many to preach circumcision, to eschew persecution, and to take a wrong way in the matter of Justification, as the Apostle shows, Gal 6. It prevailed that far with Peter, as to make him deny his Master. But ye will readily say, this seems to be very hard, not only in reference to the end, which is heaven and glory, but in reference to the wa• unto it, to tell men, that they must deny themselves, ere ever they can well enter, let be proceed in the way to heaven; There is here a twofold great difficulty, not only to deny our Estates, Friends, Relations, Natural Reason, Wit, Will, Sense, Opinion, Reputation (that sticks close and long) ⟨p. 121⟩but also to be content to be accounted and cal••d fools, and to be mocked, and cried out upon, as the very offscourings of the World, even […] deny Life it self, and to choose Death, even a violent Death: I confess this is indeed hard, even •ery hard to Flesh and Blood; but I must also ••y, that it is a hard and difficult business, to follow Christ, and to continue in following of him, […] all his Tentations; Remember therefore, and onder the one, as well as the other;