A81893:158
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 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.
The 2d. Use serves, to reprove our too great averseness from, and starting at Tryals, 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 fancieing 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 undenyably 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 freting under it, when it comes, and by impatient longing to be freed from it? alas, these are shread and sad evidences, that it is not really and throughly believed, that the kingdom of God must needs be entered into through much tribulation.
The 3d. Use serves, to provoke us to wonder, that seeing Christ thus bargains and capitulates ⟨p. 135⟩with all his followers, without exception, that they take up their cross daily and follow him, through the straitest and darkest steps of trouble; we are so little actually put to it, for every day that we are free of some great Cross, is more than condition, and speaks Christ (to say so) to be better than his word; every day of such freedom lays a new obligation on us, to be thankful, and to bear our little Crosses the more patiently; to this purpose, the Apostle be speaks the Christian Hebrews, Chap. 12.4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, in striving against sin; It was blessed Jesus his lot, and of multitude of his Martyrs to suffer to Blood and Death; should we then, because of our little petty suffering, fret and be anxious? It's both our sin and shame, it's but very little that we have yet suffered in comparison of what we should lay our account with, and in comparison with what others have suffered; why then is there so much un-warrantable shifting of suffering, and so much repining and grudging under it, as if God dealt more hardly with us than with others?