A81893:157
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.
The First Use serves, to discover the great unsuitableness of our practice to this Truth; There is not any Truth less controverted, nor more confirmed, How comes it then to pass, ⟨p. 134⟩that we look upon the Cross, especially when i• comes for Duty, as it were a strange and uncouth thing, whereof we had never heard before, or, as if God had obliged himself to keep the Cross from of us? Think it not strange (sayeth the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.12.) concerning the fiery trial, as if some strange thing happened unto you; O! do not think your selves exempted from, or set quite without the reach of any Trial, Affliction, or Tribulation that any of the People of God have met with before you, or in your time.
The First Use serves, to discover the great unsuitableness of our practice to this Truth; There is not any Truth less controverted, nor more confirmed, How comes it then to passe, ⟨p. 134⟩that we look upon the Cross, especially when i• comes for Duty, as it were a strange and uncouth thing, whereof we had never heard before, or, as if God had oblidged himself to keep the Cross from of us? Think it not strange (sayeth the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.12.) concerning the firie tryal, as if some strange thing happened unto you; O! do not think your selves exempted from, or set quite without the reach of any Tryal, Affliction, or Tribulation that any of the People of God have met with before you, or in your time.
The 2d. Use serves, to reprove our too great averseness from, and starting at Trials, Crosses, Afflictions, and Tribulations, Let us put our selves to it, and enquire how these two can stand together, to wit, the certainty of their suffering persecution, that will live Godly, and our fancying that a godly man, not only may, but must be free of persecution? 2ly. if it be a certain truth, that the People of God must enter into his kingdom through much Tribulation,, how comes it to be so little believed, and that so very few are found laying their account with it in particular? Is not this undeniably evident, by so much sinfully distempering fear of it, and seeking anxiously, and unwarrantably to shift and stave it off ere it come, by thinking shame of it, and fretting under it, when it comes, and by impatient longing to be freed from it? alas, these are shred and sad evidences, that it is not really and throughly believed, that the kingdom of God must needs be entered into through much tribulation.